Humboldt Mine, Kantishna Mining District, Denali Borough, Alaska, USAi

Regional Level Types
Humboldt Mine	Mine
Kantishna Mining District	Mining District
Denali Borough	Borough
Alaska	State
USA	Country

The Humboldt mine is in Denali National Park and Preserve.
Location: The Humboldt mine (Cobb, 1980 [OFR 80-363]) is at an elevation of about 4100 feet on the east flank of a ridge above the East Fork of Glen Creek . It is in the NE1/4 NE1/4 section 36, T. 15 S., R. 17 W., Fairbanks Meridian. The location is probably accurate within 500 feet. The mine is number 20 of Cobb (1972 [MF 366]), 56 of Bundtzen, Smith and Tosdal (1976), 61 of Bundtzen (1981), and 78 of Thornsberry, McKee, and Salisbury (1984).
Geology: The Humboldt (also Humbolt) mine is in the Birch Creek Schist, probably a short distance west of a nearly vertical fault that strikes NE and juxtaposes Birch Creek and Spruce Creek rocks. Subunits of the Birch Creek Schist at the mine include quartz-chlorite-biotite schist, micaceous quartzite, garnet schist, and quartz-chlorite-muscovite schist (Bundtzen, 1981; Thornsberry, McKee, and Salisbury, 1984, fig. K-2 and v. 2, occurrence 78). The schistosity strikes N37W and dips 27 SW (Capps, 1919, p. 99). The deposit consists of a series of quartz veins in a zone 22 to 50 feet wide. A short adit was driven on a nearly vertical vein about 4 feet wide that strikes N55E. The wall rocks adjoining the zone are impregnated with siderite and locally stained with malachite. The veins contain pyrite, pyrrhotite, galena, sphalerite, stibnite(?), minor arsenopyrite, and free gold (Moffit, 1933, p. 333; Bundtzen, 1981; Thornsberry, McKee, and Salisbury, 1984, v. 2, occurrence 78). A composite representative sample across about 15 feet of the mineralized zone assayed 1.02 ounces of gold per ton, 0.27 ounce of silver per ton, and 0.046 percent arsenic. A sample of limonitic gossan assayed 3.69 ounces of silver per ton, 1.45 percent lead, and 2. 10 percent zinc (Thornsberry, McKee, and Salisbury, 1984, v. 2, occurrence 78).
Workings: The deposit was developed by a tunnel about 50 feet long and by surface cuts. The tunnel was caved by 1916 (Capps, 1919). Probably not much work has been done since then.
Age: The deposit is assumed to be Eocene (see record MM091).
Alteration: Carbonate alteration of wallrocks; silicification; oxidation of iron and copper minerals.
Production: Gold reportedly was recovered from a test shipment of several hundred pounds of selected, quartz-rich ore.

Commodities (Major) - Au; (Minor) - Pb, Sb, Zn
Development Status: Yes; small
Deposit Model: Low sulfide gold-quartz vein (Cox and Singer, 1986; model 36a).

Other Databases

Link to USGS - Alaska:	MM065

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

References