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Date Permissions Signed

5-16-2018

Date of Award

Fall 1977

Document Type

Masters Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Geology

First Advisor

Pevear, David R.

Second Advisor

Babcock, R. Scott (Randall Scott)

Third Advisor

Swineford, Ada, 1917-

Abstract

The study area is in the northeast corner of the Tanacross quadrangle, east-central Alaska. Known as the Interior Porphyry belt, it lies between the Tintina fault to the north and the Denali fault to the south. Seven major porphyry copper-type deposits have been found within the belt since I969. Because much of the belt was unglaciated during Pleistocene time, the probability of finding a zone of supergene enrichment is enhanced. In Alaska a porphyry copper-type deposit with a supergene zone may improve the current economic status by helping to facilitate amortization of production capital costs.

The rocks within the study area consist mainly of Paleozoic or older schists and gneiss units that have been intruded by late Cretaceous-early Tertiary igneous rocks.

Limited exposures, residual soils, and thick brush in the Tanacross area have necessitated the use of reconnaissance geochemistry, aeromagnetics, and Landsat imagery to locate areas of potential mineralization. Three such areas were found within the study area; they have been named Pika Canyon, NE Pika Canyon, and Fishhook prospects. The Pika Canyon and NE Pika Canyon prospects have been studied by detailed soil geochemistry, ground magnetics, and geologic and alteration mapping. Only the geology and alteration have been mapped at the Fishhook prospect. Work completed at the three prospects indicates that Pika Canyon and Fishhook prospects represent potential porphyry copper-type deposits, and that NE Pika Canyon is possibly a structurally controlled copper-zinc deposit.

At the present stage of exploration the economic potential of these prospects cannot be determined.

Type

Text

Keywords

Interior Porphyry belt, Tanacross quadrangle, Porphyry copper-type deposits

Publisher

Western Washington University

OCLC Number

1081333700

Comments

The original book contained a number of pages with an acetate overlay. The pages were scanned both with the overlay in place and without the overlay.

Subject – LCSH

Geology--Alaska; Mines and mineral resources--Alaska

Geographic Coverage

Alaska

Format

application/pdf

Genre/Form

masters theses

Language

English

Rights

Copying of this document in whole or in part is allowable only for scholarly purposes. It is understood, however, that any copying or publication of this thesis for commercial purposes, or for financial gain, shall not be allowed without the author's written permission.

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