Geologic map of the Los Tamales chalcopyrite-molybdenite stockwork, northern Sonora, Mexico
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Geology topics
Publications and source records attributed to P. K. Theobald.
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In 1987, a cooperative project between the U.S. Geological Survey and the Institute of Geophysical and Geochemical Exploration was initiated to evaluate the origin of the Hatu gold anomaly. The anomaly is located in the Hatu mining district in the northwest corner of Xinjiang-Uygur Autonomous Region in northwest China. The climate is semiarid to arid and wind erosion predominates. A regional soil survey of the Hatu district, based on samples collected on a 200 by 500 m grid and composited prior to chemical analysis to a density of one sample per square km, delineated a series of south-southeast-trending Au anomalies. Anomalous Au values range from 5 ppb to more than 700 ppb. The Hatu anomaly, the most prominent of these anomalies, is more than 30 km long and about 5 km wide. The mining town of Hatu and the economic gold deposits of Qiqu 1 and Qiqu 2 are at the northern end of this anomaly. The axis of the Hatu anomaly cuts across mapped structure and stratigraphy in the district, but is parallel to the prevailing wind direction. This observation led to the hypothesis that the Hatu anomaly is the result of acolian dispersion of gold from the vicinity of Qiqu 1 and Qiqu 2. The alternative interpretation, that the anomalies reflected additional primary gold occurrences, was not consistent with existing information on the known occurrences and the geology.
Encompassing about 21,000 km 2 in southwestern Arizona, the Ajo and Lukeville 1° by 2° quadrangles have been the subject of mineral resource investigations utilizing field and laboratory studies in the disciplines of geology, geochemistry, geophysics, and Landsat imagery. The results of these studies are published as a folio of maps, figures, and tables, with accompanying discussions. Past mineral production has been limited to copper from the Ajo Mining District. In addition to copper, the quadrangles contain potentially significant resources of gold and silver; a few other commodities, including molybdenum and evaporites, may also exist in the area as appreciable resources. This circular provides background information on the mineral deposits and on the investigations and integrates the information presented in the folio. The bibliography cites references to the geology, geochemistry, geophysics, and mineral deposits of the two quadrangles.
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The purpose of geochemical surveys changes with scale. Regional surveys identify areas where mineral deposits are most likely to occur, whereas intermediate surveys identify and prioritize specific targets. At detailed scales specific deposit models may be applied and deposits delineated. The interpretation of regional geochemical surveys must take into account scale-dependent difference in the nature and objectives of this type of survey. Overinterpretation of regional data should be resisted, as should recommendations to restrict intermediate or detailed follow-up surveys to the search for specific deposit types or to a too limited suite of elements. Regional surveys identify metallogenic provinces within which a variety of deposit types and metals are most likely to be found. At intermediate scale, these regional provinces often dissipate into discrete clusters of anomalous areas. At detailed scale, individual anomalous areas reflect local conditions of mineralization and may seem unrelated to each other. Four examples from arid environments illustrate the dramatic change in patterns of anomalies between regional and more detailed surveys.
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These maps are part of a folio of maps of the Ajo and Lukeville 1° x 2° quadrangles, Arizona, prepared under the Conterminous United States Mineral Assessment Program. Other publications in this folio include U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Maps MF-1834-A, 1834–B, and 1834–C and U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Reports 82–419, 82–599, and 83–734. Open-File Reports 82–419 and 83–734 constitute the basic data and initial interpretation on which this discussion is predicated. Open-File Report 82–599 is an aeromagnetic map.
This map is part of a folio of maps of the Ajo and Lukeville 1 degree x 2 degrees quadrangles, Arizona, prepared under the Conterminous United States Mineral Assessment Program. Other publications in this folio include U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Reports 82-419 (Barton and others, 1982), 82-599 (Klein, 1982), and 830734 (Theobald and Barton, 1983), and Miscellaneous Field Studies Maps MF-1834-A (Peterson and Tosdal, 1986), MF-1834-B (Peterson and others, 1987), MF-1834-C (Theobald and Barton, 1987), and MF-1834-D (Theobald and Barton, 1988). Open-File Reports 82-419 and 83-734 constitute the basic data and initial interpretation on which this discussion is predicated. MF-1834-C and D show the distributions of anomalous concentrations of copper, lead, molybdenum, bismuth, and tungsten.
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This map is part of a folio of maps of the Ajo and Lukeville 1 ° x 2° quadrangles, Arizona, prepared under the Conterminous United States Mineral Assessment Program. Other publications in this folio include U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Maps MF-1831-A and MF-1831-B and Open-File Reports 82-119, 82–599, and 83–734. Open-File Reports 82-119 and 83–731 constitute the basic data and initial interpretation on which this discussion is predicated.
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The U.S. Geological Survey and the U.S Bureau of Mines conducted field studies from 1979 through 1982 to assess the mineral resource potential of the Williams Fork and St. Louis Peak Roadless Areas and the Vasquez Peak Wilderness Study Area. Included were geological, geochemical, and geophysical studies by the U.S. Geological Survey and investigation of known prospects and mines by the U.S. Bureau of Mines. The area of study is located in the Arapaho National Forest, nort of Interstate Highway 70, west of U.S. Highway 40, and east of the Blue River, on the west side of the Front Range (fig. 1).
The U.S. Geological Survey and the U.S. Bureau of Mines conducted field studies from 1979 through 1983 to assess the mineral resource potential of the Vasquez Peak Wilderness Study Area (acreage: 16,000), the Williams Fork Roadless Area (acreage: 74,820), and the St. Louis Peak Roadless Area (acreage: 12,800). Included were geological, geochemical, and geophysical studies by the U.S. Geological Survey and investigation of known prospects and mines by the U.S. Bureau of Mines.
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