Mineral resources and mineral resource potential of the Panamint Dunes Wilderness Study Area, Inyo County, California
This report presents the results of a mineral survey of the Panamint Dunes Wilderness Study Area (CDCA-127), California Desert Conservation Area, Inyo County, California. The Panamint Dunes Wilderness Study Area has an identified volcanic cinder resource and few areas with mineral resource potential. Hydrothermal deposits of lead-zinc-silver occur in veins and small replacement bodies along and near the Lemoigne thrust fault on the eastern side of the wilderness study area. Two workings, the Big Four mine with 35,000 tons of inferred subeconomic lead-zinc-silver resources and a moderate potential for additional resources, and the Apple 1 claim with low potential for lead-zinc-silver resources, are surrounded by the study area but are specifically excluded from it. A low resource potential for lead-zinc-silver is assigned to other exposures along the Lemoigne thrust, although metallic minerals were not detected at these places. The Green Quartz prospect, located near the northern tip of the study area, has low resource potential for copper in quartz pegmatities in quartz monzonite of the Hunter Mountain batholith. Nonmetallic mineral resources consist of volcanic cinders and quartz sand. An estimated 900,000 tons of inferred cinder reserves are present at Cal Trans borrow pit MS 242, on the southern margin of the study area. The Panamint Valley dune field, encompassing 480 acres in the north-central part of the study area, has only low resource potential for silica because of impurities. Other sources of silica and outside the study area are of both higher purity and closer to possible markets. 19 refs., 2 figs., 1 tab.
- Research Organization:
- Geological Survey, Washington, DC (USA); Bureau of Mines, Washington, DC (USA)
- OSTI ID:
- 5607080
- Report Number(s):
- USGS-OFR-84-678; ON: TI85901668
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
CALIFORNIA
MINERAL RESOURCES
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
GEOCHEMICAL SURVEYS
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGY
LEAD ORES
MINES
NATURE RESERVES
SAND
ZINC ORES
DATA
FEDERAL REGION IX
INFORMATION
NORTH AMERICA
NUMERICAL DATA
ORES
RESOURCES
SURVEYS
UNDERGROUND FACILITIES
USA
580100* - Geology & Hydrology- (-1989)