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U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2016-1191

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U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2016-1191 Prepared in cooperation with the Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys GIS-Based Identification of Areas that have Resource Potential for Critical Minerals in Six Selected Groups of Deposit Types in Alaska Edited by Susan M. Karl, James V. Jones, III, and Timothy S. Hayes With contributions from Matthew Granitto, Timothy S. Hayes, James V. Jones, III, Susan M. Karl, Keith A. Labay, Jeffrey L. Mauk, Jeanine M. Schmidt, Nora B. Shew, Erin Todd, Bronwen Wang, Melanie B. Werdon, and Douglas B. Yager Open-File Report 2016–1191 2016 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Department of the Interior Sally Jewell, Secretary U.S. Geological Survey Suzette Kimball, Director U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2016 For more information on the USGS—the Federal source for science about the Earth, its natural and living resources, natural hazards, and the environment—visit http://www.usgs.gov or call 1–888–ASK–USGS For an overview of USGS information products, including maps, imagery, and publications, visit http://www.usgs.gov/pubprod To order this and other USGS information products, visit http://store.usgs.gov Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. Although this report is in the public domain, permission must be secured from the individual copyright owners to reproduce any copyrighted material contained within this report. Suggested citation: Karl, S.M., Jones, J.V., III, and Hayes, T.S., eds., 2016, GIS-based identification of areas that have resource potential for critical minerals in six selected groups of deposit types in Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2016–1191, 99 p., 5 appendixes, 12 plates, scale 1:10,500,000, http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/ofr20161191. ISSN 2331-1258 (online) COVER: Mineralized and altered alkaline granitic rocks near the western margin of the Paleocene Tired Pup pluton, in the western Alaska Range. The pluton includes both alkaline and peraluminous granitic rocks of the same age; the alkaline granitic rocks commonly contain fluorite, allanite, monazite, and xenotime, and the peraluminous granitic rocks contain fluorite, tourmaline, molybdenite, and cassiterite. Sediments in adjacent streams contain high levels of rare earth elements, tin, and molybdenum. Photograph by S.M. Karl, 2013. Contents Abstract .......................................................................................................................................................................... 1 Introduction .................................................................................................................................................................... 3 Purpose and Scope .................................................................................................................................................... 3 Deposit-Group Characteristics .................................................................................................................................... 5 REE-Th-Y-Nb(-U-Zr) Deposits Associated with Peralkaline to Carbonatitic Intrusive Rocks .................................. 5 Placer and Paleoplacer Gold (Au) Deposits ............................................................................................................ 6 PGE(-Co-Cr-Ni-Ti-V) Deposits Associated with Mafic to Ultramafic Intrusive Rocks .............................................. 8 Carbonate-Hosted Cu(-Co-Ag-Ge-Ga) Deposits ..................................................................................................... 9 Sandstone-Hosted U(-V-Cu) Deposits .................................................................................................................. 10 Sn-W-Mo(-Ta-In-Fluorspar) Deposits Associated with Specialized Granites ........................................................ 11 Data Sources and Treatments .................................................................................................................................. 12 National Hydrography Dataset and Watershed Boundary Dataset ....................................................................... 12 Geochemical Data Sources .................................................................................................................................. 12 Stream-Sediment Geochemistry ....................................................................................................................... 13 Igneous-Rock Geochemistry ............................................................................................................................. 14 Heavy-Mineral-Concentrate Mineralogy and Geochemistry .............................................................................. 16 Alaska Resource Data File ................................................................................................................................... 16 Geologic Map of Alaska ........................................................................................................................................ 17 Aerial Gamma-Ray Surveys ................................................................................................................................. 17 GIS-Based Methods ................................................................................................................................................. 17 Chapter 1. REE-Th-Y-Nb(-U-Zr) Deposits Associated with Peralkaline to Carbonatitic Intrusive Rocks ...................... 19 Deposit-Group Characteristics .................................................................................................................................. 19 Mineral-Resource-Potential Estimation Method ........................................................................................................ 20 Lithology ............................................................................................................................................................... 20 Igneous-Rock Geochemistry ................................................................................................................................. 21 Alaska Resource Data File ................................................................................................................................... 22 Stream-Sediment Geochemistry ........................................................................................................................... 22 Heavy-Mineral-Concentrate Data .......................................................................................................................... 23 Aerial Gamma-Ray Survey Data ........................................................................................................................... 23 Results and Discussion ............................................................................................................................................ 24 Known REE-Th-Y-Nb(-U-Zr) Mineralization in Peralkaline to Carbonatitic Intrusive Rocks in Alaska ................... 24 Areas Recognized from this Study that have Potential for REE-Th-Y-Nb(-U-Zr) Deposits .................................... 26 Chapter 2. Placer and Paleoplacer Gold (Au) Deposits ............................................................................................... 28 Deposit-Group Characteristics .................................................................................................................................. 28 Mineral-Resource-Potential Estimation Method ........................................................................................................ 29 Lithology ............................................................................................................................................................... 29 Alaska Resource Data File ................................................................................................................................... 29 Heavy-Mineral-Concentrate Mineralogy ................................................................................................................ 30 Stream-Sediment Geochemistry ........................................................................................................................... 30 Results and Discussion ............................................................................................................................................ 30 Chapter 3. PGE(-Co-Cr-Cu-Ni-Ti-V) Deposits Associated with Mafic to Ultramafic Intrusive Rocks ............................ 33 Deposit-Group Characteristics .................................................................................................................................. 33 Mineral-Resource-Potential Estimation Method ........................................................................................................ 33 Lithology ............................................................................................................................................................... 33 iii Alaska Resource Data File ................................................................................................................................... 34 Heavy-Mineral-Concentrate Mineralogy ................................................................................................................ 34 Approach for Geochemical Datasets ...................................................................................................................
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