Iron Creek (lower)

The Iron Creek (lower) is a iron mine located in Alaska.

About the MRDS Data:

All mine locations were obtained from the USGS Mineral Resources Data System. The locations and other information in this database have not been verified for accuracy. It should be assumed that all mines are on private property.

Mine Info

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Site Name

Primary: Iron Creek (lower)

Commodity

Primary: Iron
Secondary: Lead

Location

State: Alaska
District: Nome

Land Status

Not available

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Not available

Ownership

Not available

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Occurrence
Operation Type: Unknown
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant:

Physiography

Not available

Mineral Deposit Model

Not available

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Not available

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Santonian

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Limonite
Ore: Hematite

Comments

Comment (Exploration): Status = Inactive

Comment (Geology): Age = Post mid-Cretaceous, the age of metamorphism of the host carbonate rocks.

Comment (Reference): Primary Reference = Herreid, 1970

Comment (Workings): Workings / Exploration = Surface exposure only; workings have not been discribed at this locality although it was probably prospected before 1915, as were other iron oxide prospects in the area.

Comment (Deposit): Model Name = Iron oxide veins and replacement of marble and schist.

Comment (Geology): Geologic Description = The Lower Iron Creek gossan was located by Herreid (1970, figure 1) and shown to be about 600 feet long in a north-northwest direction. It is in massive marble, probably the same as the massive marble unit of Bundtzen and others (1994). This occurrence is probably similar to other iron oxide deposts in the area such as the Cub Bear prospect (NM133) and Iron Creek prospect (NM131). Herreid (1970) noted anomalous lead at this prospect, but it is not reflected in the one sample for which an analysis was reported from the occurrence (sample 146, Herried, 1970). The origin of the iron deposits in the area is uncertain. They may be iron oxide gossan developed by the oxidation of sulfide deposits (Eakin, 1915 [B 622-I, p. 361-365]; Mulligan and Hess, 1965; Herreid, 1970). Alternatively, they could be hypogene iron oxide (and iron carbonate) deposits. Inasmuch as several similar iron deposits nearby, such as the American prospect (NM014) and the Monarch prospect (NM017), contain anomalous amounts of zinc, they could be transitional to zinc-lead-fluorite deposits such as the Quarry prospect (NM135).

References

Reference (Deposit): Bundtzen, T.K., Reger, R.D., Laird, G.M., Pinney, D.S., Clautice, K.H., Liss, S.A., and Cruse, G.R., 1994, Progress report on the geology and mineral resources of the Nome mining district: Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys, Public Data-File 94-39, 21 p., 2 sheets, scale 1:63,360.

Reference (Deposit): Eakin, H.M., 1915, Placer mining in Seward Peninsula: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 622-I, p. 366-373.

Reference (Deposit): Mulligan, J.J., and Hess, H.D., 1965, Examination of the Sinuk iron deposits, Seward Peninsula, Alaska: U.S. Bureau of Mines Open-File Report 8-65, 34 p.

Reference (Deposit): Herreid, G.H., 1970, Geology and geochemistry of the Sinuk area, Seward Peninsula, Alaska: Alaska Division of Mines and Minerals Geologic Report 36, 61 p., 3 sheets, scale 1:42,000.

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