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Geology and ore deposits of the western portion of the Hilltop Mine area, Cochise County, Arizona Item Type text; Thesis-Reproduction (electronic); maps Authors Brittain, Richard Lemuel, 1921- 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 06/10/2021 08:37:14 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/553871 GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF THE WESTERN PORTION OF THE HILLTOP MINE AREA, COCHISE COUNTY, ARIZONA by Richard L. Brittain A Thesis submitted to the faculty of the Department of Geology in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE in the Graduate College, University of Arizona 1954 Approved: Director of Thesis Date ismsr/ asr ao ariscsaa sso mu yooioio IHT 10 . Xd ";i. J bn - d... 3dJ"i: a;/a lo ..'.3 ;*'3 91 ij" "fol 3dTr^B?OT.£Lrp9r- 3lij 1 o autU r3 Trf^ JCj3ld"tsq fll Jf:"I03 10 teT3AIf OP on A jro-v : v . J t 9^t .ZoO r 1 ,i0 orit n l >eei sbevoi^qA This thesis has been submitted in partial fulfillment of require­ ments for an advanced degree at the University of Arizona and is deposited in the Library to be made available to borrowers under rules of the Library, Brief quotations from this thesis are allowable without special permission, provided that accurate acknowledgment of source is made. Requests for permission for extended quotation from or reproduction of this manuscript in whole or in part may be granted by the head of the major depart­ ment or the dean of the Graduate College when in their judgment the proposed use of the material is in the interests of scholair­ ship. In all other instances, however, permission must be obtained from the author. SIGNED: ii CONTENTS - - Page ABSTRACT ........ ...................................... • vi INTRODUCTION ........................................... 1 Purpose of Investigation and Field Work ........... 1 Summary of Previous Work .................... 2 Acknowledgments ................................... 4 Geography ..................... 5 Location .......... 5 Climate ............. 7 GEOLOGY ......... ...................................... 8 Summary ................................... 8 Sedimentary Rocks ............. 11 Bolsa quartzite .............. 11 Abrigo limestone ........................... 12 Martin limestone ............... 14 Escabrosa limestone ........... 15 Paradise formation ..................... 18 Naco limestone ........................ 20 Permian system ....... 30 Footwall limestone member ............... 30 Hilltop quartzite member ............. 33 Hanging-Wall limestone member ........... 34 Cretaceous (?) strata ................... 37 Quaternary alluvium ................... 39 Igneous Rocks ...... 40 Introduction ......... 40 Plutonic body ........................... 40 Tabular bodies .................i......... 43 General ..... 43 Granite porphyry ........ 44 Quartz felsite ..... 44 Rhyolite porphyry and andesite porphyry . 46 Quartz diorite ..... 48 Age and history of igneous intrusions ........ 49 Volcanic flows ............... 49 General ........... 49 Age ....................................... 51 Page GEOLOGY— Continued. ..... .... Metamorphic Rocks ............... 52 Structural Geology ........................ 55 Summary ....... 55 Folding .................................. 57 Major folding .................. 57 Minor folding ....... 58 Faulting ..... 58 Low-angle faults .................. 58 Bedding-plane faults ............... 59 High-angle faults ...................... 60 Transverse to beds .............. 60 En echelon faults ..... 63 East "Whitetail Creek fault ....... 63 Hilltop quartzite cross faults .... 63 Parallel to main ridge ........... 64 ECONOMIC GEOLOGY ................... .................. 65 History of Mining and Production-Hilltop Mine Area 65 Hilltop Mine ........................ 67 Location ................ 67 Production .............. 67 Developments - mine workings ................ 68 General character and classification of deposits 71 Chimney or irregular replacement deposits 72 Vein deposits ...................... 73 Bed replacement deposits ............... 73 Secondary deposits .......... 74 Relation - ore to structure ..... 75 Relation - ore to sediments ........ ........ 76 Relation - ore to igneous bodies ........... 77 Ore bodies ..... 78 Blacksmith adit level .................. 78 Kasper tunnel level .................... 79 Ore zone no. 1 ..... 79 Ore zone no. 2 .................... 79 Ore zone no. 3 ......... 80 Gray adit level ................ 80 Ore zone no. 1 80 Ore zone no. 2 82 Ore zone no. 3 82 Rehm adit level ....... 83 Ore zone no. 1 83 Ore zone no. 2 83 Mineralogy ..... 84 Ore deposition controlling factors .......... 85 Origin of the ore .............. 89 Mining methods ..... 90 Metallurgy and transportation of the ore .... 92 iv Page GEOLOGIC HISTORY ...................................... 93 BIBLIOGRAPHY .......... ............................... 96 V ILLUSTRATIONS Page Figure:, 1. Location Map 6 Plates: I. Geologic map. Hilltop mine area ... in pocket II. Geologic map. Hilltop mine .......... in pocket H I . Geologic map. Blacksmith fault zone . in pocket • .IV. Longitudinal projection. Blacksmith fault strand 1 and Gray, raise 6 ,;V. ore shoot .............................. in pocket V. Section, Blacksmith fault zone, to 1 : accompany map of Hilltop mine .......... in pocket VI. Geologic cross section to accompany ' \ .. map of Hilltop mire area ........ in pocket Photographic Plates :: 1 ■■ ■ ; .. LU::. VII. A. Chaetetes milleporaceus corallites ; : in Pennsylvanian Naco limestone B. Basal Cretaceous (?) conglomerate : VIII. ;A. "Cretaceous (?) sediments B. Middle Tertiary (?) volcanics • ' IX. A. Dunn shaft : •• . - B. Blacksmith workings , X. ;A. Hilltop canp . B. Gray adit portal and d m p • : ' . XI. A. Rehm adit dump " XII. A. Hilltop mire area : ; . • B. Abrigo limestone INTRODUCTION Purpose of Investigation and Field Work With the approval of the faculty of the Geology Department, University of Arizona, the writer chose the geological study of an area in the Chiricahua Mountains of southeastern Arizona» This thesis is to be submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of master of science. The field work was done from June through September 1951, and later field and laboratory investigations were made during 1952 and 1953. Aerial photos on a scale of I/696O were used as the base for field mapping. The geology was transferred to a section of the Coro­ nado National Forest map (Chiricahua Division) which was enlarged by photograph to a scale of 1/6960. The contour lines were modified according to the mine and map elevations during the course of the mapping and transferring of the geology. The underground geology was mapped on tracings of the mine level maps on a scale of 1 inches 50 feet and pantographed to a scale of 1 inch* 100 feet for the final map. The underground mapping is the work of both the writer and K. G. Papke, his assigned partner and associate in geology; whereas the geological interpretation is that of the writer. ■ c \ • • The sections of the Naco limestone and Permian system were measured by Papke and the writer. The measurements were made with a 50-foot tape, and the strikes were read with a Brunton compass. Summary of Previous Work Few geologic studies or investigations have been undertaken in the Chiricahua Mountains in the past. A general list of the work pertaining to the northeastern area of the range follows: Gilbert, G. K., 1875, Report on the geology of portions of Nevada, Utah, California, and Arizona, U.S. Geographic Survey Vest of 100th Meridian, pp. 507-513• Gilbert passed through the northern Chiricahua Mountains with the Wheeler Expedition and advanced a theory on their structure. Durable, E.T., 1901, Notes on the geology of southeastern Arizona: Am. Inst. Min. Eng. Trans., vol. 31, pp. 696-715. Durable men­ tioned the Chiricahua Mountains in a reconnaissance report. Paige, Sidney, 1909# Marble prospects in the Chiricahua Mountains, Arizona: U.S. Geol. Survey Bull. 380, pp. 299-3H. Paige des­ cribed several marble prospects including the Cochise Marble Placer (patented) in East Vhitetail Creek, one mile northwest of the area mapped. Badger, S.S., 1911, The Chiricahua Mountains: Eng. and Min. Jour., vol. 91, p. 663. Badger reported on the raining history of the Chiricahua Mountains. Schwennesen, A.T., 1917, Ground water in San Simon Valley, Arizona and New Mexico: U. S. Geol. Survey Water-Supply Paper 425, pp. 1-35. Schwennesen wrote on the groundwater conditions in the San Simon Valley and the east margin of the Chiricahua Mountains. Huntoon, L.D., 1919, Private report to the Hilltop Extension Mining Company. Huntoon made a geological report on the Hilltop Ex­ tension properties. Berkey, C.P., 1920, Private report to the Hilltop Metals Mining Company. Berkey made a complete geological report on the main Hilltop mine and adjacent area. Sarle, C.J., 1922, Sketch of geology of Dos Cabezas, (abstract): Science, new ser., vol. 55, p. 554. Sarle mentioned the Chiri- cahua Mountains when discussing the structurally related Dos Cabezas Mountains to the northwest. Sarle1s reconnaissance map of both ranges on a scale of 1/125000 was later incor­ porated in the geological map of Arizona. A copy of this map

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