Northern Light Group

The Northern Light Group is a mercury mine located in Gila county, Arizona at an elevation of 5,400 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: Northern Light Group
Secondary: Bowman and Reynolds
Secondary: Gila County Group
Secondary: Gold Creek Group
Secondary: Bernice No. 1
Secondary: Big Tunnel

Commodity

Primary: Mercury

Location

State: Arizona
County: Gila
District: Mazatzal Mountains 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: Tonto National Forest

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Not available

Ownership

Owner Name: Robert Mcghee

Production

Year: 1960
Time Period: To 1960
Material type: HG
Description: Cp_Grade: ^8 Lb/Ton

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Discovery Year: 1914
Discovery Method: Ore-Mineral In Place
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S

Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Intermontane Plateaus
Physiographic Province: Basin And Range Province
Physiographic Section: Mexican Highland

Mineral Deposit Model

Not available

Orebody

Form: STRINGERS

Structure

Type: R
Description: Ne Trending Metavolcanic Metasedimentary Sequence, Ne Intrusions Of Porphyritic Rhyolite.

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Name: Rhyolite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Neoproterozoic

Name: Rhyolite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age Young: Neoproterozoic

Name: Rhyolite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Neoproterozoic

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: ASSAY SHOWS 1.4 PCT HG ON BERNICE NO. 1. CLAIM. ON MERCURY SULFIDE NO. 5 ASSAY SHOWS 3.3 PCT. HG.

Materials

Ore: Cinnabar
Gangue: Calcite
Gangue: Quartz

Comments

Comment (Workings): 10 FT. SHAFT., TUNNELS, 60 FT. CROSSCUT, 20 FT. DRIFT. OPEN CUTS. MINE ACTIVE IN 1960.

Comment (Deposit): NORTHERN LIGHT GROUP CONSISTS OF 10 CLAIMS. ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT; 2 UNPUB REPT

Comment (Deposit): QUARTZ STRINGERS IN SCHIST. SCHIST AVERAGES ABOUT 60 FT. WIDE AND CONTAINS CINNABAR STRINGERS. CINNABAR OCCURRENCE IS SPOTTY. STRINGERS UP TO 6 IN WIDE.

References

Reference (Deposit): ARIZ. BUREAU MINES, 1927, BULL. 122.

Reference (Deposit): BAILEY, E.H., USGS, PERSONAL FILES.

Reference (Deposit): BECKMAN, R.T. AND KERNS, W.H., 1965, MERCURY IN ARIZONA: USBM IC 8252.

Reference (Production): USBM UNPUB DATA

Arizona Gold

"Where to Find Gold in Arizona" 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 Arizona.