Mine detail: Decatur West District

Previously called 'Stunner District'

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Location

Lat / long: 37.38942, -106.5925

Resource(M)

Primary: Gold, Silver
Tertiary: Aluminum, Copper, Lead, Molybdenum, Tin, Antimony, Zinc
Discovery year: 1870

Production

Operation type: Unknown
Deposit type: VEIN, DISSEMINATION
Production size: Small
Development status: Past Producer
First production started: 1870
Last production ended: 1938

Geology

Structure:PLATORO CALDERA, SUMMITVILLE CALDERA, ALAMOSA RIVER STOCK, PLATORO FAULT ZONE, SUMMITVILLE FAULT, SAN JUAN VOLCANIC FIELD
Alteration processes:CALKIN (1967) IDENTIFIED FOLLOWING STYLES AND ZONATION OF ALTERATION: (1) PERVASIVE SOLFATARIC ALTERATION ZINES AROUND VENT-DOME COMPLEXES--(A) OUTER PROPYLTIC ZONE OF EPIDOTE, CHLORITE, CALCITE, (B) MIDDLE ARGILLIC ZONE OF KAOLINITE AND INTERSTITIAL QUARTZ, (C) INNER QUARTZ-ALUNITE ZONE WITH PYRITE ADJACENT TO VENT; (2) POTASSIC HYDROTHERMAL ALTERATION AROUND ALUM CREEK PORPHYRY--(A) HOOD OR CAP OF PROPYLTIC ALTERATION WITH CALCITE REPLACING ALBITE, EPIDOTE (CLINOZOISITE) ALTERATION OF PLAGIOCLASE, CHLORITE (JENKINSITE) ALTERATION OF BIOTITE, (B) ARGILLIC ZONE WITH KAOLINITE REPLACING PLAGIOCLASE, BIOTITE, AND AUGITE, PRIMARY MAGNETITE/ILMENITE REMOVED, (C) INNER POTASSIC ZONE WITH SERICITE REPLACING KAOLINITIZED PLAGIOCLASE AND PHLOGOPITE-MUSCOVITE REPLACING KAOLINITIZED AUGITE AND BIOTITE, AND WITH QUARTZ VEINS AND DISSEMINATED PYRITE-MO; (3) LOCAL SELECTIVE ALTERATION ALONG FRACTURES, FAULTS, AND DIKES (SUCH AS RADIAL PATTERN AROUND SHEEPSHEAD) SUPERPOSED ON OR ACROSS ATHER ALTERATION ZONES AND SHOWING THAT THESE STRUCTURES WERE CONDUITS FOR ALTERING FLUIDS; (4) SUPERGENE OXIDATION OF FE EITHER FROM WELL ALTERED ROCKS WITH MINOR PYRITE OR FROM WEAKLY ALTERED ROCKS WITH MINOR MAGNETITE/ILMENITE. FOR VENT-DOMES AND ALUM CREEK PORPHYRY, CALKIN POSTULATED DEPTH-ZONE TRANSITION OF SOLFATARIC AND HYDROTHERMAL ENVIRONMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH EPITHERMAL, XENOTHERMAL, AND MESOTHERMAL CONDITIONS AND CONSIDERED ALTERATION TO BE MULTICOMPONENT REACTION OF ORIGINAL WALL ROCK WITH (A) CO2-BEARING ACID SOLUTIONS (HYDROTHERMAL) AND (B) SULFUROUS VAPORS FROM LATE VOLCANIC ACTIVITY (SOLFATARIC)., CALKIN (1967) - (A) OUTER PROPYLTIC ZONE OF EPIDOTE, CHLORITE, CALCITE, (B) MIDDLE ARGILLIC ZONE OF KAOLINITE AND INTERSTITIAL QUARTZ, (C) INNER QUARTZ-ALUNITE ZONE WITH PYRITE ADJACENT TO VENT; (2) POTASSIC HYDROTHERMAL ALTERATION AROUND ALUM CREEK PORPHYRY--(A) HOOD OR CAP OF PROPYLTIC ALTERATION WITH CALCITE REPLACING ALBITE, EPIDOTE (CLINOZOISITE) ALTERATION OF PLAGIOCLASE, CHLORITE (JENKINSITE) ALTERATION OF BIOTITE, (B) ARGILLIC ZONE WITH KAOLINITE REPLACING PLAGIOCLASE, BIOTITE, AND AUGITE, PRIMARY MAGNETITE/ILMENITE REMOVED, (C) INNER POTASSIC ZONE WITH SERICITE REPLACING KAOLINITIZED PLAGIOCLASE AND PHLOGOPITE-MUSCOVITE REPLACING KAOLINITIZED AUGITE AND BIOTITE, AND WITH QUARTZ VEINS AND DISSEMINATED PYRITE-MO; (3) LOCAL SELECTIVE ALTERATION ALONG FRACTURES, FAULTS, AND DIKES (SUCH AS RADIAL PATTERN AROUND SHEEPSHEAD) SUPERPOSED ON OR ACROSS ATHER ALTERATION ZONES AND SHOWING THAT THESE STRUCTURES WERE CONDUITS FOR ALTERING FLUIDS; (4) SUPERGENE OXIDATION OF FE EITHER FROM WELL ALTERED ROCKS WITH MINOR PYRITE OR FROM WEAKLY ALTERED ROCKS WITH MINOR MAGNETITE/ILMENITE. FOR VENT-DOMES AND ALUM CREEK PORPHYRY, CALKIN POSTULATED DEPTH-ZONE TRANSITION OF SOLFATARIC AND HYDROTHERMAL ENVIRONMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH EPITHERMAL, XENOTHERMAL, AND MESOTHERMAL CONDITIONS AND CONSIDERED ALTERATION TO BE MULTICOMPONENT REACTION OF ORIGINAL WALL ROCK WITH (A) CO2-BEARING ACID SOLUTIONS (HYDROTHERMAL) AND (B) SULFUROUS VAPORS FROM LATE VOLCANIC ACTIVITY (SOLFATARIC)., CALKIN (1967) - MIDDLE ARGILLIC ZONE OF KAOLINITE AND INTERSTITIAL QUARTZ, (C) INNER QUARTZ-ALUNITE ZONE WITH PYRITE ADJACENT TO VENT; (2) POTASSIC HYDROTHERMAL ALTERATION AROUND ALUM CREEK PORPHYRY--(A) HOOD OR CAP OF PROPYLTIC ALTERATION WITH CALCITE REPLACING ALBITE, EPIDOTE (CLINOZOISITE) ALTERATION OF PLAGIOCLASE, CHLORITE (JENKINSITE) ALTERATION OF BIOTITE, (B) ARGILLIC ZONE WITH KAOLINITE REPLACING PLAGIOCLASE, BIOTITE, AND AUGITE, PRIMARY MAGNETITE/ILMENITE REMOVED, (C) INNER POTASSIC ZONE WITH SERICITE REPLACING KAOLINITIZED PLAGIOCLASE AND PHLOGOPITE-MUSCOVITE REPLACING KAOLINITIZED AUGITE AND BIOTITE, AND WITH QUARTZ VEINS AND DISSEMINATED PYRITE-MO; (3) LOCAL SELECTIVE ALTERATION ALONG FRACTURES, FAULTS, AND DIKES (SUCH AS RADIAL PATTERN AROUND SHEEPSHEAD) SUPERPOSED ON OR ACROSS ATHER ALTERATION ZONES AND SHOWING THAT THESE STRUCTURES WERE CONDUITS FOR ALTERING FLUIDS; (4) SUPERGENE OXIDATION OF FE EITHER FROM WELL ALTERED ROCKS WITH MINOR PYRITE OR FROM WEAKLY ALTERED ROCKS WITH MINOR MAGNETITE/ILMENITE. FOR VENT-DOMES AND ALUM CREEK PORPHYRY, CALKIN POSTULATED DEPTH-ZONE TRANSITION OF SOLFATARIC AND HYDROTHERMAL ENVIRONMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH EPITHERMAL, XENOTHERMAL, AND MESOTHERMAL CONDITIONS AND CONSIDERED ALTERATION TO BE MULTICOMPONENT REACTION OF ORIGINAL WALL ROCK WITH (A) CO2-BEARING ACID SOLUTIONS (HYDROTHERMAL) AND (B) SULFUROUS VAPORS FROM LATE VOLCANIC ACTIVITY (SOLFATARIC)., CALKIN (1967) INNER POTASSIC ZONE WITH SERICITE REPLACING KAOLINITIZED PLAGIOCLASE AND PHLOGOPITE-MUSCOVITE REPLACING KAOLINITIZED AUGITE AND BIOTITE, AND WITH QUARTZ VEINS AND DISSEMINATED PYRITE-MO; (3) LOCAL SELECTIVE ALTERATION ALONG FRACTURES, FAULTS, AND DIKES (SUCH AS RADIAL PATTERN AROUND SHEEPSHEAD) SUPERPOSED ON OR ACROSS ATHER ALTERATION ZONES AND SHOWING THAT THESE STRUCTURES WERE CONDUITS FOR ALTERING FLUIDS; (4) SUPERGENE OXIDATION OF FE EITHER FROM WELL ALTERED ROCKS WITH MINOR PYRITE OR FROM WEAKLY ALTERED ROCKS WITH MINOR MAGNETITE/ILMENITE. FOR VENT-DOMES AND ALUM CREEK PORPHYRY, CALKIN POSTULATED DEPTH-ZONE TRANSITION OF SOLFATARIC AND HYDROTHERMAL ENVIRONMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH EPITHERMAL, XENOTHERMAL, AND MESOTHERMAL CONDITIONS AND CONSIDERED ALTERATION TO BE MULTICOMPONENT REACTION OF ORIGINAL WALL ROCK WITH (A) CO2-BEARING ACID SOLUTIONS (HYDROTHERMAL) AND (B) SULFUROUS VAPORS FROM LATE VOLCANIC ACTIVITY (SOLFATARIC).

References

MRDSD010635
DEP60000373
Reference{Deposit:: PATTON, H.B., 1917, GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF THE PLATORO-SUMMITVILLE MINING DISTRICT, COLORADO: CGS BULL. 13.}{Deposit:: LIPMAN, P.W., 1974, GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE PLATORO CALDERA AREA, SOUTHEASTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS, SOUTHWESTREN COLORADO: USGS MAP I-828.}{Deposit:: STEVEN, T.A., AND LIPMAN, P.W., 1976, CALERAS OF THE SAN JUAN COLCANIC FIELD, SOUTHWESTERN COLORADO: USGS PROF. PAPER 958.}{Deposit:: LIPMAN, P.W., 1975 EVOLUTION OF THE PLATORO CALDERA COMPLEX AND RELATED VOLCANIC ROCKS, SOUTHEASTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS, COLORADO: USGS PROF. PAPER 852.}{Deposit:: CALKIN, W.S., 1967, GEOLOGY, ALTERATION, AND MINERALIZATION OF THE ALUM CREEK AREA, SAN JUAN VOLCANIC FIELD, COLORADO SCHOOL OF MINES THESIS T-1113.}{Deposit:: GOW, T.T., AND YANG, W.T., 1914, SURVEY NORTHWEST OF GILMORE, CONEJOS COUNTY, COLORADO: COLORADO SCHOOL OF MINES THESIS T-465.}{Deposit:: SHARP, W.N., AND GUALTIERI, 1968, LEAD, COPPER, MOLYBDENUM, AND ZINC GEOCHEMICAL ANOMALIES SOUTH OF THE SUMMITVILLE DISTRICT, RIO GRANDE COUNTY, COLORADO: USGS CIRC. 557}{Deposit:: BIRD, W.H., 1972, MINERAL DEPOSITS OF THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE PLATORO CALDERA COMPLEX, SOUTHEAST SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS, COLORADO: MTN. GEOLOGIST, V. 9, NO. 4, P. 379-387}{Deposit:: COLORADO DIV. MINES INF. REPTS. AND ANNUAL OPERATOR REPTS.}{Deposit:: BLM MINERAL SURVEYS}