Latitude: 38°45'32"N
Longitude: 122°45'49"W
A former Hg mine located 4.2 km (2.6 miles) WSW of Castle Rock Springs and ½ mile S of the Socrates Mine.
The deposit occurs in a sheared contact zone between serpentinite and sandstone. Along the contact, a 2-10 cm wide vein of pure cinnabar was found. More cinnabar is present in silica-carbonate altered serpentinite rocks in the contact zone and in carbonate veins in the adjacent sandstone, which also contain disseminations of native mercury. Locally, mercury ores are also found in unaltered serpentinite.
Production data are found in: U.S. Bureau of Mines file data.
References
Becker, George F. (1888b), Geology of the quicksilver deposits of the Pacific slope: USGS Monograph 13, atlas: 377.
Ransome, Alfred Leslie & J.L. Kellogg (1939), Quicksilver resources of California: California Journal of Mines and Geology, California Division Mines (Report 35): 35: 353-486.
Ross, Clyde Polhemus (1940b), Quicksilver deposits of the Mayacmas and Sulphur bank districts, California: USGS Bulletin 922-L: 330.
Bailey, Edgar H. (1946), Quicksilver deposits of the western Mayacmas district, Sonoma County, California: California Journal of Mines and Geology, California Division Mines (Report 42): 42: 199-230.
Honke, Martin T., Jr. & Wm. E. Ver Planck, Jr. (1950), Mines and mineral resources of Sonoma County, California: California Journal of Mines and Geology: 46(1): 98-105.
Holmes, Jr., G.W. (1965), Mercury in California: in: U.S. Bureau of Mines Information Circular 8252.
Pemberton, H. Earl (1983), Minerals of California; Van Nostrand Reinholt Press: 124.
Rytuba, J.J., Hothem, R.L., May, J.T., Kim, C.S., Lawler, D., and Goldstein, D. (2009): Environmental Impact of the Contact and Sonoma Mercury Mines on Water, Sediment, and Biota in Anna Belcher and Little Sulphur Creek Watersheds, Sonoma County, California. USGS Open-File Report 08-1381.
Bailey, E.H., USGS, personal files.
Mindat Articles
Cinnabar at the Contact Mine, Sonoma County, California by Kyle Beucke
Mineral List
5 entries listed. 5 valid minerals.
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