Unnamed Thorium Prospects

The Unnamed Thorium Prospects is a thorium mine located in Gunnison county, Colorado at an elevation of 9,121 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
Tertiary: Copper
Tertiary: Zinc
Tertiary: REE
Tertiary: Lead

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
Deposit Type: Vein
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: Granite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Neoproterozoic

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

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Thorite
Gangue: Rutile
Gangue: Sphalerite
Gangue: Galena
Gangue: Pyrite
Gangue: Barite
Gangue: Hematite
Gangue: Specularite
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Chalcopyrite
Gangue: Fluorite
Gangue: Goethite
Gangue: Jasper
Gangue: Magnetite

Comments

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

Comment (Deposit): THORIUM VEINS IN THIS AREA ARE ONE OF FOUR ENVIRONMENTS OF TH OCCURRENCE KNOWN IN THE POWDERHORN-IRON HILL AREA AND ARE PROBABLY RELATED TO EMPLACEMENT OF LATE PRECAMBRIAN SYENITES NORTH AND WEST OF IRON HILL AND OF YOUNGER LATE PRECAMBRIAN OR CAMBRIAN CARBONATITES AT IRON HILL. PINK TO RED ORTHOCLASE IS COMMON AS LARGE LATHS OR AS CLUSTERS OF SUBHEDRAL TO ANHEDRAL GRAINS. ADJACENT TO MOST VEINS, WALL ROCKS ARE PARTLY REPLACED BY ORTHOCLASE (FENITELIKE REPLACEMENT). VERY FINE-GRAINED THORITE IS INTERGROWN WITH FE OXIDES. FOLIATION OF GRANITE AT PROSPECTS TRENDS N 15 E, 75 SE. VEIN TRENDS N 22 W, 45 SW.

Comment (Workings): TWO SURFACE PROSPECT PITS

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

Comment (Location): ON HILLSIDE NORTH OF AND NEAR HEAD OF DRY POWDERHORN CREEK 3.1 MILES SSE OF POWDERHORN AND 2.6 MILES SW OF IRON HILL. ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1976

References

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): 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., 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.