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Ruth Creek Mine, Tolovana Mining District, Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska, USAi
Regional Level Types
Ruth Creek MineMine
Tolovana Mining DistrictMining District
Yukon-Koyukuk Census AreaCensus Area
AlaskaState
USACountry

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Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):
65° 31' 19'' North , 148° 32' 24'' West
Latitude & Longitude (decimal):
Type:
Köppen climate type:
Mindat Locality ID:
199789
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:2:199789:0
GUID (UUID V4):
0


Location: Cobb (1972, MF-413), loc. 65; SE1/4NE1/4 sec. 15, T. 8 N., R. 5 W., of the Fairbanks Meridian. The Ruth Creek placer mine is near the mouth of Ruth Creek, a tributary of Livengood Creek, near the old town of Livengood.
Geology: Gold is found at the base of the gravels and in the top 2 feet of bedrock with a paystreak 30 to 40 feet wide (Mertie, 1918). Black crystalline limestone with calcite and quartz veins slopes away from the creek on both sides (Mertie, 1918). Gold was reportedly high grade, netting $18/oz after charges (Mertie, 1918). Placer mining took place from as early as 1916 to as late as 1940 (Cobb, 1976; OFR 76-633). Concentrates contain gold, scheelite, magnetite, cinnabar, chromite, pyrite, arsenopyrite, zircon, monazite, chrome spinels and stibnite (Cobb, 1976; OFR 76-633, p. 164-166).
Workings: Placer mining took place from as early as 1916 to as late as 1940 (Cobb, 1976; OFR 76-633).
Production: Foster (1968) reported that Ruth Creek had been a major placer-gold producer, but there is no data on the amount produced.

Commodities (Major) - Au; (Minor) - Cr, Hg, Sb, W
Development Status: Yes; small
Deposit Model: Placer gold deposit (Cox and Singer, 1986; model 39a).

Select Mineral List Type

Standard Detailed Gallery Strunz Chemical Elements

Commodity List

This is a list of exploitable or exploited mineral commodities recorded at this locality.


Mineral List


5 valid minerals.

Gallery:

List of minerals arranged by Strunz 10th Edition classification

Group 1 - Elements
ⓘGold1.AA.05Au
Group 2 - Sulphides and Sulfosalts
ⓘCinnabar2.CD.15aHgS
ⓘStibnite2.DB.05Sb2S3
Group 4 - Oxides and Hydroxides
ⓘChromite4.BB.05Fe2+Cr3+2O4
Group 7 - Sulphates, Chromates, Molybdates and Tungstates
ⓘScheelite7.GA.05Ca(WO4)
Unclassified
ⓘ'Monazite Group'-REE(PO4)

List of minerals for each chemical element

OOxygen
Oⓘ ChromiteFe2+Cr23+O4
Oⓘ Monazite GroupREE(PO4)
Oⓘ ScheeliteCa(WO4)
PPhosphorus
Pⓘ Monazite GroupREE(PO4)
SSulfur
Sⓘ CinnabarHgS
Sⓘ StibniteSb2S3
CaCalcium
Caⓘ ScheeliteCa(WO4)
CrChromium
Crⓘ ChromiteFe2+Cr23+O4
FeIron
Feⓘ ChromiteFe2+Cr23+O4
SbAntimony
Sbⓘ StibniteSb2S3
WTungsten
Wⓘ ScheeliteCa(WO4)
AuGold
Auⓘ GoldAu
HgMercury
Hgⓘ CinnabarHgS

Other Databases

Link to USGS - Alaska:LG009

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

North AmericaContinent
North America PlateTectonic Plate

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References

Bates, R.G., and Wedow, Helmuth, Jr., 1953, Preliminary summary review of thorium-bearing mineral occurrences in Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 202, 13 p. Berg, H.C., and Cobb, E.H., 1967, Metalliferous lode deposits of Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1246, 254 p. Brooks, A.H., 1918, Mineral resources of Alaska, 1916: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 662, 469 p. Burand, W.M., 1966, Geochemical investigations of selected areas in the Yukon-Tanana region of Alaska, 1965 and 1966: Alaska Division of Mines and Minerals Geochemical Report 13, 51 p. Cobb, E.H., 1972, Metallic mineral resources map of the Livengood quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-413, 2 sheets, scale 1:250,000. Cobb, E.H., 1973, Placer deposits of Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1374, 213 p. Cobb, E.H., 1976, Summary of references to mineral occurrences (other than mineral fuels and construction materials) in the Livengood quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 76-819, 241 p. Foster, R.L., 1968, Descriptions of the Ruth Creek, Lillian Creek, Griffin, Old Smoky, Sunshine No. 2, and Olive Creek lode prospects, Livengood district, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 68-104, 21 p. Foster, R.L., and Chapman, R.M., 1967, Locations and descriptions of lode prospects in the Livengood area, east-central Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 275, 5 p. Joesting, H. R., 1942, Strategic mineral occurrences in interior Alaska: Alaska Territorial Department of Mines Pamphlet no. 1, 50 p. Joesting, H.R., 1943, Strategic mineral occurrences in interior Alaska, supplement to pamphlet no. 1: Alaska Territorial Department of Mines Pamphlet 2, 26 p. Koschmann, A.H., and Bergendahl, M.H., 1968, Principal gold producing districts of the United States: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 610, 283 p. Martin, G.C., 1920, The Alaska mining industry in 1918: U.S. Geological Survey Bull
 
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