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Geology of the Belmont-Queen Creek area, Superior, Arizona Item Type text; Dissertation-Reproduction (electronic) Authors Harshman, E. N. Publisher The University of Arizona. Rights Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. Download date 09/10/2021 21:30:11 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/565134 GEOLOGY OF THE BEI&ONT-QUEEN CREEK AREA., SUPERIOR, ARIZONA by Elbert Nelson Harshman A Thesis submitted to the faculty of the Department of Geology _ • . ; in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate College University of Arizona 1939 Approved: Major Professor - Yj Date. ABSTRACT This report describes a five square mile area south­ east of Superior, Pinal County, Arizona, The area is one of high relief, steep slopes, and ranges in elevation from 2,800 to 4,800 feet. The climate is semi-arid and the region supports a desert type of flora and fauna. The sedimentary sequence begins with the upper part of the Dripping Spring quartzite. This sequence contains in the Apache group 200 feet of Dripping Spring quartzite, 275 feet of Mescal limestone, and 220 feet of basalt. The Paleozoic rocks consist of 425 feet of Troy quartzite, 355 feet of Upper Devonian sequence, subdivided into the Crook v» r formation, 253 feet; the' Martin- limestone, 77 feet; and the Lower Ouray formation, 24 feet; 420 feet of Escabrosa limestone, and 1,000 - feet of Naco limestone. Sediments of Mesozoic age are not present in the area. Tertiary sedimentary rocks consist of 0-100 feet of Whitetail conglomerate and two ages of alluvium. Intruded into sedimentary rocks as late as the Troy quartzite are thick sills of diabase. These rocks are to be correlated with the "Apache” diabase of central Arizona, and are Paleozoic (?) in age. J 2 3 6 1 6 Laramide intrusive activity is represented by a number of thin but persistent sills and dikes of quartz monzonite porphyry. In Middle Tertiary times the region was covered by thick flows of lava, andesitic to dacitic in composition. These flows are at least 1,200 feet in thickness and form the bluff of Apache Leap. Basalt, probably in late Tertiary or early Quaternary times intruded several of the major north-south fault zones. Broad folding, east-west faulting, and north-south faulting, in order, have broken the area into a mosaic of small fault blocks, the beds of which dip about thirty de­ grees to the northeast. The earlier east-west faults have been mineralized, and form the ore zones now being worked on the Belmont and Queen Creek properties. Two mineralized horizons are found in the area. The most important is the Escabrosa-Naco limestone contact where the ore is found in chimney-like replacement masses which follow the intersection of east-west faults and the lime­ stone contact. The second horizon, the so-called L.S. and A., is the Troy quartzite - Crook formation contact. The ore in this zone also occurs at the intersection of cross fissures and the quartzite limestone contact. Hypogene ore minerals are chalcopyrite, galena, sphalerite, proustite, magnetite, and gold. Supergene miner als are chalcocite, bornite, enargyrite, argentite, and native silver. TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER I Introduction. ...................... 1 Location and Accessibility ........... .. 1 Purpose and Scope of the Examination . 3 Acknowledgments. .... 4 CHAPTER II . ............. ........... 5 Physical Conditions .............. 5 Drainage ............. 5 Relief, Elevations, and Topography ..... 6 Climate. .......... ............. 7 Ground Water . ........... ............ .. 8 Flora and Fauna... .................. 9 CHAPTER III. .................... 11 General G e o l o g y ............. 11 Summary. ....... ....... 11 Previous Investigations.................... 13 1. Globe area ........................... 14 2. Ray-Mi ami area ...................... 15 i 3. Magma Mine area. 19 4. Silver King area . 20 Detailed Description of Belmont-Queen Creek area ................... 23 Sedimentary Rocks. ............ 23 1. pre-Cambrian .... .... 23 a. Apache group. 23 1) Dripping Spring quart- - zite ......... 23 : a) Occurrence and distribution. 23 b) Age ..... 24 2) Mescal limestone .... 24 a) Occurrence and distribution. 24 b ) Age ........ 27 2. Paleozoic. ................ .. 27 1. Troy quartzite. ..... 27 a. Occurrence and distribu­ tion ......... .... 27 b. Age. .................. 30 2. Upper Devonian Sequence . 30 a. Occurrence and distribu­ tion ........... 30 b. Age and correlation. 35 3. Escabrosa Limestone ..... 42 a. Occurrence and distribu­ tion ......... 42 ii b. A g e .............. ... t F 4. Naoo Limestone. ....... 46 a. Occurrence and distribu­ tion ......... 46 b. A g e .............. ........ 49 3. T e r t i a r y ........................ 49 1. Whitetail Conglomerate. 49 a. Occurrence and distribu­ tion . 49 b. Age. .... .... 51 2. Daoite Conglomerate ..... 51 a. Occurrence and distribu- • tion ...... 51 b. Age. ..... 53 4. Quaternary . ..... 54 1. Alluvium. ...................... 54 Igneous Rocks. ......... ......... 55 1. Pre-Cambrian ........................ 55 a. Basalt. ........................ 55 1) Occurrence and distribu­ tion . .:. 55 2) Petrology.... 57 3) Age. .......... 58 2. Paleozoic (?). ............... 59 a. Diabase .... .... 59 1) Occurrence and distribu­ tion ......... 59 ill 2) Petrology. m? Olivtne-augite diabase. .. 63 Hornblende- augite diabase 65 3) Age. ..... 67 3. Tertiary . ............. 74 a. Quartz monzonite porphyry . 74 1) Occurrence and distribu­ tion ........... 74 2) Petrology.......... 74 3) Age. .................. 75 b. Dacite series ........ 75 1) General discussion . 75 - 2) Detailed description of dacite series... 77 a) Andesite tuff . 77 (1) Occurrence and distribution. 77 (2) Petrology. 78 b) Andesite.......... 79 (1) Occurrence and distribution. 79 (2) Petrology. 79 o) Dacite yitrophyre . 80 (1) Occurrence and distribution. 80 (2) Petrology. 81 iv d) Daoite flow # * (1) Ocourenoe and distribution. 82 (2) Petrology. 83 (3) Age. , ... 85 4. Quaternary . .... 85 a. Basalt. ........... 85 1) Occurrence and distribu­ tion ......... 85 2) Petrology. ....... 86 3) Age. .". 87 Structure . • . ............. .. 88 a. Regional. ........ ..... 88 b. Summary of Structural Events. ..... 90 c. Intrusive and extrusive activity. 92 d. Folding .................... 94 e. Faulting. ............... 96 CHAPTER IV 104 Geological History. .................... .. 104 CHAPTER V. .................... Ill Economic Geology.................... .. Ill History of Mining 111 v Mineralization ...................... Ill General description .......... Ill Mines........................ 116 Belmont Mine. ................ 116 a. Past and present exploration. 116 b. Production.................... 118 c. Ore deposits........... 120 Grand Pacific Mine........... 123 a. Past and present exploration. 123 b. Production....... ... 123 Queen Greek Mine............... 123 a. Past and present exploration. 123 b. Production. ......... 124 Other Properties............... 125 CHAPTER V I ............. ; . ... ... 126 Mineralogy. ...... ..... 126 Hypogene minerals. ............. ..... 126 Supergene minerals . .... 129 Bibliography. ..... ...... ... 132 vi TABLE OF ILLUSTRATIONS Figures l*gg 1 Index Map of A r i z o n a ........... .. 2 2 Geological Column Belmont-Queen Creek Area 22 Plates I Geological M a p ...................... in pocket II Structure Sections ........... .. in pocket III Composite Belmont Mine Workings. in pocket IV Plan 140-foot Level Belmont Mine . in pocket V Composite- queen Creek Mine Workings. in pocket VI Composite Grand Pacific Mine Workings. in pocket VII Cross Section Grand Pacific Mine Workings. .... ... in pocket VIII Topographic Map of Florence quadrangle in pocket IX Fig. 1 General View of Oak Flat ......... Fig. 2 Narrow Gorge of queen Creek Canyon Fig. 1 View of Belmont-queen Creek Area . Fig. 2 General View of Superior . 135 Fig. 1 General View of Northern Part of Belmont-queen Creek Area .... Fig. 2 Bacite Cliffs of Apache Leap . 136 Fig. 1 Belmont Mine— Devonian Sequence. Fig. 2 queen Creek Mine with Magma Claims 137 vii Plates Page XIII Fig* 1 Transporting Ore from North Lease Prospect to Ray Road . Fig. 2 Same . 138 XIV Fig. 1 Outcrop of Mescal Limestone in Donkey Canyon. .:. Fig. 2 Typical Mescal Limestone Outcrop in Donkey Canyon • . '. .... 139 XV Fig. 1 Basal Cliff-forming Member of Troy Quartzite. ............ Fig. 2 Typical Cross-bedded Troy Quart­ zite . ........ 140 XVI Fig. 1 Banded Weathering of Troy Quart­ zite . ..... ...... Fig. 2 Conglomerate at Base of Troy Quartzite. .. .... 141 XVII Fig. 1 Contact of Troy Quartzite— Upper Devonian Series. Fig. 2 Fissile Shale at Top of Upper Devonian Series. 142 XVIII Fig. 1 Cliff-forming Escabrosa Limestone near Queen Creek . ....... Fig. 2 Conglomerate Bed Separating Escabrosa and Naeo Limestones in Cross Canyon . .......... 143 XIX Fig. 1 General View of Naco Limestone . Fig. 2 Fossiliferous Bed in Naco Limestone 144 XX Fig. 1 Cherty Bed in Naco Limestone . Fig. 2 Outcrop of Whitetail Conglomerate. 145 XXI Fig. 1 Whitetail Conglomerated-Andesite Tuff Contact ............. .. Fig. 2 Same . .... 146 viil Plates Page XXII Fig. 1 Typical Outcrop of Dacite Con­ glomerate.......................... Fig. 2 Recent Stream Gravels South of Ray R o a

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