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Volcano Mining District, Amador County, California, USAi
Regional Level Types
Volcano Mining DistrictMining District
Amador CountyCounty
CaliforniaState
USACountry

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PhotosMapsSearchMineralogy
09312900017272091983563.jpg
cave wall

Black Chasm Cave, Volcano, Volcano Mining District, Amador County, California, USA
02431620017272091995297.jpg
Calcite var.Helectites in the Black Chasm caverns

Black Chasm Cave, Volcano, Volcano Mining District, Amador County, California, USA
07452200017272303857300.jpg
Calcite var.Helectites in the black chasm caverns

Black Chasm Cave, Volcano, Volcano Mining District, Amador County, California, USA
04492920017272046788275.jpg
cave wall

Black Chasm Cave, Volcano, Volcano Mining District, Amador County, California, USA
02431620017272091995297.jpg
Calcite var.Helectites in the Black Chasm caverns

Black Chasm Cave, Volcano, Volcano Mining District, Amador County, California, USA
07452200017272303857300.jpg
Calcite var.Helectites in the black chasm caverns

Black Chasm Cave, Volcano, Volcano Mining District, Amador County, California, USA
04492920017272046788275.jpg
cave wall

Black Chasm Cave, Volcano, Volcano Mining District, Amador County, California, USA
02431620017272091995297.jpg
Calcite var.Helectites in the Black Chasm caverns

Black Chasm Cave, Volcano, Volcano Mining District, Amador County, California, USA
Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):
38° North , 120° West (est.)
Estimate based on other nearby localities or region boundaries.
Margin of Error:
~58km
GRN:
N26W68
Type:
Mining District
Köppen climate type:
Csa : Hot-summer Mediterranean climate
Mindat Locality ID:
263786
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:2:263786:3
GUID (UUID V4):
0


Location: This district, in north-central Amador County, is in the vicinity of the old mining town of Volcano, 15 miles northeast of Jackson.

History: The creeks were first mined during the gold rush, and the town was settled by soldiers from Stevenson's 1st New York Volunteer Regiment. The town received its name in 1850, as it was believed then that the limestone caves were related to a volcano. During the 1850s this was one of the richer placer mining districts in the state. Since the 1930s there has been a small output from dragline dredging in some of the creeks, and some of the channel gravels have been prospected in recent years. Many of the buildings in the old town are well-preserved, and the town is now a well-known tourist attraction.

Geology: The central portion of the district is underlain by crystalline limestone of the Calaveras Formation (Carboniferous to Permian), which has many potholes and crevices that contained much rich gravel. The rest of the area is underlain by graphitic slate and schist. To the north and east several deposits of early Tertiary quartz-rich gravels were mined by hydraulicking and drifting. Those to the north are parts of the deposits of the ancestral Cosumnes River that extended west through the area and west-northwest towards the Fiddletown district. In places the gravels are capped by andesite. A few narrow gold-quartz veins are found in the district.

Select Mineral List Type

Standard Detailed Gallery Strunz Chemical Elements

Commodity List

This is a list of exploitable or exploited mineral commodities recorded from this region.


Mineral List

Mineral list contains entries from the region specified including sub-localities

14 valid minerals.

Rock Types Recorded


Rock list contains entries from the region specified including sub-localities

Select Rock List Type

Alphabetical List Tree Diagram

Detailed Mineral List:

ⓘ Calcite
Formula: CaCO3
ⓘ Diamond
Formula: C
Description: 60-70 stones found, including one clear crystal of 1.57 carets.
ⓘ Galena
Formula: PbS
ⓘ Hematite
Formula: Fe2O3
ⓘ Kaolinite
Formula: Al2(Si2O5)(OH)4
ⓘ 'Limonite'
ⓘ Malachite
Formula: Cu2(CO3)(OH)2
Description: Occurs as fine reniform masses.
ⓘ Melanterite
Formula: Fe2+(H2O)6(SO4) · H2O
Description: Occurs on walls of an old tunnel.
ⓘ Mendozite
Formula: NaAl(SO4)2 · 11H2O
Description: Occurs on walls of an old tunnel.
ⓘ Native Gold
Formula: Au
Localities: Reported from at least 19 localities in this region.
ⓘ Opal
Formula: SiO2 · nH2O
ⓘ 'Petrified Wood'
ⓘ 'Psilomelane'
ⓘ Pyrite
Formula: FeS2
ⓘ Pyrolusite
Formula: Mn4+O2
ⓘ Quartz
Formula: SiO2
Localities: Reported from at least 6 localities in this region.
ⓘ Quartz var. Amethyst
Formula: SiO2
ⓘ Quartz var. Blue Chalcedony
Formula: SiO2
ⓘ Quartz var. Chalcedony
Formula: SiO2
Colour: Blue
ⓘ Quartz var. Rock Crystal
Formula: SiO2
Description: Occurs as stream boulders.
ⓘ Quartz var. Rose Quartz
Formula: SiO2
ⓘ Quartz var. Smoky Quartz
Formula: SiO2
ⓘ Rhodonite
Formula: CaMn3Mn[Si5O15]

Gallery:

List of minerals arranged by Strunz 10th Edition classification

Group 1 - Elements
ⓘNative Gold1.AA.05Au
ⓘDiamond1.CB.10aC
Group 2 - Sulphides and Sulfosalts
ⓘGalena2.CD.10PbS
ⓘPyrite2.EB.05aFeS2
Group 4 - Oxides and Hydroxides
ⓘHematite4.CB.05Fe2O3
ⓘQuartz
var. Amethyst		4.DA.05SiO2
ⓘvar. Chalcedony4.DA.05SiO2
ⓘ4.DA.05SiO2
ⓘvar. Rose Quartz4.DA.05SiO2
ⓘvar. Smoky Quartz4.DA.05SiO2
ⓘvar. Rock Crystal4.DA.05SiO2
ⓘvar. Blue Chalcedony4.DA.05SiO2
ⓘOpal4.DA.10SiO2 · nH2O
ⓘPyrolusite4.DB.05Mn4+O2
Group 5 - Nitrates and Carbonates
ⓘCalcite5.AB.05CaCO3
ⓘMalachite5.BA.10Cu2(CO3)(OH)2
Group 7 - Sulphates, Chromates, Molybdates and Tungstates
ⓘMelanterite7.CB.35Fe2+(H2O)6(SO4) · H2O
ⓘMendozite7.CC.15NaAl(SO4)2 · 11H2O
Group 9 - Silicates
ⓘRhodonite9.DK.05CaMn3Mn[Si5O15]
ⓘKaolinite9.ED.05Al2(Si2O5)(OH)4
Unclassified
ⓘ'Limonite'-
ⓘ'Psilomelane'-
ⓘ'Petrified Wood'-

List of minerals for each chemical element

HHydrogen
Hⓘ KaoliniteAl2(Si2O5)(OH)4
Hⓘ MalachiteCu2(CO3)(OH)2
Hⓘ MelanteriteFe2+(H2O)6(SO4) · H2O
Hⓘ MendoziteNaAl(SO4)2 · 11H2O
Hⓘ OpalSiO2 · nH2O
CCarbon
Cⓘ CalciteCaCO3
Cⓘ DiamondC
Cⓘ MalachiteCu2(CO3)(OH)2
OOxygen
Oⓘ Quartz var. AmethystSiO2
Oⓘ CalciteCaCO3
Oⓘ Quartz var. ChalcedonySiO2
Oⓘ HematiteFe2O3
Oⓘ KaoliniteAl2(Si2O5)(OH)4
Oⓘ MalachiteCu2(CO3)(OH)2
Oⓘ MelanteriteFe2+(H2O)6(SO4) · H2O
Oⓘ MendoziteNaAl(SO4)2 · 11H2O
Oⓘ OpalSiO2 · nH2O
Oⓘ PyrolusiteMn4+O2
Oⓘ QuartzSiO2
Oⓘ RhodoniteCaMn3Mn[Si5O15]
Oⓘ Quartz var. Rose QuartzSiO2
Oⓘ Quartz var. Smoky QuartzSiO2
Oⓘ Quartz var. Rock CrystalSiO2
Oⓘ Quartz var. Blue ChalcedonySiO2
NaSodium
Naⓘ MendoziteNaAl(SO4)2 · 11H2O
AlAluminium
Alⓘ KaoliniteAl2(Si2O5)(OH)4
Alⓘ MendoziteNaAl(SO4)2 · 11H2O
SiSilicon
Siⓘ Quartz var. AmethystSiO2
Siⓘ Quartz var. ChalcedonySiO2
Siⓘ KaoliniteAl2(Si2O5)(OH)4
Siⓘ OpalSiO2 · nH2O
Siⓘ QuartzSiO2
Siⓘ RhodoniteCaMn3Mn[Si5O15]
Siⓘ Quartz var. Rose QuartzSiO2
Siⓘ Quartz var. Smoky QuartzSiO2
Siⓘ Quartz var. Rock CrystalSiO2
Siⓘ Quartz var. Blue ChalcedonySiO2
SSulfur
Sⓘ GalenaPbS
Sⓘ MelanteriteFe2+(H2O)6(SO4) · H2O
Sⓘ MendoziteNaAl(SO4)2 · 11H2O
Sⓘ PyriteFeS2
CaCalcium
Caⓘ CalciteCaCO3
Caⓘ RhodoniteCaMn3Mn[Si5O15]
MnManganese
Mnⓘ PyrolusiteMn4+O2
Mnⓘ RhodoniteCaMn3Mn[Si5O15]
FeIron
Feⓘ HematiteFe2O3
Feⓘ MelanteriteFe2+(H2O)6(SO4) · H2O
Feⓘ PyriteFeS2
CuCopper
Cuⓘ MalachiteCu2(CO3)(OH)2
AuGold
Auⓘ Native GoldAu
PbLead
Pbⓘ GalenaPbS

Localities in this Region

USA
USA

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

North AmericaContinent
North America PlateTectonic Plate
USA

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

Lindgren, Waldemar (1911), The Tertiary gravels of the Sierra Nevada of California: USGS Professional Paper 73, 226 pp.: 199.
Haley, Charles Scott (1923) Gold Placers of California. Bulletin 92. California State Mining Bureau pp.146-147
Carlson, D.W. & W.B. Clark (1954), Mines and Minerals of Amador County, California: California Journal of Mines and Geology (Report 50): 50: 197-200.
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