Rain prospect, Steeple Mountain Prospect, Aleutian Islands Mining District, Aleutians West Census Area, Alaska, USAi

Regional Level Types
Rain prospect	Prospect
Steeple Mountain Prospect	Prospect
Aleutian Islands Mining District	Mining District
Aleutians West Census Area	Census Area
Alaska	State
USA	Country

This site is on land conveyed, patented, or selected by the Aleut Native Corporation.
Location: The Rain prospect is located approximately 2 miles due south of VABM Ande and corresponds to Christie's (1974) color anomaly 28. The site is part of the Steeple Mountain prospect of Kennecott (Simpson, 1985; Bundtzen and others, 1990, locality 25). The site location is accurate to within 1/2 mile. This site is one of many occurrences or prospects that occur within a 5 square-mile area, mostly within T. 80 S., R.131 W., of the Seward Meridian. The center of this area is approximately located at VABM Ande.
Geology: This site is similar in character to the Wind and Fog prospects (ARDF numbers UK007 and UK008). However, the metal values at this site are considerably lower. The site is marked by a color anomaly about 7,000 by 5,000 feet in extent. Propylitically altered Tertiary andesites overlie an argillite and diorite basement complex. The volcanic rocks exhibit quartz veining and local silicification. The quartz is usually white and contains few visible sulfides. The veins are somewhat enriched in arsenic, copper, mercury, and molybdenum and locally in gold and silver. The highest metal values obtained are: 67 ppm arsenic, 200 ppm copper, 201 ppb gold, 125 ppb mercury, 36 ppm molybdenum, 2.1ppm silver, and 138 ppm zinc (Christie, 1974; Randolph and Ellis, 1989).
Workings: In 1975 the Aleut-Quintana-Duval JV did sampling at this site as a followup of the discovery of numerous color anomalies in the area. Analyses of 18 rock samples indicated metal values of up to 200 ppm copper, 0.05 ppm gold, 36 ppm molybdenum, 2.1ppm silver, and 138 ppm zinc (Christie, 1974). Kennecott mapped and sampled this general area in 1985 (Simpson, 1985). Battle Mountain Exploration in 1989 did detailed sampling and mapping at this site. The sampling (56 rock) gave metal values of up to 67 ppm arsenic, 201 ppb gold, 125 ppb mercury, 34 ppm molybdenum, and 0.8 ppm silver (Randolph and Ellis, 1989).
Age: Late Tertiary or younger.
Alteration: The volcanic rocks exhibit regional propylitization, localized silicification, and potassium flooding or secondary growth on primary feldspars. Wall rock adjacent to quartz veins has been silicified and pyritized. No argillic alteration has been recognized.

Commodities (Major) - Ag, Au; (Minor) - As, Cu, Hg, Mo
Development Status: None
Deposit Model: Epithermal gold quartz vein?

Other Databases

Link to USGS - Alaska:	UK009

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

References