California

The California is a silver and 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

Satelite View

MRDS mine locations are often very general, and in some cases are incorrect. Some mine remains have been covered or removed by modern industrial activity or by development of things like housing. The satellite view offers a quick glimpse as to whether the MRDS location corresponds to visible mine remains.

Site Name

Primary: California

Commodity

Primary: Silver
Primary: Gold

Location

State: Alaska
District: Alaska Peninsula

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

Not available

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Not available

Alterations

Alteration Text: Alteration types are silicification and argillization.

Rocks

Not available

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Pyrite
Gangue: Quartz

Comments

Comment (Reference): Primary Reference = Wilson and others, 1988

Comment (Workings): Workings / Exploration = Old workings include a caved north-trending adit and a small dump. In 1983 UNC Teton Exploration Drilling Company mapped the prospect, conducted VLF-EM surveys, collected geochemical samples, and drilled four holes for a total of 2,575 feet (Wilson and others, 1988). In 1990 Battle Mountain Exploration examined and sampled the prospect. One sample collected at the adit contained 2.19 ppm gold.

Comment (Geology): Geologic Description = The California prospect consists of a system of multiple, 2-inch-wide, open-growth quartz veinlets in bleached, partly argillized felsic tuff containing disseminated iron oxide pseudomorphs of pyrite (Wilson and others, 1988). The hostrocks are part of the Eocene to Oligocene Popof volcanic rocks (Wilson and others, 1995). Battle Mountain Exploration Company (Ellis and Apel, 1990) traced the vein system southwest to the Heather Creek prospect (PM085). A rock sample collected at the California adit contained 2.19 ppm gold. Other samples collected between the California and Heather Creek prospects contained as much as 0.41 ppm gold, 100 ppm or more arsenic, and 1 ppm or more mercury.

Comment (Deposit): Model Name = Epithermal gold veins

Comment (Geology): Age = Eocene or younger.

Comment (Exploration): Status = Inactive

References

Reference (Deposit): Wilson, F.H., White, W.H., and DuBois, G.D., 1988, Brief descriptions of mines, prospects, and mineral occurrences in the Port Moller and Stepovak Bay quadrangles, Alaska Peninsula: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 88-666, 128 p., scale 1:250,000.

Reference (Deposit): Ellis, W.T., and Apel, R.A., 1990, Unga/Alaska Peninsula 1990 final report, Battle Mountain Exploration Company report, 49 p., 29 map sheets at various scales. (Report held by the Aleut Corporation, Anchorage, Alaska.)

Reference (Deposit): Wilson, F.H., Detterman, R.L., Miller, J. W., and Case, J.E., 1995, Geologic map of the Port Moller, Stepovak Bay, and Simeonof Island quadrangles, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Investigation Series Map I-2272, 1 map sheet, scale 1:250,000.

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