Top

The Top is a silver, gold, and zinc 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: Top

Commodity

Primary: Silver
Primary: Gold
Primary: Zinc

Location

State: Alaska
District: Hyder

Land Status

Not available

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Not available

Ownership

Not available

Production

Not available

Deposit

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

Physiography

Not available

Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Polymetallic veins

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Not available

Alterations

Alteration Text: Volcanic hostrocks are impregnated with sulfide minerals.

Rocks

Not available

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Pyrite
Ore: Sphalerite
Ore: Tetrahedrite
Gangue: Quartz

Comments

Comment (Reference): Primary Reference = Maas and others, 1995

Comment (Geology): Age = Maas and others (1995, p. 254) suggest that this deposit is Jurassic in age, based on similarities in mineralogy, structural setting, and hostrock, to isotopically-dated Jurassic deposits elsewhere in the Hyder district (for example, see BC065, BC067). If so, the deposit is contemporaneous, at least in part, with island-arc volcanism in Hazelton time (Alldrick, 1993).

Comment (Workings): Workings / Exploration = The deposit has been exposed by surface trenching for about 450 feet. Samples collected by the U.S. Bureau of Mines in 1992 or 1993 (Maas and others, 1995, p. 258) contain up to 48.03 ppm Au, 100.8 ppm Ag, and 10.3% Zn.

Comment (Deposit): Model Name = Polymetallic veins

Comment (Geology): Geologic Description = The country rocks in the area of the Top prospect are pelitic metasedimentary and subordinate andesitic metavolcanic strata of the Jurassic or older Mesozoic Hazelton Group; the Triassic Texas Creek Granodiorite, which underlies and locally intrudes the Hazelton; and the Eocene Hyder Quartz Monzonite, which intrudes the Hazelton and Texas Creek rocks(Smith, 1977; Koch, 1996). According to Maas and others (1995, p. 254, 258), the deposit consists of disseminated and semi-massive pyrite, sphalerite, and tetrahedrite, and a quartz-sulfide vein. The deposit is hosted in Hazelton volcanic rocks and has been exposed for a length of about 450 feet. Maas and others (p. 254) suggest that this deposit is Jurassic in age, based on similarities in mineralogy, structural setting, and hostrock, to isotopically-dated Jurassic deposits elsewhere in the Hyder district (for example, see BC065, BC067). If so, the deposit is contemporaneous, at least in part, with island-arc volcanism in Hazelton time (Alldrick, 1993).

References

Reference (Deposit): Smith, J.G., 1977, Geology of the Ketchikan D-1 and Bradfield Canal A-1 quadrangles, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1425, 49 p.

Reference (Deposit): Alldrick, D.J., 1993, Geology and metallogeny of the Stewart mining camp, northwestern British Columbia: British Columbia Department of Mines and Petroleum Resources Bulletin 85, 105 p., 2 plates.

Reference (Deposit): Maas, K.M., Bittenbender, P E., and Still, J.C., 1995, Mineral investigations in the Ketchikan mining district, southeastern Alaska: U.S. Bureau of Mines Open-File Report 11-95, 606 p.

Reference (Deposit): Koch, R.D., 1996, Reconnaissance geologic map of the Bradfield Canal quadrangle, southeastern Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 81-728-A, 35 p., 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000.

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