Liberty, Swauk Mining District, Kittitas County, Washington, USAi
| Regional Level Types | |
|---|---|
| Liberty | - not defined - |
| Swauk Mining District | Mining District |
| Kittitas County | County |
| Washington | State |
| USA | Country |
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Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):
47° 15' 14'' North , 120° 39' 49'' West
Latitude & Longitude (decimal):
Köppen climate type:
Nearest Settlements:
| Place | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Thorp | 240 (2011) | 20.7km |
| Cle Elum | 1,901 (2017) | 21.8km |
| South Cle Elum | 536 (2017) | 22.8km |
| Roslyn | 903 (2017) | 25.1km |
| Ronald | 308 (2011) | 27.2km |
Nearest Clubs:
Local clubs are the best way to get access to collecting localities
Local clubs are the best way to get access to collecting localities
| Club | Location | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Ginkgo Mineral Society | Wenatchee, Washington | 33km |
There are two types of gold found near Liberty. There's placer mines producing nuggets to several cm in Swauk Valley and hard rock mines in the hills above Liberty producing crystallised gold.
The placer operations occur in the Swauk Formation of folded alternating layers of sandstone and shale. These were deposited some 50 million years ago. Presumably the crystallised gold washed down from the hills and was compacted into today's nuggets and deposited in the top foot of shale and two feet of sandstone and cobbles just above the shale.
Similarly about 50 million years ago (see Zentner's video lecture below) feeder dikes of basalt intruded the Swauk formation and the gold precipitated as crystals in tension fractures in the shale adjacent to the basalt and these fractures later filled with calcite
The placer operations occur in the Swauk Formation of folded alternating layers of sandstone and shale. These were deposited some 50 million years ago. Presumably the crystallised gold washed down from the hills and was compacted into today's nuggets and deposited in the top foot of shale and two feet of sandstone and cobbles just above the shale.
Similarly about 50 million years ago (see Zentner's video lecture below) feeder dikes of basalt intruded the Swauk formation and the gold precipitated as crystals in tension fractures in the shale adjacent to the basalt and these fractures later filled with calcite
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Standard Detailed Gallery Strunz Chemical ElementsCommodity 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-localities10 valid minerals.
Rock Types Recorded
Rock list contains entries from the region specified including sub-localities
Select Rock List Type
Alphabetical List Tree DiagramDetailed Mineral List:
| ⓘ Aragonite Formula: CaCO3 References: |
| ⓘ Calcite Formula: CaCO3 Localities: Reported from at least 6 localities in this region. |
| ⓘ Galena Formula: PbS References: |
| ⓘ Gypsum Formula: CaSO4 · 2H2O References: |
| ⓘ 'Heulandite Subgroup' Formula: (Na/Ca/K)5-6[Al8-9 Si27-28 O72] · nH2O References: |
| ⓘ 'Limonite' References: |
| ⓘ Muscovite Formula: KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 References: |
| ⓘ Muscovite var. Sericite Formula: KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 References: |
| ⓘ Native Gold Formula: Au Localities: Reported from at least 13 localities in this region. Habit: Delicate arborescent and herring bone Colour: yellow Fluorescence: none Description: Some of Barlow's finest golds , now in the Rice Museum |
| ⓘ Native Gold var. Electrum Formula: (Au,Ag) References: |
| ⓘ Pyrite Formula: FeS2 Localities: Ace Of Diamonds Mine, Liberty, Swauk Mining District, Kittitas County, Washington, USA Flodine Mine, Liberty, Swauk Mining District, Kittitas County, Washington, USA Golden Fleece Mine (Mercer Mine; T-Bone Mine), Liberty, Swauk Mining District, Kittitas County, Washington, USA Liberty Mine, Liberty, Swauk Mining District, Kittitas County, Washington, USA |
| ⓘ Quartz Formula: SiO2 Localities: Reported from at least 11 localities in this region. |
| ⓘ Quartz var. Agate Formula: SiO2 References: |
| ⓘ Quartz var. Amethyst Formula: SiO2 References: |
| ⓘ Quartz var. Chalcedony Formula: SiO2 References: |
| ⓘ Quartz var. Ferruginous Quartz Formula: SiO2 References: |
| ⓘ Quartz var. Smoky Quartz Formula: SiO2 References: |
| ⓘ Siderite Formula: FeCO3 References: |
| ⓘ Talc ? Formula: Mg3Si4O10(OH)2 |
Gallery:
List of minerals arranged by Strunz 10th Edition classification
| Group 1 - Elements | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| ⓘ | Native Gold var. Electrum | 1.AA.05 | (Au,Ag) |
| ⓘ | 1.AA.05 | Au | |
| Group 2 - Sulphides and Sulfosalts | |||
| ⓘ | Galena | 2.CD.10 | PbS |
| ⓘ | Pyrite | 2.EB.05a | FeS2 |
| Group 4 - Oxides and Hydroxides | |||
| ⓘ | Quartz var. Agate | 4.DA.05 | SiO2 |
| ⓘ | var. Amethyst | 4.DA.05 | SiO2 |
| ⓘ | var. Chalcedony | 4.DA.05 | SiO2 |
| ⓘ | 4.DA.05 | SiO2 | |
| ⓘ | var. Smoky Quartz | 4.DA.05 | SiO2 |
| ⓘ | var. Ferruginous Quartz | 4.DA.05 | SiO2 |
| Group 5 - Nitrates and Carbonates | |||
| ⓘ | Calcite | 5.AB.05 | CaCO3 |
| ⓘ | Siderite | 5.AB.05 | FeCO3 |
| ⓘ | Aragonite | 5.AB.15 | CaCO3 |
| Group 7 - Sulphates, Chromates, Molybdates and Tungstates | |||
| ⓘ | Gypsum | 7.CD.40 | CaSO4 · 2H2O |
| Group 9 - Silicates | |||
| ⓘ | Talc ? | 9.EC.05 | Mg3Si4O10(OH)2 |
| ⓘ | Muscovite | 9.EC.15 | KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
| ⓘ | var. Sericite | 9.EC.15 | KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
| Unclassified | |||
| ⓘ | 'Heulandite Subgroup' | - | (Na/Ca/K)5-6[Al8-9 Si27-28 O72] · nH2O |
| ⓘ | 'Limonite' | - | |
List of minerals for each chemical element
| H | Hydrogen | |
|---|---|---|
| H | ⓘ Gypsum | CaSO4 · 2H2O |
| H | ⓘ Heulandite Subgroup | (Na/Ca/K)5-6[Al8-9 Si27-28 O72] · nH2O |
| H | ⓘ Muscovite | KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
| H | ⓘ Talc | Mg3Si4O10(OH)2 |
| H | ⓘ Muscovite var. Sericite | KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
| C | Carbon | |
| C | ⓘ Aragonite | CaCO3 |
| C | ⓘ Calcite | CaCO3 |
| C | ⓘ Siderite | FeCO3 |
| O | Oxygen | |
| O | ⓘ Quartz var. Agate | SiO2 |
| O | ⓘ Quartz var. Amethyst | SiO2 |
| O | ⓘ Aragonite | CaCO3 |
| O | ⓘ Calcite | CaCO3 |
| O | ⓘ Quartz var. Chalcedony | SiO2 |
| O | ⓘ Gypsum | CaSO4 · 2H2O |
| O | ⓘ Heulandite Subgroup | (Na/Ca/K)5-6[Al8-9 Si27-28 O72] · nH2O |
| O | ⓘ Muscovite | KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
| O | ⓘ Quartz | SiO2 |
| O | ⓘ Siderite | FeCO3 |
| O | ⓘ Quartz var. Smoky Quartz | SiO2 |
| O | ⓘ Talc | Mg3Si4O10(OH)2 |
| O | ⓘ Muscovite var. Sericite | KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
| O | ⓘ Quartz var. Ferruginous Quartz | SiO2 |
| Na | Sodium | |
| Na | ⓘ Heulandite Subgroup | (Na/Ca/K)5-6[Al8-9 Si27-28 O72] · nH2O |
| Mg | Magnesium | |
| Mg | ⓘ Talc | Mg3Si4O10(OH)2 |
| Al | Aluminium | |
| Al | ⓘ Heulandite Subgroup | (Na/Ca/K)5-6[Al8-9 Si27-28 O72] · nH2O |
| Al | ⓘ Muscovite | KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
| Al | ⓘ Muscovite var. Sericite | KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
| Si | Silicon | |
| Si | ⓘ Quartz var. Agate | SiO2 |
| Si | ⓘ Quartz var. Amethyst | SiO2 |
| Si | ⓘ Quartz var. Chalcedony | SiO2 |
| Si | ⓘ Heulandite Subgroup | (Na/Ca/K)5-6[Al8-9 Si27-28 O72] · nH2O |
| Si | ⓘ Muscovite | KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
| Si | ⓘ Quartz | SiO2 |
| Si | ⓘ Quartz var. Smoky Quartz | SiO2 |
| Si | ⓘ Talc | Mg3Si4O10(OH)2 |
| Si | ⓘ Muscovite var. Sericite | KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
| Si | ⓘ Quartz var. Ferruginous Quartz | SiO2 |
| S | Sulfur | |
| S | ⓘ Galena | PbS |
| S | ⓘ Gypsum | CaSO4 · 2H2O |
| S | ⓘ Pyrite | FeS2 |
| K | Potassium | |
| K | ⓘ Heulandite Subgroup | (Na/Ca/K)5-6[Al8-9 Si27-28 O72] · nH2O |
| K | ⓘ Muscovite | KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
| K | ⓘ Muscovite var. Sericite | KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
| Ca | Calcium | |
| Ca | ⓘ Aragonite | CaCO3 |
| Ca | ⓘ Calcite | CaCO3 |
| Ca | ⓘ Gypsum | CaSO4 · 2H2O |
| Ca | ⓘ Heulandite Subgroup | (Na/Ca/K)5-6[Al8-9 Si27-28 O72] · nH2O |
| Fe | Iron | |
| Fe | ⓘ Pyrite | FeS2 |
| Fe | ⓘ Siderite | FeCO3 |
| Ag | Silver | |
| Ag | ⓘ Native Gold var. Electrum | (Au,Ag) |
| Au | Gold | |
| Au | ⓘ Native Gold var. Electrum | (Au,Ag) |
| Au | ⓘ Native Gold | Au |
| Pb | Lead | |
| Pb | ⓘ Galena | PbS |
Localities in this Region
- Washington
- Kittitas County
- Washington
- Kittitas County
- Swauk Mining District
- Kittitas County
Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality
North AmericaContinent
- Cascade RangeMountain Range
North America PlateTectonic Plate
- Cascade ArcVolcanic Arc
- Franciscan DomainDomain
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Liberty, Swauk Mining District, Kittitas County, Washington, USA