Quartz Creek; Quartz Creek Gold Mining Co. Prospect, Tonsina Mining District, Valdez-Cordova Census Area, Alaska, USAi

Regional Level Types
Quartz Creek; Quartz Creek Gold Mining Co. Prospect	Prospect
Tonsina Mining District	Mining District
Valdez-Cordova Census Area	Census Area
Alaska	State
USA	Country

Location: This prospect is on a ridge on the west side of upper Quartz Creek. It is about seven-tenths of a mile west of Quartz Creek and eight-tenths of a mile north-northeast of elevation (peak) 5360. It is at an elevation of about 4,800 feet near the center of the north side of section 26, T. 5 S., R. 1 W., of the Copper River Meridian. This prospect is approximately located, perhaps to within a mile. This is locality 50 of Cobb and Matson (1972) and locality 41 of Winkler and others (1981 [OFR 80-892-B]).
Geology: Many mineralized, northwest-trending quartz veins with a steep east dip cut metaflysch of the Valdez Group at this prospect (Moffit, 1918). One quartz vein is 1 to 2 feet wide and has been traced on the surface for 400 feet along strike. The veins have been prospected with open cuts and at least two adits, one 65 feet long and the other 175 feet long. Tertiary felsic dikes locally intrude metaflysch in this area. These veins are probably similar to others that are widespread in the southern Valdez quadrangle. Data summarized by Goldfarb and others (1997) show that gold-bearing quartz veins in the Valdez Group commonly contain pyrite, arsenopyrite, carbonate minerals, chlorite, and white mica and formed from water-rich fluids with 5 to 15 mole percent CO2 and significant amounts of CH4, N2, and H2S. The vein-forming fluid salinities were less than 8 percent, vein formation temperatures ranged from 225 to 375 degrees centigrade, and emplacement depths varied from 3 to 10 kilometers. The vein-froming fluids were produced by metamorphic devolatization reactions. Radiometric dating indicates that the veins formed from 57 to 49 Ma (Goldfarb and others, 1997, p. 171) when deep parts of the accreted Valdez Group flysch underwent high-grade metamorphism and partial melting (Hudson, 1994).
Workings: The veins at this prospect have been explored with open cuts and at least two adits, one 65 feet long and the other 175 feet long.
Age: Radiometric dating indicates that the gold-bearing quartz veins in the Valdez Group formed from 57 to 49 Ma (Goldfarb and others, 1997, p. 171) when deep parts of the accreted Valdez Group flysch underwent high-grade metamorphism and partial melting (Hudson, 1994).
Alteration: Country rocks to gold-bearing quartz veins in Valdez Group metaflysch can be variably silicified, carbonitized, and sericitized (Goldfarb and others, 1997).

Commodities (Major) - Au; (Minor) - Cu, Pb
Development Status: Undetermined.
Deposit Model: Low-sulfide Au-quartz veins (Cox and Singer, 1986; model 36a)

Other Databases

Link to USGS - Alaska:	VA074

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

References