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Zinc Hill Mine (Utacaia group; Colorado group; Darwin Zinc prospect), Zinc Hill, Zinc Hill Mining District, Argus Mts (Argus Range), Inyo County, California, USAi
Regional Level Types
Zinc Hill Mine (Utacaia group; Colorado group; Darwin Zinc prospect)Mine
Zinc HillHill
Zinc Hill Mining DistrictMining District
Argus Mts (Argus Range)Mountain Range
Inyo CountyCounty
CaliforniaState
USACountry

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Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):
36° 18' 26'' North , 117° 30' 27'' West
Latitude & Longitude (decimal):
Type:
Mindat Locality ID:
3480
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:2:3480:0
GUID (UUID V4):
0


A former Zn-Pb-Ag-U-Cu-Mo mine located in sec. 2, T19S, R41E, MDM, 1.7 km (1.1 miles) NW of Zinc Hill (coordinates of record), and 8.7 km (5.4 miles) ENE of Darwin, on National Park Service wilderness land (Death Valley National Park/Death Valley Wilderness). Operated during the periods 1917-1942 and 1941-1947. MRDS database stated accuracy for this location is 10 meters.

Corrected coordinates : N36.30722 W117.50759 ; taken at remains of mining structures by Richard Muster in the year 2009 using an Ashtech MM6 device.

Mineralization is a replacement deposit of skarn replacements in limestone (marblized). Galena is locally abundant, pyrite and chalacopyrite are present in minor quantities. Diorite is an associated rock. Local rocks include Permian marine sedimentary rocks, unit 1 (Death Valley and Mojave Desert).

Rocks in the area are marble and limestone of Mississippian age, faulted against silty limestone of Permian age. The Mississippian limestone is faulted on both E and W sides of the mine area, against the silty, bluish-gray limestone of the Owens Valley Formation of Permian age. A diorite dike 1 to 2 feet thick, cuts Mississippian rocks in the southern end of the mine, strikes N65W, and dips vertically.

Local structures include the Zinc Hill Fault, which bounds the horst of Mississippian limestone on the west and has a stratigraphic throw of 27,000 feet.

Workings include surface and underground openings comprised of numerous open cuts, near-surface stopes and short adits.

Production data are found in: Hall and Mackevett (1958): 45.

Production history details: Ag: 40 grams/metric ton; Pb: 1 weight percent; Zn: 22 weight percent.

Select Mineral List Type

Standard Detailed Gallery Strunz Chemical Elements

Mineral List


25 valid minerals.

Rock Types Recorded

Note: data is currently VERY limited. Please bear with us while we work towards adding this information!

Select Rock List Type

Alphabetical List Tree Diagram

Detailed Mineral List:

Adamite
Formula: Zn2(AsO4)(OH)
Colour: Pale to dark green
Description: Rounded aggregates of crystals; individual groups seldomly greater than 2 mm.
Adamite var. Copper-bearing Adamite
Formula: (Zn,Cu)2AsO4OH
Colour: Pale to dark green
Description: Rounded aggregates of crystals; individual groups seldomly greater than 2 mm.
Anglesite
Formula: PbSO4
Aurichalcite
Formula: (Zn,Cu)5(CO3)2(OH)6
Autunite
Formula: Ca(UO2)2(PO4)2 · 10-12H2O
Azurite
Formula: Cu3(CO3)2(OH)2
Colour: Blue
Description: Occurs as drusy crystals.
Brochantite
Formula: Cu4(SO4)(OH)6
Habit: Prismatic; acicular radial groups
Colour: Emerald-green
Calcite
Formula: CaCO3
Cerussite
Formula: PbCO3
Chalcopyrite
Formula: CuFeS2
Description: Common in the upper workings.
Chrysocolla
Formula: Cu2-xAlx(H2-xSi2O5)(OH)4 · nH2O, x < 1
Conichalcite
Formula: CaCu(AsO4)(OH)
Description: Bead-like balls forming aggregates to several mm's diameter.
Galena
Formula: PbS
Gypsum
Formula: CaSO4 · 2H2O
Hemimorphite
Formula: Zn4Si2O7(OH)2 · H2O
Hydrozincite
Formula: Zn5(CO3)2(OH)6
Malachite
Formula: Cu2(CO3)(OH)2
Colour: Green
Description: Pseudomorphs after azurite. Coatings of bundles of crystals and paler green velvety surfaces.
Mimetite
Formula: Pb5(AsO4)3Cl
References:
Olivenite
Formula: Cu2(AsO4)(OH)
Pyrite
Formula: FeS2
Quartz
Formula: SiO2
Rosasite
Formula: (Cu,Zn)2(CO3)(OH)2
Smithsonite
Formula: ZnCO3
Sphalerite
Formula: ZnS
Tremolite
Formula: ◻Ca2Mg5(Si8O22)(OH)2
Wulfenite
Formula: Pb(MoO4)

List of minerals arranged by Strunz 10th Edition classification

Group 2 - Sulphides and Sulfosalts
Sphalerite2.CB.05aZnS
Chalcopyrite2.CB.10aCuFeS2
Galena2.CD.10PbS
Pyrite2.EB.05aFeS2
Group 4 - Oxides and Hydroxides
Quartz4.DA.05SiO2
Group 5 - Nitrates and Carbonates
Calcite5.AB.05CaCO3
Smithsonite5.AB.05ZnCO3
Cerussite5.AB.15PbCO3
Azurite5.BA.05Cu3(CO3)2(OH)2
Malachite5.BA.10Cu2(CO3)(OH)2
Rosasite5.BA.10(Cu,Zn)2(CO3)(OH)2
Aurichalcite5.BA.15(Zn,Cu)5(CO3)2(OH)6
Hydrozincite5.BA.15Zn5(CO3)2(OH)6
Group 7 - Sulphates, Chromates, Molybdates and Tungstates
Anglesite7.AD.35PbSO4
Brochantite7.BB.25Cu4(SO4)(OH)6
Gypsum7.CD.40CaSO4 · 2H2O
Wulfenite7.GA.05Pb(MoO4)
Group 8 - Phosphates, Arsenates and Vanadates
Adamite8.BB.30Zn2(AsO4)(OH)
var. Copper-bearing Adamite8.BB.30(Zn,Cu)2AsO4OH
Olivenite8.BB.30Cu2(AsO4)(OH)
Conichalcite8.BH.35CaCu(AsO4)(OH)
Mimetite8.BN.05Pb5(AsO4)3Cl
Autunite8.EB.05Ca(UO2)2(PO4)2 · 10-12H2O
Group 9 - Silicates
Hemimorphite9.BD.10Zn4Si2O7(OH)2 · H2O
Tremolite9.DE.10◻Ca2Mg5(Si8O22)(OH)2
Chrysocolla9.ED.20Cu2-xAlx(H2-xSi2O5)(OH)4 · nH2O, x < 1

List of minerals for each chemical element

HHydrogen
H AdamiteZn2(AsO4)(OH)
H Aurichalcite(Zn,Cu)5(CO3)2(OH)6
H AutuniteCa(UO2)2(PO4)2 · 10-12H2O
H AzuriteCu3(CO3)2(OH)2
H BrochantiteCu4(SO4)(OH)6
H ChrysocollaCu2-xAlx(H2-xSi2O5)(OH)4 · nH2O, x < 1
H ConichalciteCaCu(AsO4)(OH)
H Adamite var. Copper-bearing Adamite(Zn,Cu)2AsO4OH
H GypsumCaSO4 · 2H2O
H HemimorphiteZn4Si2O7(OH)2 · H2O
H HydrozinciteZn5(CO3)2(OH)6
H MalachiteCu2(CO3)(OH)2
H OliveniteCu2(AsO4)(OH)
H Rosasite(Cu,Zn)2(CO3)(OH)2
H Tremolite◻Ca2Mg5(Si8O22)(OH)2
CCarbon
C Aurichalcite(Zn,Cu)5(CO3)2(OH)6
C AzuriteCu3(CO3)2(OH)2
C CalciteCaCO3
C CerussitePbCO3
C HydrozinciteZn5(CO3)2(OH)6
C MalachiteCu2(CO3)(OH)2
C Rosasite(Cu,Zn)2(CO3)(OH)2
C SmithsoniteZnCO3
OOxygen
O AdamiteZn2(AsO4)(OH)
O AnglesitePbSO4
O Aurichalcite(Zn,Cu)5(CO3)2(OH)6
O AutuniteCa(UO2)2(PO4)2 · 10-12H2O
O AzuriteCu3(CO3)2(OH)2
O BrochantiteCu4(SO4)(OH)6
O CalciteCaCO3
O CerussitePbCO3
O ChrysocollaCu2-xAlx(H2-xSi2O5)(OH)4 · nH2O, x < 1
O ConichalciteCaCu(AsO4)(OH)
O Adamite var. Copper-bearing Adamite(Zn,Cu)2AsO4OH
O GypsumCaSO4 · 2H2O
O HemimorphiteZn4Si2O7(OH)2 · H2O
O HydrozinciteZn5(CO3)2(OH)6
O MalachiteCu2(CO3)(OH)2
O MimetitePb5(AsO4)3Cl
O OliveniteCu2(AsO4)(OH)
O QuartzSiO2
O Rosasite(Cu,Zn)2(CO3)(OH)2
O SmithsoniteZnCO3
O Tremolite◻Ca2Mg5(Si8O22)(OH)2
O WulfenitePb(MoO4)
MgMagnesium
Mg Tremolite◻Ca2Mg5(Si8O22)(OH)2
AlAluminium
Al ChrysocollaCu2-xAlx(H2-xSi2O5)(OH)4 · nH2O, x < 1
SiSilicon
Si ChrysocollaCu2-xAlx(H2-xSi2O5)(OH)4 · nH2O, x < 1
Si HemimorphiteZn4Si2O7(OH)2 · H2O
Si QuartzSiO2
Si Tremolite◻Ca2Mg5(Si8O22)(OH)2
PPhosphorus
P AutuniteCa(UO2)2(PO4)2 · 10-12H2O
SSulfur
S AnglesitePbSO4
S BrochantiteCu4(SO4)(OH)6
S ChalcopyriteCuFeS2
S GalenaPbS
S GypsumCaSO4 · 2H2O
S PyriteFeS2
S SphaleriteZnS
ClChlorine
Cl MimetitePb5(AsO4)3Cl
CaCalcium
Ca AutuniteCa(UO2)2(PO4)2 · 10-12H2O
Ca CalciteCaCO3
Ca ConichalciteCaCu(AsO4)(OH)
Ca GypsumCaSO4 · 2H2O
Ca Tremolite◻Ca2Mg5(Si8O22)(OH)2
FeIron
Fe ChalcopyriteCuFeS2
Fe PyriteFeS2
CuCopper
Cu Aurichalcite(Zn,Cu)5(CO3)2(OH)6
Cu AzuriteCu3(CO3)2(OH)2
Cu BrochantiteCu4(SO4)(OH)6
Cu ChalcopyriteCuFeS2
Cu ChrysocollaCu2-xAlx(H2-xSi2O5)(OH)4 · nH2O, x < 1
Cu ConichalciteCaCu(AsO4)(OH)
Cu Adamite var. Copper-bearing Adamite(Zn,Cu)2AsO4OH
Cu MalachiteCu2(CO3)(OH)2
Cu OliveniteCu2(AsO4)(OH)
Cu Rosasite(Cu,Zn)2(CO3)(OH)2
ZnZinc
Zn AdamiteZn2(AsO4)(OH)
Zn Aurichalcite(Zn,Cu)5(CO3)2(OH)6
Zn Adamite var. Copper-bearing Adamite(Zn,Cu)2AsO4OH
Zn HemimorphiteZn4Si2O7(OH)2 · H2O
Zn HydrozinciteZn5(CO3)2(OH)6
Zn Rosasite(Cu,Zn)2(CO3)(OH)2
Zn SmithsoniteZnCO3
Zn SphaleriteZnS
AsArsenic
As AdamiteZn2(AsO4)(OH)
As ConichalciteCaCu(AsO4)(OH)
As Adamite var. Copper-bearing Adamite(Zn,Cu)2AsO4OH
As MimetitePb5(AsO4)3Cl
As OliveniteCu2(AsO4)(OH)
MoMolybdenum
Mo WulfenitePb(MoO4)
PbLead
Pb AnglesitePbSO4
Pb CerussitePbCO3
Pb GalenaPbS
Pb MimetitePb5(AsO4)3Cl
Pb WulfenitePb(MoO4)
UUranium
U AutuniteCa(UO2)2(PO4)2 · 10-12H2O

Other Databases

Link to USGS MRDS:10076668

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