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Big Little Bear Calaveras Manganese claim (Big Little Bear property; Big Little Bear Mine), Lost City, West Belt, Calaveras County, California, USAi
Regional Level Types
Big Little Bear Calaveras Manganese claim (Big Little Bear property; Big Little Bear Mine)Claim
Lost CityUnincorporated Community
West Belt- not defined -
Calaveras CountyCounty
CaliforniaState
USACountry

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Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):
38° 6' 18'' North , 120° 43' 39'' West
Latitude & Longitude (decimal):
38.10500,-120.72750
GeoHash:
G#: 9qf0ubbct
GRN:
N26W68
Type:
Claim
Köppen climate type:
Csa : Hot-summer Mediterranean climate
Nearest Settlements:
PlacePopulationDistance
San Andreas2,783 (2011)10.9km
Rancho Calaveras4,489 (2018)11.7km
Valley Springs3,553 (2011)13.1km
Copperopolis3,671 (2011)15.7km
Angels Camp2,677 (2012)16.9km
Nearest Clubs:
Local clubs are the best way to get access to collecting localities
ClubLocationDistance
Calaveras Gem & Mineral SocietyAngels Camp, California17km
Amador County Gem & Mineral SocietySutter Creek, California33km
Mindat Locality ID:
74887
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:2:74887:5
GUID (UUID V4):
0


A Mn occurrence/prospect located in secs. 14 & 24, T3N, R11E, MDM, 2.8 km (1.8 miles) NE of Lost City and 2.3 km (1.4 miles) WSW of Mount Ararat (coordinates of record). Discovered in 1942. Owned by Alvin Maxwell, California (1974), and by Elmer Walker, California (1974). MRDS database stated accuracy for this location is 1,000 meters.

Proceed along road from Altaville toward Milton for 14 miles to Salt Spring Valley, turn N for 1.3 miles to Stegman's Ranch. Poor road leads 3.5 miles NE to a cabin on the W slope of Bear Mountain ridge. A trail then leads ¼ mile SE to the prospect, which is in a small ravine.

Mineralization is hosted in the Teacup Granodiorite. The ore body strikes N40W and dips 55NE at a thickness of 1.22 meters and a length of 3.05 meters. Massive red chert is enclosed in green meta-volcanics. Lenses of Mn ore are enclosed by the massive chert. Mn ore is mainly psilomelane, with some neotocite, bementite, and a little light brownish-gray Mn carbonate. Local rocks include Mesozoic volcanic rocks, unit 2 (Western Sierra Foothills and Western Klamath Mountains).

Workings include surface openings.

Select Mineral List Type

Standard Detailed Gallery Strunz Chemical Elements

Mineral List


3 valid minerals.

Gallery:

List of minerals arranged by Strunz 10th Edition classification

Group 5 - Nitrates and Carbonates
ⓘRhodochrosite5.AB.05MnCO3
Group 9 - Silicates
ⓘNeotocite9.ED.20(Mn,Fe)SiO3 · H2O (?)
ⓘBementite9.EE.05Mn7Si6O15(OH)8
Unclassified
ⓘ'Psilomelane'-

List of minerals for each chemical element

HHydrogen
Hⓘ BementiteMn7Si6O15(OH)8
Hⓘ Neotocite(Mn,Fe)SiO3 · H2O (?)
CCarbon
Cⓘ RhodochrositeMnCO3
OOxygen
Oⓘ BementiteMn7Si6O15(OH)8
Oⓘ Neotocite(Mn,Fe)SiO3 · H2O (?)
Oⓘ RhodochrositeMnCO3
SiSilicon
Siⓘ BementiteMn7Si6O15(OH)8
Siⓘ Neotocite(Mn,Fe)SiO3 · H2O (?)
MnManganese
Mnⓘ BementiteMn7Si6O15(OH)8
Mnⓘ Neotocite(Mn,Fe)SiO3 · H2O (?)
Mnⓘ RhodochrositeMnCO3
FeIron
Feⓘ Neotocite(Mn,Fe)SiO3 · H2O (?)

Other Databases

Link to USGS MRDS:10097012

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

(n.d.) Minerals Availability System (MAS), U.S. Bureau of Mines.file ID #0060090002
California Division of Mines Economic Mineral Map of California No. 5 – Manganese (1943).
Trask, Parker Davies, Ivan F. Wilson & F.S. Simons (1943), Manganese deposits of California – a summary report: California Division Mines Bulletin 125: 60, 106.
Trask, Parker Davies (1950) Geologic description of the manganese deposits of California. California Division of Mines Bulletin 152, 378 pp.: 40.
Trengrove, Russell R. (1950), Reconnaissance of California Manganese Deposits, U.S. Bureau of Mines Report of Investigation 5579: 22.
Clark, Wm. B. & P.A. Lydon (1962), Mines and mineral resources of Calaveras County, California: California Division of Mines & Geology County Report 2; [… Geological Society of America Proceedings, 1933: 312-313, 1934]: 135, 211, Pls. B & D.
Clark, L.D., Stromquist, A.A., and Tatlock, D.B. (1963), Geologic Map of the San Andreas Quadrangle, Calaveras County, California, USGS Geologic Quadrangle Map GQ-222, scale 1:62,500.
Murdoch, Joseph & Robert W. Webb (1966), Minerals of California, Centennial Volume (1866-1966): California Division Mines & Geology Bulletin 189: 101, 320
Pemberton, H. Earl (1983) Minerals of California. Van Nostrand Reinhold Company Inc.
(2005) Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS), US Geological Survey.
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