Mineral Resources of the East End of the Eureka Graben, Handies Peak Site-Specific Study Area, Hinsdale County, Colorado

摘要

In 1985, the Bureau of Mines conducted a site-specific investigation to locateadditional resources in vein deposits for copper, lead, silver, and zinc in the western part of the Handies Peak Wilderness Study Area, Hinsdale County, Colorado. Three stages of vein mineral deposition were identified: quartz-pyrite, base-metal sulfide, and carbonate. The minimum depth of mineralization was approximately 1,600 ft below the paleosurface and the hydrostatic pressure was 45 bars. Geochemical data show copper, lead, silver, and zinc deposition is confined to the base-metal sulfide stage. Arsenic was deposited during all the mineralizing stages and manganese was deposited during the carbonate stage. Six targets for vein copper, lead, silver, and zinc resources were identified, based on a vein resource model developed during the study.