Big Thing

The Big Thing is a mercury mine located in Kittitas county, Washington at an elevation of 5,801 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: Big Thing

Commodity

Primary: Mercury

Location

State: Washington
County: Kittitas
District: Cle Elum District

Land Status

Land ownership: National Forest
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.
Administrative Organization: In Wenatchee National Forest

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Not available

Ownership

Not available

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Occurrence
Operation Type: Unknown
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S

Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Pacific Mountain System
Physiographic Province: Cascade-Sierra Mountains
Physiographic Section: Northern Cascade Mountains

Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Silica-carbonate Hg

Orebody

Form: UNKNOWN

Structure

Not available

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Name: Peridotite
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age Young: Late Cretaceous

Name: Peridotite
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Late Cretaceous

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Cinnabar

Comments

Comment (Commodity): ORE IS LOW GRADE

References

Reference (Deposit): TABOR, R.W., WAITT, R.B., JR., FRIZZELL, V.A., JR., SWANSON, D.A., BYERLY, G.R., AND BENTLEY, R.D., 1982, GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE WENATCHEE 1:100,000 QUADRANGLE, CENTRAL WASHINGTON: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY MISCELLANEOUS GEOLOGIC INVESTIGATIONS MAP I-1311, SCALE 1:100,000.

Reference (Deposit): PATTY, E.N., AND GLOVER, S.L., 1921, THE MINERAL RESOURCES OF WASHINGTON WITH STATISTICS FOR 1919: WASHINGTON GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 21, P. 86.

Reference (Deposit): U.S. BUREAU OF MINES, 1965, MERCURY IN WASHINGTON, IN MERCURY POTENTIAL OF THE UNITED STATES: U.S. BUREAU OF MINES INFORMATION CIRCULAR 8252, P. 366.

Reference (Deposit): HUNTTING, M.T., 1956, INVENTORY OF WASHINGTON MINERALS - PART II, METALLIC MINERALS: WASHINGTON DIVISION OF MINES AND GEOLOGY BULLETIN 37, V. 1, P. 264.

Washington Gold

"Where to Find Gold in Washington" looks at the density of modern placer mining claims along with historical gold mining locations and mining district descriptions to determine areas of high gold discovery potential in Arizona. Read more: Where to Find Gold in Washington.