3f you do not need this report after it has served your purpose, please return it to the 

Geological Survey, using the official mailing label at the end

Harold L. Ickes, Secretary

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

W. C. Mendenhall, Director

Bulletin 886-D

PRELIMINARY REPORT ON THE

ALUNITE DEPOSITS OF THE MAEYSVALE

EEGION, UTAH

BY

EUGENE CALLAGHAN

Contributions to economic geology, 1937 

(Pages 91-134)

UNITED STATES

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 

WASHINGTON : 1938

iFor sale by the Superintendent of Documents, Washington, D. C Price 15 cents

CONTENTS

Page

Abstract....._____________________________________________________ 91

Introduction. _____'__________________________________-_________-__- 92

Geography--.----.----.------------------------------------------- 95

Geology_________ ------_, ----_-_____--_-__----_---_------- - 98

Principal formations___________________________________________ 98

Pre-Tertiary sedimentary rocks__-_________.__-____-__-_-_- 98

Wasatch(?) formation._______________________ _._________^___ 99

Earlier Tertiary (?) volcanic rocks and associated quartz monzonite bodies___--___-__-_-______________________-_______ 99

Later Tertiary (?) volcanic rocks. ____________________________ 100

Sevier River formation._.-__.____._________.__.__..._.__.-. 100

Quaternary alluvium and glacial debris..--__-___-_--__----_-- 101

Structure- -__-_---___----------.____--_--_---_-_--_----__----- 101

Summary of geologic history.____________________________________ 103

Alunite deposits._-_____-_____-_--___.____--_____-___--__--_--_-_-_- 104

History, development and production_-.-_._______.--._-_-.____-_ 104

Mineralogy ____________________________________________________ 109'

Types of deposits______--_-------_-__--_-__-__-__--_-_------_-- 1111 . Vein deposits___________________________________^___.__.__ 113'

Replacement deposits._____________________________________ 113-

Chemical composition.,......-..--.____________________________ 114:

Origin and probable extension in depth___________________._______ 115

Suggestions for further prospecting._____________________________ 117

Reserves ____--_--_--__-_--_--_-___-.______-________-----_____ 118-

Mines and prospects.-__-__--_--_--_--_--_-------_--_-_--_-_-_----- 118

Mount Baldy district. _______________ __________________________ 118-

Mineral Products._________________________________________ 118-

Bradburn.........................................^....... 120

Sunshine ______--__-____--_.______-____-_____________-___. 121

Edna Peak......._-.....-_...........__.-.__________._.-. 122'

L. & N_.......-_.-..-......_._...._........._..__-._---__ 122:

Crystal Fraction_________________________________________ 123".

Close In....--_--.-_......__..._......_.._______________ 123

Other prospects.__________________________________________ 124-

Newton district.____-_--__-__-_-___.__.________..__.__________ 124-

Sheep Rock_......________________________________________ 124

Gold Mountain district_-----__-__.__--._______._.___________- 125-

Winkelman-______-_____-__.__-___-..__.______..___.___-__ 125-

Pittsburgh....---.._______________________________________ 126-

Henry district. -. ... ............................................ 127

Big Star________________________________________._________ 127

Big Chief..--.----.----.-..-...__...._._.....__..__._.__- 12g

Yellow Jacket-.--_--__.--......_..-._-._____..-....____ 129-

Potash Butte--_-_--.----_--_.____________________________ 129

Marys Lamb (Vera Cruz)._________________________________ 130

Area east of Marysvale_---____-_-_-___._.______________________ 130

White Horse-..-.---.-.--_____________________________ 130

White Hms_______._______________________________________ 130

Marysvale Peak.__________________________________________ 131

Manning Creek__________-_____._____,_._____-_--___-_____ 131

Index.. ..._________.____________________ 133

m
ILLUSTKATIONS

Page

PLATE 18. Map of upper tunnel of Mineral Products mine showing structural details of alunite veins.___________________________ 118

FIGURE 15. Index map showing location of the Sevier and Delano Peak

No. 2 quadrangles in the Marysvale region, Utah. _______ 93

16. Outline map showing distribution of alunite deposits in the 

Marysvale region, Utah, and outline of the Sevier quadrangle_ ___--__--__-..-----______-__--___-___________ 96

17. Map of Sunshine area showing variable distribution of silicified

and alunitized country rock and alunite veins.___________ 112

JV
PRELIMINARY REPORT ON THE ALUNITE DEPOSITS OF 

THE MARYSVALE REGION, UTAH

By EUGENE CALLAGHAN

ABSTRACT

The Marysvale alunite region embraces parts of the Tushar Mountains, theAntelope Range, the Sevier River Valley, and the Sevier Plateau in the High 

Plateaus of southwest-central Utah. Interest in the alunite deposits as a possible source of aluminum as well as of potash has led to a detailed survey, 

which was initiated in the summer of 1936. This preliminary report outlines 

some of the major features of the geology and of the alunite deposits and i» 

based on a brief period of field work and previously published data. Much 

of the surface of the elongate mountain blocks of the Tushar Mountains and 

the Sevier Plateau is near or above 10,000 feet in altitude. The Tushar Mountains have been deeply dissected, and sharp peaks over 12,000 feet in altitude 

rise more than 6,000 feet above the lowlands.

The six rock units thus far recognized are as follows: (1) pre-Tertiary sedimentary rocks that include Permian, Lower Triassic, and Jurassic formations; 

(2) sedimentary rocks of the Wasatch (?) formation, of Eocene age; (3) 

earlier Tertiary (?) volcanic rocks and associated intrusive bodies of quartz 

monzonite; (4) later Tertiary (?) volcanic rocks; (5) sedimentary rocks of 

the late Pliocene or early Pleistocene Sevier River formation herein named; 

and (6) Quaternary alluvium and glacial debris. With the possible exception 

of the pre-Tertiary formations, which may be disconformable, all the rock 

units are unconformable and separated by erosion intervals. The presence 

of Permian and Lower Triassic fossils has only recently been known. Though 

plateau structure predominates, there are broad warps, a small amount of close 

folding, and an abundance of faults. Normal faulting is the common type, but 

reverse faults have been found. The major elongate mountain and valley 

blocks are believed to be outlined by fault systems, but each major block is 

composed of many minor blocks and structural elements. Faulting and folding 

took place both before and after the deposition of the Sevier River formation.

Aluuite was first recognized in the Marysvale region in 1910 and was mined 

on several properties between 1915 and 1920. The total output was not 

greatly in excess of the 250,000 tons of alunite produced by the Mineral Products Corporation and treated locally to yield potassium sulphate. Two types 

of deposits are characterized by their occurrence as veins and as replacement 

bodies in altered igneous rock. The vein deposits, which are limited to the 

upper reaches of Cottomvood Creek in the Tushar Mountains, consist chiefly 

of pink coarse-gi*ained alunite with a minor amount of fine-grained alunite in 

lenticular shoots from a few feet to 65 feet wide and as much as 1,000 feet 

long. The vein alunite is the potash variety, and relatively pure material

91
<)2 CONTRIBUTIONS TO ECONOMIC GEOLOGY, 1937

can be obtained. Alunite in the replacement deposits is very fine grained and 

is associated with highly variable proportions of quartz. The soda variety, 

natroalunite, makes up some of the replacement deposits. A total of 13 

analyses of the vein deposits and their wall rocks and 39 analyses of the replacement deposits gives a clearer impression of the variations in quality of 

the materials than has heretofore been available. Notes on 19 properties or 

deposits are included.

INTRODUCTION

The alunite 1 deposits in the vicinity of Marysvale, in the southwest-central part of Utah (fig. 15), have attracted much attention since their discovery in 1910. Alunite, a hydrous sulphate of 

potassium and aluminum, containing theoretically 11.4 percent of 

potash and 37 percent of alumina, has been particularly intriguing 

to industrial chemists and metallurgists. Under the stimulus of excessively high prices for potash during and for a brief period after 

the World War, the alunite deposits were actively prospected and 

developed. However, only one mine, that of the Mineral Products 

Corporation, was developed and made to produce on a large scale. 

Even with this restricted production, the alunite deposits are 

credited with 4 to 7 percent of the potash output of the United 

States during the war period. Though the alumina was separated, 

it was not sold during this period. With the decline in the price of 

potash, operations ceased, though small shipments have been made 

almost every year since that time for fertilizer or for experimental 

purposes.

The possibility of obtaining metallic aluminum with potash as a 

byproduct has lately revived interest in the alunite deposits and 

stimulated fresh experimental research, now in progress. Though 

this possibility was considered by the early operators, no commercially workable process in the economical treatment of the material 

was then devised. It was with the hope that sufficient reserves of 

alunite could be proved to attract industry to the region that Utah 

citizens requested a detailed survey. In response to this request the 

topographic and geologic mapping of the region and a detailed

study of the deposits were started by the United States Geological 

Survey in 1936.

This report must be regarded as strictly preliminary, as it is 

based on field work lasting only 2% months and on published reconnaissance work of others. By far the greater part of the work, both 

in the field and in the laboratory, remains to be done. Consequently, 

both observations and conclusions set forth here may be modified

through further work.

The period from July 6 to September 23,1936, was devoted to field 

work, which included reconnaissance of much of the region, particu1 Some of the material is the soda variety, natroalunite, but for the purposes of this 

economic report the term alunite is used throughout.
ALUNITE DEPOSITS OF THE MARYSVALE REGION, UTAH 93

larly that covered by the published map of the Sevier quadrangle, 

as well as detailed areal mapping on a field scale of 1:31,680 in the 

vicinity of Sevier and Belknap. Detailed topographic and geologic

FIGDRE 15. Index map showing location of the Sevier and Delano Peak No. 2 quadrangles in the Marysvale region, Utah.

maps of the Big Star, L. & N., and Sunshine deposits on a scale of 

1 inch to 200 feet, were prepared. Mapping of the area around the 

Mineral Products mine on the 200-foot scale was undertaken, and 

mapping of the underground workings of this mine was nearly completed. Topographic mapping of the Delano Peak No. 2 quadrangle, 

Avhich lies immediately south of the Sevier quadrangle, was started 

by R. T. Evans, W. B. Upton, Jr., and E. S. Rickard.

Throughout the field work the writer was ably assisted by George 

F. Seager and for a short time by George A. Kennedy. Many people
94 CONTRIBUTIONS TO ECONOMIC GEOLOGY, 1937

helped in every way possible. The writer is particularly grateful1 

to Nicholas Touroff, who has had charge of the Mineral Products, 

or Armour property since operations ceased; to the late Claude Kenyon, who had charge of the Florence Mining & Milling Co.'s properties; to Joseph Burns, who has a large group of claims in the district ; and to H. S. Gibbs, Patrick Henry, Lafe King, Frank Sargent,. 

Jacob Young, and many others at Marysvale. C. N. Gerry, supervising statistician of the Salt Lake section of the United States 

Bureau of Mines, and Bert Dyer, of the United States Geological 

Survey, aided with introductory information. Officials of the Fishlake National Forest were very helpful. F. J. Martines, president 

of the Southern Utah Civic Association, offered material he had 

collected. To Dr. Arthur Fleischer, manager of the pilot plant of the* 

Kalunite Co., at Salt Lake City, the writer is indebted for a large 

amount of technical information on the deposits, including compiled 

maps, engineer's reports, chemical analyses, and other data that were 

used freely in the preparation of this report. G. H. Girty, K. E. 

Lohman, and F. S. MacNeil, of the Geological Survey, and J. P. E, 

Morrison, and H. A. Render, of the National Museum, identified 

the fossils. D. F. Hewett and G. R. Mansfield, of the Geological 

Survey, have read the manuscript critically.

The geologic features of the alunite deposits have been described 

by Butler and Gale,2 Loughlin,3 and Butler.4 Butler and Gale visited the region at various times in 1911, shortly after the recognition 

of alunite there. Their report contains such information as could 

be obtained at the early stages of exploration of the veins, together 

with a summary of the geology of the region and a discussion of other 

alunite occurrences and possible modes of origin. The area was 

studied briefly by Loughlin in 1914 and by H. S. Gale and V. C. 

Heikes in 1915. The results of their studies are incorporated in 

Loughlin's paper, which was written when mining and milling were 

active and several new prospects had been discovered. Two articles 

by Tingley 6 add little detailed information. The deposits were 

visited briefly by J. R. Thoenen,6 of the Bureau of Mines, whose observations are recorded in a paper published in 1932. R. G. Knickerbocker,7 of the same bureau, obtained samples for analysis and eleca Butler, B. S., and Gale, H. S., Alunite, a newly discovered deposit near Marysvale 

Utah : U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 511, 64 pp., 1912.

8 Loughlin, G. F., Recent alunite developments near Marysvale and Beaver, Utah: 

U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 620, pp. 237-270, 1915.

* Butler. B. S., Ore deposits of Utah : U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 111, pp. 181-183, 

186-187, 190-195, 546-550, 552-554, 1920.

B Tingley, R. H., Alunite deposits in the United States: Rock Products, vol. 25, pp. 

38-43, March 25, 1922 ; Alunite and its products : Eng. and Min. Jour.-Press, vol. 115, 

no. 11, pp. 494-497, 1923. «Thoenen, J. R., Eoonomios of potash fecoTerj nm Tongue and alunite: D- sBur. Mines Kept. Inv. 3190, pp. 22-32, 1932.

7 Knickerbocker, R. G., and Koster, J., Electrometallurgical studies in the treatment 

of alunite: U. S. Bur. Mines Rept. Inv. 3322, pp. 39-64, 1936.
ALUNITE DEPOSITS OF THE MARYSVALE REGION, UTAH 95

trometallurgical study. D. F. Hewett,8 of the United States Geological Survey, visited the principal mine in connection with the survey 

of the mineral resources of the region tributary to Boulder Dam. 

The alunite deposits have been the subject of many private reports 

by geologists and engineers. Reports on the Pittsburgh property 

by R. L. Smith, on the Close In property by A. D. Knowlton, and 

information in a report by Sidney Ball on the White Hills and Close 

In properties, were all made available to the writer through the courtesy of Dr. Fleischer. Most of the maps and data on file in the 

offices of the Mineral Products Corporation were destroyed by fire 

in 1931, but a map of the Mineral Products mine was furnished by 

Mr. Touroff. Patent surveys of some of the properties have been 

made.

The general geology of the alunite region has been treated-in the 

first three publications mentioned above and in Dutton's classic 

treatise on the High Plateaus.9 The geomorphology of a part of the 

Marysvale region has been described in a paper by Eardley and 

Beutner 10 which also includes geologic material. Theses prepared 

by E. L. Beutner on the geology of the east front of the Tushar 

Mountains and by J. V. Christianson on the alunite deposits were 

not seen by the writer.

GEOGRAPHY

With one exception the principal alunite deposits are within a 

radius of 8 miles of Marysvale, Piute County, Utah (fig. 16). This 

town of 471 population (1930 census) is the terminus of the Marysvale branch of the Denver & Rio Grande Western railroad. It is 

132.2 miles by rail from Thistle, on the main line of the railroad, and 

197.7 miles from Salt Lake City. It is about 170 miles by rail from 

the coal-producing region of Price River Canyon, but about 65 miles 

by road from the Salina Canyon coal field. A hard-surfaced highway extends 30 miles to Richfield and thence 175 miles by way of 

Thistle to Salt Lake City. At present Marysvale is served by a daily 

passenger train and freight trains, as well as by auto stages and 

truck lines.

The Marysvale region is within that part of the High Plateaus 

underlain by volcanic rocks and includes parts of the Tushar Mountains, Sevier Plateau, Sevier River Valley, and Antelope Range (fig.

8 U. S. Geol. Survey, Mineral resources and possible industrial development In the 

region surrounding Boulder Dam, pp. 18-19, U. S. Bur. Reclamation, 1934. Hewett, 

D. P., and others, Mineral resources of the region around Boulder Dam: U. S. Geol. 

Survey Bull. 871, pp. 146-147, 1936.

"Dutton. C. E., Report on the geology of the High Plateaus of Utah, pp. 171-194, 

U. S. Geog. and Geol. Survey Rocky Mtn. Region, 1880.

1° Eardley, A. J., and Beutner, E. L., Geomorphology of Marysvale Canyon and vicinity, Utah: Utah Acad. Sci. Proc., vol. 11, pp. 149-159, July 1934. Eardley, A. J., 

Geomorphology of Marysvale Canyon and vicinity, Utah [abstract] : Geol. Soc. America 

Proc., 1933, p. 77, 1934.

15433 38 2
96 CONTRIBUTIONS TO ECONOMIC GEOLOGY, 1937

16). This group of elongate uplands, which in many places attain, 

altitudes of 10,000 feet or more and are trenched by valleys as much 

as 5,000 feet deep, lies between the Great Basin on the west, the Canyon Lands on the east, the Wasatch Mountains on the north, and th& 

Grand Canyon section of the Colorado Plateaus on the south. In.

0. 5 SOLD MOUNTAIN 

DISTRICT

LIST OF 

ALUNITE DEPOSITS

1 SHEEP ROCK

2. L. & N.

3. EDNA PEAK

4. SUNSHINE

5. BRADBURN

6. MINERAL PRODUCTS

7. CRYSTAL FRACTION

8. CLOSE IN

9. WINKELMAN

10. PITTSBURGH

11. BIG STAR

12. BIG CHIEF

13. VtLLOW JACKET

14. POTASH BUTTE

15. MARYS LAMB (VERA CRUZ)

16. WHITE HORSE

17 WHITE HILLS

FIGURE 16. Outline map showing distribution of alunite deposits in the Marysville region,. 

Utah, and outline of the Sevier quadrangle. Base modified from Forest Service map* 

of Fishlake National Forest.

the High Plateaus as a whole the long, narrow uplands and valleystrend in a north-northwesterly direction throughout most of their 

length, but in the Marysvale region the Tushar Mountains, Sevier 

River Valley, and Sevier Plateau trend north. The westernmost of 

the long uplands includes the Markagunt Plateau, the Tushar Mountains, and the Pavant Range in order, from south to north. The
ALUNITE DEPOSITS OF THE MARYSVALE REGION, UTAH 97

central upland includes the Paunsagunt Plateau, the Sevier Plateau,, 

and the Wasatch Plateau in like order. This region is transitional 

in its structure and appearance between the Great Basin and the Colorado Plateaus.

The Tushar Mountains occupy an area 18 miles wide and 35 mileslong and are separated from the Markagunt Plateau on the south by 

Fremonts Pass and from the Pavant Eange on the north by the basin 

of Clear Creek. Much of the upland surface is above 10,000 feet in 

altitude, and Delano Peak, the highest point in the State outside the 

Uinta Mountains, reaches a height of 12,173 feet. Steep slopes 2,000 

to 5,000 feet high face the lowlands on the east and west, and thenorthern slope rises 3,000 to 5,000 feet above the basin of Clear Creek, 

Though the dip slope is toward the west and southwest, the highest: 

peaks are only slightly closer to the eastern than to the western sideDeep canyons cut both the eastern and western slopes, and the 

mountains as a whole are more dissected and rugged than any other 

part of the High Plateaus. However, there are many gently sloping 

upland surfaces.

The Pavant Range is much lower than the Tushar Mountains and 

has a much larger area of preserved upland. It slopes more gently 

into the Sevier River Valley than the Tushar Mountains.

The Sevier Plateau rises abruptly as much as 5,500 feet above the 

east side of the Sevier River Valley and slopes gently to the east. 

Despite its height, it is not as deeply dissected as the Tushar 

Mountains.

The Sevier River Valley is not a simple valley flat but contains 

individual mountain blocks that rise as much as 1,500 feet above the 

river. Most of these blocks are parallel to the valley, but at Marysvale Canyon and Circleville Canyon, south of the Marysvale area, the 

river has been obliged to incise canyons generally less than 1,000 

feet deep in mountain blocks athwart its path. The block at Marysvale Canyon, known as the Antelope Range, consists of rounded hills 

on an upland about 1,000 feet above the river. Moderate slopes face 

both to the north and to the south.

Gravel terraces and rock pediments 11 are prominent features of 

the valley both north and south of the Antelope Range. Remnants 

of gravel terraces were found at several levels in Marysvale Canyon 

and near the mouth of Clear Creek. Alluvial fans occur along the 

sides of the valleys, but in some places the distinction between fan 

and gravel-covered pediment is not clear. The heads of some of the 

streams in the Tushar Mountains have been modified by glaciation, 

but cirque lakes are rare.

"Eardley, A. J., and Beutner, E. L., op. cit, pp. 149-159. Butler, B. S., op. cit. (Pro* 

Paper 111), p 537
98 CONTRIBUTIONS TO ECONOMIC GEOLOGY, 1937

GEOLOGY 

PRINCIPAL FORMATIONS

The preliminary work has not been sufficient to delimit the rock 

units with certainty. The six units thus far recognized, in order 

from oldest to youngest, are (1) pre-Tertiary sedimentary rocks, 

(2) Wasatch(?) formation, (3) earlier Tertiary (?) volcanic rocks 

and associated intrusive bodies of quartz monzonite, (4) later Tertiary (?) volcanic rocks, (5) Sevier River formation, and (6) 

Quaternary alluvium and glacial debris. Of all these units the 

earlier volcanic rocks and associated intrusive bodies are of the 

greatest economic importance, as they appear to contain all the 

alunite deposits as well as some gold, silver, and base-metal veins. 

The pre-Tertiary sedimentary rocks have apparently been unfavorable to the deposition of alunite, but they contain other mineral 

deposits.

Pre-T&rtiary sedimentary rocks. Sedimentary rocks crop out 

along the east front of the Tushar Mountains between Tenmile 

Creek, 3~y2 miles south of Cottonwood Creek, and Pine Creek. The 

best exposures are in the face of Deer Trail Mountain, northwest of 

Alunite, but there are exposures as far west as the upper reaches 

of Cottonwood Creek and the Bully Boy mine, in Bullion Canyon. 

Outcrops range in altitude from 6,950 feet at the mouth of Bullion 

Canyon to more than 10,800 feet on the ridge east of the North 

Fork of Cottonwood Creek.

A geologic section of the beds exposed on Deer Trail Mountain, 

mentioned by Butler,12 includes at the base a bed of quartzite more 

than 200 feet thick which is succeeded by interbedded quartzite and 

dolomite with a limestone bed near the top containing Permian fossils. The thickness of the beds above the quartzite is about 650 feet. 

These beds are succeeded by about 500 feet of thin-bedded limestones 

and shales containing Lower Triassic fossils. Nonmarine red shales 

and sandstones having a total thickness of about 1,100 feet lie between the Lower Triassic and a mass of quartzite about 1,000 feet 

thick. Limestones containing lower Upper Jurassic fossils lie upon 

the quartzite and are succeeded by yellowish limy shales and thin 

beds of red sandstone.

These beds have been called Jurassic by Dutton 13 and Butler 14 on 

the basis of fossil collections assigned to that age, and other writers 15

"Butler, B. S., Ore deposits of Utah: U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 111, p. 538,

1920.

" Dutton, C. E., Report on the geology of the High Plateaus of Utah, p. 184, TJ. S."

Oeog. and Geol. Survey Rocky Mtn. Region, 1880.

14 Butler, B. S., op. cit, p. 538.

« Butler, B. S., and Gale, H. S., Alunite, a newly discovered deposit near Marysvale, 

Utah: U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 511, p. 14, 1912. Loughlin, G. F., Recent alunite developments near Marysvale and Beaver, Utah: U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 620, p. 239, 

1915. Eardley, A. J., and Beutner, E. L., Geomorphology of Marysvale Canyon and 

vicinity, Utah: Utah Acad. Sci. Proc., vol. 11, p. 151, July, 1934.
ALUNITE DEPOSITS OF THE MARYSVALE REGION, UTAH 99

have followed this designation. However, poorly preserved fossils 

collected by Jacob Young from Deer Trail Mountain were identified 

by the Geological Survey in 1931 as of probable Carboniferous age. 

Subsequent more complete collections by the writer and his assistants 

have permitted the age assignments given above.

Wasatch (?) formation. Sandstones, shales, and sparse limestones 

make up the bulk of the Pavant Range west of Richfield, and they 

crop out in the northern part of the Sevier quadrangle. These beds 

are not known to be represented in the immediate vicinity of the 

alunite deposits.

Near Richfield these rocks are chiefly yellowish and red sandstones, red shales, and sparse whitish fresh-water limestones. Southwest of Richfield soft greenish shales with gypsum lie between the 

sandstones and the overlying volcanic rocks. Richardson 10 states 

that red and buff conglomerate and sandstone at least 2,000 feet thick 

underlie these beds and overlie Paleozoic rocks in the basin of Corn. 

Creek. No age is assigned by Richardson to the lower conglomeratic 

portion, but he regards the remainder as being part of the Wasatch: 

formation, of Eocene age.

Earlier Tertiary (?) volcanic rocks and associated quartz inonzonite bodies. Volcanic rocks make up the bulk of the Tushar 

Mountains, the Sevier Plateau, the Antelope Range, and the basin 

of Clear Creek. Butler and Gale 17 and later writers 18 have recog^ 

nized two divisions of the volcanic rocks in the Tushar Mountains.

The earlier series is exposed in Marysvale Canyon, along theeastern front of the Tushar Mountains above the pre-Tertiary sedimentary rocks, and in the Antelope Range. In the vicinity of the 

alunite deposits at the head of Cottonwood Creek this series is at 

least 2,000-feet thick.

In many places a conglomerate made up of quartzite and dolomite 

pebbles with limy sandstone beds lies betAveen the volcanic series, 

and the earlier sedimentary rocks. Most of this formation is 50- 

feet or less in thickness.

The greater part of the earlier group of volcanic rocks is composed of poorly sorted and bedded volcanic breccia and tuff, but 

some beds of conglomerate partly made up of boulders of limestone 

and quartzite are exposed in Marysvale Canyon. Over much of the 

area the volcanic rocks are medium gray with a purplish cast, 

though those near the mouth of Marysvale Canyon are yellowish. 

Some of the rock fragments are andesite, but dacite and quartz 

latite are doubtless represented. The minor proportion of flows 

appears to be mostly quartz latite, though andesite and dacite are

10 Richardson, G. B., Underground water in Sanpete and central Sevier Valleys, Utah: 

U. S. Geol. Survey Water-Supply Paper 199, p. 10, 1907.

"Butler, B. S., and Gale, H. S., op. cit, pp. 14-15.

"Loughlin, G. F., op. cit., p. 239. Butler, B. S., op. cit, pp. 538-539. Eardley, A. J., 

and Beutner, E. L. op. cit., p. 153.
CONTRIBUTIONS TO ECONOMIC GEOLOGY, 1937

probably present. A thick flow of red porphyritic quartz latite, 

locally known as the "red porphyry", makes up several high peaks 

at the head of Cottonwood Creek.

The earlier group of volcanic rocks has been intruded by masses 

of quartz monzonite. The most conspicuous body is exposed in 

Marysvale Canyon at the mouth of Deer Creek, and Butler 19 estimates that it occupies an area of 8 to 10 square miles in the Antelope Range.. A dike and a plug of related rock are also exposed 

in Marysvale Canyon. According to Butler,19 dikes of similar 

rock are exposed near the Annie Laurie mine, in the northeastern 

part of T. 27 S., R. 5 W., and a large intrusive body crops out along 

Indian Creek, on the western slope of the Tushar Mountains. The 

intruded rocks near the contacts have been modified by the heat and 

solutions of the intrusive magmas, and in places, such as Marysvale 

Canyon, have been turned dark gray or black.

.From evidence outside this area the earlier group of volcanic 

rocks is believed to be later than the Eocene Wasatch formation 

and to have been deposited on an irregular post-Wasatch erosion 

surface that had exposed pre-Tertiary rocks. It probably belongs 

to the early or middle Tertiary. The intrusion of the quartz monzonite and the formation of most if not all of the mineral deposits 

seem to be restricted to the time between the accumulation of this 

group of volcanic rocks and the accumulation of the later series of 

volcanic rocks.

Later Tertiary (?) volcanic rocks. The later Tertiary (?) volcanic rocks crop out most conspicuously in the basin of Clear Creek. 

They blanket the south end of the Pavant Range and may extend as 

far south as the head of Bullion Canyon in the Tushar Mountains.

The most conspicuous part of the formation is a white rhyolitic 

tuff that has been so deeply carved by erosion as to produce high 

cliffs and impressive scenery along the course of Clear Creek. Toward the north and west this tuff grades into a tuff composed 

largely of crystal fragments. Interbedded flows or porphyritic 

quartz latite become prominent in the upper reaches of Clear Creek. 

The entire formation is well over 1,000 feet thick in the Clear Creek 

Basin.

No definite age can be assigned to this formation. It appears to 

l>e later than the intrusive rocks and mineral deposits but is earlier than the overlying late Pliocene or early Pleistocene Sevier 

Uiver formation. This series of volcanic rocks probably accumulated in middle or late Tertiary time.

Sevier River formation. A series of partly consolidated sedi-

:ments has been conspicuously exposed by the dissection of pedi- 

:ments over an area of about 4 square miles north of the junction of

» Butler, B. S., op. cit., p. 539.
\ ALUNITE DEPOSITS OF THE MARYSVALE REGION, UTAH

 Clear Creek and the Sevier River. Several smaller detached areas 

.have been preserved by down-faulting in the synclinal basin of

 Clear Creek. Similar sediments make up low hills west of Marysvale and crop out in partly dissected pediments southwest of 

Marysvale.

In the Clear Creek area these sediments consist of fanglomerate,

 conglomerate, sand, and silt derived chiefly from the rhyolitic tuffs 

.and to a lesser extent from the quartz latite flows of the later Tertiary (?) volcanic rocks. The fanglomerate and conglomerate 

grade eastward into pinkish sand and silt, which in turn grade into 

"white diatomite beds, evidently deposited in a lake. Some opalized 

beds were found in the pinkish silts. The pinkish beds near Marysvale contain quartzite fragments.

On the atlas sheets prepared by Dutton 20 parts of the areas occupied 

by this formation are shown as Tertiary. On Richardson's reconnaissance map 21 a part of this formation is shown as the Wasatch formation. However, the diatomite beds 2 miles north of Sevier yielded, 

in addition to fresh-water gastropods, diatoms that K. E. Lohman, 

of the United States Geological Survey, regards as of upper Pliocene or lower Pleistocene age. The name Sevier River is here applied 

to this formation.22 The Sevier River formation is of particular 

significance in providing a reference for dating structural and stratigraphic events in the region.

Quaternary alluvium and glacial debris. The floors of the valleys 

both north and south of Marysvale Canyon are mantled with gravel 

and silt. Pediments 23 are veneered with alluvium. Terrace gravel 

was found 600 feet above the present channel of Clear Creek and 

300 feet above the present course of Sevier River near the south end 

of Marysvale Canyon. Broad terraces are particularly prominent 

south of Marysvale.

Lateral glacial moraines are preserved along Cottonwood Creek 

northwest of the Crystal Fraction alunite prospect. Other glacial 

deposits doubtless veneer areas in the high portions of the Tushar 

Mountains.

STBUCTUBE

At the present time little can be added to the discussions of structure given in other reports.24 It is believed that the steep eastern

20 Button, C. E., Report on the geology of the High Plateaus of Utah, atlas sheet 2, 

U. S. Geog. and Geol. Survey Rocky Mtn. Region, 1880.

» Richardson, G. B., op. cit, pi. 2.

^Callaghan, Eugene, Alunite deposits of the Marysvale region, Utah [abstract] : 

Econ. Geology, vol. 32, p. 191, 1937.

=3 Eardley, A. J., and Beutner, E. L., op. cit, p. 150.

* Dutton, C. E., Report on the Geology of the High Plateaus of Utah, pp. 28-29, 172- 

173, U. S. Geog. and Geol. Survey Rocky Mtn. Region, 1880. Butler, B. S., and Gale, 

H. S., Alunite, a newly discovered deposit near Marysvale, Utah : U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 

511, pp. 16 17, 1912. Loughlin, G. F., Recent alunite developments near Marysvale and
102 CONTRIBUTIONS TO ECONOMIC GEO1-OGY, 1937

and western fronts of the Tushar Mountains are determined by systems of faults, so that the mountain block is essentially a horstj. 

The western front of the Sevier Plateau, in which the bedding is 

inclined eastward, is also believed to be outlined by a fault system 

called the Sevier fault by Dutton.25 The rocks underlying the Sevier 

River Valley are broken into several blocks, the bedding in most of 

which strikes nearly parallel to the valley and dips toward the east.

Throughout the greater part of the Tushar Mountains the bedding, 

though locally warped, dips toward the west and southwest. This 

applies to the pre-Tertiary as well as to the Tertiary rocks; However, 

in the northeastern part the structure is more complex. Incomplete 

mapping indicates that the beds of volcanic rock dip northward 

toward Clear Creek and eastward toward Marysvale Canyon. The 

bedding dips to the south and southeast near the south end of Marysvale Canyon. Eardley and Beutner 26 pointed out that the Tushar 

fault on the east side of the Tushar Mountains does not extend farther north than the vicinity of Beaver and Deer Creeks. It appears 

from these observations that at least the western part of the Antelope Range is an eastward-sloping projection of the Tushar Mountains. Dips to the north at the north side of the Antelope Range 

and to the south at the south side indicate that it is to some extent 

anticlinal.

The valley of Clear Creek occupies an eastward-plunging syncline 

whose axis is close to the course of the creek. This syncline is cut off 

on the east by several faults which are in line with the northeastward-trending eastern front of the Pavant Range and strike southwestward into the face of the Tushar Mountains. The Pavant Range 

appears to be anticlinal in part, with sandstone beds curving downward against faults along the east front of the range.

Though plateau structure predominates, there has been broad 

folding and warping, possibly some close folding, and much faulting 

in both the mountain and valley blocks. One of the northeastwardtrending faults iy2 miles west of Sevier is a rotational or scissors 

fault. For a short distance north of the point of change in throw,

the reverse portion of the fault dips as low as 22° W., with the later 

Tertiary (?) volcanic tuffs overriding the Sevier River formation.

Faults in the vicinity of the vein deposits of alunite near the head

of Cottonwood Creek trend both northwest and west, but the veins 

do not appear to have been appreciably disturbed by postmineral 

faulting.

Beaver, Utah : U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 620, p. 239, 1915 ; Butler, B. S., Ore deposits of 

Utah: U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 111, p. 540, 1920. Eardley, A. J., and Beutner, 

E. L., Geomorphology of Marysvale Canyon and vicinity, Utah: Utah Acad. Sci. Proc

vol. 11, pp. 149-159,1924.

25 Dutton, C. E., op. cit, pp. 30-32.

23 Eardley, A. J., and Beutner, E. L., op. cit, p. 151.
. ALUNITE DEPOSITS OF THE MARYSVALE REGION, UTAH 1Q3 

SUMMARY OP GEOLOGIC HISTOBY

An interpretation of the geologic history of the Marysvale region derived from the meager information at hand must be recognized as highly provisional and subject to material revision in the 

light of further data. However, it may serve .io coordinate the information given in the preceding pages, part of which is derived 

from published sources.

The Wasatch (?) formation was probably distributed over an irregular surface of older beds that included Permian, Triassic, and 

Jurassic sedimentary rocks in the western part of the Marysvale 

region and possibly Cretaceous rocks in the now buried eastern part. 

It is possible that the pre-Tertiary rocks in the Tushar Mountains 

were never covered by the Wasatch formation.

The Wasatch (?) formation was moderately warped, probably 

faulted, and considerably eroded before the accumulation of the 

earlier Tertiary (?) volcanic rocks, which appear to make up the 

greater part of the volcanic sequence. These rocks were warped 

and faulted and intruded by quartz monzonite magma. Vein deposits 

characterized by quartz, carbonate, and adularia with gold, silver, 

and sulphides of the base metals followed the intrusion. This mineralization was followed by the alunitic alteration and vein filling, 

which was essentially barren of the metals associated with the earlier veins. All these rocks were probably extensively eroded before 

the accumulation of the later Tertiary (?) volcanic rocks.

The accumulation of the later Tertiary (?) volcanic rocks 

is believed to have been subsequent to all the events listed 

above, though proof is not yet complete. These rocks were probably 

deposited on an uneven erosion surface in Miocene or possibly in 

Pliocene time. Probably the major structural elements of the region 

Avere blocked out after the accumulation of the Tertiary (?) volcanic rocks.

The region was evidently moderately mountainous at the time 

of deposition of the later Pliocene or early Pleistocene Sevier River 

formation. The Tushar Mountain block had been uplifted and 

eroded sufficiently to expose the pre-Tertiary sedimentary rocks, 

for fragments of quartzite were found in the Sevier River formation near Marysvale. Though this formation must have extended 

far up into the mountains, the finer-grained sediments are near the 

Sevier River Valley. Lakes in which diatomite was deposited occupied part of what is now the Sevier River Valley. The upland 

erosion surfaces now partly preserved may have been formed after 

the deposition of the Sevier River formation and in part upon it.

Extensive warping and faulting took place after the deposition of 

the Sevier River formation, which was involved in such movements.

15433 38 3
104 CONTRIBUTIONS TO ECONOMIC GEOLOGY, 1937

Successive relative uplifts of the mountain blocks interspersed with 

periods of quiescence and widespread erosion may account for some 

of the benches formed on the sides of the Sevier River Valley. The 

Antelope Range, because of its attachment to the Tushar Mountain block, has not been depressed to the same extent as some of 

the other blocks witKin the Sevier River Valley. Possibly its position at the point of change in the regional structure may be a factor 

in its position above the valley floor. The Sevier River formation 

may have extended across the Antelope Range, and the river may 

have been superposed in its present course across older rocks from 

a surface on this soft formation. Detailed mapping and broad 

studies of the river valley should lead to more definite conclusions 

concerning the history of Marysvale Canyon.

Pediments on the soft Sevier River formation and gravel terraces attest to various stages in the lowering of the grade of the 

Sevier River. The proportion of the valley due to down-faulting 

and that due to erosion may never be clearly established, but the 

river has undoubtedly removed a vast amount of material.

The distribution of glacial debris suggests strongly that the land 

surface is practically the same now as it was during the Wisconsin 

glacial epoch. Probably many of the diastrophic and erosional 

events took place during the later part of Pliocene or early part of 

Pleistocene time.

ALUNITE DEPOSITS

HISTORY, DEVELOPMENT, AND PRODUCTION 27

The alunite area in the Tushar Mountains has long been prospected 

for gold and silver. Many claims were located and some were 

patented on ground that was found later to contain alunite. In 

November 1910 Tom Gillen, one of the prospectors in the area, was 

sufficiently interested in the "pink spar" to send a sample to A. E. 

Ouster, who was then connected with the United States assay office 

in Salt Lake City. This material was forwarded to the Geological 

Survey, where it was recognized as alunite. Samples were also 

sent to Howard F. Chappell, an industrial chemist, who recognized 

the possible value of the material. Custer authorized Gillen to 

locate as many claims as possible that might contain alunite, with 

the result that previous locations which had been allowed to lapse 

were relocated for alunite on January 1, 1911. Chappell soon examined and purchased these claims, which have since been known 

as the Custer group. He also located contiguous claims within

37 Based largely on the reports by Butler and Gale, Loughlin, and Butler; the annual

chanters on potash in Mineral Resources of the United States; notes in the Engineering 

and Mining Journal and Mineral Industry; and conversations with local people, particularly Messrs. Nicholas Touroff and Claude Kenyon.
ALUNITE DEPOSITS OF THE MARYSVALE REGION, UTAH JQ5

the next 2 years. The Mineral Products Corporation was organized 

for exploitation of the deposit, with interest divided among Chappell, the Armour Fertilizer Works, and the United States Smelting, 

Refining & Mining Co.

Little was done until 1915, when the great increase in the price 

of potash made it apparent that the deposit could be worked commercially. The lower tunnel on the Custer No. 1 claim had reached 

the vein by 1913, but later explorations were largely confined to an 

upper tunnel 208 feet higher. Though a lens of alunite about 60 

feet wide was exposed on the surface, it soon disappeared in the 

upper tunnel. This tunnel was continued, however, another lens of 

alunite reached, and sufficient reserves were blocked out to justify 

construction of a recovery plant. An aerial tramway having a 

capacity of 12% tons an, hour was built to take the crude alunite 

from the mine to a point on Cottonwood Creek about 1,800. feet 

lower, whence it was hauled in wagons 3% miles to the mill. The 

recovery plant, constructed in 1915, was built a short distance east 

of the mouth of Cottonwood Canyon and 5 miles south of Marysvale. 

All parts of the plant were in operation by October 19, 1915, and 

the first shipment of 28 tons averaging 95.39 percent of potassium 

sulphate was made on October 22, 1915. The initial capacity of the 

plant was 100 tons of alunite daily, and as much as 25 to 30 tons 

of potassium sulphate was recovered daily.

Alum has long been obtained from foreign deposits of alunite 

by heating the alunite to a red heat, leaching the calcines in water, 

and crystallizing alum (hydrous potassium-aluminum sulphate) 

from the solution on evaporation. As a result of simple experiments in the laboratory of the United States Geological Survey, 

Schaller 28 found that 92 percent of the available potash present in 

the alunite was obtained as potassium sulphate by ignition at a 

higher temperature than red heat and subsequent leaching. Part of 

the sulphur trioxide and water was driven off by the ignition, and 

a residue of alumina was-left after leaching. A commercial process 

utilizing this principle was developed and patented by Howard F. 

Chappell and was the only process used at the plant of the Mineral 

Products Corporation. The process as finally adopted is described by 

Thoenen 29 as follows:

At the mill the ore was dumped on the ground for storage or directly to 

a no. 6 gyratory crusher, where it was reduced to 1%-inch size. The crusher 

discharged to a 50-ton bin which fed a set of 16- by 36-inch rolls crushing to 

%-inch, with no provision for return of oversize. The fine ore was elevated to 

a %-inch whip-tap screen with no oversize return, discharging into a 1-ton 

weighing hopper. The ore was then fed through a 6-inch water-jacketed pipe

28 Schaller, W. T., in Butler, B. S., and Gale. H. S./Alunite. a newly discovered deposit 

near Marysvale, Utah: U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 511, p. 58, 1912.

. »Thoenen, J. R., Economics of potash recovery from wyomingite and alunite: U. S. 

Bur. Mines Rept. Inv. 3190, pp. 24-25, 1932.
106 CONTRIBUTIONS TO ECONOMIC GEOLOGY, 1937

to a 6- by 130-foot rotary kiln with 9-inch fire-brick lining. The kiln was 

fired with pulverized coal.

Kiln gases were sent through a brick chamber with one baffle and thence 

escaped to the air. By means of a damper in the stack the gases could be 

drawn through two cyclone separators and a bag dust collector of local design. 

The gases from the cyclones were drawn through a series of air-cooled inverted U tubes to a second pair of cyclones and baggers. The cooled gases 

from the bagger were drawn back through the outside of the U tubes and 

heated before escaping to the stack.

The hot calcined ore was elevated to a steel clinker bin, which fed two 20- 

foot log washers. The discharge from the log washers was elevated to a 

3-disk Aikens classifier from which the coarse material was sent to waste 

and the fines and liquor to four Dorr thickeners 28, 32, 34, and 36 feet in 

diameter by 9 feet in depth. The thickener constituted a countercurrent 

leaching system, with the liquor from no. 4 tank going to no. 3, from no. 3 to 

no. 2, from no. 2 to no. 1, and from no. 1 to the evaporator. The thickened pulp 

was discharged to waste. The solution which contained the potash values 

was sent to a 12- by 5-foot Kelly filter press or a 48- by 48-inch 60-leaf Schreiber filter press and thence to eight wooden storage tanks 9 by 20 feet. From 

these tanks the liquors went to three triple-effect Swenson vacuum evaporators 

heated by exhaust steam from the power plant. The condensed steam was 

returned as boiler-feed water. The salts from the evaporators were sent to 

open square wooden tanks, where the liquor was drained off and returned to 

the log washers for further leaching. The salts were centrifuged and bagged.

Originally the hot kiln discharge was digested with steam for 40 minutes 

at 40 pounds pressure in two 10- by 20-foot autoclaves before filter pressing. 

This overloaded the press, and' the'practice was abandoned in favor of the 

log washers. . . .

The filter cake and .the discharge from the thickener constituted the raw 

alumina, which was stored on the surface. A refined product was never made, 

although this was contemplated. The crude A12O3 was marketed only for 

experimental purposes.

Slack coal was delivered at the mill for $6.56 per ton. It was stacked 

in piles on the ground, whence it was taken to a 5- by 50-foot cylindrical dryer, 

thence by an 18-inch belt conveyor to an 18- by 18-inch roll discharging to an 

elevator feeding a hopper over two 48-inch pulverizers. From these the coal 

was blown to the kiln.

Water was obtained from Cottonwood Canyon and delivered through 2,000 

feet of redwood pipe at the rate of one-twentieth cubic foot per second.

Numerous difficulties were encountered in the treatment process. Losses 

during calcination were high, due to (1) incomplete calcination, leaving alum 

in the discharge, (2) pvercalcination, resulting in volatilization losses, and 

(3) decrepitation and dusting of the ore when suddenly heated.

Excessive water was necessary for complete extraction, thus increasing 

evaporation costs. The tailings contained a high percentage of moisture, 

thus carrying considerable K2SO.t to waste.. Under certain conditions, salts 

would precipitate, in the evaporator tubes . and make trouble. Alum and 

aluminum sulphate corroded the tubes, necessitating frequent replacements.

With, several important interruptions, the mine and plant of the 

Mineral Products Corporation continued in operation from. October

1910 to late in 1920, On November 2,1910, the headhouse and other

buildings at the mine burned, with the result that the cables on the 

tramway had to be replaced. According to a State report, during
ALUNITE DEPOSITS OF THE MARYSVALE REGION, UTAH JQ7

1916 the production was 2,772.38 tons, presumably of potassium sulphate (K2S04 ), the gross income was $610,266, the expenditures were 

$539,782, and the net return was $70,488. The capacity of the mill 

was increased to 175 tons of alunite daily, and 250 men were employed. On October 25, 1917, the main building of the plant was 

burned after an explosion. The rebuilt mill, with capacity increased 

to 200 tons a day, was in operation in April 1918. The maximum 

daily production of K2S04 was 40 tons. Early in 1919 the Armour 

Fertilizer Corporation purchased the interests of the other owners 

and closed the plant. However, operations were resumed during 

the summer and continued until late in 1920, though the official closing date was January 1, 1921. Mr. Touroff, who had been mine 

superintendent since 1917, has remained in charge of the property. 

The equipment was kept in repair until 1928. A large part, if not 

all, of the K2S04 produced was shipped to the Armour Fertilizer 

Works at Jacksonville, Fla.

Though the Mineral Products Corporation was the only well-organized, well-equipped, and successful operator in the region, many 

other alunite properties were developed to some extent. The large 

group of claims of the Florence Mining & Milling Co., adjoining 

the Custer claims of the Mineral Products Corporation on the northwest, had already been located for, gold prospecting. Alunite was 

found along the ridge in a continuation of the zone exposed on the 

Custer claims, and most of the alunite veins now known had been 

prospected by 1914. After much delay a calcining plant was builtj 

a short distance south of the railroad station at Marysvale and placed 

in operation in, August 1917. Alunite was hauled in wagons from 

the Sunshine mine to the mill, which had a capacity of 80 tons of 

alunite a day. The plant produced alunite calcines, which without 

further refinement were shipped to the Carraleigh Fertilizer & Phosphate Works at Raleigh, N. C. Later a potash plant of 100 tons 

capacity was built at the mine and completed in October 1918. 

Though reverberatory furnaces rather than rotary kilns were installed, no potash is known to have been produced. There was little 

subsequent development.

In 1918 Swift & Co. became interested in the alunite on the Bradburn claims, adjoining the Mineral Products property on the north, 

put up cabins and compressor, developed a large lens of alunite, and 

shipped alunite to their plant at Harvey, La.

In the area north of Marysvale the Yellow Jacket group of claims 

was developed by the American Smelting & Refining Co., and some 

alunite was shipped to its alum plant, erected in 1918 at Murray, 

Utah. The Utah Potash Co. took alunitized rock from large quarries 

on what are now the Marys Lamb and Santa Francis claims. This 

material was shipped from Vaca station to a plant at Trenton, N. J.,
108 CONTRIBUTIONS TO ECONOMIC GEOLOGY, 1937

where recovery by the Detwiler process was attempted. No production was reported. The Pittsburgh-Utah Potash Co., organized in 

1916, constructed 3,600 feet of spur track from Belknap to its property at the mouth of Deer Creek and assembled some second-hand 

equipment on the ground but never reached the producing stage. 

The Aluminum-Potash Co. of America in 1919 took over the Copper 

Butte group of claims on Deer Creek, 2 miles from the railroad, 

built a camp called Winkelman at the mouth of Deer Creek, assembled 

some equipment, and started the erection of an aerial tramway 

9,100 feet long from the quarries to the railroad. The old Florence 

Mining & Milling Co.'s mill at Marysvale was taken over for experimental purposes, but no appreciable quantity of potash salts is 

known to have been produced.

The Close In property, which had been prospected by Tom Gillen 

in 1915, was included with the White Hills property in an operation planned by the Industrial Potash Co. in 1920. Many other 

properties were explored to a small extent during this period, and 

small shipments were made for experimental purposes to plants in 

various parts of the country or to the old Florence Mining & Milling 

Co.'s mill. Small shipments have been made almost every year up to 

the present time.

No complete information on output of alunite or of its refined 

products is available. Mr. Touroff 30 estimates that 250,000 tons of 

alunite was taken from the mine of the Mineral Products Corporation. Thoenen 31 obtained an estimate of 12,000 tons of alunite as 

the product of the Sunshine mine of the Florence Mining & Milling 

Co. Other properties perhaps yielded a total output of a few 

thousand tons of alunitic material. The figures in the production 

table below represent the refined product from all alunite properties 

in the United States, though the bulk of this yield undoubtedly 

came from the plant of the Mineral Products Corporation. The 

output for the last 3 months of 1915 is not given. It was limited to 

potash salts, as only experimental shipments of the alumina were 

made. Small lots of this material have recently been shipped for use 

in copper refineries as a mold wash. The tailings dump at the Mineral Products mill is estimated 82 to contain 45,000 tons of alumina.

80 Oral communication.

81 Thoenen, J. R., op. cit, p. 26.

82 Hewett, D. F., and others, Mineral resources of the region around Boulder Dam: 

D. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 871, p. 147, 1936.
ALUNITE DEPOSITS OF THE MARYS VALE REGION, UTAH

Potash produced from alunite in the United States 

[From annual chapters on potash in Mineral Resources of the United States, U. S. Geological Survey]

Year

1916'......................................

1917... ....................................

1918.......................................

1919.......................................

19202......................................

Total........................... ..

Number of 

producers

3 

4 

4 

7 

3

Crude potash (short 

tons)

7,153 

6,180 

6,599 

4,311

24,243

Available potash

Short 

tons

1,850 

2,402 

2,621 

2,294 

2,127

11, 294

Percent of 

total production

7 

5 

7.1 

4.4

Value of 

sales 

f. o. b. 

plant

$715,000' 

892, 763 

1, 276, 774 

718, 506 

457, 576'

4,060,619'

1 Includes production from silicate rocks and furnace dust. 

' Includes production from silicate rocks.

It is generally conceded that the cost of producing potash as the 

sole product of the alunite deposits is too great to permit them to 

compete with the present low-cost American producers in California, 

Texas, and New Mexico. Production was maintained only under 

the stimulus of high prices. The price of K2S(X rose from $48.07 

a ton on December 28, 1914, to $140 a ton on March 29, 1915, to $205 

a ton on June 28, 1915, and to $440 a ton on January 3, 1916. A 

break in price in 1919 caused the initial closing of the plants, but it 

was found that imports did not en,ter in large quantity until late 

in 1920, when high-cost producers were compelled to close. The production table shows that the alunite deposits yielded a maximum of 

only 7.1 percent of the total potash output in the United States, even 

before the development of the present large resources. Attempts to 

make fertilizer in competition with other materials have apparently 

not been successful. Though the production of metallic aluminum 

was considered from the beginning of the development of the Marysvale deposits, it is only recently that serious efforts are reported to 

have been made to produce the metal experimentally. This outlet 

is regarded by most people as the sole hope of further exploitation 

of the alunite.

MINERALOGY

A moderately simple mineral assemblage in the alunite deposits of 

both the replacement and vein types is indicated by the work done 

thus, far. Alunite, quartz, clay minerals, pyrite, limonite, titanite, 

and leucoxene are the principal substances. As the minerals have 

been described in detail by Loughlin 33 only brief statements will be 

made here.

Typical coarsely crystalline alunite from veins on Alunite Kidge 

on the upper reaches of Cottonwood Creek consists of banded aggregates of pink to red parallel or slightly diverging crystal groups

» Loughlin, G. F., op. clt, pp. 242-246 and 260-261.
CONTRIBUTIONS TO ECONOMIC GEOLOGY, 1937

that are normal to the banding. Though these bands may be only 

a small fraction of an inch wide, they are commonly half an inch 

or even an inch wide. What appear to be prismatic crystals prove, 

under the microscope, to be plumose aggregates. Crystal terminations in the many cavities and vugs in this variety of alunite suggest 

the rhombohedral form of alunite but are very jagged and irregular. 

The coarse-grained alunite near the surface, is stained and contains 

films of limonite. Alunite relatively unaffected by surface waters 

appears under the microscope to be essentially free of other minerals, 

though Loughlin observed some minute pyrite cubes.

A very fine-grained pink to white massive variety of alunite occurs in the veins with the coarsely crystalline variety. The minute 

laths and plates are mostly less than 0.1 millimeter in length. This 

material seems to have formed earlier than the larger crystals, which 

fill veinlets in the finer material and in part replace it. The relations of the two varieties are similar to those of microcrystalline and 

coarse-grained comb quartz in many metalliferous deposits. Some 

of the alunite has been sheared by late fault movements that have 

produced a very fine-grained, highly oriented variety.

Alunite in the replacement deposits in the Antelope Range is typically white, massive, and extremely fine-grained. Though the prevailing color is grayish white, some varieties are slightly pink, and 

others are dark gray or yellowish. Some of this material is soft 

and powdery, some is very hard and stony, and some has a horny, 

subtranslucent appearance. All degrees of orientation of the crystal 

plates were observed. The grain size rarely exceeds 0.1 millimeter 

and is commonly much smaller. Some of this material is natroalunite rather than alunite.

Quartz is inconspicuous as an integral part of the coarsely crystalline alunite veins, but it forms a large part of the altered wall rocks 

of the veins and is a major constituent of essentially all the finegrained replacement deposits, In both the altered wall rock of the 

veins and the fine-grained alunite of the replacement deposits the 

quartz constitutes an extremely fine-grained aggregate. Residual 

quartz phenocrysts are preserved in some of the altered rock. In the 

Mineral Products mine fine-grained quartz veinlets cut the altered

rocks but are in turn cut by the alunite veins, At the Sheep Bock

deposit, according to Loughlin, 34 closely spaced bands in aluiiitized 

rock consist of alternate layers of a mixture of very fine-grained aluand quartz and coarser-grained quartz.

Clay minerals probably occur in nearly all the deposits, though 

i-fein.ti.-va proportion is difficult to determine. An extremely 

bluish-White Clay that fills cavities ana veimets in

coarsely crystalline alunite in the L. & N. and Sunshine areas was

"Loughlin, G. F., op. cit, p. 260.
ALUNITB DEPOSITS OF THE MARYSVALE REGION, UTAH

identified by C. S. Ross, of the United States Geological Survey, as 

dickite. Dickite probably also occurs in the fine-grained alunite 

and altered rocks 'associated with the coarsely, crystalline alunite. 

Other clay minerals are. probably associated with quartz and alunite 

in -the fine-graihed white replacement deposits:. A clay mineral of 

the beidellite type was observed in weathered material.

fcyrite is abundant in unweathered altered rock associated with the 

coarsely crystalline alunite deposits. It was found in one small mass 

of ^fine-grained white alunite of the replacement type but seems to 

be| extremely rare in, the coarse-grained alunite. Alunite of the vein 

deposits as well as country rock near the surface is stained or crusted 

wijth iron oxides^ doubtless derived from .weathering of pyrite in the 

altered rocks. Small aggregates of minute grains of titanite as well 

as] residual sparse grains of apatite and zircon are observed under 

the microscope in the altered rocks associated with the veins. Leucokene is a common constituent of the very fine-grained white 

replacement deposits. - 1

The wall rock of the alunite veins has been altered by solutions 

that favored the formation of quartz, alunite, pyrite, possibly a 

small amount; of a clay mineral, and titanite. Analysis as well as 

petrographic examination indicates that these minerals account for 

essentially all the chemical components of the rock except very small 

amounts of residual quartz and apatite and a trace of zircon. The 

alfered rock is light gray to brown. Though most of the altered 

rock on Alunite Ridge is more resistant to weathering than the surrounding unaltered tuff and volcanic breccia, that near the L. & N. 

vein has been more deeply eroded than the neighboring volcanic 

breccias and flows. Traces of original rock and mineral structure 

remain in much of the altered rock. However, with the exception of 

quartz phenocrysts and a little apatite and zircon the original minerals have been destroyed. Aggregates of alunite laths fill areas 

that were formerly feldspar phenocrysts, but quartz in microcrystalline mosaic aggregates associated with plates of alunite makes; up 

mcjst of the groundmass. Some of the residual quartz is partly replaced by alunite, and alunite also fills veinlets. Pyrite cubes mostly 

less than 1 millimeter in diameter and in'places partly enclosed in 

films of alunite make up more than 3 percent of the rock. The 

titanite aggregates are rather evenly distributed. ,:

: ; TYPES OF DEPOSITS

Two types of alunite deposits are readily distinguished on : the 

balsis of structure and composition. The vein or high-grade type, so 

far as is known, is restricted to the upper reaches of Cottonwood 

Creek and the immediate vicinity. Most of the veins so far discovered are on Alunite Ridge between the two forks of Cottonwood

15433 38 4
CONTRIBUTIONS TO ECONOMIC GEOLOGY, 1937

Alunite Silicified volcanic 

breccia

FIGURE 17. Map of Sunshine area showing variable distribution of silicined and 

alunitized country rock and alunite veins.
ALUNITE DEPOSITS OF THE MARYSVALE REGION, UTAH

Creek, where they have a dominant northwesterly trend along the 

course of the ridge, though a few of the veins are normal to this 

trend. The replacement type is much more widespread than the 

vein type, but most of the deposits are near the quartz monzonite 

body in the Antelope Range. These alunitic masses have replaced 

igneous rocks, and, as they commonly contain considerable quartz 

and other materials, they are known locally as the low-grade 

deposits.

Vein deposits. The vein deposits occupy fractures within irregular em^elopes of altered rock and are not known to extend beyond 

such rock. The masses of altered rock are highly variable in size 

and shape, though most of them have a northwesterly trend, as 

shown in figure 17, which also shows the discontinuity of the veins 

and their variation in trend within the envelopes of altered rock. 

The fact that the veins are not simple lenses but fork and curve in a 

complex pattern is brought out by the map of the upper tunnel of 

the Mineral Products mine shown in plate 18. The veins expand, 

contract, curve, branch, and diverge from place to place in a complex way. The West vein, shown in plate 18, branches from the 

Main vein, but becomes normal to it. The Main vein dips very 

steeply to the west, but the West vein dips much more gently to 

the north. The East vein is nearly barren on this level, though it 

was productive above. The lens of alunite at the portal was 65 feet 

wide but pinched out within 180 feet to the northwest. The main 

productive lens is about 1,000 feet long, reaches over 200 feet to the 

surface, and continues down 208 feet to the lower level. Multitudes 

of alunite veins and veinlets cut the altered.rock near the larger 

veins. Lenses or horses of altered rock, most of them angular, occur 

in many places in the veins, as shown in plate 18, and in parts of 

the veins are sufficiently abundant to lower the grade of the run of 

mine product. Not all the alunite veins are of identical age, as 

some are cut by other veins and are offset along them. All are 

later than the quartz veins, but dickite veinlets are later than the 

coarse-grained alunite. Steep fractures shown on the map (pi. 18) 

cut the alunite veins, without, however, appreciably displacing 

them. A few of these fractures contain very thin seams of alunite, 

indicating that they were formed at the end of the period of alunite 

vein formation.

Replacement deposits. The replacement deposits are characterized 

by. extreme irregularity in size, shape, and composition. They are 

parts of masses of altered rock in which there is a wide variation in 

alunite content. Consequently, the limits of what may be considered 

workable source rock must be determined by assay specifications at 

the time. Some of the better portions of the replacement deposits 

are in the form of lenses where a fault or fracture .has facilitated replacement. In places a breccia of country rock cemented by very
CONTRIBUTIONS TO ECONOMIC GEOLOGY, 1937

fine-grained alunite is recognizable. In certain deposits small 

masses are sporadically distributed through altered rock. In other 

deposits the more alunitic material appears to be parallel to original 

bedding, suggesting selective replacement of a particular bed in a 

sequence of volcanic rocks. The size of the bodies of better-grade 

material has not been determined except at the Big Star deposit, 

where there is a lens about 120 feet long and 40 feet wide. The 

most highly alunitic part of this lens is about 8 feet wide and 20 feet 

long. Most of the shallow workings explore only the weathered 

parts of these deposits. Prospecting and development work has been 

so slight that little is known of the changes to be expected with 

increase in depth.

CHEMICAL COMPOSITION

A considerable number of analyses of samples from both types of 

deposits have been made and are included with the descriptions of 

the various properties. Sixteen analyses were made in the laboratories of the United States Geological Survey from channel samples 

taken by the writer. Analyses taken from other sources are properly 

acknowledged.

Selected samples of the high-grade vein deposits are nearly pure 

potash alunite. Such material was found by Schaller to be within 

a fraction of 1 percent of the theoretical composition for each of the 

constituents that is, 37.0 percent of A12O3 , 11.4 percent of K2O, 

38.6 percent of SO3 , and 13 percent of H2O. A sample of the finegrained alunite from the veins was found to have over 5 percent of 

SiO2 , slightly more Na2O, and proportionately less of the other constituents, except H2 0, than the coarse-grained material. However, 

channel samples taken across full widths of veins and samples of 

run-of-mine material show a considerable decrease in the ratio of 

potash alunite to other materials. In analyses of three channel 

samples and one carload sample, A12O3 ranges between 34.7 and 39.45 

percent, K2O between 7.67 and 9.78 percent, Na2O between 0.26 and 

1.12 percent, SO3 between 29.3 and 36.1 percent, and SiO2 between 

2.2 and 10.85 percent. The excessive amount of A12O8 in some 

analyses may be due to clay minerals. In only one analysis of the 

vein alunite does Na2O constitute more than 2 percent; in most 

analyses it is much less. The grade of material obtained in mining 

the veins will be determined largely by the degree to which blocks 

of included wall rock are sorted out. Analyses so far available indicate that run-of-mine material may average about 35 percent of

A12 03 ,8 percent of K2 0, and 6 percent of Si02 . In some processes

of treatment iron compounds are highly undesirable. Most analyses 

show less than 1 percent of Fe2O3 , but one sample that included ironstained, altered rock contained 5.3 percent of Fe2 03 .
ALUNITE DEPOSITS OF THE MARYS VALE REGION, UTAH

The low-grade replacement deposits show a much greater range 

in all constituents. In 28 analyses of samples from seven different 

deposits, A12 03 was found to range between 17.58 and 37.8 percent, 

K2 0 between 0.71 and 8.86 percent, Na2O between 0.50 and 4.72 percent, Fe2O3 between 0.14 and 10.87 percent, SO8 between 8.5 and 36.5 

percent, and Si02 between 3.72 and 62.82 percent. One analysis 

shows 3.8 percent of Ti02 , though most analyses show less than 0.75 

percent. Inspection of the analyses suggests that the average content of A12O3 may be 25 percent, K2O 4 percent, Na2O 1.5 percent, 

Fe2 03 1.0 percent, and SiO2 35 percent. However, such average figures have critical value only when applied to bodies of known size 

and chemical content.

The samples analyzed in the chemical laboratory of the United 

States Geological Survey were tested spectographically by George 

Steiger for silver, beryllium, arsenic, bismuth, cadmium, germanium, 

and zinc, with negative results. Tests for fluorine by K. J. Murata, 

of the Geological Survey, were likewise negative.

ORIGIN AND PROBABLE EXTENSION IN DEPTH

It was the conclusion of Butler and Gale 85 corroborated by 

Loughlin 86 and further amplified by Butler 37 that the vein deposits 

and the alteration of the wall rock accompanying them owe their 

origin to ascending solutions and that the K2O and A12O3 were derived from a deep-seated source rather than leached from the immediately surrounding rocks. No evidence of any other origin was 

obtained during the past season. Analysis of wall rock adjacent to 

the vein at the Mineral Products mine shows that K2 0 was added to 

rather than abstracted from the wall rock, though the proportion 

of A12O3 has remained nearly constant. A suggestion is offered that 

the solutions brought the K2 0, A12 03 , FeS2 , and S03 from the magmatic source rather than abstracting them from wall rocks a short 

distance below the present position of the alunite deposits. Quartzite 

and other pre-Tertiary rocks that are particularly barren of most 

of these constituents crop out only a short distance below the Mineral 

Products mine. If the solutions came through these rocks, it seems 

reasonable to conclude that they must have brought the constituents 

of the alunite with them from the magmatic source.

It appears that the first solutions, making their way along the 

fracture system on Alunite Ridge and spreading out into the volcanic breccias were primarily siliceous. The formation of alunite

45 Butler, B. S., and Gale, H. S., Alunite, a newly discovered deposit near Marysvale, 

Utah: U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 511, p. 36, 1912.

88 Loughlin, G. F., Recent alunite developments near Marysvale and Beaver, Utah: 

U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 620, pp. 253-255, 1915.

"Butler, B. S., Ore deposits of Utah: U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 111, p. 195, 

1920.
CONTRIBUTIONS TO ECONOMIC GEOLOGY, 1937

in the wall rock was essentially contemporaneous with the silicification but probably lasted a little longer, as veinlets of alunite cut 

the siliceous material. This alunite was also probably slightly later 

than the well-formed crystals of pyrite. The brittle silicified rock 

so formed later fractured readily in response to renewed movements 

and opened spaces for solutions that had freed themselves of Si02 

and iron and deposited essentially pure alunite. The first portion 

of this vein-filling alunite to be deposited seems to have been the 

fine-grained variety, but this was followed and partly replaced by 

the coarse-grained material. Undoubtedly there was repeated reopening and filling of veins. Not all the veins are of the same age, 

for some were found to cut and displace others. The last stage was 

marked by the deposition of dickite in fractures and cavities in the 

coarse-graine'd alunite.

Not only does the sulphate content suggest the acid character of 

the solutions at the time of deposition of alunite, but it is interesting to note that carbonate, abundant in rock net affected by alunitic alteration, is entirely removed in the altered rock. In general, 

the formation of the alunite veins and the accompanying alteration 

were due to solutions different from and later than those that formed 

the carbonate-bearing veins.

The evidence for the origin of the replacement deposits is not so 

conclusive as that for the vein deposits. Possibly they could have 

been formed (1) by ascending solutions such as those that produced the wall-rock alteration in the vicinity of the veins. Loughlin 38 regards this as the most likely origin for the replacement 

deposit at Sheep Rock. They could have been formed (2) by the 

action of sulphuric acid, in descending solutions and derived from 

the oxidation of pyrite, on potassic igneous rocks. Whether sufficient pyrite was present to effect such alteration is not known. 

They could also have been formed (3) according to the hypothesis 89 

of simultaneous solf atarism and oxidation, that is, by ascending solutions meeting descending solutions bearing sulphuric acid and depositing alunite. It seems at the present stage of the investigation 

that ascending sulphate-bearing solutions have been the primary

source of the replacement deposits but that migration and concentration of alunite may have taken place under the influence of descending sulphate-bearing solutions derived from the oxidation of 

pyrite. The solubility of alunite in H2 SO4 suggests the possibility 

of modifications of the original distribution of alunite.

It is believed that the extension in depth of the vein deposits has

been determined by structural conditions as opposed to other factors. The veins fill fractures, and the degree of opening available

""Loughlin, G. F., op. tit, p. 262;

89 Ransoine, F. L., Geology and ore deposits of Goldfield, Nev.: U. S. Geol. Survey 

Prof. Paper 66, pp. 193-195, 1909.
ALUNITE DEPOSITS OF THE MARYSVALE REGION, UTAH

for vein filling has been determined both by the nature of the rocks 

and by the forces applied to them. If fractures in the pre-Tertiary 

rocks have not opened as widely as those in the overlying volcanic 

rocks, the pre-Tertiary rocks may limit the depth of the workable 

alunite deposits. The alunite veins at the present time have a 

known range in altitude of 2,000 feet in a distance of 7,500 feet; 

therefore, though alunite is generally assumed to be a deposit characteristic of those formed near the surface, its actual depth range 

may be 2,000 feet or considerably more, as the relation of the present surface to that existing at the time of deposition of the alunite 

is unknown. Though alunite is now being formed at the surface at 

Mount Lassen 40 and in Yellowstone Park,41 Graton and Bowditch 42 have found it to extend to.the greatest depth reached in the 

Cerro de ,Pasco mine, a distance of 2,100 feet" below the present 

surface. On the other hand, the replacement deposits are believed 

to be largely restricted to the volcanic rocks, because these rocks 

were favorable to alunitic replacement. No tests of their extent 

in depth have been made, though the different deposits have a considerable range in altitude.

SUGGESTIONS FOE FURTHER PROSPECTING

It is evident even in the present state of this investigation, that 

the possibilities of the vein deposits have not been completely revealed by exploration work'done so far. Several veins on the Mineral Products ground have been prospected, and a main vein and two 

branches have been partly mined. More extensive crosscutting may 

reveal other veins. However, as available evidence indicates that 

the veins do not extend appreciably beyond the masses of altered 

rock, initial prospecting should be limited to such masses.. The 

coarsely crystalline alunite does not weather away much faster than 

the associated siliceous rocks, so that it persists as float for distances of several hundred feet from the outcrop of the vein. In 

such places as the forested eastern slope of Alunite Ridge, where 

there has been extensive soil creep, it is very difficult to find the 

veins, even though there is abundant float.

The areas of altered rock in which deposits of the replacement 

type are found are readily distinguished from surrounding unaltered rocks, but the proportion of alunite within them is less 

readily determined. If it is found that such deposits can be utilized,

40 Ander8on, C. A., Alteration of the lavas surrounding the hot springs in Lassen 

Volcanic National Park: Am. Mineralogist, vol. 20, no. 4, pp. 240-252, 1935.

41 Alien, E. T., and Day, A. L., Hot springs of the Yellowstone National Park: Carnegie Inst. Washington Pub. 466, pp. 138, 484, 486, 498, 1935.

42 Graton, L. C., and Bowditch, S. I., Alkaline and acid solutions in hypogene zoning 

at Cerro de Pasco: Econ. Geology, vol. 31, no. 7, p. 665, 1936.
CONTRIBUTIONS TO ECONOMIC GEOLOGY, 1937

the limit of minable material will probably be largely determined by 

exploratory work and chemical analysis.

RESERVES

Not sufficient information has been gathered to justify revision 

of the estimate of 3,000,000 tons of alunite given by Hewett.43 Estimates of reserves are seriously affected by the lack of development 

work, the depth of soil and forest litter on much of the ground 

that may- contain workable veins, the variation of the veins in size 

and continuity, and their lenticular shape. The extent of the altered 

rock containing the replacement deposits is more readily outlined, 

but the extreme variation in grade over short .distances makes the 

determination of reserves difficult without extensive exploratory! 

work and chemical analysis. The lower limit of grade specified for 

established processes and the economics of operation will determine 

the available reserves in the replacement deposits.

MINES AND PROSPECTS 

MOUNT BALDY DISTRICT

Mineral Products. The alunite mine of the Mineral Products 

Corporation was the only one operated on a large scale. A total 

yield of 250,000 tons of alunite is estimated by Mr. Touroff. The 

portals of the main tunnels are in the SE14 sec. 16, T. 28 S., E. 4 W. 

The 12 patented claims lie along the crest of Alunite Ridge in sections 16 and 17, but there are also several unpatented claims in 

Clyde Basin, an open, meadowlike area sloping 11° from the foot 

of Alunite Ridge. The upper tunnel enters the steep southeasterly 

front of Alunite Ridge at an altitude of 10,118 feet.

An aerial tramway extends 6,000 feet in a southeasterly direction 

from bins at the upper tunnel to Cottonwood Creek, about 1,700 

feet lower. The power line of the Telluride Power Co. is 4,600 feet 

south of the-tunnels, and the source of water for use, at the mine 

is 3,700 feet south and 1,000 feet lower. The former wagon road to 

the mine is in disrepair. ;

Two tunnels have been driven northwestward on the alunite vein. 

The upper tunneL (pi. 18), 208 feet above the lower tunnel, has a 

total length of workings of about 3,600 feet and follows the vein 

for 1,680 feet. The lower tunnel, connected with the upper tunnel 

by a winze 210 feet long, has a total length of workings of 1,700 

feet, of which 840 feet explores the alunite vein. According to Mr. 

Touroff, the Main vein is stoped but above the upper tunnel for a

"Hewett, D. F., and others, Mineral resources of the region around Boulder Dam: 

D. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 871, p. 147, 1936.
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 886 PLATE 18

vao*

Joints and

gouge seams

with observed dip

50

MAP OF UPPER TUNNEL OF MINERAL PRODUCTS MINE SHOWING STRUCTURAL DETAILS OF ALUNITE VEINS.
ALUNITE DEPOSITS OF THE MARYSVALE REGION, UTAH

length of about 1,070 feet. No stoping has been done below the 

upper tunnel.

The veins are included in an envelope of brownish silicified and 

alunitized country rock. The unaltered country rock is largely if 

not wholly a purplish-gray volcanic breccia. A part of the breccia 

was found on chemical analysis to be andesite rather than quartz 

]atite, but preservation of quartz phenocrysts in some of the altered 

rocks suggests that dacites or quartz latites are present. Beyond 

the end of the principal alunite lens, where the vein becomes narrow, the envelope of silicified rock also becomes narrow, and purplish volcanic breccia appears in places in the tunnel walls. Quartzite crops out in fault blocks southeast of the mine.

The strike of the Main vein in the upper tunnel ranges from 

north to west, but the average strike is N. 32° W. The vein is 

nearly vertical, but in places dips are as low as 83° W., and in parts 

of the large lens near the portal, the dip is only 45° SW. On this 

level (pi. 18), there is an interval of 70 feet between the two main 

lenses; that near the portal is wide but pinches sharply. Both this 

lens and the long principal lens, which averages more than 10 feet in 

width, contain many horses and blocks of altered rock. The narrow 

lens continues below the lower tunnel, but its persistence below this 

level has not been proved.

The East vein diverges to the east from the Main vein, and though 

it was productive above the upper tunnel, it fades out into a number 

of small stringers on this level. The West vein curves away from 

the Main vein, has an average strike of S. 82° W., and dips 50°-60° 

N. A raise said to be 360 feet long follows this vein to the surface.

The analyses given in the table below afford some impression of 

the quality of the material. Considerable silicified rock was commonly broken down with the alunite, and some method of sorting 

can probably be used to maintain a fair grade. Samples 4 and 5 

are composite, representing material from the Bradburn and Sunshine area as well as from the Mineral Products mine.
120 CONTRIBUTIONS TO ECONOMIC GEOLOGY, 1937

Analyses of alunite from the Mineral Products and other mines

AliOi.... ......... ................................ ...

KjO -..... -.. 

NajO.. ....... ......... .... ... ... .-..

SO......... ..........................................

H»0+.. ....... ................... ............. ...

HjO-.... . . .......................

SiOa. ... ... -. 

FejOj... ............ .... . .. ....... .. -i......

TiOj ... ... ..... -

PiOi ..-..... ................ ...................

CaO... .... . --

MgO. ........ ...... ............ . 

1

37.18

10.46

.33

38.34

12.90

.09

.22

Trace

.58

100.10

2

34.40

9.71

.56

36.54

13.08

.11

5.28

Trace

.50

100.18

3

34.70

9.26

.48

34.10

ID. OU

7.77

.93

.23

.57

.26

.14

101. 94

4

38.28

8.20

2.02

35.68

f 15. 01

\ .05

.52

.02

99.78

5

37.97

9.78

.35

35.66

14.35

.06

2.16

.14

100.47

1. Selected sample of coarsely granular crystalline alunite. W. T. Schaller, analyst. U. S. Qeol. Survey 

Bull. 511, p. 8,1912.

2. Selected sample of light-pink finely granular rock with conchoidal fracture. W. T. Schaller, analyst. 

U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 511, p. 8,1912.

3. Average sample to represent four carloads from Mineral Products mine. Sampled for and analyzed 

by the Kalunite Co.

4. Composite sample of pink coarse-grained alunite from Mineral Products, Bradburn, Florence Mining 

& Milling Co., and Christmas Extension properties. U. S. Bur. Mines. Kept. Inv. 3322, p. 46,1936.

5. Composite sample of massive silky white fine-grained alunite from the same properties and same reference as no. 4.

Other occurrences of alunite on the property have been prospected 

to a slight extent. A group of workings 1,200 feet northeast of the 

mine has an average trend of N. 75° W., but not enough work was 

done to determine the extent and trend of the veins. The Crowfoot 

tunnel, 800 feet northeast of the mine, reveals alunite in place. 

Alunite is said to have been found in cuts along the top of the ridge 

northwest of the mine. Recent work in a tunnel on an unpatented 

claim in Clyde Basin reveals soft, white, pyritic, very fine grained 

nodules and veinlets in pyritic volcanic rock. Partial analyses furnished by Dr. Fleischer show that this material contains a small 

amount of alunite. Alunite float is widespread on the claims, and 

perhaps some veins remain undiscovered.

The alunite in the mine has by no means been exhausted, though 

workings are not sufficiently extensive to prove as much alunite 

remaining as has been mined. Other veins have been prospected, but 

are not sufficiently developed to prove any particular quantity of 

alunite.

Bradburn. The Bradburn group of nine claims is in sees. 8, 9, 16, 

and 17, T. 28 S., R. 4 W. Most of the claims are on the east side 

of Alunite Ridge and in the basin at the head of the North Fork 

of Cottonwood Creek, but one detached claim lies west of Edna 

Peak. One of the claims adjoining the northeast corner of the Mineral Products property has been explored by several cuts, and a

tunnel, locally known as the Swift tunnel. Some alunite was shipped

to the plant of Swift & Co. at Harvey, La. A former wagon road 

up North Fork is in disrepair.

The vein has a southwesterly trend, nearly normal to the course 

of Alunite Ridge. Most of the open cuts reveal large masses of alu-
ALUNITE DEPOSITS OF THE MARYSVALE REGION, UTAH

nite, and the tunnel follows a wide vein for 250 feet. In the face 

of this drift vertically layered alunite is exposed for a width of over 

25 feet. The large lens of alunite on this property has been mined 

only slightly.

Sunshine. The Sunshine, Edna Peak, and L. & N. alunite areas 

are on ai large group of claims belonging to the Florence Mining & 

Milling Co. A claim said to be held by H. S. Gibbs corners near the 

Sunshine glory hole. The Sunshine deposit is on the crest of Alunite 

Ridge (fig. IT), in sec. 17, T. 28 S., R. 4 W. It has been more extensively prospected and mined than the other deposits on this prop- 

.erty, and a total yield of 12,000 tons of alunite is attributed to it by 

Thoenen.44 The property is reached by a wagon road.

General features of the Sunshine area are shown in figure 17. The 

principal lens of alunite thus far prospected has been explored by a 

glory hole and underground workings on two levels reached from 

crosscuts shown in the figure. These workings reached a depth of 

350 feet below the outcrop. The Log Cabin tunnel (not shown in 

fig. 17), about 1,600 feet southwest of the glory hole and about 600 

feet lower, was driven a short distance toward the vein. The long 

Franklin tunnel (not shown in fig. 17), a short distance north of the 

Log Cabin tunnel, was driven northward under Edna Peak. All 

the underground workings are inaccessible.

The country rock of the veins is silicified and alunitized volcanic 

breccia, which, though broken into rubble by frost action, stands well 

above the surrounding unaltered purplish-gray volcanic breccia. 

The very irregular distribution and discontinuity of the altered 

rock is brought out in figure 17.

Surface work indicates a great variation in the size, shape, trend, 

and distribution of the alunite bodies, though according to Mr. Kenyon the vein was more continuous and regular .in the underground 

workings. Though curved, the vein in the glory hole strikes N. 52° 

W., dips 40°-70° SW., and has a maximum width of 15 feet. Several branches of the vein are revealed; one is nearly normal to the 

trend of the vein. Open cuts show alunite 400 feet northwest of the 

glory hole and 600 feet to the southeast, but these outcrops do not 

represent a continuous vein on the surface. Too little of the veins is 

exposed to make any accurate estimate of reserves.

The channel samples for the analyses shown in the table below 

were taken in cuts at the surface and probably represent the variations to be expected. Samples 2 and 3 contain about 1 percent of 

Fe2 08 , not shown in the analysis.

**Thoenen, J. R,, Economics of potash recovery from wyomlngite and alunite: U. S. 

Bur. Mines Eept. Inv. 3190, p. 26, 1932.
122 CONTRIBUTIONS TO ECONOMIC GEOLOGY, 1937

Analyses of alunite from the Sunshine area 

[R. K. Bailey, analyst]

AltOs... ............

KtO. ........ ........

Na2 0- _ ...-. ..

S03 _. ......... ......

HjO+...._.-.._._.._

1

39.45

7.67

.68

13.33

2

35.35

7.00

.67

ql en

12.50

3

37.70

8.25

1.12

34.00

13.00

4

30.70

6.51

.42

oc on

11.50

H2 0........ ........

1

0.15

2.20

99.58

2

0.15

10.95

98.12

3

0.10

4.65

98.82

4

0.30

21.00

5.30

100. 93

1. Channel sample to represent 4.2 feet of pink coarse-grained alunite containing some fragments of altered 

rock, from pit 140 feet southeast of glory hole.

2. Channel sample to represent 6 feet of soft platy, very fine-grained alunite on the south side of the coarsegrained portion of the vein at the southeast end of the glory hole.

3. Channel sample to represent 4.2 feet of extremely hard white or slightly pinkish fine-grained alunite at 

the northwest end of the glory hole on south side of raise.

4. Channel sample to represent 5 feet of reddish alunitized rock containing some coarse-grained alunite 

veinlets. Adjoins no. 3 on the north.

Edna Peak. Silicified and alunitized rock in the prominent summit on Alunite Ridge known as Edna Peak is known to contain outcrops of alunite,45 but there has been very little development work.

L. <& N. The L. & N. area is at the corner of sees. 7, 8, 17, and 18, 

T. 28 S., R. 4 W., but the greater part of the alunite is in section 17, 

on a slope extending southeastward from a saddle in the divide between Pine and Cottonwood Creeks. Though the zone of altered 

rock crosses the divide, the alunite, with the exception of two cuts, 

is limited to the southeasterly slope.

The zone of altered rock has been prospected by many open cuts 

and trenches for a distance of over 2,000 feet. The westerly drift 

of a short tunnel that forks 20 feet from the portal has been driven 

N. 60° W. 80 feet from the portal, which is at an altitude of 11,023 

feet, 200 feet below the saddle.

The country rock is all gray volcanic breccia, but the hills both 

to the northeast and to the southwest are capped by red porphyritic 

quartz latite. The difference in altitude of the base of this flow on 

the two summits indicates a displacement of over 150 feet along the 

zone of altered rock, which evidently follows a fault. In the saddle 

the zone of altered rock is 300 feet wide, and though it is somewhat 

larger on each side, it narrows both to the northwest and to the 

southeast.

The vein or group of veins and the zone of altered rock have an 

average strike of N. 55° W. A vertical vein 9.4 feet wide is exposed ~ 

in cuts above the tunnel on the south side of the divide. In the 

tunnel 150 feet southeast of the cuts three principal seams and some 

lenses of alunite are exposed over a width of 28 feet, but only a small 

part of this width is alunite. According to Loughlin 40 a trench

extending southwest from the tunnel exposed 35 feet of alunite, 

though, it did not reach the southwest wall. Loughlin obtained a

45 Loughlin, G. F., Kecent alunite developments near Marysvale and Beaver, Utah: 

U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 620, p. 250, 1915. 

« Lougnlin, G. F., op. cit, pp. 248-249.
ALUNITE DEPOSITS OF THE MARYSVALE REGION, UTAH

true thickness of 20^ feet of alunite and 5^ feet of quartz in this 

exposure. At that time the workings were fresh, and Loughlin 

found that alunite persisted for 2,400 feet down the southeast slope. 

The workings are sufficient to indicate that there is considerable 

alunite in the L. & N. area, but no accurate estimate of reserves can 

be made now. The analyses given below represent an exposure of 

the coarse-granular alunite, one of the fine-grained variety, and one 

of the adjacent altered rock. Dickite is conspicuous in the vein from 

which sample 1 was taken; the relatively high content of SiO2 and 

A1^03 may be due to this mineral.

Analyses of alunite and wall rock from the L. & N. area . 

[R. K. Bailey, analyst!

A.\iO} . ...................

KiO. ....................

NajO. ...................

SO}.... ... ...... ... ... ...

HaO+._. ................

1

38.50

7.90

29.30

2

28.70

6.75

OQ

26.20

9.50

3

21.40

1.11

4.02

7.33

^tO-. ..................

SiOs . ....................

1

0.10

10.85

100. 24

2

0.10

27.10

98.73

3

0.20

65.80

100. 02

1. Channel sample to represent 9.4 feet of pink coarse-grained.alunite with small masses of fine-grained 

alunite and small veinlets and fillings of dickite. T-shaped cut on south side of saddle.

2. Channel sample to represent 4.3 feet of fine-grained alunite with some fragments of silicified rock at 

face of west drift in main tunnel.

3. Channel sample to represent 8 feet of soft white altered rock on southwest side of vein in same cut 

as no. 1.

Crystal Fraction. Blocks of fine-grained pink alunite with some 

coarse-grained veinlets were observed on the dump of a caved tunnel 

on the north bank of Cottonwood Creek just north of the Crystal 

mine, in the southwest corner of sec. 22, T. 28 S., R. 4 W. The direction of the caved tunnel at the portal is N. 55° W. According to 

Joseph Burns, under whose direction the tunnel was driven, the 

alunite was in a continuous vein that reached and penetrated red 

shale. The surface is now covered with debris, and no vein can be 

seen.

Close In. The Close In property of Max Krotki is in sec. 1, T. 28 

S., R. 4 W., in the hills at the foot of Deer Trail Mountain, about 4 

jniles southwest of Marysvale. Maps in engineer's reports furnished 

to the writer by Dr. Fleischer show that several short tunnels and a 

shaft have an aggregate length of over 3,600 feet and are distributed 

over an area approximating one full claim in size. These reports 

indicate the presence of several bodies of alunitic material of greatly 

varying alunite content in volcanic rocks. The best-grade material 

is said to be in nodules separated by altered rock "of lower grade. 

Most of the partial analyses indicate a content of 50 percent or less 

of alunite, on the basis of the amount of S03 . The first three analyses given below are taken from a report by Knickerbocker and 

Koster *7 and no. 4 was supplied by Dr. Arthur Fleischer.

*T Knickerbocker, R. G., and Koster, J., Electrometallurgical studies in the treatment 

of alunite : U. S. Bur. Mines Rept. Inv. 3322, p. 46, 1936.
124 CONTRIBUTIONS TO ECONOMIC GEOLOGY, 1937 

Analyses of alunite from the Close In deposit

AlaOa.-. -

K8 0._ ..........

NajO.... ....

803... - HaO-K .

HaO-.... ....

1

21.30

5.39

.23

20.70

9 EC

.09

2

23.05

1.91

.55

9.15

9 i\i>

.36

3

35.38

9.80

.55

36.82

1 K O7

.06

4

20.00

4.83

.52

19.10

} 8.84

SiOs...... .......

FezOs.. ____ .

TiOj............

PS 05 ....._._ _

1

39.90

3.77

100. 93

2

54.82

1.23

100. 62

3

1.48

.54

100. 00

4

44.30

3.00

.27

.42

101. 28

1. "Massive white alunite."

2. "Small sample of soft pink deposit 300 feet in south tunnel."

3. "Pink alunite in pockets adjoining massive white alunite."

4. Sample to represent 1 carload of alunite from quarry. Sampled for and analyzed by Kalunite Co.

Other prospects. Unpatented claims that belonged to the late 

Claude Kenyon and adjoined the Mineral Products property on the 

north are said to show alunite float and possibly some alunite in 

place. Workings on a claim of Joseph Burns adjoining the Mineral 

Products claims on the east reveal alunite. Alunite float has been 

found on claims of Joseph Burns adjoining the Mineral Products 

claims on the west. Alunite is also said to have been found in the 

Bearshole, a ravine followed by the power line west of the Crystal 

Fraction deposit.

NEWTON DISTRICT

Sheep Rock. The Sheep Rock deposit, on the west side of the 

Tushar Mountains, was not examined during the present investigation, and nothing can yet be added to the following description, 

quoted from Professional Paper 111.48

The Sheep Rock deposit is a quartz-alunite rock of too low grade to be of 

immediate commercial importance as a source of alunite but of considerable 

scientific interest.

Sheep Rock is in the Newton mining district, at the west base of the Tushar 

Mountains, about 10 miles northeast of Beaver. It is a bare-topped, nearly 

circular ledge about 900 feet in diameter, with a gently rounded summit of 

nearly white quartz-alunite rock, in part weathered into clusters of rounded 

residual boulders, which when seen from a distance bear a striking resemblance to a flock of sheep.

 rue relation 0£ the deposit to the andesitic country rock are very obscure.

Its west, south, and north sides are covered with talus ana Drusn ana pass

beneath the alluvium of the valley; ana the saddle connecting it with the

andesite foothills is covered with float.

The float, however, shows that the two rocks merge within a short space, 

and that the Sheep Rock deposit was formed by the replacement of andesite. 

No definite connection with neighboring metalliferous quartz veins is apparent 

on the surface, and none has been made in .the underground workings of the 

mine.

The three following partial analyses of the quartz-alunite rock, two of 

average samples and one of the high-grade variety, were made by R. K.

Bailey, of the United States Geological Survey:

48 Butler, B. S., and others, The ore deposits of Utah: U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 

111, pp. 549-550, 1920.
ALUNITE DEPOSITS OF THE MARYSVALE REGION, UTAH J25 

Analyses of quartz-alunite rock from the Sheep Rock deposit

Silica (SiOs)- ................ ....................................

Sulphate radicle (80s) __ . _ ....... _____________ .....

Potash (KjO)-.._.._..........._._._......._______.._....________...

1

60.83

13.83

3.89

2

70.78

10.56

2.00

3

30.12

26.63

6.87

1. Average sample at summit of Sheep Rock.

2. Average sample around stake no. 2.

3. High-grade sample, north slope of Sheep Rock.

In analysis 1 the ratio of the sulphate radicle to potash is almost exactly 

that of pure potash alunite. Calculation from these data gives over 13 percent 

of alumina and 35.6 percent of alunite. In analysis 2 the excess * * * of 

the sulphate radicle over the ratio between the sulphate radicle and potash for 

alunite is 0.6 percent, a small excess which may have been present in the soda 

alunite molecule. The calculated percentage of alumina is only 9.5 percent, and 

of alunite 25.7 percent. In analysis 3 the excess of the sulphate radicle is 3.2 

percent, which also may have been present in soda alunite. The calculated 

percentage of alumina in no. 3 is 22.3 percent, and that of alunite 60.3 percent.

GOLD MOUNTAIN DISTRICT

Winkelman. The Winkelman group of eight patented and three 

unpatented claims, sometimes known as the Copper Butte group and 

originally developed by the Aluminum Potash Co. of America, is on 

Deer Creek in sees. 2 and 3, T. 27 S., R. 4 W., about 2 miles from 

the railroad. According to engineers' reports, the deposit has been 

explored by a shallow quarry and several cuts. A total of 30 carloads of material is said to have been taken from the property.

The deposit is of the replacement type in altered igneous rock. 

Very fine-grained samples loaned by Dr. Fleischer range from white 

to yellowish and dark gray and have a horny appearance. The 

analyses in the table below show the wide range of composition to be 

expected in a deposit of this type.
126 CONTRIBUTIONS TO ECONOMIC GEOLOGY, 1937 

Analyses of alunite from the WinJcelman deposit

AljOs- .-. : - 

KjO_ _.__._... ...............

NajO... ............... ........

S03- ..... ......

HsO+...... ....................

HaO-. ............ ..... ..

SiOj.... ............... .........

FesOa- -

TiOi..... ......................

P,0i. ...........................

CaO. ..........................

MgO............... ............

1

7.76

.66

28.55

2

32.36

5.12

1.80

30.04

20.96

.14

39.60

Trace

3

29.94

8.58

1.36

27,00

?; 71

24.40

.74

99.73

4

36.50

8.86

1.31

36.50

12.91

3.72

.20

100. 00

5

24.50

5.90

1.12

23.40

8.64

35.20

.71

.22

.56

100. 25

6

30.14

4.60

3.60

30.24

11.32

.11

19.74

1.17

100. 92

7

31.31

5.20

1.73

30.07

11.26

.09

18.32

2.74

100. 72

i Includes both SOs and HaO.

1. Partial analysis of yellowish flinty, very fine-grained sample submitted by Dr. Fleischer. R. K. 

Bailey, analyst.

2. Sample of hard semitranslucent material from quarry. Pittsburgh Testing Laboratory, analyst. 

From copy of report of 1920 by R. L. Smith to Pittsburgh-Utah Potash Co.; loaned by Dr. Fleischer.

3. Sample to represent 25 feet of light-gray dense material in face of quarry. From copy of report by Smith 

Emery Co. to Aluminum Potash Co. of America; loaned by Dr. Fleischer.

4. Sample to represent best grade of material; same locality and same reference as no. 3.

5. Average sample to represent one carload from quarry. Kalunite Co., analyst.

6,7. "Massive white alunite." Knickerbocker, R. G., and Koster, 3., U. S. Bur. Mines Rept. Inv. 3322, 

p. 46, 1936.

Pittsburgh. The Pittsburgh property of 16 patented claims, 

mostly in sees. 29 and 30, T. 26 S., K. 4 W., lies on the rugged west 

slope of Marysvale Canyon just north of the mouth of Deer Creek. 

Though a railroad spur 3,600 feet long was built to the property, it 

was developed only by shallow pits and some short tunnels. No 

alunite is known to have been mined.

The deposits are of the replacement type in beds of altered volcanic 

rock that are inclined southward against a fault trending west. The 

rocks south of the fault are not altered near the mouth of Deer 

Creek. The large intrusive body of quartz monzonite crops out on 

the east side of the Sevier Kiver. The lower part of the volcanic 

sequence is a mass of black to gray pyritic altered rock, weathered 

at the surface and veined with gypsum. The analysis (no, 10)

given below indicates that this material is not appreciably alunitic. 

The yellowish altered rocks above the massive material retain bedding structure and contain the masses of alunitic material. No estimate of reserves has been made. All the analyses given below except 

no. 11 are taken from a copy of a report by R. L. Smith to the Pittsburgh-Utah Potash Co., loaned by Dr. Fleischer. The samples, collected in 1920, were analyzed by the Pittsburgh Testing Laboratory.
ALUNITE DEPOSITS OF THE MARYSVALE REGION, UTAH J27 

Analyses of alunite from the Pittsburgh property

AliOs......... .......

KjO.-._ ..... 

NajO....... ...........

SOs....... ....... ......

H|0+.............. ...

H2 0-_. ...............

SIOi............. 

FejOj....... ...........

TiOa...................

Ignition loss ' __ . 

CaO_.r..._... .........

MgO.:.._. ............

1

24.26

3.90

.92

19.84

43.60

.14

.60

26.85 

Trace

Trace

120.11

2

33.02

4.85

1.12

29.40

18.90

.28

.60

40.30 

Trace

Trace

128.47

3

21.68

3.79

.56

19.58

47.20

.14

.60

25.75 

Trace

Trace

119. 30

4

36.46

4.91

2.90

34.00

8.24

1.14

1.20

44.30 

Trace

Trace

133. 15

5

19.41

.71

1.10

10.98

56.70

2.43

1.20

17.95 

Trace

110. 48

6

25.00

3.12

.78

21.96

36.60

1.00

1.20

31.30 

Trace

Trace

120. 96

7

17.59

2.37

.23

13.98

59.30

.71

1.20

18.05 

Trace

Trace

113. 43

8

37.80

4.85

3.13

34.60

5.86

1.00

Trace

47.24 

Trace

Trace

134. 48

9

32.78

1.78

1.74

23.12

29.50

.42

.80

33.10 

Trace

Trace

123.24

10

18.50

2.09

.85

8.50

57.86

1.00

1.00

12.90 

5.52

Trace

108. 22

11

36.68

8.47

.47

27.23

11.84

.19

12.74

1.91

......

99.53

1 Includes both 80s and HjO, accounting for the high totals.

1. Sample to represent altered rock from bed overlying pyritic rock in Alum Peak or Big Rock Candy 

Mountain, American Flag No. 1 claim.

2. Sample to represent same outcrop as no. 1, but 750 feet distant. American Flag No. 1 claim.

3. Sample to represent white flinty rock from shallow open tunnel about 200 feet east of west end of Potash 

King No. 2 claim.

4. Sample to represent 6 feet of soft yellow fine-grained material in open cut on Potash King No. 8 claim.

5. Sample to represent powdered rock from tunnel 40 feet long near east end of Potash King No. 8 claim.

6. Sample to represent white powder with angular fragments of harder material from tunnel 63 feet long 

about 200 feet from east end of Potash King No. 2 claim.

7. Sample to represent soft white material from open cut 60 feet long on crest of ridge about 175 feet from 

east end of Potash King No. 8 claim.

8. Sample to represent white material from a vein 12 feet wide trending S. 20° E. on Ironside No. 1 claim.

9. Sample to represent soft white material from sample taken across 40 feet of material on Pay Ledge No. 1 

claim.

10. Sample to represent soft brown material that bleaches white on drying, about halfway up face of Alum 

Peak.

11. "Pink to yellow fine powder." Knickerbocker, R. Q., and Koster, J., U. S. Bur. Mines Rept. Inv. 

3322, p. 46, 1396.

HENRY DISTRICT

Big Star. The Big Star property, formerly known as the Wilson, 

has been relocated by E. G. Nelson on the north side of Belknap or 

Antelope Canyon in sec. 21, T. 26 S., K. 4 W., 1 mile east of Belknap 

siding. Until the road was washed out in the summer of 1936, the 

property could be reached by automobiles. The deposits, which are 

on a steep spur ridge, are prospected by two quarries' and three 

tunnels, one of which is about 300 feet long. A steam shovel was 

operated at the quarries, but the amount of material shipped is 

unknown. The lower quarry at the end of the spur ridge is 80 feet 

long, 40 feet wide, and over 40 feet high at the face. The upper 

quarry, 700 feet to the north and 120 feet higher than the lower 

quarry, has been opened in a series of steps. The width of the 

upper quarry is 40 feet, and the length in a westerly direction is 140 

feet, of which about 60 feet is in the alunitic zone. A short tunnel 

has been driven S. 85° W. under the deposit.

These replacement deposits are in a large area of yellowish altered 

volcanic rock at the north side of the quartz monzonite body. The 

more altered rock is overlain by less altered andesite and tuff beds, 

all of which are inclined to the northeast at an average angle of 

about 40°. The beveled edges of these beds are overlain by muchlater unaltered spherulitic rhyolite and flow breccia. The altered 

rocks undoubtedly belong to the earlier Tertiary (?) sequence of
128 CONTRIBUTIONS TO ECONOMIC GEOLOGY, 1937

volcanic rocks, but the unconformable rhyolite may belong to the 

later Tertiary (?) sequence or may even be younger.

The principal lens of alunite (natroalimite) is exposed in the 

upper quarry and extends southwestward for 120 feet. The maximum width is about 40 feet, but the limits of the better-grade material are gradational. The eastern part of the lens is cut off at the 

bottom by a flat fault and appears to have moved out over talus 

material. The best-grade material is slightly pinkish white, powdery, and flaky; harder material on each side contains more silica. 

The unusually high content of Na2O shows that the sulphate is 

natroalunite. The best sample in the upper quarry represents a 

lens only 8 feet wide and about 20 feet long. The lower quarry 

evidently contains only siliceous material. The analyses show a 

wide range from relatively pure natroalunite to siliceous altered 

rock. The long tunnel southwest of the upper quarry exposes pyritic altered rock in the face, but nearer the portal a stockwork of 

fibrous halotrichite, an iron-bearing alum, is exposed.

Analyses of alunite (natroalunite) from the Big 8tar deposit 

[R. E. Stevens, analyst]

AliOi...... ....... -

KjO....... ..... . ~

NaiO... .. 

SOj. 

mo+. .............. .......

~BtO-. .....................

SiO.......... ...............

FejO,_. .-..-. . ... ....... .

TiOj... .. ... .... ... ...

CaO........... . .......... ..

MgO. ........ ..............

1

24.80

1.04

3.11

16.86

8.61

.34

43.78

.81

.62

99.97

2

22.88

.92

2.77

15.13

8.04

.25

49.01

.88

.62

100. 50

3

24.59

.91

2.85

14.19

8.80

.24

45.87

1.74

.74

99.93

4

4.74

3.06

27.42

10.09

.46

26.21

.77

.28

100.23

5

27.57

3.01

3.69

27.50

9.96

.56

26.99

.49

.42

100. 19

6

35.50

4.61

37.77

12.43

.12

4.39

.61

.29

.05

.03

100. 40

7

01 QQ

4.23

33.85

11.39

.30

13. 08

.70

.39

100.03

8

94. Qfi

3.28

26.89

9.09

49

30.39

.63

.37

99.75

9

17 Kft

70

1 fid

9.01

6.35

oq

.56

99.92

1. Channel sample to represent southernmost 9.2 feet in lower part of upper quarry.

2. Channel sample to represent next 7.0 feet north of no. 1.

3. Channel sample to represent next 7.0 feet north of no. 2.

4. Channel sample to represent southernmost 11.5 feet in upper part of upper quarry. This line of samples 

is 31 feet on 38° slope west-southwest of the line from which preceding samples were taken.

5. Channel sample to represent next 6.9 feet north of no. 4.

6. Channel sample to represent next 8.0 feet north of no. 5. This is best grade of natroalunite; it exhibits 

faint veining arid is pinkish and soft.

7. Channel sample to represent 6 feet of material north of no. 6 but separated from it by 2 feet of rubble.

8. Channel sample to represent 6 feet of best-appearing material in north center of open cut 60 feet southwest of top of upper quarry.

9. Channel sample to represent 6 feet of whitest, best-appearing part in lower quarry over short tunnel.

Big Chief. Some workings on the steep southwesterly slope of

Twin Buttes, a sharp peak in the Antelope Range in the §E% sec.

15, T. 26 S., R. 4 W., have been relocated as the Big Chief claims 

by E. G. Nelson. The workings could be reached by a light truck

in 1936. This property was examined briefly by G. F. Loughlin, of 

the United States Geological Survey, whose unpublished report is 

the basis of the following notes.

The mountain has two summits capped by very resistant silicified 

volcanic rock. Beneath the silicified capping is a bed of tuff, in
ALUNITE DEPOSITS OF THE MARYSVALE REGION, UTAH 129

part replaced by oxides of iron and manganese, both of which have 

.been mined; below the tuff is volcanic breccia. The main tunnel, 

from which several crosscuts and a raise have been driven, extends 

550 feet N. 65° E. in the southwesterly slope of the mountain. The 

tunnel is driven in the breccia, which samples show to be partly 

alunitized. The samples for which analyses appear below were 

taken by Loughlin and Dyer from the south wall of the tunnel by a 

-short crosscut 220 feet from the portal. Sample 1 consists of a 

small white streak of soft material picked as free as possible from 

brown coloring material and thought to represent the purest alunite 

obtainable in the tunnel. Sample 2 consists for the most part of 

white streaks 1 to 4 inches thick alternating with dark-colored 

streaks in which the structure of the original rock is partly preserved. The analyses show that the sulphate is natroalunite.

Analyses of alunite (natroalunite) from the Big Chief deposit 

[J. O. Fairchild, analyst]

AljOj.............. ........... :KJO............. ......... ..

'NajO...... ...................

SOs.... .................. ..

BjO......... .................

1

38.17

2.04

4.72

09 07

14.80

2

33.01

3.29

3.40

24.71

12.21

Si02 -. ~ 

Fe^Oi...... ...... .............

Ti08 .. ...... ........ .........

1

5.13

1.68

.35

09.26

2

7.86

10.37

3.80

08.66

Yellow Jacket. The Yellow Jacket quarry is in sec. 14, T. 26 S., 

.R. 4 W., in a saddle in the ridge extending eastward from Twin 

JButtes. The quarry could be reached by a light truck in 1936. Shipjnents amounting to about 500 tons are said to have been made to the 

.-alum plant of the American Smelting & Refining Co. at Murray, 

Utah. The deposit is in a large area of altered volcanic rock, much 

of it highly silicified. The analysis given below was furnished by 

Dr. Fleischer and is said by him to represent an average sample of 

carloads from the quarry.

Analysis of alunite from the Yellow Jacket deposit

.A12 03 ___ ._---_.

Na2 0

;S03

H 0

'SiO

PeaOa..... __ ....

.. __ ...... 26.90

._-....._... 5.37

-......._... 1.20

............ 22.80

... _____ 9.51

--..---..... 31.00

............ 1.74

TiOz ... . .........

P206 .............

MgO__ ..........

............ 0.20

.... ..... .71

............ .11

...--.....-. .15

99.69

Potash Butte. The Potash Butte claims, owned by William Johnson, are a short distance southeast of Twin Buttes in sees. 22 and 

23, T. 26 S., R. 4 W. Several pits have been dug, and a large quarry 

exposes light-yellow altered volcanic rock throughout its width.
13Q CONTRIBUTIONS TO ECONOMIC GEOLOGY, 1937

Marys Lamb (Vera Cruz). A property variously known as theVera Cruz, Santa Cruz or Santa Kruze, and Utah Potash Co.,. 

has been relocated by E. G. Nelson as the Marys Lamb and Santa 

Francis groups of claims in sec. 23, T. 26 S., R. 4 W. A quarry 

and tunnel on the south bank of a wash are the principal workings 

on the Marys Lamb group, and a large quarry on another wash tothe southwest' of the first is the principal working on the Santa 

Francis group. An unknown quantity of alunitic material was 

hauled to Vaca station and shipped to New Jersey.

The yellowish to purplish-gray altered rock, which apparently wasa rhyolite or latite, in both quarries is strongly banded and breaksreadily into large thin slabs. A partial analysis by R. K. Bailey,. 

of the United States Geological Survey, of a sample submitted by 

Dr. Fleischer shows K2 0 8.35 percent, Na2 0 1.04 percent, and SO* 

32.10 percent.

ABEA EAST OF MARYSVALE

White Horse. The unpatented White Horse property of E. G. 

Nelson is in the gently sloping foothills 2^ miles northeast of 

Marysvale, in sec. 10, T. 27 S., R. 3 W. The ridge in which the deposits are located is dominated by a prominent outcrop of lightcolored altered rock. The prospects are readily reached by road 

from Marysvale.

Several masses of altered volcanic rock have been prospected by 

a number of pits and short tunnels. Partial analyses given in a 

report made for the Kalunite Co. indicate a variable but generally 

low content of alunite in the altered material. An analysis made 

by the Kalunite Co. of an average sample of a carload from the 

glory hole is given below.

Analysis of alunite from White Horse property

Fe2O3 _----------------------- 0. 81

TiO2 -_-_-----_-----------__-- . 05-

P2 05 .-. - .38

CaO_________________________ Trace

MgO_____..__._....___ .01

Al2O3 ---------------_--_-_. 23. 66

K2O_____--___.-__._..__.._ 5. 88

NaaO - ............. .50

SO3 __------__--_-_________. 21. 95

H2O_________._--_____ 9. 42 

SiO2 ........_.__-----_. 38. 50

101. 1&

White Hills. The White Hills group of unpatented claims, 

owned by Max Krotki, is on the hills northeast of Marysvale, in

sees. 1 and 12, T. 2Y S., H. 3 W. The property is readied by road

from Marysvale. According to a map prepared for the Kalunite

Co., several bodies of altered rock are prospected by pits and by

four principal tunnels, which have an aggregate length with crosscuts of 1,650 feet. Partial analyses accompanying the map show a 

wide range of alunite content in the altered material. On the basis 

of the S03 content, the ratio of alunite to other constituents ranges
ALUNITE DEPOSITS OF THE MARYS VALE REGION, UTAH

mostly between 10 and 50 percent. The analyses given below are 

taken from the report by Knickerbocker and Koster 49 and represent massive white material from the glory hole.

Analyses of alunite from the White Hills deposit

.A12 0... ......................

 KjO..... .....................

N&jO........... ..............

.-SOs .- ..

.HiO+........... ..........

1

22.11

3.82

.92

99 13

7.90

2

25.39

4.88

.80

22.14

9.03

HsO-.... ............ ........

SiOi... ...................... .

FezOs ----------------------

1

0.10

42.44

1.16

100. 58

2

0.12

37.46

.73

100. 55

Marysvale Peak. Areas of altered volcanic rock on the west and

 southwest slopes of Marysvale Peak, a summit on the western scarp

 of the Sevier Plateau in sec. 10, T. 27 S., R. 2i/2 W., have been 

prospected to a slight extent. A group of unpatented claims here 

"have been held by Edward Delaney. A road extends from Marysvale as far as Smith Canyon, but from this point a steep mountain 

trail leads to the deposit. The altered rocks are said to contain a 

moderate amount of alunite.

Manning Creek. Areas of altered rock within the Sevier Plateau 

between forks of Manning Creek near the southeast corner of sec. 

.27, T. 27 S., R. 2i^ W., have been prospected to some extent. A road 

from Marysvale reaches the mouth of the canyon of Manning Creek. 

No information on the alunite content was obtained.

49 Knickerbocker, R. G., and Koster, J., Electrometallurgical studies in tlie treatment 

of alunite: U. S. Bur. Mines Rept. Inv. 3322, p. 46, 1936.

INDEX

Page 

Abstract........_. .. ...__ 91-92

Accessibility of the deposits __ 95 

Acknowledgments for aid .._ 93-94 

Alluvium, occurrence of..________.... 97,101

Aluminum Potash Co. of America, operations

by..... .....-... . 108,125

Alunite, chemical composition ot.......... 114-115

occurrence of... .._.....__ 109-110

Alunite deposits, discovery of. __ 104,107 

structure of__..____________ pi. 18 

See also individual mines and properties. 

American Smelting & Refining Co., operations

by.. 107

Armour Fertilizer Corporation, production by. 107

Bailey, R. K., chemical analyses by__ 122,

123,125,126,130

Bearshole, alunite at...____________ 124

Big Chief claims, alunite deposits on......- 128-129

chemical analyses of natroalunite from__ 129

Big Star property, alunite deposits on...... 127-128

chemical analyses of natroalunite from 128 

mapping of__ ____..... 93

replacement deposit at __ 114 

workings on.'_ _________ 127

Bradburn claims, chemical analysis of alunite

from.............._.__.... 120

workings on. _._..__________ 120

Bureau of Mines, chemical analyses by. ... 120,

124,126,127

Burns, Joseph, claims of ....___ _ 124

Butler, B. 8., cited . ........... . 124-125

Chemical analyses, summary of. _____. 114-115 

Christmas Extension property, chemical analysis of alunite from____..__ 120 

Clay minerals, occurrence of._____ 110-111 

Close In property, alunite deposit at ... 123 

chemical analyses of alunite from_.__ 124 

development of...----------__-__... 108,123

Clyde Basin, material in tunnel on unpatented

claim in._____________ 120

Copper Butte claims, alunite deposit on___ 125

development of _____________ 108

Crowfoot tunnel, alunite in..______.... 120

Crystal Fraction property, alunite deposit on. 123 

Custer No. 1 claim, mining on________ 105

Delano Peak No. 2 quadrangle, mapping of.. 93 

Deposits of alunite, types of. ._..-. 111-114

East vein, Mineral Products mine, features of. 119 

Edna Peak, outcrops of alunite at.__ . 122

Falrchild, J. Q., chemical analyses by........ 129

Faults, occurrence of----- .____.. . 102

Page 

Field work..............................__ 92-93

Florence Mining & Milling Co., operations by. 107 

property of, chemical analysis of alunite

from.....................__.... 12tt

Geography.___________________ 95-97 

Geologic history, summary of.______.. 103-104 

Glacial moraines, occurrence of...---.___.. 101 

Gold, occurrence of______________ 98,10S 

Gold Mountain district, alunite deposits in.125-127 

Gravel terraces, occurrence of.______.. 97,101

Henry district, alunite deposits in_____ 127-130

Kalunite Co., chemical analyses by.120,124,126,130 

Kenyon, Claude, unpatented claims of..__ 124

L. & N. area, chemical analyses of alunite and

wall rock from ___.. 123 

geology and alunite deposit of_____ 122-123 

mapping of.-.-.i__ ________ 93 

workings in ___ ...____..... 122

Main vein, Mineral Products mine, features

of . . 118-lltf

Manning Creek, alunite prospects on......... 131

Marys Lamb property, chemical analysis of

material from___________ 130

workings on_______________ 107,130

Marysvale, alunite deposits in area east of.. 130-131

Marysvale Peak, alunite claims on.. ___ 131

Mineralogy ...... ..... ....... 109-111

Mineral Products Corporation, organization

of -. 105

production by.--.....-___...._.... 107,108

treatment of alunite at plant of. 105-106 

Mineral Products mine, chemical analyses of

alunite from____________ 120 

features of veins in.... __.. 113, pi. 18

geology of. .. .. llfr

mapping of _ .. . 93, pi. 18

workings at.____________ 118-119, pi. 18

Mines and prospects, features of______ 118-131

Mount Baldy district, alunite deposits in.... 118-124

Natroalunite, occurrence of ..._____ 128 

Newton district, alunite deposit in ..__ 124-125

Pavant Range, structure of _. _.. __ 102 

Pittsburgh property, alunite deposits on _ 126 

chemical analyses of alunite from 127 

Pittsburgh Testing Laboratory, chemical

analyses by. -... ... 126,127 

Pittsburgh-Utah Potash Co., operations by.. 108 

Pleistocene time, events of- 104 

Pliocene time, events of......- -._.. 104

133
134 ENDEX

Page

Potash, production of, from alunite_____ 93,109 

Potash Butto claims, workings on.._____ 129 

Previous geologic work on the alunite deposits. 94-95 

Production__________________. 92 

Prospecting, suggestions for further...__. 117-118 

Purpose and scope of report__________ 92 

Pyrite, occurrence of. ..^___. . Ill

Quartz, occurrence of____ '..: . ............. 110

Quartz monzonite, intrusive bodies of, in

earlier volcanic rocks...____.. 100 

Quaternary deposits, occurrence of. 101

Relief. . - ................. 97

Replacement deposits, chemical analyses of

material from__....___...... 115

extension of, in depth....._. 117

features of.............................. 113-114

origin of..----..----....___ ...... 116

Eeserves, estimate of..______..__.-.. 118

Santa Cruz, Santa Kruze property. See

Marys Lamb property.

Santa Francis claim, mining at_______ 107,130 

Schaller, W. T., chemical analyses by... . 120 

Sedimentary rocks, pre-Tertiary, age of....... 98-99

pre-Tertiary, occurrence, character, and

thickness of..-.._...--.------.. 98

Sevier fault, character of_________... 102

Sevier River formation, character and age of.. 101

geologic history of.._____.--.-.-.-. 103-104

occurrence of......_______.___ 100-101

Sheep Rock deposit, chemical analyses of

quartz-alunite rock from_____ 125 

general features of.....'_____..__ 124-125

Silver, occurrence of_____________ 98,103 

Stevens, R. E., chemical analyses by. 128 

Stratigraphy.__________________ 98-101 

Structure, features of... ...._.... 101-102, pi. 18

Sunshine area, chemical analyses of alunite

from________________ 122

mapping of.-..._____... 93

operations and geology of.._ 121

Sunshine mine, production of._......... 108

Page 

Surface features_ _.... . ..... 95-97

Swift & Co., operations by......_______ 107

Syncline, features of, on Clear Creek..____ 102

Thoenen, J. R., cited___........_..... 105-106

Tushar fault, extent ofi____________ 102 

Tushar Mountains, structure of..____.... 102

Utah Potash Co., operations by. __ 107-108

Vein deposits, chemical analyses of material

from.. 1 114 

extension of, in depth..__ . .. 116-117 

general features of 113 

origin of....------------ - ----- 115-116

Vera Cruz property. See Marys Lamb

property.

Volcanic rocks, earlier Tertiary (?), age of_ 100 

earlier Tertiary (?), alunite deposits in_ 98 

geologic history of 103 

occurrence, character, and thickness

of 99-100

later Tertiary (?), geologic history of.. 103 

occurrence, character, thickness, and

age of.....____ .___.__ 100

Wall rock, alteration of_.__ ____ 111 

Wasatch (?), formation, occurrence, character,

age, and thickness of. __ 99

vein deposits in_____ ......_ 103

Wasatch (?) time, events of __ 103

West vein, Mineral Products mine, features

of _-.--- -__.... 119

White Hills property, chemical analyses of

alunite from____.______ 131

development of.. _____ ..__ 108

workings and alunite deposit at____ 130-131 

White Horse property, alunite deposit on 130

chemical analysis of alunite from... __.. 130 

Winkelman claims, alunite deposit on... 125

chemical analyses of alunite from 126

Yellow Jacket claims, development of..._.. 107

chemical analysis of alunite from..... . 129

mining and alunite deposit at 129