Stream gradient approximately 250-300 feet per mile.
Location: The Shovel Creek placer mine is at an elevation of about 1,200 feet on this northwest-flowing tributary of Ingruksukruk Creek. The coordinates are for the mine symbol on Shungnak B-4 topographic map. The map site is in section 9, T. 11 N., R. 5 E., of the Kateel River Meridian. Cobb (1972, MF-448), location 17.
Geology: Shovel Creek heads in the Upper Cretaceous Purcell Mountain quartz monzonite pluton, and crosses a contact between Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous andesitic volcanic rocks and the quartz monzonite. No large zones of altered rock were observed in the area, but abundant cobbles of black tourmaline and of albitized quartz monzonite containing tourmaline veinlets occur in the placer tailings and stream gravels. The quartz monzonite appears to be altered adjacent to the veinlets. Analyses of two tourmaline-rich cobbles show 700 and 1,000 ppm copper but no detectable gold. Indications are that the placer gold may have come from the quartz-tourmaline veins (Miller and Ferrians, 1968).
Workings: The creek has been placer mined on a small scale. The site was examined and some rock samples collected by the U.S. Geological Survey during the 1960's. One hundred lode claims were staked in the vicinity in 1972 (Grybeck, 1977).
Age: Quaternary.
Alteration: Albitization of quartz monzonite adjacent to tourmaline veinlets.

Commodities (Major) - Au
Development Status: Yes; small
Deposit Model: Placer Au-PGE (Cox and Singer, 1986; model 39a).

Select Mineral List Type

Standard Detailed Gallery Strunz Chemical Elements

Commodity List

This is a list of exploitable or exploited mineral commodities recorded at this locality.

ⓘ Gold

Mineral List

ⓘ Native Gold

1 valid mineral.

Detailed Mineral List:

ⓘ Native Gold

Formula: Au

References:

(2008) Alaska Resource Data File (ARDF) Open-File Report 2008-1225. US Geological Survey

Gallery:

List of minerals arranged by Strunz 10th Edition classification

Group 1 - Elements
ⓘ	Native Gold	1.AA.05	Au

List of minerals for each chemical element

Au	Gold
Au	ⓘ Native Gold	Au

Other Databases

Link to USGS - Alaska:	SH007

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

North AmericaContinent

North America PlateTectonic Plate

Koyukuk-Selawik DomainDomain
Koyukuk ArcsVolcanic Arc

This page contains all mineral locality references listed on mindat.org. This does not claim to be a complete list. If you know of more minerals from this site, please register so you can add to our database. This locality information is for reference purposes only. You should never attempt to visit any sites listed in mindat.org without first ensuring that you have the permission of the land and/or mineral rights holders for access and that you are aware of all safety precautions necessary.

References

Cobb, E.H., 1972, Metallic mineral resources map of the Shungnak quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-448, 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000. Cobb, E.H., 1973, Placer deposits of Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1374, 213 p. Cobb, E.H., 1975, Summary of references to mineral occurrences (other than mineral fuels and construction materials) in five quadrangles in west central Alaska (Hughes, Kotzebue, Melozitna, Selawik, Shungnak): U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 75-627, 58 p. Cobb, E.H., 1977, Placer deposit map of central Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 77-168-B, 64 p., 1 map, scale 1:1,000,000. Eakins, G.R., Jones, B.K. and Forbes, R.B., 1977, Investigation of Alaska's uranium potential: Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys Open-File Report 109, 213 p., 10 sheets, scale 1:40,000. Eberlein, G.D., Chapman, R.M., Foster, H.L., and Gassaway, J.S., 1977, Map and table describing known metalliferous and selected nonmetalliferous mineral deposits in central Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 77-168-D, 132 p., 1 sheet, scale 1:1,000,000. Grybeck, Donald, 1977, Map showing known mineral deposits of the Brooks Range, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 77-166-C, 45 p., 1 sheet, scale 1:1,000,000. Miller, T.P., and Ferrians, O.J., Jr., 1968, Suggested areas for prospecting in the central Koyukuk River region, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 570, 12 p.

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