The Hot Air Bench is a gold 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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Hot Air Bench MRDS details
Site Name
Primary: Hot Air Bench
Secondary: Last Chance Creek
Commodity
Primary: Gold
Location
State: Alaska
District: Valdez Creek
Land Status
Not available
Holdings
Not available
Workings
Not available
Ownership
Not available
Production
Not available
Deposit
Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant:
Physiography
Not available
Mineral Deposit Model
Model Name: Placer Au-PGE
Orebody
Not available
Structure
Not available
Alterations
Not available
Rocks
Not available
Analytical Data
Not available
Materials
Ore: Gold
Comments
Comment (Exploration): Status = Active
Comment (Geology): Age = Quaternary. Most of the bench probably consists of moraines from the last phase of valley glaciation.
Comment (Reference): Primary Reference = This record
Comment (Workings): Workings / Exploration = In 1986, a reconnaissance-scale drilling program tested these gravels. The Last Chance Creek gulch has been mined sporadically since the early days in the district. The most recent mining was in the mid-1980's. The gold is bright and shiny and some nuggets were found (D.L. Stevens, personal observations).
Comment (Deposit): Model Name = Placer Au-PGE (Cox and Singer, 1986; model 39a)
Comment (Production): Production Notes = There has been very small production.
Comment (Geology): Geologic Description = The Hot Air Bench consists mostly of glacial-moraine gravels and of fluvial channels that cross the bench. All of the gravels are auriferous but none is rich enough to mine at this time (1999). A limited cross section is exposed in Last Chance Creek, along the lower portion of the bench, where Valdez Creek fluvial gravels are interbedded with apparently glacial-moraine gravels. In drill holes along the lower portion of the bench there was a large amount of ground water (D. L. Stevens, personal observations).
References
Reference (Deposit): Stevens, D.L., 2001, Alaska Resource Data File, Healy quadrangle: U. S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 01-109, 441 p.
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