Unnamed Prospect (ARDF - RM026; near California Creek), Aniak Mining District, Bethel Census Area, Alaska, USAi

Regional Level Types
Unnamed Prospect (ARDF - RM026; near California Creek)	- not defined -
Aniak Mining District	Mining District
Bethel Census Area	Census Area
Alaska	State
USA	Country

Location: This prospect is at an elevation of about 1,000 feet on the south end of the ridge north of lower California Creek. The map site is in the SE1/4 sec. 9, T. 11 N., R. 60 W., of the Seward Meridian. It is locality 3 of Frost (1990); the location is probably accurate to within one-quarter mile.
Geology: Frost (1990) described gold- and pyrite-bearing quartz veins cutting sericitized andesite and volcaniclastic hornfels at this location. The veins are vuggy and contain euhedral quartz prisms extending into open spaces. Other gangue minerals in the iron oxide-stained veins are commonly calcite and chlorite. A quartz vein from this prospect contained 4.5 ppm gold (Frost, 1990, sample locality 3). Bedrock in the area includes thermally metamorphosed Jurassic volcanic or volcaniclastic rocks and a small granitic stock (Box and others, 1993). Much of the thermal metamorphism is caused by a large mid-Cretaceous granitic pluton exposed to the north in the headwaters of the Tuluksak River. This prospect may be close to a granitic dike outcrop described in unpublished 1945 and 1997 notes and memoranda by R. E. Wallace (USGS). The dike is cut by small, auriferous quartz veins along its southeast margin. A granitic dike outcrop cut by auriferous quartz veins is at the Wallace prospect, about one-half mile to the northeast along this ridge (RM025).
Workings: Prospecting pit(s) are present at this location.
Age: Cretaceous or Tertiary. The gold-bearing quartz veins crosscut hornfels developed in country rocks around a mid-Cretaceous granitic pluton.
Alteration: Sericitization and silicification.

Commodities (Major) - Au
Development Status: None
Deposit Model: Low-sulfide Au-quartz veins (Cox and Singer, 1986; model 36a)

Other Databases

Link to USGS - Alaska:	RM026

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

References