Geology of the Curlew Quadrangle Ferry County Washington By RAYMOND L. PARKER and JAMES A. CALKINS GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 1169 A study of metamorphic, intrusive, and volcanic rocks, geologic structure, and mineral deposits UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON : 1964 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR STEWART L. UDALL, Secretary GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Thomas B. Nolan, Director The U.S. Geological Survey Library has cataloged this publication as follows : Parker, Raymond Laurence, 1921- Geology of the Curlew quadrangle, Ferry County, Wash­ ington, by Raymond L. Parker and James A. Calkins. Washington, U.S. Govt. Print. Off., 1964. v, 95 p. illus., maps t(4 fold., 3 col., in pocket) diagr., tables. 24cm. (ILS. Geological Survey. Bulletin 1169) Bibliography: p. 91-92. 1. Geology Washington (State) Ferry Co. 2. Petrology Wash­ ington (State) Ferry Co. I. Calkins, James Alfred, 1923- joint author. II. Title: Curlew quadrangle. Ferry County, Washing­ ton. (Series) For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Washington, D.C. 20402 CONTENTS Page Abstract..._____-'__._-_.___..._____._.___._-__--_____-____-_______ 1 Introduction ______________________________________________________ 2 Location, culture, and accessibility ______ _________________________ 2 Physical features._____-____-_-_-_____-_--___---__-----_---____ 3 Previous work____ _ -------------------------------------------- 4 Fieldwork and acknowledgments._______________________________ 4 General geology.--------------__--_-----------------------------.- 5 Pre-Permian rocks_.____________________________-__---__-______ 5 Metamorphic rocks of Tenas Mary Creek__-------__---------- 5 Orthoclase-quartz-oligoclase gneiss. _____---_---__--_--.._. 6 Marble and associated rocks._-._---_-__--_-_---__--_-_- 9 Quartzite -_____________---______-_----_----__--_-_-- 10 Hornblende schist.__-.--_-_-_-_--..___-_-___-_------._. 12 Quartz-plagioclase gneiss.___-_-_-_-___-_---___-___-____ 13 Schist..._.....-.----_.-....._...____._-.....--....... 16 Phyllite.-.---..............._-..-..--...._._.._..---. 19 Age and correlation_.__________________________________ 23 Metamorphic rocks of St. Peter Creek_____________________ 24 Permian and Triassic rocks.__..____--.____._____.___________.__ 27 General features....-.__.________.____..___._______________ 27 Lithology and internal structure-_____-_---_-___--_-._-___-_- 28 Southeastern belt...._.._..._.._..___.____.__.._.______ 29 Granite Mountain area________________________________- 29 Area north of Curlew__________________________________ 30 Conditions of sedimentation._______________________________ 34 Age and correlation._______________________________________ 34 Triassic(?) rocks_________-_.-_-___- _-___________._________.__ 35 Serpentine..______________________________________________ 35 Cretaceous(?) rocks..__________________________________________ 37 Granodiorite. ______________________________________________ 37 Intrusive rocks of Shasket Creek. ___________________________ 41 Tertiary rocks______------------_--_-__----_-_---_____-_-_----_ 46 O'Brien Creek Formation___--_____-________--___-_-__---_ 46 Sanpoil Volcanics________________________________________ 48 Scatter Creek Formation ___________________________________ 50 Quartz monzonite of Long Alec Creek______________________ 54 Dikes, undivided.__._____________________'_________________ 60 Klondike Mountain Formation________ ______________________ 62 General features...____________________________________ 62 Lithology and petrography,^-._ _ -_ _ _. ____________________ 63 Lower unit____________^__________________________ 63 Upper unit.___.-__-_._-.._______. _________________ 64 Age and correlation.___________________________________ 65 Porphyritic andesite dikes.___----_-___-___-______--____--__ 66 in IV CONTENTS General geology Continued Page Quaternary deposits.___--_---__-____________-____.____-------- 67 Kame terraces.____-__----_-_-_____._.__..____..___-__-.-. 67 Eskers (?) _________________________________________________ 68 Out wash _________________________________________________ 68 Till...___________________________________________________ 68 Origin of glacial deposits..____.._____________-_-____--_----_ 68 Structure.- -_-------_-_____--___________________--._._-------- 68 Blocks bordering graben__-_--_-_-__________________________ 69 Republic graben_________________________________________ 70 Boundary faults.-____-___..__-________________--------- 70 Otherfaults____-___._--._____._.____.____._____-_.____ 72 Folds. ___-_________-..-.-_____-__..____.___._____-__-. 72 Distribution of rocks in the graben.______-______-------- 73 Dike trends._-_________-______________--__--_-____-------- 75 Regional metamorphism______-______-_____-__________----_--_ 76 Metamorphic rocks of Tenas Mary Creek and Permian and Triassic rocks..-_____--________-__________-_____-------_ 76 Metamorphic rocks of St. Peter Creek_____________________ 79 Structures in metamorphic rocks____________________________ 80 Metamorphic rocks of Tenas Mary Creek.________--_-__-- 80 Metamorphic rocks of St. Peter Creek__________________ 81 Permian and Triassic rocks.____________________________ 81 Age of metamorphism_-_-______-__________________----__- 81 Geologic history.._____________________________________________ 82 Mineral deposits.--..__--------__---_-_____-_______________--______ 84 Comstock mine__-_-_______________--_--__-____________----____ 85 Lone Star mine_-__-----____-----___-__-_._____________________ 86 History._____________________________------_-_-__-------- 86 Mine workings.--_--_-_-___----______________________----- 86 Geology.-___----_--_-_---_________.._____________________ 86 Morning Star mine.--_--___-_--__-____________________-_______ 88 Lancaster mine.-..____________________________________________ 89 Other prospects.._______--_-------__-_-___--___________-______ 90 Suggestions for prospecting. _________________.______--__--_---__ 90 References cited_._________________________________________________ 91 Index _-__---__.__-________________.._._________.._...____________ 93 ILLUSTRATIONS [Plates are in pocket] PLATE 1. Geologic map and sections of the Curlew quadrangle. 2. Structural and interpretive geologic map of the Curlew quad­ rangle. 3. Geologic map of the Lone Star mine. 4. Map of the Morning Star mine and geologic map of part of its 1,740-foot level. CONTENTS V Page FIGURE 1. Index map of northeastern Washington-------------...----- 3 2. Orthoclase-quartz-oligoclase gneiss..-.--------------------- 7 3. Quartz-plagioclase gneiss..___...___.._.._______.__.__-___ 14 4. Amphibolite from layer within quartz-plagioclase gneiss._____ 16 5. Cretaceous(?) granodiorite_______-._______________________ 38 6. Syenite porphyry___--_-__---.._-._.--_----.._--_.------- 45 7. Coarse-grained quartz monzonite of Long Alec Creek...-_.-- 57 8. Medium-grained quartz monzonite of Long Alec Creek..----. 58 9. Quartz latite porphyry.-------.---.---------------------- 59 10. Range of metamorphic minerals of theTenas Mary Creek and Permian and Triassic rocks_____________________________ 77 TABLES Page TABLE 1. Chemical and modal analyses of granodiorite..-._-__----_---- 40 2. Modal analyses of some alkalic rocks of Shasket Creek....-..-- 43 3. Chemical analyses and norms of Sanpoil Volcanics...----_-_.- 51 4. Chemical analyses, modes, and norms of quartz monzonite of Long Alec Creek....--.._--_-_--._---_--_----_----.----- 56 5. Production of ore from the Morning Star and adjacent mines, 1903-43, Ferry County, Wash......._.___...._.......... 88 GEOLOGY OF THE CURLEW QUADRANGLE, FERRY COUNTY, WASHINGTON By RAYMOND L. PARKER and JAMES A. CALKINS ABSTRACT The Curlew quadrangle encompasses an area of about 200 square miles in the mountainous region of northeastern Washington. It is drained mainly by the Kettle River and Curlew Creek. Relief is moderate; altitudes range from about 1,750 to 5,500 feet. The oldest rocks in the quadrangle are the metamorphic rocks of Tenas Mary and St. Peter Creeks. They are pre-Permian in age and are probably mostly late Paleozoic, though some of them may be as old as Precambrian. The Tenas Mary Creek rocks consist of well-layered metamorphosed sedi­ mentary and igneous rocks and have a minimum thickness of about 17,000 feet. They have been correlated with the Grand Forks Schist in Canada and with other high-grade metamorphic rocks in the general region surrounding the Curlew quadrangle. The Tenas Mary Creek rocks have been subdivided into the following stratigraphic units: orthoclase-quartz-oligoclase gneiss, mar­ ble and related rocks, quartzite, hornblende schist, quartz-plagioclase gneiss, schist, and phyllite. The rocks show a generally low-dipping gross structure and a gradual decrease in degree of metamorphism, which ranges from the amphiloblite facies in the lower units to the greenschist facies in the upper units. The upper unit, the phyllite, is overlain by Permian and Triassic greenstone without evident unconformity or metamorphic discontinuity. The St. Peter Creek rocks are similar in lithology and metamorphic grade to the Tenas Mary Creek rocks and are tentatively correlated with them. Permian and .Triassic rocks consist of metamorphosed basic tuffs and flows and lesser amounts of limestone, argillite, graywacke, chert, and con­ glomerate. The metamorphic grade lies in the greenschist facies. The thick­ ness of these rocks is unknown. They enclose bodies of serpentine that were intruded possibly in the Late Triassic and