Humboldt Creek Mine, Fairhaven Mining District, Nome Census Area, Alaska, USAi
Regional Level Types | |
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Humboldt Creek Mine | Mine |
Fairhaven Mining District | Mining District |
Nome Census Area | Census Area |
Alaska | State |
USA | Country |
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Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):
65° 50' 23'' North , 164° 25' 11'' West
Latitude & Longitude (decimal):
Type:
KΓΆppen climate type:
Mindat Locality ID:
198074
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:2:198074:8
GUID (UUID V4):
4c5d55a8-ce68-4b70-b3d2-7e43cb664ef8
Location: About 5,000 feet of placer gold mine workings are present along the main channel of upper Humbolt Creek. Humbolt Creek is a northeast-flowing tributary to Goodhope River. The placer mine workings begin about 6 miles upstream of the mouth of Ballard Creek, a southeast tributary to Humbolt Creek. This is locality 20 of Cobb (1972; MF 417; 1975; OFR 75-429).
Geology: The headwaters of Humbolt Creek are in an area southeast of the Oonatut Granite Complex (Hudson, 1979; Hudson and Arth, 1983). This area, consists of a Lower Paleozoic metasedimentary assemblage and a polydeformed, metapelitic schist of possible Precambrian age (Till and others, 1986); it is interpreted to be over buried extensions of the Oonatut Granite (Barnes and Hudson, 1977; Hudson, 1979). Cassiterite-rich mineralized zones have not been identified in the headwater bedrock but several high angle fault zones with polymetallic veins (BN048, BN 049, BN050, BN051, BN052) are probably part of tin metallizing systems. The alluvial gravels of Humbolt Creek carry significant gold, for which they have been placer mined, and abundant cassiterite. As early as 1908, gold-bearing concentrate with abundant pyrite and cassiterite was reported (Knopf, 1908). Hydraulic mining and dozer/sluice operations along 5,000 feet of the stream channel took place primarily before WW II (Cobb, 1975). The abundance of cassiterite was a handicap to gold mining; as much as 30 tons of tin concentrate (containing 36,000 pounds of metallic tin) were produced in 1919 (Brooks and Martin, 1921). Most of the cassiterite that was recovered by placer mining was not marketed; oil drums containing cassiterite-rich concentrate (60 % tin) were still stored at this location in the 1960's (Sainsbury and others, 1968). The recovered cassiterite included nuggets up to 4 inches across, some show crystal faces, some are brecciated, and some iare ntergrown with quartz (Sainsbury and others, 1968). Gold and cassiterite can be panned from the surface down through several feet of unmined gravel near the headwater fork of the creek. The gravels here are not mined out (Cobb, 1975, OFR 75-429). The cassiterite-bearing placer deposits are the best indication that significant tin metallization has occurred in the headwaters of the drainage.
Workings: About 5,000 feet of placer gold mine workings are present along the main channel of Humbolt Creek. Some test pits and shafts are present in unmined areas.
Age: Quaternary
Production: The abundance of cassiterite was a handicap to gold mining; as much as 30 tons of tin concentrate (containing 36,000 pounds of metallic tin) were produced in 1919 (Brooks and Martin, 1921). Most of the cassiterite that was recovered by placer mining was not marketed; oil drums containing cassiterite-rich concentrate (60 % tin) were still stored at this location in the 1960's (Sainsbury and others, 1968).
Commodities (Major) - Au, Sn
Development Status: Yes; small
Deposit Model: Placer Au-PGE (Cox and Singer, 1986; model 39a)
Select Mineral List Type
Standard Detailed Gallery Strunz Chemical ElementsCommodity List
This is a list of exploitable or exploited mineral commodities recorded at this locality.Mineral List
5 valid minerals.
Detailed Mineral List:
β Cassiterite Formula: SnO2 |
β Gold Formula: Au |
β Hematite Formula: Fe2O3 |
β Magnetite Formula: Fe2+Fe3+2O4 |
β Pyrite Formula: FeS2 |
Gallery:
List of minerals arranged by Strunz 10th Edition classification
Group 1 - Elements | |||
---|---|---|---|
β | Gold | 1.AA.05 | Au |
Group 2 - Sulphides and Sulfosalts | |||
β | Pyrite | 2.EB.05a | FeS2 |
Group 4 - Oxides and Hydroxides | |||
β | Magnetite | 4.BB.05 | Fe2+Fe3+2O4 |
β | Hematite | 4.CB.05 | Fe2O3 |
β | Cassiterite | 4.DB.05 | SnO2 |
List of minerals for each chemical element
O | Oxygen | |
---|---|---|
O | β Cassiterite | SnO2 |
O | β Hematite | Fe2O3 |
O | β Magnetite | Fe2+Fe23+O4 |
S | Sulfur | |
S | β Pyrite | FeS2 |
Fe | Iron | |
Fe | β Hematite | Fe2O3 |
Fe | β Magnetite | Fe2+Fe23+O4 |
Fe | β Pyrite | FeS2 |
Sn | Tin | |
Sn | β Cassiterite | SnO2 |
Au | Gold | |
Au | β Gold | Au |
Other Databases
Link to USGS - Alaska: | BN053 |
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Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality
North America PlateTectonic Plate
- Brooks-Seward DomainDomain
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