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8/8/2019 Geological & Geophysical Setting of the Gold Silver Vein Systems of Unga Island, Southwestern Alaska , By J. L Rieh
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Geological andGeophysical Set t ing ofthe Gold-Silver VeinSystems of Unga Island,Southwestern Alaska
Edited by James R. Riehle1
Open-File Report 99-136Version 1.3
1999
This report is preliminary and has not been reviewed for conformity with U.S. Geological Surveyeditorial standards or with the North American Stratigraphic Code. Any use of trade, firm, orproduct names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S.Government.
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIORU.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
1 U.S. Geological Survey, 4200 University Drive, Anchorage, AK 99508-4667
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CONTENTS
Frontispiece figures
List of Contributors
Executive Summary of Geologic Results
Chapter 1: Introduction to the present study, previous studies, and a descriptive
summary of the vein systems and their production history
James R. Riehle
Chapter 2: Geology of Unga Island and the northwestern part of Popof Island
James R. Riehle, Frederic H. Wilson, Nora Shew, and Willis H. White
Chapter 3: Chemical compositions of the volcanic rocks on Unga Island and someinferences about their origins
James R. Riehle
Chapter 4: Geologic structures of Unga Island, their relations to mineralization,
and some speculations on their origins
James R. Riehle
Chapter 5: Geologic interpretation of DIGHEMIV airborne aeromagnetic and
electromagnetic data over southeastern Unga Island, Alaska
John W. Cady and Bruce D. Smith
Chapter 6: Rock, stream-sediment, and heavy-mineral concentrate geochemical
data from Unga and western Popof Islands, Alaska Peninsula, Alaska
Frederic H. Wilson, Stanley E. Church, and Elizabeth A. Bailey
Chapter 7: Classifying the Shumagin and Alaska Apollo deposits
Donald A. Singer
Pl. 1: Geologic map of Unga Island and northwestern Popof Island, Alaska (scale
1:63,360
Pl. 2: Geochemical sample localities and drainage basins
http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1999/of99-136/chapters/c1_introduction/1_intro.pdfhttp://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1999/of99-136/chapters/c1_introduction/1_intro.pdfhttp://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1999/of99-136/chapters/c2_geology/2_geol_map.pdfhttp://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1999/of99-136/chapters/c2_geology/2_geol_map.pdfhttp://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1999/of99-136/chapters/c3_chemistry/3_chem.pdfhttp://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1999/of99-136/chapters/c3_chemistry/3_chem.pdfhttp://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1999/of99-136/chapters/c4_structure/4_struct.pdfhttp://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1999/of99-136/chapters/c4_structure/4_struct.pdfhttp://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1999/of99-136/chapters/c5_geophysics/5_geophys.pdfhttp://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1999/of99-136/chapters/c5_geophysics/5_geophys.pdfhttp://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1999/of99-136/chapters/c5_geophysics/5_geophys.pdfhttp://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1999/of99-136/chapters/c5_geophysics/5_geophys.pdfhttp://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1999/of99-136/chapters/c6_geochemistry/6_gochem.pdfhttp://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1999/of99-136/chapters/c6_geochemistry/6_gochem.pdfhttp://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1999/of99-136/chapters/c7_deposit_types/7_dep_type.pdfhttp://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1999/of99-136/chapters/c7_deposit_types/7_dep_type.pdfhttp://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1999/of99-136/chapters/c2_geology/plate1.pdfhttp://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1999/of99-136/chapters/c2_geology/plate1.pdfhttp://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1999/of99-136/chapters/c6_geochemistry/ungasite.pdfhttp://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1999/of99-136/chapters/c2_geology/plate1.pdfhttp://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1999/of99-136/chapters/c6_geochemistry/ungasite.pdfhttp://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1999/of99-136/chapters/c6_geochemistry/6_gochem.pdfhttp://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1999/of99-136/chapters/c7_deposit_types/7_dep_type.pdfhttp://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1999/of99-136/chapters/c5_geophysics/5_geophys.pdfhttp://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1999/of99-136/chapters/c4_structure/4_struct.pdfhttp://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1999/of99-136/chapters/c3_chemistry/3_chem.pdfhttp://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1999/of99-136/chapters/c2_geology/2_geol_map.pdfhttp://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1999/of99-136/chapters/c1_introduction/1_intro.pdf8/8/2019 Geological & Geophysical Setting of the Gold Silver Vein Systems of Unga Island, Southwestern Alaska , By J. L Rieh
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CONTRIBUTORS TO THIS REPORT
Elizabeth A. Bailey: U.S. Geological Survey, 4200 University Dr., Anchorage AK99508
John W. Cady, GeoPeregrino, 3955 Douglas Mountain Dr., Golden CO 80403;
Stanley E. Church: U.S. Geological Survey, Box 25046 DFC, Denver CO 80225
James R. Riehle: U.S. Geological Survey, 4200 University Dr., Anchorage AK99508; [email protected]
Nora Shew: U.S. Geological Survey, 4200 University Dr., Anchorage AK 99508
Donald A. Singer: U.S. Geological Survey MS 901, 345 Middlefield Rd., MenloPark CA 94025
Bruce D. Smith: U.S. Geological Survey, Box 25046 DFC, Denver CO 80225;
Willis H. White, 12779 Flat Meadow Lane, Herndon, VA 20171
Frederic H. Wilson, U.S. Geological Survey, 4200 University Dr., Anchorage AK99508
http://www.geoperegrino.com/http://www.geoperegrino.com/8/8/2019 Geological & Geophysical Setting of the Gold Silver Vein Systems of Unga Island, Southwestern Alaska , By J. L Rieh
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About the frontispiece
Shaded map: Hillshaded image of Unga Island and, at the upper right,northwestern Popof Island. The image is a computer rendering of the land surfaceas it would appear if illuminated by a sun at 45 degrees above the horizon, shiningfrom the northwest (upper left). Northwestern Unga Island is underlain by the
homoclinally NW-dipping, Miocene Unga Formation (smooth topography).Northeastern Unga Island and northwestern Popof Island are underlain by flat-lyingandesitic lava flows of the Oligocene Popof volcanic rocks. The prominent hill nearthe center of Unga Island is a Miocene dome encircled by carapace breccia and tuff;the encircling escarpment is artificially enhanced by the imaging process. Thesubcircular area of rugged topography, which extends from the center of UngaIsland to the east shore, is underlain by high-silica andesitic lava flows andintrusive sills and domes. Low terrain in southeastern Unga Island is underlain bylava flows and tuff of the Popof volcanic rocks, while most of the prominent peaksare shallow intrusive domes. Southeastern Unga Island is also cut by east- tonortheast-trending topographic lineaments. Two of these--the Apollo andShumagin trends--extend across the full width of the island and have localized goldand silver mineralization. These two important trends are marked by lines at their
ends; the Apollo trend bifurcates near the eastern coast of Unga Island. Othernortheast-trending lineaments can be seen between the Shumagin lineament and thehigh peaks at the center of the island. (Image created from a digital elevation modelthat was constructed for this study and subsampled in 30-m horizontal cells.)
Oblique map: Perspective view toward the northeast, of the hillshaded surface ofsouthern Unga Island. The Apollo lineament is labelled "1" and the Shumaginlineament "2". Other lineaments are marked but not named.
About the coverEarly view of the Apollo mine on Unga Island and, in the middle distance, probablythe Sitka mine. View is eastward. G.C. Martin, U.S. Geological Survey collection,
photo no. 147, September 3, 1904.
http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1999/of99-136/shademap.pdfhttp://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1999/of99-136/obliquemap.pdfhttp://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1999/of99-136/obliquemap.pdfhttp://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1999/of99-136/shademap.pdf8/8/2019 Geological & Geophysical Setting of the Gold Silver Vein Systems of Unga Island, Southwestern Alaska , By J. L Rieh
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY OF GEOLOGIC RESULTS
1. Geologic mapping at 1:63,360 scale confirms that Unga and Popof Islands were
sites of recurring and intensive magmatism during mid-Tertiary time and provides
new details about relations among magmatism, tectonism, and mineralization.Nonindurated marine sediments on the continental shelf were deformed and buried
by andesitic lava flows or were interbedded with andesitic and dacitic ash-flow
tuffs. Initially effusive volcanism (31-38 Ma) was joined by hypabyssal activity
(31-34 Ma) as domes of basaltic andesite to rhyolitic composition were extruded
from numerous vents. Ash-flow tuffs occur, but they are of small volume and
probably originated at domes. There is no explicit evidence for a caldera structure.
2. Gold and silver mineralization is concentrated in two major, northeast-trending
zones of faulting, brecciation, and quartz veining that extend across southeastern
Unga Island. Total offset is minor, indicating only incipient faulting although
multiple vein sets imply repeated movements. A K-Ar age of vein adularia (34m.y.) and another of sericitic vein alteration (32 m.y.) show that veining was at
least partly contemporaneous with magmatism.
3. Other physiographic lineaments having northeast trends also occur on
southeastern Unga Island, which are also sites of silicification and alteration. The
lineaments have been the focus of exploratory activity by industry. The
multitude of northeast-trending lineaments is suggestive of northwest-directed
extension. Northwest-trending lineaments cross-cut the northeast-trending
lineaments; the younger lineaments are not as well developed and those that have
demonstrable offsets appear to have been subjected mainly to strike-slip
movements.4. The reduced-to-the-pole magnetic field over southeastern Unga Island reflects
mainly different rock types, such as lava flows, volcaniclastic rocks, or domes.
Broad areas of anomalously conductive bedrock appear to reflect alteration of the
volcanic rocks, which at least locally was probably selective of permeable
volcaniclastic rocks. Discrete bedrock conductors define linear trends, most of
which are northeasterly and coincide or are parallel with physiographic lineaments
and mapped faults. Such linear conductive anomalies may be the result of fault-
controlled sulfide mineralization. One such linear anomaly ends at the mapped
contact with a hypabyssal dome, supporting the inference that faulting and
veining were contemporaneous with magmatism.
5. Gold and silver abundances in stream-sediment and heavy-mineral-concentrate
samples reflect one but not both of the major mineralized trends. Anomalous
concentrations of Au, Ag, As, Mo, and Pb, however, occur in volcanic rock
samples from throughout Unga and northwestern Popof Islands.
6. Vein mineralogy, geologic setting, and grade-tonnage data from the main
mineralized trends were used to infer the likely deposit type. Types that were
considered are Sado, Comstock, and Creede epithermal vein, polymetallic vein,
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and no existing model. Neither the Comstock nor the Sado types can be rejected,
so the "no existing model" option is unnecessary. The Sado model seems the most
appropriate.
7. The precise nature of faulting that controlled mineralization is uncertain:
Slickenlines indicate both strike-slip and normal faulting on the northeast-trending
lineaments. Marine-seismic data, however, document northeast-trending growthfaults on the continental shelf near Unga Island that are interpreted to have formed
during early to mid-Tertiary time in response to northwest extension (Bruns and
others, 1987). Possibly the Unga Island lineaments initially formed in response to
extension and were later reactivated by strike-slip movements. In any case, minor
but repeated movements on the lineaments would have provided recurring
pathways for circulating geothermal waters above and adjacent to active
hypabyssal domes.