El Capitan Mine (Gold Dust claim), El Capitan, El Capitan Mining District, Mescal Mountains, Gila County, Arizona, USAi
This page is currently not sponsored. Click here to sponsor this page.
Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):
33° 12' 18'' North , 110° 48' 29'' West
Latitude & Longitude (decimal):
Type:
Köppen climate type:
Nearest Settlements:
| Place | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Six Shooter Canyon | 1,019 (2017) | 18.2km |
| Kearny | 2,038 (2017) | 19.0km |
| Pinal | 439 (2011) | 19.7km |
| Globe | 7,396 (2017) | 21.1km |
| Central Heights-Midland City | 2,534 (2011) | 22.1km |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Gila County Gem & Mineral Society | Miami, Arizona | 22km |
‡Ref.: Arizona Mining Journal (1922) May 1, 1922: 28-30.
Ransome, F.L. (1923) USGS Geologic Atlas of the United States, Ray Folio 217: see Aereal Geology map.
U.S. Atomic Energy Commission Report 172-480 (1953), Gila County Preliminary Reconnaissance Report: 53.
USGS Geologic Quadrangle map GQ-1442.
USGS El Capitan Mountain Quadrangle map.
U.S. Bureau of Mines - Arizona Bureau of Geology and Mining Technology file data.
Arizona Department of Mineral Resources El Capitan Mine file.
Yale Peabody GNIS database (NOTE: this database is derived from USGS 1:24,000 topographic map data).
MRDS database Dep. ID #10046330, MRDS ID #M241243; and Dep. ID #10233611, MAS ID #0040070305.
A former underground Ag-Cu-Pb mine located in the NW¼NW¼ sec. 3, T3S, R15E, at the El Capitan ghost town, 2 miles ESE of Pasadena Mountain, and ¼ mile W of El Capitan Canyon, on private land. The Silver Dime Mine is smaller, a non-producer, ¼ mile W at El Capitan Canyon. Discovered 1885. Produced 1885-1949. Owned by A.S. Arnold of Tucson (1966). Operated by Gene Davis of Phoenix and Floyd Hanna (1974).
Mineralization is hosted in the Dripping Springs Quartzite and siltstone. The ore zone strikes E-W and dips 70N. 120 meters of shear zone are mineralized. The mineralization is associated with the Cretaceous to Early Tertiary intrusive period. An associated rock unit is rhyolite. Placer gold was produced in Silver Creek Canyon, near the mine, in 1970.
Area structures include a NW Tertiary rhyolite dike ¼ mile south of the mine. The Dripping Springs Quartzite strikes E-W, dipping S20° to 25°, N-S and NW faulting exists in the area, Tertiary dikes NW- and E-W-trending, beds NW- to E-W-trending, dipping south.
A site visit during February, 2007, revealed that the workings include a deep, longitudinal cut parallel to the hillside, approximately 80 feet above a wash, that is approximately 100 feet long and of unknown depth. It may have an underground working beginning within the cut. A second, smaller cut of similar orientation is located higher on the hillside. To the SE of these workings are several small prospect pits, ostensibly along the line of strike of the larger vein. A blasted, superficial opening also exists on the top of the hill. Artifacts found on site indicate activity over a considerable period of time (mule shoe and one-piece drill steels with carbide teeth).
Pieces of gossan were noted on the dump. Otherwise, mineraliztion is absolutely minimal with only small pieces of rock bearing green and blue copper stains and coatings, plus lean chalcopyrite in matrix. Some of the green material appears too light colored to constitute malachite and may be a mixture or another phase (C. Lemanski, Jr.).
Workings include a tunnel that is 500 feet long, and a shaft 150 feet deep.
Ore dump sample analysis (1976): 28.6 oz Ag/ton, 0.92% Cu, 2.25% Pb.
Select Mineral List Type
Standard Detailed Gallery Strunz Chemical ElementsDetailed Mineral List:
| ⓘ Anglesite Formula: PbSO4 |
| ⓘ Azurite Formula: Cu3(CO3)2(OH)2 References: |
| ⓘ Chalcopyrite Formula: CuFeS2 References: |
| ⓘ 'Limonite' |
| ⓘ Malachite Formula: Cu2(CO3)(OH)2 |
| ⓘ Pyrite Formula: FeS2 |
Gallery:
List of minerals arranged by Strunz 10th Edition classification
| Group 2 - Sulphides and Sulfosalts | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| ⓘ | Chalcopyrite | 2.CB.10a | CuFeS2 |
| ⓘ | Pyrite | 2.EB.05a | FeS2 |
| Group 5 - Nitrates and Carbonates | |||
| ⓘ | Azurite | 5.BA.05 | Cu3(CO3)2(OH)2 |
| ⓘ | Malachite | 5.BA.10 | Cu2(CO3)(OH)2 |
| Group 7 - Sulphates, Chromates, Molybdates and Tungstates | |||
| ⓘ | Anglesite | 7.AD.35 | PbSO4 |
| Unclassified | |||
| ⓘ | 'Limonite' | - | |
List of minerals for each chemical element
| H | Hydrogen | |
|---|---|---|
| H | ⓘ Azurite | Cu3(CO3)2(OH)2 |
| H | ⓘ Malachite | Cu2(CO3)(OH)2 |
| C | Carbon | |
| C | ⓘ Azurite | Cu3(CO3)2(OH)2 |
| C | ⓘ Malachite | Cu2(CO3)(OH)2 |
| O | Oxygen | |
| O | ⓘ Anglesite | PbSO4 |
| O | ⓘ Azurite | Cu3(CO3)2(OH)2 |
| O | ⓘ Malachite | Cu2(CO3)(OH)2 |
| S | Sulfur | |
| S | ⓘ Anglesite | PbSO4 |
| S | ⓘ Chalcopyrite | CuFeS2 |
| S | ⓘ Pyrite | FeS2 |
| Fe | Iron | |
| Fe | ⓘ Chalcopyrite | CuFeS2 |
| Fe | ⓘ Pyrite | FeS2 |
| Cu | Copper | |
| Cu | ⓘ Azurite | Cu3(CO3)2(OH)2 |
| Cu | ⓘ Chalcopyrite | CuFeS2 |
| Cu | ⓘ Malachite | Cu2(CO3)(OH)2 |
| Pb | Lead | |
| Pb | ⓘ Anglesite | PbSO4 |
Other Databases
| Link to USGS MRDS: | 10046330 |
|---|
Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality
North AmericaContinent
- Sonoran DesertDesert
North America PlateTectonic Plate
- Basin and Range BasinsBasin
- Mazatzal DomainDomain
- Southern Basin and RangeWide Rift
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.
