Unnamed Thorium Prospects

The Unnamed Thorium Prospects is a thorium mine located in Gunnison county, Colorado at an elevation of 8,379 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

Name: Unnamed Thorium Prospects  

State:  Colorado

County:  Gunnison

Elevation: 8,379 Feet (2,554 Meters)

Commodity: Thorium

Lat, Long: 38.26333, -107.09083

Map: View on Google Maps

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.


Satelite image of the Unnamed Thorium Prospects

Unnamed Thorium Prospects MRDS details

Site Name

Primary: Unnamed Thorium Prospects


Commodity

Primary: Thorium
Tertiary: Copper
Tertiary: Lead
Tertiary: Zinc
Tertiary: REE


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 Sotck


Alterations

Not available


Rocks

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

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


Analytical Data

Not available


Materials

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


Comments

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 CLUSTERED 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. SMALL PLUTON OF FINE- TO MEDIUM-GRAINED GRANITE HAS INTRUDED DUBOIS FELSITE ON WEST MARGIN OF IRON HILL COMPLEX. FOLIATION IN GRANITE TRENDS GENERALLY N 30 TO 45 E, 75 TO 90 SE. CLUSTER OF FIVE TH VEINS TREND VARIABLY N 68 E AND N 40 TO 80 W.

Comment (Workings): EIGHT SURFACE PROSPECT PITS

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

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 DRAINAGE DIVIDE BETWEEN SMITH GULCH AND SMALL UNNAMED TRIBUTARY OF CEBOLLA CREEK TO SE, ONE MILE SSE OF POWDERHORN AND 2.2 MILES WNW OF IRON HILL. ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1976


References

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.

Reference (Deposit): HEDLUND, D.C., AND OLSON, J.C., 1975, GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE POWDERHORN QUADRANGLE, GUNNISON AND SAGUACHE COUNTIES, COLORADO: USGS MAP GQ-1178.


Colorado Mining Photos

Placer mines at Cripple Creek, Colorado ca. 1892

Check out this collection of Colorado's best historic mining photos: Incredible Photos of Colorado Mining Scenes.