Silver Peak Marsh

The Silver Peak Marsh is a bromine and lithium mine located in Esmeralda county, Nevada at an elevation of 4,265 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: Silver Peak Marsh
Secondary: Clayton Valley

Commodity

Primary: Bromine
Primary: Lithium
Secondary: Halite
Tertiary: Clay
Tertiary: Boron-Borates

Location

State: Nevada
County: Esmeralda
District: Silver Peak

Land Status

Not available

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Not available

Ownership

Owner Name: Cyprus Foote Minerals Co.
Years: 1993 -

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Year First Production: 1966
Discovery Year: 1925
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: L

Physiography

Not available

Mineral Deposit Model

Not available

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Not available

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Name: Clay, Mud
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Holocene

Name: Clay, Mud
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Pliocene

Name: Clay, Mud
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age Young: Pliocene

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: PAPKE (1976) REPORTS A VARIETY OF PAST ANALYTICAL DATA. THE PRODUCING BRINE CONTAINS 12-18% TOTAL DISSOLVED SOLIDS. IN 1976, THE BRINE AVERAGED 300 PPM LI.

Materials

Ore: Brine
Ore: Halite
Gangue: Gypsum
Gangue: Hectorite
Gangue: Ulexite

Comments

Comment (Deposit): Discovery Year: EARLY 1900'S

Comment (Reserve-Resource): HALITE RESOURCE ESTIMATE IS FOR GEOLOGIC RESERVES WITHIN 40 FT OF THE SURFACE.

Comment (Workings): MINE ZONE COVERS AN ARA OF 8300 HA AND IS UP TO 460 M THICK. DEPOSIT IS SOLUTION MINED.

Comment (Geology): THE DRAINAGE AREA MAY ONCE HAVE BEEN FAR LARGER THAN THE CURRENT 570 SQ MILES AND MAY HAVE INCLUDED THE BIG SMOKY VALLEY. THE WATER TABLE IS NEAR THE SURFACE. THE PLAYA SEDIMENTS MAY BE AS MUCH AS 1500 FT THICK. THE BASIN IS DIVIDED INTO TWO PARTS BY A BEDROCK RIDGE THAT RISES TO WITHIN 700 FT OF THE PLAYA SURFACE.

Comment (Deposit): FOR MORE DETAILED INFORMATION, SEE PAPKE, 1976.

Comment (Development): THE PLAYA WAS EXPLORED IN 1911 FOR POTASH BY THE USGS. EXPLORATION FOR LITHIUM BEGAN IN 1960. ; ECON.COM: THE BRINE IS ECONOMIC DUE TO ITS SHALLOW DEPTH, A LOW MAGNESIUM TO LITHIUM RATIO, THE LOCAL ARID CLIMATE AND HIGH RATE OF EVAPORATION, FLAT AREAS WITH NEARLY IMPERMEABLE SURFACE SUITABLE FOR EVAPORATION PONDS, AND THE LOCAL PRESENCE OF SUITABLE CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS FOR BERMS AND ROADS.

Comment (Location): MARSH COMPRISES LOWEST PART OF CLAYTON VALLEY.

Comment (Deposit): THE PLAYA EXTENDS ABOUT 10 MILES IN A NORTHEASTERLY DIRECTION AND COVERS AN AREA OF ABOUT 32 SQUARE MILES. THE PRESENT DRAINAGE AREA IS ABOUT 570 SQUARE MILES. MINEABLE HORIZON IS UP TO 460 M THICK AND COVERS AN AREA OF AT LEAST 8300 HA, PRODUCING AREA IS REPORTED AS APPROXIMATELY 3 SQ MILES. BRINE IS ALMOST ALWAYS PRESENT BELOW 30 M DEPTH. THE NORTHEASTERN TWO-THIRDS OF THE PLAYA IS UNDERLAIN AT ABOUT A 20-FT DEPTH BY BEDS OF HALITE-RICH MATERIAL 5 TO 15 FT THICK. ONE BED, 10-FT THICK, UNDERLIES MORE THAN 15 SQ MILES. THIN STREAKS OF ULEXITE IN SHALE HAVE BEEN REPORTED AT THE NORTHEASTERN CORNER OF THE MARSH. THE MAIN BRINE AQUIFERS INCLUDE A VOLCANIC ASH BED (3-35 FT THICK AT DEPTHS OF 200-700 FT) AND SOME RELATIVELY PERMEABLE HALITE BEDS.

References

Reference (Deposit): LOWE, N.T., RANEY, R.G., AND NORBERG, J.R., 1985, PRINCIPAL DEPOSITS OF STRATEGIC AND CRITICAL MINERALS IN NEVADA: U.S. BUREAU OF MINES INFORMATION CIRCULAR 9035, 202 P.

Reference (Deposit): PAPKE, K.G., 1976, EVAPORITES AND BRINES IN NEVADA PLAYAS: NEVADA BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOLOGY BULLETIN 87, 35 P.

Reference (Deposit): INDUSTRIAL MINERALS, 1993, AMAX AND CYPRUS MERGER HITS DELAY, IN WORLD OF MINERALS: NO. 312, P. 21-22.

Reference (Deposit): DOLE, R.B., 1913, EXPLORATION OF SALINES IN SILVER PEAK MARSH, NEVADA, IN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ECONOMIC GEOLOGY--1911: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 530, P. 330-345.

Reference (Other Database): CIMRI

Reference (Production): INDUSTRIAL MINERALS, 1993.

Reference (Reserve-Resource): LOWE AND OTHERS, 1985, IS THE SOURCE OF THE LITHIUM RESERVES. THE HALITE ESTIMATE IS FROM PAPKE, 1976. THE FOURTH FIGURE IS FROM PAPKE (1976).

Nevada Gold

Nevada has a total of 368 distinct gold districts. Of the of those, just 36 are major producers with production and/or reserves of over 1,000,000 ounces, 49 have production and/or reserves of over 100,000 ounces, with the rest having less than 100,000 ounces. Read more: Gold Districts of Nevada.