UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Harold L. Ickes, Secretary GEOLOGICAL SURVEY W. C. Mendenhall, Director Bulletin 879 GEOLOGY AND MINERAL RESOURCES OF THE BAKER QUADRANGLE, OREGON BY JAMES GILLULY Prepared in cooperation with the OREGON STATE MINING BOARD UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE WASHINGTON : 1937 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, Washington, D. C. ------ Price -65 cents CONTENTS Page Abstract. ______________.________--_-_---_-_--.--_-.---------.---_ 1 Introduction._ _ _ ________________________________________________ 2 Field work and acknowledgments.______________________________ 2 Bibliography_.____._____..._.._.-_..---.._--_-...--......-._. 3 Geography.________ ...........^..-..-....... __-_____--__--.__--_. 4 Location and general features of the region.._____-_-.-___---._.._ 4 Topography.____..__.______._._._.___..-___ __-_.__.___.__. 5 Climate_._______-___--__.---__--__---_---_----__.-----.---_ 6 Drainage_ _ -__-_----_----.---------------------------------- 6 Geology .__.____-___.-____-.-__._.---.--_-_.._-.-.--....-_-. 7 General features.______-____----_--------_-____---_-_---__--__ 7 Pre-Tertiary rocks.___.-_-----------------------.--------.--.. 9 Supracrustal rocks_______________--_--__-___-_-_-------__ 9 Burnt River schist.__-____-__---__--__-_---_---__---__ 9 Distribution and topographic expression.._.._....._. 9 Thickness.__-__---_----------_-----------------_- 9 Lithology __-_-_______-_---_-..------.-__--_-_--_- 10 Conditions of sedimentation._..______--___-_.__-.._ 12 Stratigraphic relations and age_________._____.-.__ 12 Elkhorn Ridge argillite.-..__._-.----_-__-..-_-____-_-. 14 General features-___---___-------_----------_--___ 14 Thickness-__--__--_--_---_----------_-_-----_--__ 14 Lithology _____._---_-__-__--__--_-_--__-_-.-_-___ 14 Nonfissility of the argillite____-.______._-__-_---_ 18 Conditions of deposition.______.-___.-__._-___.____ 20 Age and relations to other formations.-.--._------_-. 20 Clover Creek greenstone___---_---__----------_---_---_ 21 General features----_----_--.-------__---------.__ 21 Thickness-_-__---------------------------------.- 21 Lithology _____.___._-_--_--___-______-__-_--__.__ 22 Conditions of origin.__.__.-______________-.._____. 26 Age and correlation_______________________________ 26 Intrusive rocks._________--_-_--------_----------------_-_ 27 General features.____--_------_-----------_------_---- 27 Gabbro and related rocks._--___-_____-__-_______._-_._ 29 Range in composition_-__.__._________-_-._-__.__ 29 Peridotite.----._-------_...........___...._ 29 Serpentine. ____,----_---------_----___------_---- 30 Hyperite._.-____-_--_---_.--___---__----_-------_ 30 Hornblendite.___----_----_---__----_-------_----_ 31 Gabbro and metagabbro. __---___---__----_-__-_-__ 32 Silicified gabbro_________________________________ 35 Hornblende-quartz diorite...-_--_----_---__-____--_ 36 Trondhjemite_ _ --_------_---__-------__-----.--_ 37 Albite granite___________________________________ 37 Magmatic relations of the earlier intrusives___._______ 40 Biotite-quartz diorite--------_-_---_-----_----_---_---_ 41 Dikes_ _ ____________________________________________ 45 Greenstone of unknown age and origin.._-__-___-_-___.__ 46 in IV CONTENTS Geology Continued. Page Pre-Tertiary unconformity-__-_-----_______-_--________________ 47 Tertiary rocks._______________________________________________ 48 Supracrustalrocks.-___---__.--_-__._.___________..____.__ 48 Gravel older than the Dooley rhyolite breccia___________ 48 Dooley rhyolite breccia._______________________________ 49 Flow-banded andesite_______________________________ 52 Andesite tuff-breccia_________________________________ 53 Columbia River lava____-____________________.________ 55 Distribution and topographic expression _____________ 55 Petrography._____________________________________ 55 Relations to older rocks..___-_--_--__-________-____ 56 Relations to fluviatile and lacustrine deposits________ 57 Thickness. _______________________________________ 58 Lacustrine and fluviatile deposits associated with Columbia River lava.________________________________________ 59 Correlation and regional relations of the Tertiary supra- crustal rocks_____________________________________ 61 Intrusive rocks._______-_---_----__-_--_-__-_______-----__ 64 Dacite.-____-____-_--_----____-_--__-__-_________---_ 64 Dikes....._-_--__-_-_----______-____--__---_--._.__ 64 Quaternary rocks.____________________________________________ 65 Structure.-________-_________-----_-_____-____--______-______ 66 General features.__________'______________-__-______--__-__ 66 Structural features referable to pre-Tertiary deformation____.__ 67 Major features.----..--------------------------------.-- 67 Structure of the Burnt River schist._-________-_-_-____-_ 67 Structure of the Elkhorn Ridge argillite._________________ '69 Structure of the Clover Creek greenstone___________-_--_- 70 Metamorphism. _ _____-_--_-______--_-___---_____-_--__--- 70 Structure referable to late Tertiary and Quaternary deformation. 71 General features_-__--_-_-------_--_----_--__-_------- 71 Major structural units.__-__--_______-__-________-_--__ 71 Dooley Mountain anticline.-___--_---__--_-__-_---_ 71 Elkhorn Ridge anticline._-_--_____.__________-__.-_ 72 Alder Creek-Sutton Creek trough..__---___-___--.__ 72 Virtue Hills upwarp..______________________________ 73 Virtue Flat depression._._. __.._______._____-_____ 73 Ruckles Creek-Magpie Peak monocline._____________ 73 Lower Powder syncline_-_____-_____________.______ 74 Baker Valley.._______.__.__-----____... 74 Durkee Basin____-_-_-_-___-----_________--_-_--_- 75 Minor structural features._____________________________ 75 Structural relief due to Tertiary and Quaternary deformation. 77 Origin of the Tertiary structure...______________________ 77 Geomorphology_ _ _________________________________________________ 78 The late Miocene surface.____----__--__-_-----_--_-__-------.- 78 Effects of deformation.________________________________________ 79 Development of drainage--------.-----.------------------------ 79 Earlier erosion cycles._________-__-_____-_-___-___-______-_-_-- 83 Minor gcomorphic features.___-__--_-_------_-__----.--__--_--- 86 Historical geology.__-_-___-__--_-----------------------_---_------ 87 CONTENTS Y Page Economic geology..________.__----_-_-.---_------------------__--- 91 Mineral resources._.___.______.__-_-______--_-----_-----._--__ 91 Gold deposits.________________----_-----_-----------------_--- 93 Virtue district._____--_____---__-------_----_--_--------_- 93 Ore deposits-_.________---_---------_-------------____ 93 The mines_--_---__----------------------------------- 94 Virtue mine.____----__--------- ----_-_---_----- 94 Flagstaff mine.__---_-_---___-_--_--_-_-_-------__ 96 Koehler mine._---_---_-----_------------------_-. 97 Norwood mine..__---_.__--_-_----------_-------_- 98 Cliff mine.--.------------------------__-------- 98 White Swan mine._-__---_ --_-__-__---..---_-_-__ 98 Chicago-Virtue prospect..___-______-------_--_--_- 99 Carroll B. prospect._________------------_- ------ 100 Brazos mine.--------..---------------------------- 100 Other prospects-_.___..___-----__--..-.--._-..---. 100 Baker district..._.. -.---------.--------....---.---.-.--- 101 Ore deposits-.-....----------------------------------- 101 The mines-..-----.-------------------------------- 101 Tom Paine mines.____..-___--.___----.--_-_-..----- 101 Old Soldier claim________________._...._.._____ 102 Marble Creek Mining & Milling Co.---...------.--- 102 Yellow Boy mine - - - -_------------- ------ 102 Stub mine-..-._..--..__..___-_..._--..........._. 102 Sorbeck prospect - -_ ---_------------_ ------ 103 Dale prospect.___--__-__--_____--.----_------..._.. 103 Placer mines__-_-_-__________-__-----_--_-__-_-_ 103 Recent gravel of Powder River___._________________________ 105 Pine Creek placers._______----_-__-_--___-_ _---_ --__-_ 105 Burnt River placers._-_ ---------_---__--------__ -_____ 106 Tertiary gravel----------------------------.------------.. 106 Copper deposits.-____--__------------_-_-_-----___-_-_-___-__ 106 General features.____-_-------.__-____________--___-______ 106 The mines..________________________________________ 107 Buckeye mine.---_--------_----_-___-______-- ___-__ 107 Clover Creek Copper Co_ _ . ____________________________ 107 Copper Queen mine..---..-----------_--__--__-------_ 109 Prospects near Tucker Creek._________._._._._.________ 110 Manganese deposits___-____-_-----_---__----__-_-_--___-._--.. Ill Pleasant Valley area___----_-_-_____-______-______-______ 111 Location and accessibility.-__________.___....-..___-.-_ Ill Production. __________________________________________ 111 Occurrence of tungsten________________________ ______ 111 Ore bodies. __-_--_-----_---__--_--___--______ ______ 112 Sheep Mountain....--_.--_------._____..___._____________ 113 Tungsten.___________________________________________________ 113 Antimony. ___________________________________________________ 114 Lignite._____________________________________________________ 114 Asbestos_____________________________________________________ 114 Building stone.-----_--__--_---_---__---______________________ 115 'K3Tanite"________________________________________________ 115 Volcanic tuff.-_-_---_-.-_----_---___________.._____._____ 115 Diatomite_ _________________________________________________ 116 Index__.._____._________________________________________________ 117 ILLUSTRATIONS Page PLATE 1.. Geologic map of the