Unnamed Thorium Prospects

The Unnamed Thorium Prospects is a thorium mine located in Gunnison county, Colorado at an elevation of 9,072 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: Unnamed Thorium Prospects

Commodity

Primary: Thorium
Secondary: REE
Tertiary: Copper
Tertiary: Zinc
Tertiary: Lead
Tertiary: Niobium (Columbium)

Location

State: Colorado
County: Gunnison
District: White Earth (Powderhorn) District

Land Status

Land ownership: BLM Administrative Area
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: Occurrence
Operation Type: Unknown
Discovery Method: Ore-Mineral In Place
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S

Physiography

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

Mineral Deposit Model

Not available

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Type: R
Description: Gunnison Uplift, San Juan Volcanic Field

Type: L
Description: Iron Hill Alkalic Complex, Cimarron Fault, Powderhorn Stock

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Name: Intrusive Carbonatite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Late Cambrian

Name: Intrusive Carbonatite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Neoproterozoic

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Thorite
Ore: Monazite
Gangue: Pyrochlore
Gangue: Sphalerite
Gangue: Siderite
Gangue: Parisite
Gangue: Fluorite
Gangue: Chalcopyrite
Gangue: Barite
Gangue: Pyrite
Gangue: Phlogopite
Gangue: Galena
Gangue: Apatite
Gangue: Biotite
Gangue: Bastnaesite
Gangue: Calcite

Comments

Comment (Deposit): CARBONATITE DIKES IN THIS AREA ARE ONE OF FOUR ENVIRONMENTS OF KNOWN TH OCCURRENCE IN THE POWDERHORN-IRON HILL AREA AND ARE RELATED TO EMPLACEMENT OF LATE PRECAMBRIAN OR CAMBRIAN CARBONATITE STOCK AT IRON HILL. MOST DIKES ARE DISTRIBUTED RADIALLY ABOUT STOCK ALTHOUGH SOME SHOW NW-SE TRENDS PARALLEL TO LONG DIMENSION OF ALKALIC COMPLEX. TRENDS ALSO SUGGEST CONTROL BY PREEXISTING FRACTURES IN COMPLEX. ALONG WEST MARGIN OF COMPLEX, APOPHYSES OF FINE- TO MEDIUM-GRAINED GRANITE INTRUDE CONCORDANTLY INTO DUBOIS FELSITE MASS CONTAINING LENSES AND LAYERS OF SCHIST AND AMPHIBOLITE WHOSE FOLIATION TRENDS GENERALLY N 30 TO 40 E. CARBONATITE DIKE TRENDING N 88 E AND DIPPING 25 SE CUTS BOTH DUBOIS GREENSTONE UNITS AND LIES IN RADIAL ORIENTATION WITH RESPECT TO STOCK.

Comment (Workings): FOUR SURFACE PROSPECT PITS

Comment (Geology): OTHER MINERALS LISTED ABOVE ARE GENERAL OCCURRENCES REPORTED FOR CARBONATITES IN AREA; ALL MAY NOT NECESSARILY OCCUR AT THIS SITE.

Comment (Location): ON TOP OF RIDGE NE OF SMITH GULCH 1.95 MILES SSE OF POWDERHORN AND 2.1 MILES WSW OF IRON HILL. ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1976

Comment (Commodity): BASE METALS LISTED ABOVE ARE GENERAL OCCURRENCES REPORTED FOR CARBONATITES IN AREA; ALL MAY NOT NECESSARILY OCCUR AT THIS SITE.

References

Reference (Deposit): HEDLUND, D.C., AND OLSON, J.C., 1961, FOUR ENVIRONMENTS OF THORIUM-, NIOBIUM-, AND RARE-EARTH-BEARING MINERALS IN THE POWDERHORN DISTRICT OF SOUTHWESTERN COLORADO: USGS PROF. PAPER 424-B, P. B283-B286.

Reference (Deposit): OLSON, J.C., 1974, GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE RUDOLPH HILL QUADRANGLE, GUNNISON, HINSDALE, AND SAGUACHE COUNTIES, COLORADO: USGS MAP GQ-1177.

Reference (Deposit): OLSON, J.C., AND HEDLUND, D.C., 1981, ALKALIC ROCKS AND RESOURCES OF THORIUM AND ASSOCIATED ELEMENTS IN THE POWDERHORN DISTRICT, GUNNISON COUNTY, COLORADO: USGS PROF. PAPER 1049-C.

Colorado Mining Photos

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