Nome Creek Area

The Nome Creek Area 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

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: Nome Creek Area
Secondary: Sumner Creek

Commodity

Primary: Gold
Secondary: Tungsten
Secondary: Antimony
Secondary: Tin
Secondary: Thorium

Location

State: Alaska
District: Tolovana

Land Status

Not available

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Not available

Ownership

Not available

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past 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: Cassiterite
Ore: Gold
Ore: Monazite
Ore: Scheelite
Ore: Stibnite

Comments

Comment (Reference): Primary Reference = Lampright, 1996.

Comment (Workings): Workings / Exploration = Gold was discovered in 1910 (Ellsworth and Parker, 1911). Dredging occurred in 1926 to 1931, 1939 to 1940, and 1946 (Cobb, 1976, p. 50, [OFR 76-633]). Mining occurred during several seasons between 1960 and 1982 (Menzie and others, 1983). Most of the mining has been about 1 km above the junction with Sumner Creek to the junction with Moose Creek, a distance of about 10 km. Some work was also done on Sumner Creek, just above its junction with Nome Creek. Nome Creek is now a state recreational mining site limited to non-mechanized operations.

Comment (Exploration): Status = Inactive

Comment (Geology): Geologic Description = Headwaters of Nome Creek are in the Mt. Prindle area where a small lower Tertiary pluton intrude Paleozoic and (or) Precambrian schist (Cobb, 1973, p. 174, [B 1374]). The paystreak is 2 to 4 feet thick overlain by about 15 feet of gravel (Ellsworth and Parker, 1911, p. 165). Concentrates contain gold, cassiterite, monazite, topaz and tourmaline (Wedow and others, 1954, p. 8). Gold was discovered in 1910 (Ellsworth and Parker, 1911). Dredging occurred in 1926 to 1931, 1939 to 1940, and 1946 (Cobb, 1976, p. 50, [OFR 76-633]). Mining occurred during several seasons between 1960 and 1982 (Menzie and others, 1983). Most of the mining has been about 1 km above the junction with Sumner Creek to the junction with Moose Creek, a distance of about 10 km. Some work was also done on Sumner Creek, just above its junction with Nome Creek. Nome Creek is now a state recreational mining site limited to non-mechanized operations.

Comment (Deposit): Other Comments = See also Sourdough Creek, ARDF no. CI054.

Comment (Production): Production Notes = There are no data on production but the workings suggest that the total is substantial (Menzie and others, 1983, p. 49).

Comment (Deposit): Model Name = Placer gold deposit (Cox and Singer, 1986; model 39a)

References

Reference (Deposit): Smith, P.S., 1933, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1930: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 836, p. 1-83.

Reference (Deposit): Smith, P.S., 1932, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1929, in Smith, P.S., and others Mineral resources of Alaska, report on progress of investigations in 1929: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 824-A, p. 1-81.

Reference (Deposit): Smith, P.S., 1930, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1927: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 810-A, p. 1-64.

Reference (Deposit): Smith, P.S., 1933, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1930: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 836-A, p. 1-83.

Reference (Deposit): Smith, P.S., 1933, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1931: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 844-A, p. 1-81.

Reference (Deposit): Smith, P.S., 1929, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1926: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 797, p. 1-50.

Reference (Deposit): Prindle, L.M., and Katz, F.J., 1913, Detailed description of the Fairbanks district, in Prindle, L. M., A geologic reconnaissance of the Fairbanks quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 525, p. 59-152.

Reference (Deposit): Ellsworth, C.E., and Davenport, R.W., 1913, Placer mining in the Yukon-Tanana region: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 542, 303 p.

Reference (Deposit): Lampright, R.L., 1996, Gold placer deposits near Fairbanks Alaska: Iron Fire Publications, Nederland, Colorado, 135 p.

Reference (Deposit): Ellsworth, C.E., and Parker, G.L., 1911, Placer mining in the Yukon-Tanana region: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 480, 325 p.

Reference (Deposit): Holm, Bjarne, 1973, Bedrock geology and mineralization of the Mount Prindle area, Yukon-Tanana upland: University of Alaska, Fairbanks, M.Sc. thesis, 55 p.

Reference (Deposit): Cobb, E.H., 1976, Summary of references to mineral occurrences (other than mineral fuels and construction materials) in the Circle quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 76-633, 72 p.

Reference (Deposit): Menzie, W.D., Foster, H.L., Tripp, R.B., and Yeend, W.E., 1983, Mineral resource assessment of the Circle quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 83-170-B, 61 p., 1 sheet, 1:250,000.

Reference (Deposit): Bundtzen, T.K., and Henning, M.W., 1978, Barite in Alaska: Mines and Geology Bulletin, v. 27, no. 4, p. 1-4.

Reference (Deposit): Eakins, G.R., Bundtzen, T.K., Lueck, L.L. Green, C.B., Gallagher, J.L., and Robinson, M.S., 1985, Alaska mineral industry, 1984: Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys Special Report 38, 57p.

Reference (Deposit): Cobb, E.H., 1973, Placer deposits of Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1374, 213 p.

Reference (Deposit): Cobb, E.H., 1972, Metallic mineral resources map of the Circle quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Misc. Field Studies Map MF-391, 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000.

Reference (Deposit): Bates, R.G. and Wedow, H. Jr., 1953, Preliminary summary review of thorium-bearing mineral occurrences in Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 202, 13 p.

Reference (Deposit): Overstreet, W.C., 1967, The geologic occurrence of monazite: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 530, 327 p.

Reference (Deposit): Wedow, Helmuth, Jr., Killeen, P. L., and others, 1954, Reconnaissance for radioactive deposits in eastern interior Alaska, 1946: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 331, 36 p.

Reference (Deposit): Smith, P.S., 1937, Mineral industry in Alaska in 1935: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 880-A, p. 1-95.

Reference (Deposit): Smith, P.S., 1933, Mineral industry in Alaska in 1931: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 844-A, p. 1-82.

Reference (Deposit): Smith, P.S., 1934, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1932: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 857-A, p. 1-91.

The Top Ten Gold Producing States

These ten states contributed the most to the gold production that built the West from 1848 through the 1930s. The Top Ten Gold Producing States.