Vote for your favorite mineral in #MinCup26! - Sphalerite vs. Anorthite
Both zinc ore Sphalerite and calcium plagioclase feldspar Anorthite have perfect cleavage that will split cleanly if you hit them with a hammer, but only one can claim a larger split of your votes!
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Unnamed Occurrence (ARDF - MM163; on a tributary to upper Pirate Creek), Kantishna Mining District, Denali Borough, Alaska, USAi
Regional Level Types
Unnamed Occurrence (ARDF - MM163; on a tributary to upper Pirate Creek)- not defined -
Kantishna Mining DistrictMining District
Denali BoroughBorough
AlaskaState
USACountry

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Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):
63° 23' 6'' North , 150° 14' 34'' West
Latitude & Longitude (decimal):
63.38500,-150.24278
GRN:
N43W50
Köppen climate type:
ET : Tundra
Mindat Locality ID:
201369
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:2:201369:8
GUID (UUID V4):
0


The occurrence is in Denali National Park and Preserve.
Location: This occurrence is on the west side of a north-flowing tributary of Pirate Creek about a mile west of Muldrow Glacier. It is probably within a few hundred feet of the north end of the section line between sections 29 and 30, T. 18 S., R. 15 W., Fairbanks Meridian. The occurrence is included in the description of the Twin Hills lode (MM168) by Cobb (1972, location 35 [MF 366]; 1980 [OFR 80-363]), and in the description of location 44 by MacKevett and Holloway (1977).
Geology: This occurrence is immediately east of the Twin Hills lode (MM168), in the contact zone of the McGonagall granitic pluton mapped by Reed (1961, plate 1). The deposit consists of replacement veins and disseminations of magnetite in a zone estimated to be 20 to 30 feet wide (Moffit, 1933, p. 324). A small amount of chalcopyrite occurs with the magnetite, and the rocks locally are ironstained and coated with copper carbonate(?). Sphalerite occurs in a fracture zone about 100 yards north of the magnetite deposit. The deposit probably is middle Tertiary, the approximate age of the emplacement of the Eocene or Oligocene McGonagall pluton (Reed and Lanphere, 1974). The occurence is one of several in a belt of mineral deposits along the north flank of the McGonagall pluton.
Workings: The deposit was discovered by W. J. Shannon in about 1930.
Age: The deposit probably is middle Tertiary, the approximate age of the emplacement of the Eocene or Oligocene McGonagall pluton (Reed and Lanphere, 1974; Cole, 1998).
Alteration: Oxidation of iron and copper minerals.

Commodities (Major) - Fe; (Minor) - Cu, Zn
Development Status: No
Deposit Model: Disseminated and vein-form, polymetallic lodes and contact deposits (Cox and Si

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.


Mineral List


3 valid minerals.

Gallery:

List of minerals arranged by Strunz 10th Edition classification

Group 2 - Sulphides and Sulfosalts
ⓘSphalerite2.CB.05aZnS
ⓘChalcopyrite2.CB.10aCuFeS2
Group 4 - Oxides and Hydroxides
ⓘMagnetite4.BB.05Fe2+Fe3+2O4
Unclassified
ⓘ'Limonite'-
ⓘ'Copper Stain'-

List of minerals for each chemical element

OOxygen
Oⓘ MagnetiteFe2+Fe23+O4
SSulfur
Sⓘ ChalcopyriteCuFeS2
Sⓘ SphaleriteZnS
FeIron
Feⓘ ChalcopyriteCuFeS2
Feⓘ MagnetiteFe2+Fe23+O4
CuCopper
Cuⓘ ChalcopyriteCuFeS2
ZnZinc
Znⓘ SphaleriteZnS

Other Databases

Link to USGS - Alaska:MM163

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

North AmericaContinent
North America PlateTectonic Plate

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 Mount McKinley quadrangle, Alaska: U. S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-366, 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000. Cobb, E.H., 1980, Summary of references to mineral occurrences (other than mineral fuels and construction materials) in the Mount McKinley quadrangle, Alaska: U. S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 80-363, 150 p. Cole, R. B., 1998, Early Tertiary post-subduction volcanism and deformation along the north side of the McKinley fault, Alaska [abs]: Geological Society of America. Abstracts with program, v. 30, p. 177. Cox, D.P., and Singer, D.A., eds., 1986, Mineral deposit models: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1693, 379 p. MacKevett, E.M., Jr., and Holloway, C.D., 1977, Map showing metalliferous and selected non-metalliferous mineral deposits in the eastern part of southern Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 77-169-A, 99 p., 1 sheet, scale 1:1,000,000. Moffit, F. H., 1933, The Kantishna district: U. S. Geological Survey Bulletin 836, p. 301-338. Reed, B. L., and Lanphere, M. A., 1974, Offset plutons and history of movement along the McKinley segment of the Denali fault system, Alaska: Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 85, p. 1883-1892. Reed, J. C., Jr., 1961, Geology of the Mt. McKinley quadrangle, Alaska: U. S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1108-A, p. A1-A36.
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