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Constraints on the ages of mineralization and deformation in the Oquirrh Mountains, Salt Lake Co. , Utah

Conference · · Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs; (United States)
OSTI ID:5099297
 [1]; ; ;  [2]
  1. Kennecott Exploration Co., Salt Lake City, UT (United States)
  2. Univ. of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT (United States)
The Oquirrh Mountains are the easternmost range in the Basin and Range Province and have experienced several deformational events due to compressional and extensional tectonism. The Oquirrh Mountains contain two major mining districts: Bingham and Mercur. The Bingham porphry copper deposit has been dated at [approximately]39 Ma. The porphyry system contains mineralized NE trending faults which are cut by unmineralized NW trending faults. These two fault sets record two periods of Cenozoic extension in the Oquirrh Mountains: late Eocene and Miocene to recent. The Carlin-type Barneys Canyon gold deposit occurs 7.2 km northeast of the Bingham system on the northern flank of the Copperton anticline. Ages of illite-rich bedding plane gouges formed during growth of the Copperton anticline are late Jurassic. Alteration at Barneys Canyon includes decalcification, weak silicification, and argillization. Argillization consists of illite and kaolinite. The dated illite-rich gouges are gold bearing, have hydrothermal textures and are within the illite-rich argillic alteration zone associated with the orebody. The Carlin-type Mercur gold deposits occur on the east hinge of the Ophir anticline in the southern Oquirrh Mountains. K/Ar ages of illite veins and clay-sized separates range from 122 to 189 Ma and average 160 Ma. Vein attitudes are consistent with formation during growth of the Ophir anticline. Mineralization at Mercur is controlled by high-angle ENE and NNW faults which may have formed during growth of the Ophir anticline. These data suggest that compressional deformation and alteration/mineralization in the Mercur district and at Barneys Canyon are Late Jurassic in age.
OSTI ID:
5099297
Report Number(s):
CONF-9305259--
Conference Information:
Journal Name: Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs; (United States) Journal Volume: 25:5
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English