Mantle Mine

The Mantle Mine is a zinc mine located in Moffat county, Colorado at an elevation of 7,861 feet.

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: Mantle Mine

Commodity

Primary: Zinc
Tertiary: Lead
Tertiary: Copper
Tertiary: Gold
Tertiary: Silver
Tertiary: Antimony
Tertiary: Arsenic

Location

State: Colorado
County: Moffat
District: Douglas Mountain District

Land Status

Land ownership: National Park
Note: the land ownership field only identifies whether the area the mine is in is generally on public lands like Forest Service or BLM land, or if it is in an area that is generally private property. It does not definitively identify property status, nor does it indicate claim status or whether an area is open to prospecting. Always respect private property.

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Not available

Ownership

Not available

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Deposit Type: Vein
Operation Type: Unknown
Discovery Year: 1875
Discovery Method: Ore-Mineral In Place
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S

Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Rocky Mountain System
Physiographic Province: Middle Rocky Mountains

Mineral Deposit Model

Not available

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Type: R
Description: Uinta Uplift, Yampa Plateau

Type: L
Description: Yampa Fault, Yampa Fold

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Not available

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: ANALYSIS OF 4.5-FT CHANNEL SAMPLE ACROSS MAIN VEIN IN FLOOR OF UPPER ADIT (HEYL, 1964) GAVE 27.45% ZN, 0.8% PB, 0.35% CU, 0.01 OZ/TON AU, TRACE AG, 2.4% FE, 7.2% SILICA, 34.10% CARBONATE.

Materials

Ore: Hydrozincite
Ore: Hemimorphite
Gangue: Travertine
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Calcite
Gangue: Dolomite
Gangue: Hematite

Comments

Comment (Commodity): ALL ORE MINERALS OXIDIZED; NO SULFIDES SEEN

Comment (Location): IN HEADWATERS OF JOHNSON CANYON 0.8 MILE NNE OF TANKS PEAK ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :(1975)

Comment (Deposit): Discovery Year: 1870S

Comment (Workings): ONE SHAFT AND THREE VERTICALLY ARRANGED TUNNELS CONTAINING SEVERAL HUNDRED FEET OF DRIFTS AND SMALL STOPES

Comment (Deposit): DEPOSIT LIES IN WEAK SHEAR ZONE OF NEARLY VERTICAL FRACTURES STRIKING N 40 TO 60 E AND PROBABLY RELATED TO YAMPA REVERSE FAULT TO NORTH. FRACTURES CONTAIN VEINS AND MINERALIZED BRECCIA OF OXIDIZED ZN AND CU ORES EXTENDING ACROSS CONTACT OF MADISON LIMESTONE AND QUARTZITE AND SHALE OF LODORE FM. ORES ARE UNUSUAL AMONG THOSE THAT DIRECTLY REPLACE SULFIDES IN THAT THEY ARE LEAN IN FE, PB, AND AG. LOW AG CONTENT SUGGESTS PRIMARY ORES DEPOSITED BY LOW-TEMP EPITHERMAL SOLUTIONS FAR FROM THEIR SOURCE.

References

Reference (Deposit): HANSEN, W. R., AND CARRARA, P. E., 1980, GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE TANKS PEAK QUADRANGLE, MOFFAT COUNTY, COLORADO: USGS MAP GQ-1534

Reference (Deposit): UNTERMANN, G. E., AND UNTERMANN, B.R., 1954, GEOLOGY OF DINOSAUR NATIONAL MONUMENT AND VICINITY, UTAH-COLORADO: UTAH GEOL. MINERALOG. SURVEY BULL. 42

Reference (Deposit): HEYL, A. V., 1964, OXIDIZED ZINC DEPOSITS OF THE UNITED STATES, PART 3--COLORADO: USGS BULL. 1135-C

Colorado Mining Photos

Check out this collection of Colorado's best historic mining photos: Incredible Photos of Colorado Mining Scenes.