Sulphur Bank Mine

The Sulphur Bank Mine is a mercury and sulfur mine located in Lake county, California at an elevation of 1,348 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: Sulphur Bank Mine
Secondary: Sulphur Bank
Secondary: Clear Lake-Sulphur Bank

Commodity

Primary: Mercury
Primary: Sulfur

Location

State: California
County: Lake
District: Clear Lake

Land Status

Not available

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Type: Surface/Underground

Ownership

Owner Name: Bradley Mining Co.
Years: 1965 -

Production

Year: 1962
Time Period: To 1962
Material type: HG
Description: Cp_Grade: ^5-15 Lb/Ton

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Surface-Underground
Year First Production: 1873
Discovery Year: 1865
Discovery Method: Ore-Mineral In Place
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: Y
Deposit Size: M

Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Pacific Mountain System
Physiographic Province: Pacific Border Province
Physiographic Section: California Coast Ranges

Mineral Deposit Model

Not available

Orebody

Form: PIPES

Structure

Type: R
Description: Faults Trending E, Dip S, And Trend Nw, Dip Steeply

Type: L
Description: Fault Control

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Hydrothermal Bleaching - Solfataric Action

Rocks

Not available

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Cinnabar
Gangue: Sulfur
Gangue: Pyrite
Gangue: Opal
Gangue: Quartz

Comments

Comment (Location): ALSO IN SEC. 6

Comment (Environment): CERCLA (SUPERFUND) SITE LISTED ON NATIONAL PRIORITIES LIST (NPL), OCT. 14, 1992. ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS INCLUDE ACID MINE WATER FROM OPEN PIT MINE LEACHING MERCURY INTO CLEAR LAKE.

Comment (Geology): SULFUR, STIBNITE, SULFATES (GYPSUM), COPIAPITE, PYRITE AND MARCASITE, CINNABAR. HYDROTHERMAL ACTIVITY IS PRIMARILY FAULT CONTROLLED. THE MAJOR ORE BODIES ARE AT THE INTERSECTION OF FAULT ZONES BUT SHAPE AND SIZE OF BODIES DEPENDS ON HOST ROCK.

Comment (Workings): UNDERGROUND MINING ABANDONED IN 1906 DUE TO HEAT AND GASES

Comment (Geology): FRANCISCAN ROCKS HERE CONSIST OF SANDSTONES AND SHALES WITH OCCASIONAL GREENSTONE AND CHERT LENSES. MOST HAS BEEN HYDROTHERMALLY ALTERED. THESE SEDIMENTS CONTAIN LATE SULFIDES AND MAGNETITE. THE CGL AND SANDSTONE BRECCIA PROBABLY RESULTED FROM A LANDSLIDE IN FRANCISCAN MATERIAL. RECENT LAKE SEDIMENTS WERE PROBABLY DERIVED FROM A HIGHER LEVEL OF CLEAR LAKE. THE SEDIMENTS HAVE BEEN KAOLINIZED. THE LAVA FLOW IS 100 FT THICK. IT IS VESICULAR WITH THE VESICLES FILLED BY OPAL, CHALCEDONY, CARBONATES, AND GYPSUM. THE ROCK HAS BEEN CLASSIFIED AS AUGITE ANDESITE, BUT IS MORE COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS BASALT. THE LAVA WAS PROBABLY EXTRUDED FROM 2 CINDER CONES 1 TO 1.5 MI E OF SULPHUR BANK ALTHOUGH THE SOURCE MAY HAVE BEEN TO THE NORTH. TWO FAULT ZONES ARE APPARENT, ONE TRENDING N 70 E AND DIPPING 50 - 90 SE AND A SECOND TRENDING N 65 W AND DIPPING NEARLY VERTICAL. ABUNDANT HYDROTHERMAL ACTIVITY IN THE AREA INCLUDES HOT SPRINGS AND FUMAROLES, SOLFATARIC ACTIVITY. HYDROTHERMAL MINERALS INCLUDE

Comment (Development): FIRST MINED FOR SULFUR UNTIL IT BECAME UNECONOMICAL. MERCURY FIRST EXTRACTED IN 1873. Sulphur was produced from 1865 to 1868.

References

Reference (Deposit): HOLMES, G. W., JR., 1965, MERCURY IN CALIFORNIA: IN USBM IC 8252.

Reference (Deposit): EVERHART, D. L., 1946, QUICKSILVER DEPOSITS AT THE SULPHUR BANK MINE, LAKE COUNTY, CALIFORNIA: CALIF. JOUR. OF MINES AND GEOLOGY, V. 42, P. 125-153.

Reference (Production): USBM DATA

Reference (Deposit): RANSOME, A.L. AND KELLOGG, J.L., 1939, QUICKSILVER RESOURCES OF CALIFORNIA: CJMG, V. 35, P. 353-558.

Reference (Deposit): BRADLEY, W.W., 1918, QUICKSILVER RESOURCES OF CALIFORNIA: CJMG BULL. 78, 389 P.

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

Reference (Deposit): AVERILL, C. V., 1947, MINES AND MINERAL RESOURCES OF LAKE COUNTY, CALIFORNIA: CALIF. JOUR. OF MINES AND GEOLOGY, V. 43, , no. 1, P. 25-38.

California Gold

"Where to Find Gold in California" 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 California. Read more: Where to Find Gold in California.