Contention Mine (North Star Mine), Pima Mining District, Sierrita Mountains, Pima County, Arizona, USAi
| Regional Level Types | |
|---|---|
| Contention Mine (North Star Mine) | Mine |
| Pima Mining District | Mining District |
| Sierrita Mountains | Mountain Range |
| Pima County | County |
| Arizona | State |
| USA | Country |
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Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):
31° 53' 22'' North , 111° 4' 32'' West
Latitude & Longitude (decimal):
Type:
Köppen climate type:
Nearest Settlements:
| Place | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Green Valley | 21,391 (2011) | 8.7km |
| Sahuarita | 25,707 (2017) | 13.6km |
| East Sahuarita | 1,622 (2006) | 15.1km |
| Arivaca Junction | 1,090 (2011) | 18.1km |
| Amado | 295 (2011) | 20.2km |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Old Pueblo Lapidary Club | Tucson, Arizona | 40km |
| Tucson Gem and Mineral Society | Tucson, Arizona | 40km |
‡Ref.: Whitcomb, H.A. (1948) Geology of the Morgan mine area, Twin Buttes, Arizona: Tucson, University of Arizona, M.S. thesis, 83 p.
Houser, F.N. (1949) Geology of the Contention mine area, Twin Buttes, Arizona: Tucson, University of Arizona, M.S. thesis, 61 p.
Cummings, J.B., and Romslo, T.M. (1950) Investigation of Twin Buttes copper mines, Pima County, Arizona: U.S. Bureau of Mines Report of Investigations R.I. 4732, 32 p.
Wilson, E.D., et al (1950), Arizona zinc and lead deposits, part I, Arizona Bureau of Mines Bull. 156: 50-51.
Keith, Stanton B. (1974), Arizona Bureau of Geology & Mineral Technology, Geological Survey Branch Bull. 189, Index of Mining Properties in Pima County, Arizona: 133 (Table 4).
USGS Twin Buttes Quadrangle topo map.
Arizona Bureau of Mines file data.
MRDS database Dep. ID file #10039590, MRDS ID #M050382; and, Dep. ID #10283587, MAS ID #0040190169.
A former small underground Zn-Cu-Pb-Ag-Mn-Au mine located in the SW ¼ sec. 1, T.18S., R.12E., in the Twin Buttes area, about 1¼ miles SW of Twin Buttes and north of the Morgan Mine. Produced 1920-1947. Owned/operated at times, or in part, by Mr. Rich Hill; the Twin Buttes Mining & Smelting Co.; Bush-Baxter Mining Co.; Glance Mining Co.; A. S. & R. Co.; Midland Copper Co.; William F. Foy (1944-47); Amuran Mining Co.; and the Banner Mining Co.
Mineralization is partly oxidized zinc-copper and minor lead-silver minerals in lenticular orebodies along closely spaced fissure veins in silicated and garnetized Paleozoic limestone along a strong fault zone with Precambrian granite. The ore consists mainly of sphalerite and chalcopyrite associated with the garnet and apparently localized by closely spaced NE fissures. The ore body is 36.58 meters long, 4.57 meters wide and 15.24 meters thick, strikes N40W and dips 65SW.
Here a strike-fault zone trends N.40ºW. and dips 60º-70ºSW. On its hanging wall side are faulted slivers of qartzite and impure limestone, intruded by granite. A mass of dark garnet approximately 100 feet wide irregularly and partially replaces the impure limestone. On the SW side of the fault zone is Escabrosa limestone, largely metamorphosed to marble.
Workings include a vertical shaft 220 feet deep with drifts on the 210, 150, and 120 levels. From the upper levels, ore up to 15 feet wide was stoped for a length of 120 feet and a height of 50 feet. Intermittent production during the period 1919-1947 of some 8,000 tons of ore averaging about 11% Zn, 2% Cu, 1% Pb and 2 oz. Ag/T.
Select Mineral List Type
Standard Detailed Gallery Strunz Chemical ElementsDetailed Mineral List:
| ⓘ 'Garnet Group' Formula: X3Z2(SiO4)3 Description: In metamorphosed Paleozoic limestone. References: |
| ⓘ Hematite Formula: Fe2O3 |
| ⓘ Hematite var. Specularite Formula: Fe2O3 |
| ⓘ Pyrite Formula: FeS2 |
| ⓘ Pyrrhotite Formula: Fe1-xS |
| ⓘ Sphalerite Formula: ZnS |
Gallery:
List of minerals arranged by Strunz 10th Edition classification
| Group 2 - Sulphides and Sulfosalts | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| ⓘ | Sphalerite | 2.CB.05a | ZnS |
| ⓘ | Pyrrhotite | 2.CC.10 | Fe1-xS |
| ⓘ | Pyrite | 2.EB.05a | FeS2 |
| Group 4 - Oxides and Hydroxides | |||
| ⓘ | Hematite | 4.CB.05 | Fe2O3 |
| ⓘ | var. Specularite | 4.CB.05 | Fe2O3 |
| Unclassified | |||
| ⓘ | 'Garnet Group' | - | X3Z2(SiO4)3 |
List of minerals for each chemical element
| O | Oxygen | |
|---|---|---|
| O | ⓘ Hematite | Fe2O3 |
| O | ⓘ Hematite var. Specularite | Fe2O3 |
| O | ⓘ Garnet Group | X3Z2(SiO4)3 |
| Si | Silicon | |
| Si | ⓘ Garnet Group | X3Z2(SiO4)3 |
| S | Sulfur | |
| S | ⓘ Pyrite | FeS2 |
| S | ⓘ Pyrrhotite | Fe1-xS |
| S | ⓘ Sphalerite | ZnS |
| Fe | Iron | |
| Fe | ⓘ Hematite | Fe2O3 |
| Fe | ⓘ Pyrite | FeS2 |
| Fe | ⓘ Pyrrhotite | Fe1-xS |
| Fe | ⓘ Hematite var. Specularite | Fe2O3 |
| Zn | Zinc | |
| Zn | ⓘ Sphalerite | ZnS |
Other Databases
| Link to USGS MRDS: | 10039590 |
|---|
Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality
Mexico
- Sierra Madre OccidentalMountain Range
North AmericaContinent
- Sonoran DesertDesert
North America PlateTectonic Plate
- Basin and Range BasinsBasin
- Mazatzal DomainDomain
- Southern Basin and RangeWide Rift
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