UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

SUMMARIES OF DATA ON AND LISTS OF REFERENCES TO 

METALLIC AND SELECTED NONMETALLIC MINERAL OCCURRENCES 

IN THE HUGHES, KOTZEBUK, MELOZITNA, SELAWLK, AND 

SHUNGNAK QUADRANGLES, WEST-CENTRAL ALASKA, 

SUPPLEMENT TO OPEN-FILE REPORT 75-627 

PART A -- SUMMARIES OF DATA TO JANUARY 1, 1981 

BY 

Edward H. Cobb and Thomas P. Miller 

Open-File Report 81-847A 

1981 

This report in preliminary and has not been reviewed 

for conformity with U.S. Geological Survey editorial 

standards and nomenclature. 
Introduction 

This report was prepared as a supplement to a 1975 report which summarized data on mineral occurrences in part of west-central Alaska (Cobb, 

E. H., 1975, Summary of references to mineral occurrences (other than mineral fuels and construction materials) in five quadrangles in west-central Alaska (Hughes, Kotzebue, Melozitna, Selawik, Shungnak): U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 75-627, 57 p.). As a result of suggestions from users of the series of which the 1975 report is a part, this 

supplement is released in two parts; Part A, which presents summaries of 

data to January 1, 1981, and Part B, which consists of reference lists for 

each occurrence. 

In Part A data from most reports released between the cut-off date 

(January 1, 1975) for the original report and January 1, 1981, have been 

incorporated in new or rewritten summaries where appropriate. For each 

occurrence described in Part A, the name, U.S. Bureau of Mines mining district, reference (if any) that has the occurrence plotted on a map ar a 

scale of 1:250,000, list of mineral commodities, and location data are in 

the same format as in the 1975 report. Also included at the end of Part A 

are updated lists of synonyms, owners, operators, and claim names. 

In both parts citations arein standard bibliographic format with the 

exception that references to reports and maps in numbered publication 

series also show, in parentheses, an abbreviation for the report or map 

series and the number of the report or map. Abbreviations used are: 

A0 F Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys 

Open-File Report 

B U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 

C U.S. Geological Survey Circular 

GR Alaska Division of GeoLogical and Geophysical Surveys 

(and predecessor agencies) Geologic Report 

I U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Investigations Map 

OF U.S. Geologicai Survey Open-File Report 

MF U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map 

P U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 

TDM Alaska Territorial Department of Mines Pamphlet 

USBM OF U.S. Bureau of Mines Open-File Report 

In Part B each citation to the principal references used in preparing 

summaries in Part A is preceded by an asterisk. The form of citation used 

in the reference list for each occurrence is considered sufficient idenrification for each numbered report or map to be found easily in most libraries. Complete references to reports without identifying numbers are 

listed ar the end of Part 8. 

The following four U.S. Bureau of Mines Open-File Reports were not 

used in preparing this supplement because descriptions ofmost occurrences 

are not sufficiently detailed to allow evaluation of deposits. In many 

descriptions it is not possible to determine if a potentially valuable mineral was identified or if the report is based solely on an analysis of a 

sample collected during a geochemical survey. Most specific data are also 

in other reports, such as Grybeck, 1977 (OF 77-166C) and Eberlein and 

others, 1977 (OF 77-168D). 
Staff, Alaska Field Operations Cenrer, 1978, Mineral data appraisal 

of the proposed Noatak National Ecological Reserve, Alaska: a 

preliminary comment: U.S. Bureau of Mines Open-File Report 67- 

78, 33 p- 

, 1978, Mineral appraisal of the proposed Gates of the Arctic 

Wilderness National Park, Alaska: a preliminary comment: U.S. 

Bureau of Mines Open-File Report 109-78, 29 p. 

-9 1978, Mineral appraisal of the proposed Kobuk Valley National 

Park, ALaska: a preliminary comment: U.S. Bureau of Mines OpenFile Report 110-78, 31 p. 

-9 1979, Mineral appraisal of the proposed Selawik National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska: a preliminary comment: U.S. Bureau of Mines 

Open-File Report 22-79, 7 p. 
Index map 

A3 
HUGHES QUADRANGLE 

(Bear Cr.) Gold, Rare-earth elernenrs, Thorium, 

Uranium 

Hughes district 

MF-458, loc. 7 

Hughes (1.5-2.3, 3.2-3.6) 

66011'-66°12'N, 155°40'-155047'W 

Auriferous gravels derived from glacial deposits of local origin; the 

gold and other heavy miuerals in placer concentrates probably originally 

came from contact zone between Upper Cretaceous porphyritic monzonite 

and Lower Cretaceous andesitic volcanic rocks beneath glacial deposits 

about a mile above mined area. Small-scale placer mining began in the 

early 1900's; a dredge operated from 1957 to 1975 and probably accounted 

for a major part of the placer gold mined in Alaska during that time. 

Amount of production not known, but must have been large (more than 10,000 

fine oz of gold). Concentrates contain minor amounts of several minerals 

(including zircon, uranothorianite, sphene, garnet, and epidote) containing 

rare-earth elements, thorium, and uranium. Sphene from one sample contained 28,450 ppm rare-earth elements and 1,400 ppm Th. Old reports of 

platinum-group metals and cassiterite in concentrates probably are not 

correct. Includes references to: (Hogatza), (Hogatza R.), (Hog R.). 

(Black Cr.) Copper, Gold 

Hughes district 

MF-458, locs. 4, 10 

Hughes (15.25-15.4, 1.5-1.8) 

66'05'~, 153°50'-153052'~ 

Placer gold mining in 1913 or earlier, 1915, and 1917 reported. Deposit 

about 12 ft wide; depth to bedrock about 20 ft. Disseminated pyrite and 

chalcopyrite in Mesozoic metavolcanic rocks and late-stage aplites near a 

Cretaceous granodiorite-quartz monzonite pluton at head of creek; anomalous 

Cu in grab samples of bedrock, but detectable Au in only two. Placer gold 

probably derived from contact zone. See also (Indian R.). 

r 

(Felix Fork) (Cr.) Gold 

Hughes district 

MF-458, loc. 10 

Hughes (15.65, 1.6) approx. 

66O04'N, 153O47'W approx. 

Creek not shown on available maps, but is assumed to have been mined with 

Indian R.. Gold discovered in 1910; placer mining in 1911 and 1917. See 

also (Indian R.). 

(Helpmejack Cr.) Gold 

Koyukuk district 

MF-458, lot. 12 

Hughes (16.95, 17.9) approx. 

67°00'~, 153'32'~ approx. 

Colors of gold, but not enough for profitable mining. 
(Hughes Bar) Gold 

Hughes district 

MF-458, loc. 8 

Hughes (12.3, 0.8) 

66'02'N, 154O16'W 

Bar of Koyukuk R. on which fine gold was discovered in early 1890's. 

Little, if any, mining after 1898. Production may have been about 200 

02 of gold. 

(Indian R.) Gold, Molybdenum, Silver, Zinc 

Hughes district 

MF-458, locs. 5, 6, 10 

Hughes (15.3-16.0, 1.0-1.8) 

66°01'-66005'~, 153°451-15305~'~ 

Cretaceous granodiorite and quartz monzonite pluton intruded Jurassic and 

Cretaceous andesitic volcanic rocks, graywacke, and mudstone. Placer area 

(MF-458, loc. 10) underlain by plutonic rocks. Deposit (MF-458, loc. 5) 

said to contain molybdenite uncovered by placer mining. Sphalerite in altered intrusive rock (MF-458, loc. 6) that also contains as much as 6 pprn 

Au downstream from placer area. Placer mining from 1911 to as recently as 

1965. Large-scale operations ceased in 1961. Production not known, but 

probably was more than 10,000 fine oz of gold; as of 1917 production from 

basin was about 5,875 oz Au and 650+ of Ag. See also (Utopia Cr.) Melozitna quad., which is in basin of Indian R. 

(Lake Selby) Copper, Silver 

Shungnak district 

MF-458, loc. 1 

Hughes (1.5, 15.55) 

66O53'N, 155'48'W 

Chalcopyrire, limonite, and malachite and azurite stains in quartz vein 

in Cretaceous meraconglomerate. Sample contained 0.01% (100 pprn) Ag. 

(~ocahontas Cr.) Gold 

Hughes district 

MF-458, loc. 9 

Hughes (14.5, 0.45) 

66OOl'N, 153O58'W 

Creek heads against headwaters of Indian R, and Utopia Cr. (Melozitna 

quad.). Placer gold prospects reported (written comrnun., H. M. Eakin, 

1913, Field Notebook 376, p. 63). 

(Red Mtn.) Gold 

Hughes district 

MF-458, loc. 11 

Hughes (15.25, 5.4) approx. 

66'1 7 'N, 153O50'W approx. 

As of 1913 a little placer gold has been recovered from the south bank of 

the Koyukuk R. . 

(Red Mountain Cr.) Gold 

Hughes district 

MF-458, Loc. 3 

Hughes (14.85, 5.4) 

66'18'N, 153O54'W 

Small pyritic hypabyssal latite porphyry body of probably Cretaceous age - 

marked by a large gossan contains traces of gold; traces of zinc and other 

metals found by spectrographic analysis, Body intruded Cretaceous graywacke and mudstone unit. 

A5 
(Reed R.) Gold(?) 

Shungnak district Hughes 

NEkNWk quad. 

Prospecting in 1929-30. No data on results. 

(Rocky Bottom Cr.) Gold 

Koyukuk district 

MF-458, loc. 13 

Hughes (18.75, 17.4) approx. 

66O58'N, 153O47'W approx. 

Colors of placer gold, bur nor enough for profitable mining. 

(Snyder Cr.) Gold 

Hughes district 

MF-458, loc. 10 

Hughes (15.65, 1.6) approx, (?) 

66'04'~, 153'47'W approx. (?) 

Headwater tributary (not shown on available maps) of Indian R. on which 

auriferous gravel was discovered in 1910. Probably mined wirh Indian R. 

May be the same as Black Cr. 

(Zane Hills) 

Hughes district 

Gold, Rare-earth elements, Molybdenum(?), 

Niobium, Silver, Thorium, Uranium 

Hughes (0.0-1.35, 2.1-4.5) 

66O07'-66O15'~, 155°49'-156000'W 

Pluton intruded Lower Cretaceous andesitic volcanic rocks. Pluton more 

than 90% granodiorite; heterogeneous monz-onite unit (K-Ar age of 81.923.0 

my on hornblende) along south and east margins of pluton is anomalously 

high in U, Th, and rare-earth elements. Samples contained 11-99 ppm U 

and 46-269 pprn Th (average 30 pprn U and 125 ppm Th). Sample from aplite 

dike cutting monzonite contained 130 pprn U and 189 pprn Th. Granodiorite 

near probably intrusive contact with younger monzonite enriched in U and 

Th; normal contents for granodiorite elsewhere. Alkali-rich dikes and small 

hypabyssal bodies (now altered) in volcanic rocks east of pluton abnormally 

radioactive; one sample contained 407 pprn U and 556 pprn Th; all others contained 33-82 pprn U and 80-226 ppm Th. Radioactive minerals appear to be 

disseminated in host rocks; minerals include uranorhorianite, thorite, betafite (a niobate and titanate of uranium), allanite, zircon, garnet, and 

sphene in monzonite; mainly betafite and allanite in alkali-rich dikes and 

hypabyssal intrusives. Sphene in 2 samples of gneissic monzonite contained 

27,890-39,180 ppm rare-earth elements and 390-760 pprn Th. Molybdenite was 

tentatively identified in vein in monzonite unit; sample contained 200 ppm 

Mo and 3,000 pprn Bi; at 66O12'N, 155°52'W. Pyrite in quartz in granodiorite and andesitic volcanic rocks contains as much as 2.4 pprn Au and 15 ppm 

Ag. Sample of pyritiferous silicified fine-grained rock in granodiorite 

unit near contact with monzonite contained 200 pprn Ag, 0.3 pprn Au, 500 pprn 

Pb, 1,000 pprn Bi, and 700 pprn W. See also (Bear Cr.). 
Unnamed occurrence 

Koyukuk district 

MF-458, loc. 2 

Manganese 

Hughes (14.5, 17.75) 

670001N, 153~53'~ 

Rhodochrosite, manganite, and pyrolusite in altered volcanic rocks and 

phyllite. 

KOTZEBUE QUADRANGLE 

(Alder Cr.) Gold 

Fairhaven district Kotzebue (19.95, 1.4) 

MF-421, unnumbered loc. 66O03'N, 162O12'W 

Near mouth of stream wave erosion of schist bedrock resulted in about a 

foot of beach gravel an schist. Fine, bright gold on bedrock; some wire 

gold; probably locally derived from small quartz veins. A few hundred 

ounces recovered in 1902-03. Small-scale mining on Alder Cr. in 1927 

reported. 

(Rex Point) 

Fairhaven district 

Tungsten 

Kotzebue (11.95, 1.5) 

66'05'N, 163'19 'W 

A trace of scheelite was reported from a sample of beach gravel. 

MELOZITNA QUADRANGLE 

(Batza Slough) Copper, Lead, Silver 

Hughes district 

MF-396, lot. 1 

Melozitna (6.7, 15.0) 

65'51 'N, 155~04'~ 

A float block of silicified rock contained galena, cerussite, malachite, 

and 3 oz per ton silver. 

(Florence Bar) Gold 

Hughes district 

MF-396, loc. 2 

Melozitna (12.0, 16.8) approx. 

65O57'N, 154O20'~ approx. 

Fine gold, not of local derivation, in bar of Koyukuk R. known since 

early 1890's. A total of about 200 oz of gold was mined from this and 

similar bars in the Hughes and Wiseman quads. before 1898. 
(Fox Cr.) Gold(?) 

Melozitna district Melozitna (5.1, 0.9) approx, 

6S003'N, 155O19'W approx, 

Three claims for placer gold reported in 1913. No record of production or 

later activity. Creek 15-20 ft wide in a valley 700 ft wide. Country rock 

is Upper Cretaceous nonmarine sedimentary rocks with ironstone concretions 

and lenses and abundant carbonized plant remains. [~ata in part from H. M. 

Eakin, written communication, 1913.1 

(Golden Cr.) Gold 

Melozirna district 

MF-396, loc. 7 

Melozitna (21.9, 5.6) 

65O17'~, 153~01'~ 

Has been small-scale placer gold mining. No placer cassirerire reported. 

Country rock is Paleozoic or Precambrian pelitic schist. 

(~ochandochtla Mtn.) Copper 

Hughes district Melozitna (8.25, 9.25) approx. 

65'31 'N, 154'53 'W approx. 

Chalcopyrite and malachite in fine-grained granitic dike of Late Cretaceous 

or early Tertiary age in unit of Lower Cretaceous andesitic and dacitic 

volcanic and hypabyssal rocks and tuffaceous graywacke altered to hornfels 

near small granodiorite bodies of Late Cretaceous age. [~~e of dike from 

W. W. Patton, Jr., oral communication, May 28, 1981.1 

(Illinois Cr.) Gold 

Melozitna district 

MF-396, lot. 6 

Melozitna (21.1, 5.25) 

65O16'N, 153O07'W 

Placer gold prospects reported in 1911. One prospect hole sunk 133 ft passed 

through several beds containing fine gold, but failed to reach bedrock; 

ground in part unfrozen. Mining reported, but production probably was 

small. No cassiterite reported in concentrares. 

(Mason Cr.) Gold, Tin 

Melozitna district 

MF-396, locs. 4, 5 

Melozitna (19.3-19.75, 3.75-4.35) 

65°11'-65013'N, 153°19'-153022'W 

Country rock Paleozoic or Precambrian quartz-sericite and quartz-chlorite 

schists cut by unmineralized white quartz veinlets and lenses. Creek 

gravels mainly schist with a little vein quartz. Gold (some in pellets 

about the size of bird shot) and cassiterite in basal part of mainly unfrozen creek and bench gravels and in the top few feet of bedrock; no bedrock source of either gold or cassiterite has been found. Intermittent 

small-scale placer mining (mainly in creek gravels) or prospecting between 
1908 and 1932 reported. Unconftrmed report that about 1 ton of cassiterite concentrate was recovered from 4,000 ft3 of gravel, but not assayed or 

sold. 

(Melozimoran Cr.) Gold(?), Tin(?) 

Melozitna district Melozitna (18.0, 8.0) approx. 

65026'N, 153O32'W approx. 

Cassiterite and goldsaid to have been recovered from prospect pits near 

mouth, 1913-18. 

(Sun Mtn.) Copper 

Hughes district Me lozi tna 

NE~NW~ quad. 

Scattered occurrences of chalcopyrite, malachite, and pyrite along Koyukuk R. near Sun Mtn. Quartz latite dikes cut a widespread zone of thermally altered Lower Cretaceous andesite and other volcanic rocks, chert, 

and coquinoid limestone, suggesting a buried pluron at shallow depth. 

Several massive limestones as much as 65 ft thick would be favorable hosts 

for ore deposits. 

(Utopia Cr.) 

Hughes district 

MF-396, loc. 3 

Antimony, Barite, Gold, Lead, Silver, 

Zinc 

Melozitna (15.8-16.5, 17.5-17.7) 

65°59'-66000'~, 153°41'-153047'W 

Bedrock is slightly metamorphosed Cretaceous andesite cut by fine-grained 

felsic intrusive bodies. Creek does not drain contact zone of Indian Mtn. 

pluton. Paystreak in upper valley south of center of valley. Placer mining 

from 1915 to 1936 was sporadic and small scale. Large-scale nonfloat mining began in 1938 or 1939 and ceased in 1952; during this time Utopia Cr. 

was a major producer of the Hughes district; no production figures are 

available, but must have been more than 10,000 oz of gold. Barite boulders 

in tailings conrain galena, sphalerite, and silver-bearing retrahedrite; 

tetrahedrite-bearing sample contained about 21 oz per ton silver. Source 

of metals and barite may have been tetrahedrite-sphalerite-galena-bearing 

veins in andesite. 

Unnamed occurrence 

Melozitna district 

Thorium, Uranium 

Melozitna (12.3, 4.8) approx. 

65O16'~, 154O19'~ approx. 

Lower Cretaceous (K-Ar age 111~3 my) quartz monzonite of Melozitna pluton 

contains above average amounts of uranium and thorium. 
SELAWIK QUADRANGLE 

(Hunt Cr.) Lead, Zinc 

Selawik district 

MF-406, unnumbered lc. 

Selawik (16.0, 3.25) 

66'10'~, 159~44'~ 

Galena, sphalerite, and pyrite in quartz-calcite veins and in pink syenite. 

See also (Selawik Hills). 

(Inland Lake) 

Selawik district 

Fluorite, Thorium, Uranium 

Selawik (16.0, 5.7) 

6601a1N, 159'44'W 

Sample of fluorite-bearing pulaskite, possibly a dike, of Inland Lake 

alkaline complex contained 31 pprn U and 178 ppm Th. 

(Selawik Hills) Fluorite, Niobium, Rare-earth elements, 

Tantalum, Thorium, Uranium 

Fairhaven and Selawik districts Selawik (8.6-15.5, 0.9-3.65) 

66'02 '-66'12 'N, 159°49'-160047 'W 

Selawik Hills pluton is composed of strongly faulted quartz monzonite, monzonite, and hybrid syenite cut by nepheline syenite dikes; locally appears 

to have been subjected to potassium metasomatism resulting in potassiumrich gneissic syenite along north border. Grab samples of representative 

syenire contained as much as 20 pprn U and 66 ppm Th. A sample from a thin 

syenite dike contained 139 pprn U and 618 pprn Th; the dike contains small 

(I-mm) crystals of struverite (rurile with Nb and Ta). Another sample of 

syenite (location not known) contained accessory sphene, epidote, and thorianite; the sphene contained 20,350 ppm rare-earth elements, 6,000 pprn Nb, 

and 4,400 pprn Zr. In the western part of the pluton an outcrop of fault 

breccia of argillized rock is cemented by purple fluorite; a grab sample 

contained 13% F. See also (Hunt Cr.). 

(Selawik Lake) Thorium, Uranium 

~elawik district Selawik (14.35, 6.0) 

66'20'~, 160'24'~ 

A typical sample of nepheline syenite (juvite) from the Selawik Lake alkaline complex contained 11 pprn U and 21 pprn Th. Other rock samples (incorrectly reported as being from the Inland Lake pluton) of unspecified 

amounts of rock contained as much as 92 ppm U and 70 pprn Th. 

SHUNGNAK QUADRANGLE 

(Caiifornia Cr.) 

Shungnak district 

MF-448, loc. 16 

Asbestos, Gold, Jade, Quartz 

Shungnak (16.3, 17.1) 

66O57'N, 156O38'W 
Stream drains an area of metavolcanic rock and phyllite that is cut by many 

quartz veins from which the gold in the placers was probably derived. Gold 

discovered in 1918; mining reported in nearly every year through 1940. 

Total production probably more than 5,000 and less than 20,000 oz. Quartz 

crystals have been recovered from gold placers. Asbestos fibers said to be 

as long as about 3 in were found in placer workings. Nephrite boulders 

common, but very little gem-quality material. 

(Cosmos Cr.) Jade 

Shungnak district Shungnak (12.7, 17.6) 

670001N, 157°09'W 

Jade from float in creek was shipped in 1945. 

(Dahl Cr.) 

Shungnak district 

MF-448, locs. 13, 14 

Asbestos, Cadmium, Chromite, Copper, 

Gold, Jade, Silver 

Shungnak (14.4-14.7, 16.9-17.65) 

66'57 I-67O00 'N, 156°51-156054'~ 

Bedrock slate, schist, greensrone, limestone; serpentine near creek close 

to 670001N contains chrysotile and fibrous serpentine. Two placer deposits; 

ipper (and richer) one on and in crevices of schist bedrock in unglaciated 

part of valley. Lower deposit on false bedrock on or in glacial drift; commonly less than 10 ft below surface. Some of gold in upper deposit very 

coarse (one nugget worth about $600, about 29 oz) reported); probably derived from quartz veins in schist, Chromite boulders up to 1 ft in diameter. 

Native copper and silver (some containing cadmium) nuggets. Much of the 

material collected (as recently as 1969) as jade was probably serpentinite 

rather than nephrite. Total gold production may have been as much as 20,000 

oz. Intermittent mining from 1898 to at least 1968. Best placer ground 

probably worked out. See also (Asbestos Mtn.) Ambler River quad. 

(Dakli) Copper, Gold, Silver 

Hughes and Shungnak districts Shungnak (19.3-19.6, 6.5-6.7) 

MF-448, 10~s. 8-16 66°21'-66022'N, 156°13'-156015'W 

Float from quartz veins in a gently dipping contact zone between Cretaceous 

gneissic hornblente-biotite granodiorite and Jurassic? and Cretaceous andesite contains pyrite, chalcopyrite that carries silver and gold, covellite, and malachite. Three occurrences. 

(Ekiek Cr.) 

Selawik district 

Fluorite, Lead(?), Niobium, Thorium, 

Uranium 

Shungnak (7.0-7.3, 4.1-4.8) 

66°14'-66016'N, 158°37'-158043'W 
Uranium and thorium related to niobium-rich pyrochlore in nepheline syenite 

that intruded and partially replaced alkalic pyroxenite; both of Cretaceous 

age. Galena questionably identified. Samples of nepheline syenite and of 

contact zone between nepheline syenite and pyroxenite contained, respectiveiy, averages of 30.7 and 18.0 ppm U and 93.9 and 78.0 ppm Th. 

(~awk R.) Copper, Lead, Silver 

Shungnak district 

MF-448, locs. 3, 4 

Shungnak (10.5-10.65, 4.55-4.6) 

66'15 'N, 157°30'-157031 'W 

Argentiferous galena, chalcopyrite, malachite, and much pyrite in irregular 

segregations in quartz veins 1 in to 2 ft wide in Upper Jurassic? and Lower 

Cretaceous andesite and Upper Cretaceous quartz latite volcanic rocks intruded by Upper Cretaceous alaskite and quartz monzonite. 

(Lynx Cr.) Gold 

Shungnak district 

MF-448, loc. 15 

Shungnak (16.0, 17.5) 

66O59'N, 156O4O1W 

Thin veneer of gravel on garnetiferous mica schist and related rocks cut 

by quartz veins; bedrock acted as natural riffles for gold. Supported 1- or 2-man placer mining operation for at least 28 years (about 1912-40). 

No production figures available, but was probably between 1,000 and 10,000 

02 of gold. 

(Purcell Mts.) Kare-earth elements, Thorium, Uranium 

Hughes district Shungnak (12.25, 4.85) 

66O16'N, 157O15'W 

Parsonite, a secondary hydrous lead-uranium phosphate, occurs as a yellow 

to brown coating on fractures in a shear zone in Upper Cretacepus (age 77.92 

2.3 my) alaskite, which intruded older Cretaceous volcanic and hypabyssal rocks and quartz monzonite of the Wheeler Creek pluton. Magnetite 

and, less commonly, allanite, are accessory minerals. A sample of altered 

alaskite with much visible parsonite contained 4,459 ppm U and 566 ppm Th 

(Th figure probably not reliable). Typical alaskite contains about 13-14 

ppm U and 45-52 ppm Th. 

(Shovel Cr.) Gold 

Selawik district 

MF-448, loc. 17 

Shungnak (8.35, 6.1) 

66O21'~, 157043'W 

Placer gold was mined in 1950's and 1960's from a stream that crosses 

the contact between ~urassicl-Lower Cretaceous andesitic volcanic rocks 

and a Cretaceous quartz monzonite pluton.. Abundant tourmaline in creek 

gravels and tailings. Gold may have been derived from quartz-tourmalinesulfide veins near contact. Amount of production not known; probably 

sma 1 1. 
(Stockley Cr.) Nickel 

Shungnak district 

MF-448, loc. 2 

Nickel in asbestiform minerals. 

Shungnak (14.7, 17.65) 

670001N, 1560511W 

(Wesley Cr.) Gold(';) 

Shungnak district Shungnak (13.65, 17.65) 

6Y000'~, 157°001~ 

Fine gold in unminable concentrations said to have been found in creek 

gravels. Prospecting shafts did not reach bedrock. Most of references 

listed in Cobb, 1975 (OF 75-627) are to an occurrence in the Ambler River 

quad. See (Wesley Cr.) Ambler River quad. 

(Zane Hills) Copper, Rare-earth elements, Thorium, 

Uranium 

Hughes district Shungnak (20.75-21.3, 2.5-2.6) 

MF-448, loc. 12 (in art) 66*07'N, 156°00'-i56004'W 

Samples of manzinite border facies of Cretaceous Zane Hills pluton (mainly 

granodiorire) containedl4-33 pprn U and 75-199 ppm Th. Radioactivity apparently mainly in uranothorianite, thorite, betafite, allanite, zircon, and 

sphene. A quartz vein 1-3 ft wide cuts monzonite and contains chalcopyrite 

and 7,000 ppm W; no tungsten mineral noted. See also (Zane Hills) Hughes 

quad. 

Unnamed occurrences Copper, Gold 

Shungnak district 

MF-448, loc. 5 (in part) 

Shungnak (18.1-18.35, 8.2-8.25) 

66'27'~, ?56°23'-1560251~ 

Pyrite- and chalcopyrite-bearing quartz veins as much as 3 ft thick cut 

Jurassic?-Cretaceous meta-andesite norrh of Cretaceous rocks a.fZane Hills 

pluton. Samples contained 0.5% Cu and O.b ppn Au. 

Unnamed occurrence Molybdenum 

Shungnak district 

MF-448, loc. 11 

Shungnak (19.85, 6.25) 

66O20'~, 156°111~ 

Molybdenite-bearing quartz veinsas much as 2 Et thick cut andesite of 

Jurassic?-Early Cretaceous age near contact with granodiorite of the 

Cretaceous ZaneHills pluton. A grab sample contained 0.2% Mo. 
Synonyms, Owners, Operators, and Claim Names 

Hughes quadrangle 

(Caribou Mtn.) -- see (Zane ~ills) 

(Clear Cr.) -- see (Zane Hills) 

Fairbanks Exploration Co. -- see (Bear Cr.) 

(Hoga~za) -- see (Bear Cr.) 

(Hogatza R.) -- see (Bear Cr,) 

(Hog R.) -- see (Bear Cr.) 

UV Industries -- see (Bear Cr.) 

Melozitna quadrangle 

McGee -- see (Utopia Cr.) 

Shungnak quadrangle 

Arctic Circle Exploration Co. -- see (Dahl Cr.) 

Bear Fraction -- see (Dahl Cr.) 

Coffin -- see (Dahl Cr.) 

(Dall Cr.) -- see (Dahl Cr.) 

Ferguson (& Son) -- see (California Cr.) 

Garland -- see (Dahl Cr.) 

Johnson (& Hanson) -- see (Dahl Cr.) 

Kotzebue Fur & Trading Co. -- see (~ahl Cr.) 

Larnmers and associates -- see (California Cr.) 

Lloyd -- see (Dahl Cr.) 

Lucky Three -- see (Dahl Cr.) 

Orline -- see (Dahl Cr.) 

Patterson -- see (Dahl Cr.) 

Pohl -- see (Lynx Cr.) 

(Purcell Mtn.) -- see (Shovel Cr.) 

Tuohy -- see (Dahl Cr.)