Silver Fox

Site Name

Primary: Silver Fox
Secondary: Silvertone
Secondary: Busty Belle

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Commodity

Primary: Silver
Secondary: Antimony
Secondary: Copper
Secondary: Zinc
Secondary: Tungsten
Secondary: Gold
Secondary: Molybdenum
Secondary: Lead

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Location

State: Alaska
District: Fairbanks

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Land Status

Not available

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Holdings

Not available

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Workings

Not available

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Ownership

Not available

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Production

Not available

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Deposit

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

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Physiography

Not available

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Mineral Deposit Model

Not available

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Orebody

Not available

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Structure

Not available

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Alterations

Not available

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Rocks

Not available

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Analytical Data

Not available

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Materials

Ore: Cerussite
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Gold
Ore: Jamesonite
Ore: Molybdenite
Ore: Powellite
Ore: Sphalerite
Ore: Stibnite
Ore: Tetrahedrite

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Comments

Comment (Geology): Geologic Description = The Silver Fox mine consists of a series of quartz veins within a Cretaceous tonalite intrusive, surrounded by quartz muscovite schist, quartzite and chlorite quartzose schist. Quartz veins in tonalite contain scattered, flattened, small pods of molybdenite (Mowatt, 1974). Pyrite and chalcopyrite are smeared on slickensided fracture surfaces that offset these molybdenite-quartz veins. Across the fault zone is an area of fissure veins carrying pyrite, argentiferous galena, and sphalerite. Channel samples of iron-stained quartz veins containing argentiferous galena, jamesonite, alteration products, and some gold contained 2-5 % Pb, 2.9-8.8 ounces of silver per ton and 0.06-0.36 ounces of gold per ton (Berg and Cobb, 1967). Forbes and others (1968) reported fissure veins in quartz diorite consisting of argentiferous galena, sphalerite, tetrahedrite and pyrite, with subordinate gold values. Trenching exposed a roof zone of quartz monzonite plutons, roof pendants of silicified schist, and auriferous quartz stringers and veins. A 30-foot-wide altered zone includes both silicified schist and silicified quartz monzonite. Stibnite lenses occur along the hanging wall of the south vein, and a sample from an altered rind of one lens contained 23.0 ppm Au (Forbers and others, 1968). Chapman and Foster (1969) described this site as having NW-trending fissure veins in quartz diorite with scheelite and powellite limited to thin calcite veinlets and coatings along joints and fracture planes. In 1974, workings consisted of a 375 foot adit with a working face at the end of a 50 foot long drift and another face about 85 feet below the ground surface (Mowatt, 1974). In the late 1970's (probably 1978), the 50 foot long drift was extended approximately another 100 feet , and six 55-gallon barrels of silver ore were shipped (D. Wietchy, oral commun., 1999). In 1973, the mine was operated as a tourist attraction. Currently the mine is owned by the University of Alaska and is used as a teaching mine.

Comment (Exploration): Status = Inactive

Comment (Workings): Workings / Exploration = Workings consisted of a 375 foot adit with a working face at the end of a 50 foot long drift and another face about 85 feet below the ground surface (Mowatt, 1974). The mine operated in 1973 principally as a tourist attraction (Mowatt, 1974), and is now a teaching mine owned by the University of Alaska.

Comment (Deposit): Model Name = Intrusion hosted polymetallic quartz veins.

Comment (Reference): Primary Reference = Mowatt, 1974

Comment (Production): Production Notes = In the late 1950's, about 60 tons of hand-sorted ore were shipped and about 25 tons of ore were stockpiled in 1958 (Berg and Cobb, 1967). In the late 1970's, six 55-gallon barrels of silver ore were shipped from the mine (D. Wietchy, oral commun., 1999).

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References

Reference (Deposit): Cobb, E.H., 1975, Mineral resources of Alaska, in Yount, M.E., ed., U.S. Geological Survey Alaska Program, 1975: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 722, p. 37.

Reference (Deposit): Cobb, E.H., 1976, Summary of references to mineral occurrences (other than mineral fuels and construction materials) in the Livengood quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 76-819, 241 p.

Reference (Deposit): Cobb, E.H., 1972, Metallic mineral resources map of the Livengood quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-413, 2 sheets, scale 1:250,000.

Reference (Deposit): Berg, H.C., and Cobb, E.H., 1967, Metalliferous Lode Deposits of Alaska. U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1246, 254 p.

Reference (Deposit): Forbes, R.B., Pilkington, H.D., and Hawkins, D.B., 1968, Gold gradients and anomalies in the Pedro Dome-Cleary Summit area, Fairbanks District, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 324, 43 p.

Reference (Deposit): Chapman, R.M., and Foster, R.L., 1969, Lode mines and prospects in the Fairbanks district, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 625-D, 25 p., 1 plate.

Reference (Deposit): Sherman, G. E., 1983, Geology and mineralization of the Silver Fox mine, Fairbanks district, Alaska: University of Alaska Fairbanks, M.Sc. thesis, 84 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): Mowatt, T.C., 1974, Petrologic studies in the Fairbanks District: Molybdenum mineralization at the Silver Fox Mine: Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys Open-File Report 46, 34 p.

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