The geology and ore deposits of the Mountain Queen area, northern Swisshelm Mountains, Arizona Item Type text; Thesis-Reproduction (electronic); maps Authors Loring, William Bacheller, 1915- 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 01/10/2021 22:22:07 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/551136 THE GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF THE MOUNTAIN QUEEN AREA NORTHERN SWISSHELM MOUNTAINS ARIZONA by W. B. Loring 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 1947 Approved: £<779/ :L, 79*97 ^ TABLE OF CONTENTS Page INTRODUCTION .................................. 1 Scope of Investigation ..................... 1 Acknowledgements ........................... 1 Previous Work .................... 2 Location ..................... 2 Climate .............................. 3 Location map ............................ 3a Flora and Fauna ......................... 4 Topography and Drainage ..... ;........... 5 General Geology ............. 6 SEDIMENTARY ROCKS ........ 8 General Statement ....................... 8 Paleozoic Correlation Chart .............. 9 Bolsa Quartzite ..................... 11- Bolsa Quartzite Sequence ................ 11 Cochise Formation ....................... 1 2 - Cochise Formation Sequence .............. 13 Abrigo Formation .......................... 14 - Abrigo Formation Sequence ................ 15 Copper Queen Limestone .................. 16 - Copper Queen Limestone Sequence ......... 17 Copper Queen Limestone-Martin Limestone Disconformity ................... 17 185218 ii. Page Martin Limestone and Lower Ouray Limestone .. 17 Devonian Sequence ............. 19 Devonian-Mississippian Contact .......... 20 Escabrosa Limestone ................. 20 Escabrosa Limestone Sequence ............. 21 Escabrosa Limestone-Naco Limestone Disconformity .............. 22 Naco Limestone ............................ 23 Haco Limestone Sequence .................. 24 Range of Fauna in Haco Limestone ......... 40 Cycles of Deposition ..................... 40 Pennsylvanian-Permian Disconformity ...... 41 Permian ...... 42 Permian Sequence ......................... 43 Cretaceous ............. 44 Recent ................................... 44 IGNEOUS ROCKS ................. 46 General Statement ........................ 46 Granite .................................. 46 Diorite .................................. 47 Diorite Porphyry ......................... 47 Rhyolite .................................. 48 STRUCTURE ..................................... 50 General Statement ........................ 50 Page Folds .................................... 50 Faults ................................... 51 Age of Folding and Faulting ............... 52. Causes of Folding and Faulting ........... 52 GEOLOGIC HISTORY .............................. 54 General Statement ........................ 54 Pre-Cambrian ........................... 54 Cambrian ..................... 54 Ordovician ............................... 54 Silurian ................................. 54 Devonian ..................... 54 Mississippian ........................... 54 Pennsylvanian ............................ 55 Permian .................................. 55 Trias sic ............................. 55 Jurassic ......................... 55 Cretaceous ............................... 55 Tertiary ................................. 55 Recent ............ 55 ECONOMIC GEOLOGY ............................... 56 General Statement ........................ 56 Occurrence of Ore ........................ 56 Source of Ore ........... 56 V. Plate Cochise formation, — ooliticlimestone IXB Abrigo formation ........ XA Devonian outcrop ...................... XB Escabrosa Limestone .................. XIA Chaetetes in Naco limestone .......... XIB Rhyolite hills north of Swisshelm range .• XIIA North end of range, lower part of measured section ................... XIIB North end of range, upper part of measured section ................... XIII Devonian-Escabrosa contact ............. XIVA Escabrosa-Naco contact ........ XIVB Chaetetes in Naco limestone .......... XVA Chert in Naco limestone ................ XVB Naco-Permian contact ................... XVIA Permian limestone beds ............ XVTB Peraian conglomerate marl beds contact . • XVIIA Permian conglomerate .......... XVIIB Granite-Cochise contact ...... XVIIIA Granite-Bolsa contact ....*••......... XVIIIB Rhyolite, northeast corner mapped area .. XIXA Rhyolite hills north of range ......... XIXB • Anticline, — granite and Bolsa quartzite XX vi Plate View shov/ing-section A -A’.;.. ........... XXI * :View.^.showing • west- end of section B.;- B;’; , i* .--/ XXII :: View - showing : east jend: of section C.’-; G Vi i.ch'XXIII v ■ ■ - Chance:manway ;and shaft . • • • : c ,; XXTVA -n Chance shaft and.loading pocket .. XXIVB V" A.: t,h-'- ■ '-UC:;;, ‘.ho ol:*. IVvo.: -•hvi.ch. ih;-/ X/: L'hi 70'0-0 X-XX i xh o; I the X i'V. 'of; ; .7:he v.xrl: • /:::■ o h oo 7.:on J x m -x r-y lc / x i h . l ; h X ;.f l.V.r - •7-.?-: .;:'"':'7:7 .O' XX'XX.rXJXhj.'r oh X XX. ••• ’ ''--h.c:y - xurv-.xx x'x'o rhoxo^xxxy- xivh Xo- o* '[ ch hOO 7 -ixh \.o fix 'ixvh. .cy h "7; X-h : o-::'.xurL vx.;:.x ov.L:Ci.oc v h: 7'xo-,y \-hr. <:*.7' :■ ;o. 7-7' XiX-'X',;..: :; f 7 ,.’ . .1 cLy-:-. :7;'Vh7 T h e \ r 17.7 - ' 7 77 -.;b-7 - • - X .7.. -'7 ’ „7V 'O V .r 7; 1. ■ ... hiv. 7::;-2.v -y ■'Or-'’r h o h - :: r e x,.: ^ i . ; e r e - i,.- o f A r.i e l;" -. h ~ , bolio o l i . / 1 ■ vJ e h e 1 i n ; '/x: x ; h i '. A , 77v-7y. .no X- 1; r c c i n *’ ■■ ‘ X - ■ ' <- 7 7- 77 * t. j ^ \ ~ -> .1 " :■ V ; e V ^ # ' e T p ;;l i r ; - ■ V .7 e : - i l l • , \ > v * - - 7 •o:,r; ; : ; 0 , l v i , •; A' 0 - . - '1 / y 1 n „7 i v i ! ♦ 7-0 -'.r X ...0 7 '7 7 . ■0 ' - C' -.I e s; •' : T :-oO;7X \'.:0 70'7, ' j . 1. INTRODUCTION Scope of Investigation With the approval of the faculty of the Geology Department of the University of Arizona, the writer chose the study of an area in the Swisshelra Mountains of south­ eastern Arizona as the subject of his thesis. This area centers in the Mountain Queen claim, the one from which has come most of the metal production from the area. The field work was carried on from January to April, 1947. A part of the Pearce quadrangle topographic sheet, U. S. Geological Survey, was enlarged by photography and pantograph to the scale of 500 feet to the inch, and used in mapping; the contours were modified where necessary during the course of mapping. Acknowledgements The writer is indebted for. advice and encouragement to every member of the staff of the Geology Department of the University of Arizona. Dr. P. W. Galbraith and Professor E. D. McKee visited the area; Dr. A.- A. Stoyanow helped in the identification of fossils, and Dr. M. N. Short in the examination of polished sections. The writer assumes full responsibility for any errors in presentation or inter­ pretation. The writer is grateful to R. L. Brown, Douglas, Joe and Elmer Ridbaun, Elfrida, and Ben Heney, Tucson, mine 2. operators in the Mountain Queen area, who gave ready per­ mission to examine and sample their workings. The plan of the Mountain Queen is based on a map loaned by R. L. Brown, operator of that property, which he received from Dr. C. A. Rasor of the-Phoenix office of the Reconstruction Finance Corporation. The history of mining has been compiled from information obtained from the above-mentioned mine operators and from Hawley and Hawley, Douglas assayers. Previous Work The Swisshelm range and isolated small peaks in the Sulphur Springs valley were mapped in 1922, on a scale of 2 miles to the inch, by C. J. Sarle, then of the University of Arizona. This map was incorporated in the State Geological Map. There was no report published. The Reconstruction Finance Corporation examined the pro­ perties in the area under the direction of Dr. C. A. Rasor in 1946. Location The area mapped in connection with this thesis comprises Sec. 12, the E. half of Sec. 11, the H. half of Sec. 13 and the N.E. quarter of Sec. 14, all in Twp. 20S., Range 27E., in southeastern Arizona. The Mountain Queen mine is located, approximately, at 31° 42* IT. Lat. and 109° 33' E. Long. It is about twenty-five miles due north of Douglas, and is 3 Reached from there by 30 miles of pavement (the Douglas- Willcox highway), thirteen miles of graveled county road (the Rucker Canyon road), and five miles of narrow gravel­ ed mine road. The closest store and post office are in the village of Elfrida, in the center of the Sulphur Springs valley, about ten miles west across the range, but twenty-four miles by the route described above, Tucson, via Tombstone and Benson, is one hundred and thirty-six miles to the northwest. Climate The climate is semi-arid, with a hot summer during which most of the rainfall occurs, a mild winter during which snow covers the ground for a week or two, a warm autumn, and a warm spring with strong westerly winds. In Douglas, twenty-five miles south and 1300 feet lower, the average annual temperature is 78.0° maximum and 46.3° minimum, with a change in temperature between day and night of 30° or higher. The monthly figures for Douglas follow in Table