Geology and Mineral Resources of the Ivanpah Quadrangle California and Nevada
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G3 a SCp Geology and Mineral Resources of the Ivanpah Quadrangle California and Nevada ( By D. F. HEWETT ! GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 275 The geology of an area covering 3,900 square miles in the northeasternpart of the Mojave Desert, including mountain ranges 6 ,0oo-7,ooofeet in altitude UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON: 1956 CONTENTS Page Geology-Continued Abstract - 1 Paleozoic era-Continued Page Introduction--- c 2 Devonian system 40 Location of the area 2 Sultan limestone 40 Fieldwork and acknowledgements 3 Mississippian system 42 History of exploration 4 Monte Cristo limestone 42 Pioneers 7 Pennsylvanian system 42 Settlements 7 Bird Spring formation 42 Geography 8 Pennsylvanian and Permian systems 45 Surface features 8 Supai formation 45 Climate 10 Permian system 45 Water supply 10 Kaibab limestone 45 Springs 10 Undifferentiated rocks of Paleozoic(?) age 46 Wells 11 Mesozoic era 47 Character of ground water Triassic system 47 Depth to water in mines 14 Moenkopi formation 47 Geology 15 Shinarump conglomerate and Chinle for- Orogenic epochs 17 mation 48 Pre-Cambrian era 17 Jurassic(?) system 48 Crystalline rocks 17 Aztec sandstone 48 General features 17 Upper Jurassic(?) system, extrusive rocks 48 McCullough Range 18 Post-Cambrian and pre-Tertiary intrusive rocks ---- 49 Lucy Grey Range 19 Castle Mountains 20 Sands granite 49 Vontrigger Springs and eastward 20 Laramide orogeny 50 Mid Hills ------------------- 20 Structural features 50 Providence Mountains 21 General description 50 Clark Mountain and Ivanpah Mountain_ 21 Age of orogeny 51 Southwest quarter 21 Chronology of events 52 Northwest quarter 23 Description of fault blocks 52 Intrusive rocks, shonkinite and syenite Sloan block ----------- 53 dikes 25 Bird Spring block 53 Sedimentary rocks-Pahrump series 25 Contact block 54 Formations 26 Keystone block 54 Crystal Springs formation 26 Mesquite block northeast of Ivanpah fault 57 Beck Spring dolomite 26 Clark Mountain block 57 Kingston Peak formation 27 Mesquite block southwest of Ivanpah fault 59 Age and correlation 27 Winters block 60 Paleozoic era ---------------------------- 28 Kingston Range and Shadow Mountains - 61 Cambrian system 28 Intrusive rocks -------- 61 Western facies 28 Teutonia quartz monzonite 61 Noonday dolomite 28 Form of the quartz monzonite body_ 62 Prospect Mountain quartzite 29 Megascopic properties 63 Clark Mountain area 29 Microscopic features 64 Winters Pass area 30 Inclusions ----------- 64 Old Dad Mountain area 31 Alteration of the bordering rocks 66 Pioche Shale 31 Dolomitization 67 Eastern facies 32 Kingston Range monzonite porphyry 67 Tapeats sandstone 32 Dikes and sills - -------- 68 Bright Angel shale 34 Alteration of bordering rocks 69 Fossils 37 Mineralogy of the contact zone at the Dewey Age and Correlation 38 mine by Jewell J. Glass 69 Upper Cambrian to Devonian rocks 38 Description of the specimens 69 Goodsprings dolomite 38 Description of the minerals 70 III IV CONTENTS Geology-Continued Page Geology-Continued Cenozoic era 72 Mineral deposits-Continued Early Tertiary erosion _ 72 Mineralogy-Continued Page Features of the underlying surface 72 Sulfides 116 Middle Tertiary rocks 73 Chlorides and fluorides 116 General features 73 Oxides -- ------------------------ 116 Volcanic rock types 74 Carbonates 117 Eastern basins 75 Silicates 118 General features- 75 Phosphates 118 Black Mountain area 75 Vanadates _ 119 Hills east of Erie _ 77 Sulfates_ 119 McCullough Range and Lucy Grey Laramide ore deposits 119 Range -- ------------------ 78 Gold deposits 119 Highland Spring area 80 Henry Mine 120 New York Mountains and Crescent Huytens Mine 120 Peak 80 Telegraph Mine 120 Castle Mountains 80 Paymaster Mine 120 Piute Range 81 Brannigan Mine 122 Hills east of Hackberry Mountain --- 82 Oro Fino Mine 122 Hackberry Mountain and hills east of Lucky Mine 122 Providence Mountains __ 82 Marl Spring prospects 122 Spring Mountains and nearby hills 84 Red Cloud Mine 122 Valley Ridge 84 Oro Amigo Mine 123 Table Mountain 85 Chaquita Mine 123 Sultan Mine area 85 Keystone Mine 123 Devil Peak area 86 Golden Chariot Mine 123 Western basins - 86 Clementina Mine 123 Shadow Mountains area 86 Lavina Mine 123 Halloran Springs area 90 Colosseum Mine 125 Devils Playground area 91 Green, Turner and Mallet Mine 125 Late Tertiary (middle Pliocene?) orogeny- 92 Sulphide Queen Mine 125 General features of the deformation--- 92 Morning Star Mine 126 Structure of the rocks east of Ivanpah Kewanee Mine_ 126 Valley 93 Vanderbilt Mines - 126 Kingston thrust fault 95 Midnight Mine 126 Old Dad fault 100 Gold Bronze Mine 127 Playground thrust fault _ 100 Barnett Mine- 127 Age of the Kingston and Playground Gold King Mine 127 thrusts --------- 101 Lost Burro Mine 127 Episodes and processes of Quaternary age- 101 Lucy Grey Mine 128 Development of the Ivanpah uplandc - 101 Double Standard Mine 128 Deposition of Resting Springs forma- Lucky Dutchman Mine 128 tion ------------------------- 102 Nippeno Mine -_ 129 Erosion of the Resting Springs forma- True Blue Mine_- 129 tion ----------------------- 103 Silver deposits. 129 Extrusion of early basalt flows 103 Beatrice Mine 129 Formation of valleys by faulting and Lizzie Bullock Mine 130 warping 105 Allie Mine- 131 Deposition of alluvium _ 106 Stonewall Mine 131 Older alluvium 106 Mescal Mine- 132 Younger alluvium 108 Teutonia Mine 133 Deposition in local lakes 108 Death Valley Mine 133 Extrusion of the later basalt flows ---- 109 Columbia Mine. 133 Deposition of windblown sand 109 Leiser Ray Mine. 134 Relations of the episodes of Cenozoic age to Copper deposits- 134 those of nearby regions 110 Copperfield prospect 135 Mineral deposits_ 111 Foster Mine- 135 Metal deposits ___ 111 Unnamed prospect 135 Metallogenic epochs ill Ninety Nine Mine 135 Regional controls of the Laramide Ore deposits. 112 Boss Mine- 135 Supergene processes 114 Copper prospect. 136 Outlook for mining 114 Mammoth Mine 136 Discovery and development of mineral resources 114 Calarivada Mine _ 136 Mineralogy 115 Benson Mine ._ 136 Native metals _-- 115 Copper Wprld Mine .__ 136 CONTENTS V Geology-Continued Geology-Continued Mineral deposits-Continued Mineral deposits-Continued Laramide ore deposits-Continued Laramide ore deposits-Continued Copper deposits-Continued Page Zinc deposits-Continued Page Dewey Mine 138 _ Carbonate King Mine 155 Standard No. I Mine 139 "Piute 'Mine 155 Copper prospect 139 Molybdenum deposits 155 Standard No. 2 Mine 139 Big Hunch Mine 155 Copper King Mine 139 Tungsten deposits 156 -New Trail Mine 139 Mojave Mine 156 Allured Mine 141 Cottonwood claims . 156 ! Sunnyside Mine --- 141 Cliff Canyon prospects .- . 157 Copper King No. 2 prospect 141 Lord and Irish Mine 157 Queen Mine 141 Tin deposits ----------- 157 Giant Ledge Mine 142 Evening Star Mine 157 Copper Bell prospect 142 Antimony deposits 157 Francis Mine 142 Wade Mine 157 California Mine 142 Iron deposits _ 158 Lead deposits 143 Beck deposits 158 Chambers Mine 143 Iron deposit east of Beck deposits 158 Blackwater Mine 144 Old Dad deposit 158 Sunrise Mine 144 Iron prospect northwest of Kelso 159 Hillside Mine 144 Late Tertiary gold deposits 159 vKirby Mine 144 Oro Belle Mine 159 .Shenandoah Mine 144 Hart Consolidated Mine - - 160 Hoosier Mine 144 Big Chief Mine - - 161 Birney's prospect 144 Crater group _ 162 Keipers Mine 144 Nonmetallic resources 162 Mohawk Mine 145 Fluorite 162 Blue Buzzard Mine 146 Limestone 162 Jackrabbit Mine 146 Dolomite 163 Trio Mine 146 Magnesite 163 Live Oak Mine 147 Quartz 163 Sagamore Mine 147 Feldspar 163 Peyton Mine 147 Mica mine 163 Zinc deposits 148 Clay mine 163 Green Monster Mine 149 Perlite 163 Potosi Mine 150 Gypsum. 164 Yellow Pine Mine 150 Rare earth deposits 164 'Argentena Mine 151 Talc deposits 164 Mountain Top Mine 152 Excelsior mine 164 Monte Cristo Mine 152 Smith mine 165 Bullion Mine 152 Turquoise ------ 165 Anchor Mine 153 Himalaya mine - - 165 Root Mine 153 Stone Hammer mine 165 'Sultan Mine 154 Toltec turquoise mine 165 Carbonate King Mine 154 Literature cited 166 Clark Mountain Mine 155 Index- 169 ILLUSTRATIONS Page PLATE 1. Geologic map and sections of the Ivanpah quadrangle, California-Nevada -In pocket 2. Fault classification map, showing location of mineral deposits, Ivanpah quadrangle, California-Nevada. - -- In pocket FIGURE 1. Index map of southern Nevada and southeastern California showing location of Ivanpah quadrangle- 3 2. Sections about N. 650 E. across the Shadow Mountains, Calif - 24 3. View north to hill (3,218 feet) east of Evening Star Wash, showing block of pre-Cambrian gneiss resting on clay of mid-Tertiary section, California -------- 24 4. Correlation of Cambrian sections from Marble Mountains, Calif., to Sheep Mountain, Nev -33 5. View S. 700 W. toward the ridges on the west slope of Providence Mountains, Calif -34 6. Correlation of Cambrian sections from New York Mountains, Calif., to Johnnie district, Nevada -- 36 7. View N. 100 E. toward close fold in Goodsprings dolomite, Clark Mountains, Calif -39 8. Photograph of a specimen of Goodsprings dolomite, Inyo County, Calif -39 1-I CONTENTS Page FIGURE 9. Photograph of a specimen of dacite flow-breccia from Mescal Range, Calif---------------------------------- 49 10. Diagram showing probable relations of flat and steep thrust faults and their effect upon outcrop belts of pre-Cam- brian, Paleozoic and Mesozoic rocks -51 11. View northwest toward Green Monster thrust fault, near Green Monster mine, Nevada -55 12. View N. 80 WV.toward hills north of Green Monster mine, Nevada -55 13. Ridge in sec. 5, T. 24 S., R. 57 E., showing open folds and minor thrust faults in Bird Spring formation, Nevada. 55 14. Detailed structural features in limestones of the Bird Spring formation, sec. 9, T. 24 S., R. 57 E -56 15. Diagrammatic section N. 450 E. through State Line Pass, showing recent normal movement on earlier steep thrust fault -_ 56 16. View N. 350 W. toward gap in ridge 1 mile south-of State Line Pass, showing steep thrust fault -56 17.