Copper Mountain Mine (Manganese Blue Mine; Copper Mountain claim working; Old Blue shaft; Detroit Copper Co. group; Manganese Blue ore body), Morenci, Greenlee County, Arizona, USAi
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Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):
33° 4' 32'' North , 109° 22' 4'' West
Latitude & Longitude (decimal):
Type:
Köppen climate type:
Mindat Locality ID:
10334
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:2:10334:6
GUID (UUID V4):
651577fd-b10e-4e1e-ad67-afb556fc332a
A former surface and underground Cu-Zn mine located in the SE¼SW¼SW¼SE¼ sec. 16, T4S, R29E, SW of the Humboldt shaft, SE of the Arizona Central shaft, under the present town of Morenci, on private land. Discovered in 1872 by W.L. Ryerson, John Swisshelm, Jim Bullard and Joe Yankie. Produced 1882-1920. Owned and operated by the Phelps Dodge Corp., Morenci Branch (1917-____). Past owners included the Detroit Copper Mining Co. of Arizona. The Copper Mountain Mine opens onto the Arizona Central vein and onto several irregular carbonate deposits in limestone. The Manganese Blue ore body and shaft are also located on the Copper Mountain claim; the Copper Mountain Mine tunnel extends onto the Arizona Central claim.
Mineralization is an irregular ore body hosted in the Longfellow Limestone. The ore zone has a depth to top of 30.48 meters and a depth to bottom of 121.92 meters, striking N15E and dipping 70SE. An associated rock unit is the Morenci Granite Porphyry. Ore control was NE-trending fissure veins containing an enormous deposit of low-grade chalcocite ore, changing to poor primary sulfides at varying depth. Ore concentration was extensive surface leaching on the downthrow side of the Copper Mountain fault to depths of 200 feet. Secondary enrichment of chalcocite ore about 300 feet deep. Alteration is oxidation to greatly varying depths. Chalcocite coats large bodies of sericitized porphyry containing disseminated pyrite.
Intergrowths of magnetite, pyrite, sphalerite, and chalcopyrite are irregularly distributed in the carbonates. The chalcocite ore body is usually considered to be a part of the Humboldt lode or an extension of the Wellington vein. The Copper Mountain claim has only a few central veins or seams, unlike the other great ore bodies of Copper Mountain.
Area structures include the Copper Mountain fault, which separates rich, disseminated chalcocite ore from barren porphyry. Cuprite and copper carbonates occur, associated with a small mass of limestone embedded in porphyry, on the boundary between the Copper Mountain and Humboldt Mines. South of the main adit is a rich, well-defined chalcocite seam about 14 inches wide. The ore bodies are contained between two porphyry dikes about 400 to 500 fet apart (Joy Dike and the Hummingbird Dike).
Tectonic component is the complex Copper Mountain fault system with substantial vertical displacement. Fault blocks generally downthrown to the NE.
Workings total 304.8 meters long and 152.4 meters deep. Developments included a 1000 foot tunnel that runs to the NW, 500 feet below the western crest of Copper Mountain, in the Arizona Central claim. Several stopes in the Copper Mountain and Blue Manganese lodes, reaching 100 feet in width; extensive drifting along veins. Production data included in Detroit Copper Co. mines; other Detroit Copper Co. mines are the Arizona Central, Manganese Blue, Ryerson, Yankie, and Montezuma mines.
Select Mineral List Type
Standard Detailed Gallery Strunz Chemical ElementsDetailed Mineral List:
| ⓘ Azurite Formula: Cu3(CO3)2(OH)2 Description: Occurs as sheaflike & spherical masses up to 40 pounds in kaolinized shale. References: |
| ⓘ Brochantite Formula: Cu4(SO4)(OH)6 |
| ⓘ Chalcanthite Formula: CuSO4 · 5H2O |
| ⓘ Chalcocite Formula: Cu2S |
| ⓘ Chalcopyrite Formula: CuFeS2 |
| ⓘ Copper Formula: Cu References: |
| ⓘ Cuprite Formula: Cu2O References: |
| ⓘ Cuprite var. Chalcotrichite Formula: Cu2O References: |
| ⓘ Cyanotrichite Formula: Cu4Al2(SO4)(OH)12 · 2H2O Description: Occurs as narrow seams in siliceous gangue, coated with earthy hematite; incrustations t0 2mm thick & thin fibers & small tufts in cavities. |
| ⓘ Epidote Formula: (CaCa)(AlAlFe3+)O[Si2O7][SiO4](OH) |
| ⓘ 'Garnet Group' Formula: X3Z2(SiO4)3 |
| ⓘ Gypsum Formula: CaSO4 · 2H2O |
| ⓘ Hematite Formula: Fe2O3 Description: As earthy coatings on cyanotrichite. |
| ⓘ Kaolinite Formula: Al2(Si2O5)(OH)4 Colour: Snow-white Description: Occurs in kaolinized shale. |
| ⓘ 'Limonite' |
| ⓘ Magnetite Formula: Fe2+Fe3+2O4 Description: Mined as a flux. |
| ⓘ Malachite Formula: Cu2(CO3)(OH)2 References: |
| ⓘ Muscovite Formula: KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
| ⓘ Muscovite var. Sericite Formula: KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
| ⓘ Pyrite Formula: FeS2 |
| ⓘ 'Pyroxene Group' Formula: ADSi2O6 |
List of minerals arranged by Strunz 10th Edition classification
| Group 1 - Elements | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| ⓘ | Copper | 1.AA.05 | Cu |
| Group 2 - Sulphides and Sulfosalts | |||
| ⓘ | Chalcocite | 2.BA.05 | Cu2S |
| ⓘ | Chalcopyrite | 2.CB.10a | CuFeS2 |
| ⓘ | Pyrite | 2.EB.05a | FeS2 |
| Group 4 - Oxides and Hydroxides | |||
| ⓘ | Cuprite var. Chalcotrichite | 4.AA.10 | Cu2O |
| ⓘ | 4.AA.10 | Cu2O | |
| ⓘ | Magnetite | 4.BB.05 | Fe2+Fe3+2O4 |
| ⓘ | Hematite | 4.CB.05 | Fe2O3 |
| 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 | |||
| ⓘ | Brochantite | 7.BB.25 | Cu4(SO4)(OH)6 |
| ⓘ | Chalcanthite | 7.CB.20 | CuSO4 · 5H2O |
| ⓘ | Gypsum | 7.CD.40 | CaSO4 · 2H2O |
| ⓘ | Cyanotrichite | 7.DE.10 | Cu4Al2(SO4)(OH)12 · 2H2O |
| Group 9 - Silicates | |||
| ⓘ | Epidote | 9.BG.05a | (CaCa)(AlAlFe3+)O[Si2O7][SiO4](OH) |
| ⓘ | Muscovite | 9.EC.15 | KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
| ⓘ | var. Sericite | 9.EC.15 | KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
| ⓘ | Kaolinite | 9.ED.05 | Al2(Si2O5)(OH)4 |
| Unclassified | |||
| ⓘ | 'Limonite' | - | |
| ⓘ | 'Pyroxene Group' | - | ADSi2O6 |
| ⓘ | 'Garnet Group' | - | X3Z2(SiO4)3 |
List of minerals for each chemical element
| H | Hydrogen | |
|---|---|---|
| H | ⓘ Azurite | Cu3(CO3)2(OH)2 |
| H | ⓘ Brochantite | Cu4(SO4)(OH)6 |
| H | ⓘ Chalcanthite | CuSO4 · 5H2O |
| H | ⓘ Cyanotrichite | Cu4Al2(SO4)(OH)12 · 2H2O |
| H | ⓘ Epidote | (CaCa)(AlAlFe3+)O[Si2O7][SiO4](OH) |
| H | ⓘ Gypsum | CaSO4 · 2H2O |
| H | ⓘ Kaolinite | Al2(Si2O5)(OH)4 |
| H | ⓘ Malachite | Cu2(CO3)(OH)2 |
| H | ⓘ Muscovite | KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
| H | ⓘ Muscovite var. Sericite | KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
| C | Carbon | |
| C | ⓘ Azurite | Cu3(CO3)2(OH)2 |
| C | ⓘ Malachite | Cu2(CO3)(OH)2 |
| O | Oxygen | |
| O | ⓘ Azurite | Cu3(CO3)2(OH)2 |
| O | ⓘ Brochantite | Cu4(SO4)(OH)6 |
| O | ⓘ Chalcanthite | CuSO4 · 5H2O |
| O | ⓘ Cuprite var. Chalcotrichite | Cu2O |
| O | ⓘ Cuprite | Cu2O |
| O | ⓘ Cyanotrichite | Cu4Al2(SO4)(OH)12 · 2H2O |
| O | ⓘ Epidote | (CaCa)(AlAlFe3+)O[Si2O7][SiO4](OH) |
| O | ⓘ Gypsum | CaSO4 · 2H2O |
| O | ⓘ Hematite | Fe2O3 |
| O | ⓘ Kaolinite | Al2(Si2O5)(OH)4 |
| O | ⓘ Magnetite | Fe2+Fe23+O4 |
| O | ⓘ Malachite | Cu2(CO3)(OH)2 |
| O | ⓘ Muscovite | KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
| O | ⓘ Muscovite var. Sericite | KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
| O | ⓘ Pyroxene Group | ADSi2O6 |
| O | ⓘ Garnet Group | X3Z2(SiO4)3 |
| Al | Aluminium | |
| Al | ⓘ Cyanotrichite | Cu4Al2(SO4)(OH)12 · 2H2O |
| Al | ⓘ Epidote | (CaCa)(AlAlFe3+)O[Si2O7][SiO4](OH) |
| Al | ⓘ Kaolinite | Al2(Si2O5)(OH)4 |
| Al | ⓘ Muscovite | KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
| Al | ⓘ Muscovite var. Sericite | KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
| Si | Silicon | |
| Si | ⓘ Epidote | (CaCa)(AlAlFe3+)O[Si2O7][SiO4](OH) |
| Si | ⓘ Kaolinite | Al2(Si2O5)(OH)4 |
| Si | ⓘ Muscovite | KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
| Si | ⓘ Muscovite var. Sericite | KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
| Si | ⓘ Pyroxene Group | ADSi2O6 |
| Si | ⓘ Garnet Group | X3Z2(SiO4)3 |
| S | Sulfur | |
| S | ⓘ Brochantite | Cu4(SO4)(OH)6 |
| S | ⓘ Chalcopyrite | CuFeS2 |
| S | ⓘ Chalcanthite | CuSO4 · 5H2O |
| S | ⓘ Chalcocite | Cu2S |
| S | ⓘ Cyanotrichite | Cu4Al2(SO4)(OH)12 · 2H2O |
| S | ⓘ Gypsum | CaSO4 · 2H2O |
| S | ⓘ Pyrite | FeS2 |
| K | Potassium | |
| K | ⓘ Muscovite | KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
| K | ⓘ Muscovite var. Sericite | KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
| Ca | Calcium | |
| Ca | ⓘ Epidote | (CaCa)(AlAlFe3+)O[Si2O7][SiO4](OH) |
| Ca | ⓘ Gypsum | CaSO4 · 2H2O |
| Fe | Iron | |
| Fe | ⓘ Chalcopyrite | CuFeS2 |
| Fe | ⓘ Epidote | (CaCa)(AlAlFe3+)O[Si2O7][SiO4](OH) |
| Fe | ⓘ Hematite | Fe2O3 |
| Fe | ⓘ Magnetite | Fe2+Fe23+O4 |
| Fe | ⓘ Pyrite | FeS2 |
| Cu | Copper | |
| Cu | ⓘ Azurite | Cu3(CO3)2(OH)2 |
| Cu | ⓘ Brochantite | Cu4(SO4)(OH)6 |
| Cu | ⓘ Chalcopyrite | CuFeS2 |
| Cu | ⓘ Chalcanthite | CuSO4 · 5H2O |
| Cu | ⓘ Chalcocite | Cu2S |
| Cu | ⓘ Cuprite var. Chalcotrichite | Cu2O |
| Cu | ⓘ Cuprite | Cu2O |
| Cu | ⓘ Cyanotrichite | Cu4Al2(SO4)(OH)12 · 2H2O |
| Cu | ⓘ Copper | Cu |
| Cu | ⓘ Malachite | Cu2(CO3)(OH)2 |
Other Databases
| Link to USGS MRDS: | 10088902 |
|---|
Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality
North America
- Sonoran DesertDesert
North America PlateTectonic Plate
- Basin and Range BasinsBasin
- Mazatzal DomainDomain
USA
- Arizona
- Greenlee County
- Shannon MountainsMountain Range
- Greenlee County
- Gila MountainsMountain Range
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References
