The Tintina gold province is an arc-shaped 2,000-kilometer-long metallogenic 

province that extends from northern British Columbia, through the Yukon Territory, 

and across and into southwestern Alaska. In the United States, the province remains 

a prime area for gold exploration and includes such large gold deposits as Pogo, 

Fort Knox-True North, and Donlin Creek. 

In recent years, gold exploration and development and mining activity have 

accelerated in the area. Plans have been discussed for public and private projects 

and infrastructures associated with development. 

A U.S. Geological Survey study undertaken from 2002 to 2007 provides a 

context for understanding why and how the mineral resources of the area were 

formed, why this area is so abundantly endowed, and how the environmental signatures that are characteristic of the area are related to the development of mineral 

resources. Characterization of natural baseline metal concentrations in the area’s 

watersheds is necessary to address future land-use issues related to mining and/or 

infrastructure activities. A thorough understanding of water-rock and elementbioavailability processes will help predict the possible environmental impact of 

development. 

The five tasks of this study add to the science of defining and understanding 

an “intrusion-related gold system.” 

U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

Fact Sheet 2007–3061

October 2007

Tintina Gold Province Study, Alaska and Yukon Territory, 

2002–2007

Understanding the Origin, Emplacement, and Environmental Signature of Mineral Resources

Background 

Alaska’s mineral resources are 

as vast as the land itself. The Tintina 

gold province (TGP) encompasses 

roughly 150,000 square kilometers and 

is bounded on the north by the KaltagTintina fault and on the south by the 

Farewell-Denali fault. This is an expansive region with limited road or navigable river access. It stretches westward 

in a broad arc from British Columbia, 

Canada, through southeastern and central 

to southwestern Alaska, United States. 

The region’s climate is subarctic and 

includes major physiographic delineations and ecoregions such as the YukonTanana upland, the Yukon River lowlands, and the Kuskokwim Mountains 

(Nowacki and others, 2002). 

Some of the first placer and lode 

gold discoveries in northern North America were in the TGP in 1886. The TGP is 

once again the focus of a resurgence in 

mineral exploration, development, and 

mining activity. This resurgence stems 

from new discoveries (the Pogo and 

Donlin Creek deposits) as well as the 

application of modern extraction methods. New methods have provided access 

to previously known but economically 

restrictive resources (such as the Fort 

Knox-True North and Scheelite Dome 

deposits). In addition, the TGP hosts 

numerous non-gold-related mineraldeposit types.

With the exception of the recent 

increase in the exploration activity at the 

porphyry copper-gold Pebble deposit 

near Lake Iliamna in 2001 (fig. 1), by far, 

most exploration dollars spent over the 

past decade for the identification of new 

gold resources in Alaska and the Yukon 

Territory have been in the TGP (Hart and 

others, 2002). 

Figure 1.  Landsat-based general index map of the Tintina gold province in Alaska and

Canada showing seven of its major gold deposits plus the Pebble deposit (figure base, Hart

and others, 2002).

Fort KnoxTrue North

deposits

Ryan Lode

deposit

Pogo

deposit

Donlin Creek

deposit

Pebble

deposit

Brewery

Creek

deposit

Scheelite Dome

deposit

Whitehorse

Mayo

Dawson

Fairbanks

Anchorage

Kuskokwim

Mountains

Yukon River Lowlands

Tanana Upland

Yukon -

Farewell -

Tintina Kaltag -

Fault

Denali

Fault

T I N T I N A G O L D

P R O V I N C E UNITED STATES

A L A S K A

CANADA

Y U K O N

T E R R I T O R Y

BRITISH COLUMBIA

NORTHWEST

TERRITORIES
Figure 2.  Tintina gold province of Alaska and the Yukon Territory.

Five Tasks of the Study 

From 2002 to 2007, a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) study of the TGP 

focused on the following five integrated 

tasks in the fields of geology, geophysics, 

hydrology, and geochemistry: 

1. Origin of Tintina gold province

Understanding the origin of TGP 

gold deposits will help gain a fundamental scientific understanding of how 

these gold deposits form. In cooperation 

with academia and industry, this study 

collected and characterized ore samples 

from the major gold systems of the TGP, 

as well as barren samples of intrusive 

rocks associated with the ore. Detailed 

isotopic and geochemical studies establish possible sources for the hydrothermal 

fluids and associated molten rock. These 

results help refine the overall geneticexploration model for the epizonal gold 

deposits in the area. This understanding 

lies at the heart of ore-genesis research 

and helps us come to a fundamental 

scientific understanding of how these 

gold deposits form.

2. Geologic framework of TGP 

gold deposits 

The framework geologic studies 

are key in supporting the ore-genesis 

research and the regional hydrologic 

and geoenvironmental research. Characterization of the tectonic setting and 

metallogeny of the Yukon-Tanana upland involved identifying the dominant 

structural framework in key areas. This 

work helps scientists understand the 

style and timing of tectonism and its 

control on plutonism and emplacement 

of ore-forming systems. The framework geologic studies include 1:63,360-

scale geologic mapping that is key in 

supporting the studies.

3. Biologic and hydrologic setting, 

biogeochemistry, and water-rock 

processes

The geochemical signature of the 

boreal forest, riparian, and tundra vegetation zones were studied; these are the 

major subarctic ecosystems that make 

up this region of the TGP. Characterization of the geochemical signature 

provides information on the extent of 

rock-water interactions and of element 

bioavailability in different geologic 

Figure 3.  Field geologic observations

and various geophysical investigations

aid in understanding the structure and

stratigraphy of bedrock and associated

mineralization.

Figure 4.  Altered rock (such as the

reddish color) lead USGS geologists to look

for mineral-rich areas.

Figure 5.  Acidic, metal-rich drainage is

studied to define the geochemical signature

and weathering behavior of undisturbed

mineral deposits. 

60°

160°

150° 140°

130°

60°

Arctic Circle

1

2

2

3 3

4

5

5

5

Whitehorse

Dawson

Fairbanks

Anchorage

Farewell -

Tintina Kaltag -

Fault Denali

Fault

UNITED STATES

CANADA

A L A S K A

Y U K O N

T E R R I T O R Y

BRITISH COLUMBIA

NORTHWEST

TERRITORIES

0 200 400 600 800 KILOMETERS

0 200 400 MILES

EXPLANATION

Tintina gold province

Project task study areas

 Origin of Tintina gold province

 Geologic framework of Tintina gold province gold deposits

 Biologic and hydrologic setting, biogeochemistry, and water-rock processes

 Economic geology and environmental setting of regional volcanic rock-hosted massive-sulfide (VMS) deposits

 Development of geoenvironmental mineral-deposit model for Tintina gold province gold deposits

Major geologic fault system

Major mineral deposit

1

2

3

4

5
Figure 7.  Many of the gold deposits and occurrences coincide with the Black Mountain tectonic zone in the Big Delta B-1 and B-2

quadrangles. The geologic mapping and investigations of the Black Mountain tectonic zone were part of the USGS 2002–2007 study

(Day and others, 2007).

terranes. This includes examination of 

the geologic substrate (mineralized and 

non-mineralized) reflected in the aqueous, stream-sediment, and biogeochemical environments. Study of the extent of 

element bioavailability examines potential uptake by plants and animals. 

4. Economic geology and environmental 

setting of regional volcanic rock-hosted 

massive-sulfide (VMS) deposits

Research of this type provides information for the USGS Mineral Resources 

Program’s growing database of undeveloped mineralized areas. Defined in the 

study are the geology (age, whole-rock 

geochemistry, and tectonic setting) and 

metallogeny (age of ore-deposit formation) of the Bonnifield mining district 

volcanic rock-hosted massive-sulfide 

deposits. This was accomplished 

by integrating data from industry with 

additional data from geochemical and 

stable and radiogenic isotopic studies 

of drill-core and surface-rock samples. 

Extensive investigations of the natural weathering of VMS deposits were 

made and the geochemical variability of 

selected mineralized watersheds within the Bonnifield mining district were 

characterized through the sampling and 

analysis of water, stream-sediment, 

and vegetation samples. These data 

are applied to the Mineral Resources 

Program’s database of geoenvironmental 

mineral-deposit models. 

Figure 6.  Historical photo of USGS survey

team atop Boulder Mountain near Circle,

Alaska, in the Yukon-Tanana upland (photo

by W.C. Mendenhall, 1901).

EXPLANATION

Quaternary

 Alluvium

 Colluvium

Paleocene

 Rhyolite

 Gravel

Late Cretaceous

 Granite, undivided

 Mount Harper batholith

 Black Mountain intrusion

 Brink intrusion

 Diorite and tonalite

Paleozoic

 Augen gneiss (Devonian)

 Diorite gneiss

 Mafic and ultramafic gneiss

 Orthogneiss

 Metasedimentary rock

Fault—Dashed where approximatly located, dotted where

 inferred. Arrows indicate relative horizontal movement

Thrust fault—Teeth on upper plate

Strike and dip of foliation

Trend and plunge of mineral lineation

Trend and plunge of minor fold

Contact

Gold deposits and occurrences

20

22

55

Goodpaster

River

Central

Creek

Tibbs

Creek

Goodpaster

River

47

80 64

48

55

65 32

15

32

36

36

52

45

70

32

45

25

20

22

38

32

55

34

10

34 10

22

43

40

45

26

22

60

40

Pogo

Shawnee

Peak

Grizzly Bear

Gray Lead

Blue Lead

Brink Black

Mountain

Tectonic

Zone

145° 144°30’

145° 144°30’

64°30’

64°15’

144°

144°

64°30’

64°15’

MAP

LOCATION

0 5 10 15 KILOMETERS

0 5 10 MILES
Figure 8.  USGS geologist Alfred H. Brooks

and canoe near what would become

the Bonnifield mining district, Alaska,

August 27, 1898. Current studies in the

TGP reflect the long-time interest of USGS

scientists in this area (photo credited to

Alfred H. Brooks).

5. Development of a geoenvironmental 

mineral-deposit model for TGP gold 

deposits

This research will help establish predevelopment geochemical baselines for 

rocks, soils, surface water, and vegetation 

in selected watersheds. A definition of 

the geochemical signature of ore deposits characteristic of the TGP (Brewery 

Creek, Fort Knox-True North, Ryan 

Lode, and Donlin Creek deposits) has 

been developed. 

The epizonal-type deposits require 

environmental considerations, and predevelopment geochemical background 

and baseline information (especially for 

arsenic, mercury, and antimony levels in 

soils and waters) have been established. 

This information is critical for resource 

development and land management.

For More Information 

The TGP study addresses specific 

USGS and national goals related to 

mineral resources, including ensuring 

the availability of reliable geologic, 

geochemical, geophysical, and mineral 

locality data for the Nation. Since the 

inception of the TGP study in 2002, more 

than 40 reports and numerous presentations have been published. Many of these 

can be accessed through the following 

Web-based links:

USGS Tintina Gold Province Project 

Web Site: http://minerals.usgs.gov/east/

tintina/index.html

USGS Mineral Resources Program 

Web Site: http://minerals.usgs.gov/

By Larry P. Gough (lgough@usgs.gov) 

and Warren C. Day (wday@usgs.gov)

References

Day, W.C., O’Neill, J.M., Aleinikoff, 

J.N., Green, G.N., Saltus, R.W., and 

Gough, L.P., 2007, Geologic map of 

the Big Delta B-1 quadrangle, eastcentral Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey 

Scientific Investigations Map 2975, 

pamphlet 23 p., 1 plate, scale 1:63,360, 

available online at http://pubs.usgs.

gov/sim/2007/2975/.

Hart, C.J.R., McCoy, D.T., Goldfarb, 

R.J., Smith, Moira, Roberts, Paul, 

Hulstein, Roger, Bakke, A.A., and 

Bundtzen, T.K., 2002, Geology, exploration, and discovery in the Tintina 

gold province, Alaska and Yukon: 

Society of Economic Geologists, 

Special Publication 9, p. 241–274.

Nowacki, Gregory, Spencer, Page, 

Fleming, Michael, Brock, Terry, and 

Jorgenson, Torre, 2002, Unified ecosystems of Alaska, 2001: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 02–297,

map scale 1:4,000,000.

Cooperating Agencies, 

Organizations, and Industries

We are deeply indebted to the 

contribution of our collaborators from 

government agencies as well as from 

academia and industry.

Alaska Department of Environmental 

Conservation 

Alaska Department of Natural 

Resources 

–Division of Geological & 

Geophysical Surveys

–Division of Mining, Land & Water 

–Division of Forestry

Avalon Energy Corporation

Bureau of Land Management

Calista Corporation

Doyon, Limited 

Fairbanks Gold Mining, Inc.

Grayd Resource Corporation 

GW Scientific 

National Park Service

–Denali National Park & 

Preserve 

–Yukon-Charley Rivers 

National Preserve 

NovaGold Resources Inc. 

Pacific Alaska Resources Company

Pacific Rim Geological Consulting, Inc.

Teck Cominco Limited 

The University of Western Australia 

TNR Resources Ltd. 

University of Alaska Anchorage 

University of Alaska Fairbanks 

University of Colorado at Boulder 

U.S. Department of Agriculture

–Natural Resources Conservation 

Service

U.S. Geological Survey

–Mineral Resources Program 

Yukon Geological Survey