U.S. Department of the InteriorU.S. Geological Survey

Professional Paper 1763

Geology, Geochemistry, and Genesis of the Greens Creek Massive Sulfide Deposit, Admiralty Island, Southeastern Alaska

Prepared in cooperation with Kennecott Greens Creek Mining Company

Geology, Geochemistry, and Genesis of the Greens Creek Massive Sulfide Deposit, Admiralty Island, Southeastern Alaska

Edited by Cliff D. Taylor and Craig A. Johnson

Professional Paper 1763

U.S. Department of the InteriorU.S. Geological Survey

Prepared in cooperation with Kennecott Greens Creek Mining Company

U.S. Department of the InteriorKEN SALAZAR, Secretary

U.S. Geological SurveyMarcia K. McNutt, Director

U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2010

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Suggested citation:Taylor, C.D., and Johnson, C.A., editors, 2010, Geology, geochemistry, and genesis of the Greens Creek massive sulfide deposit, Admiralty Island, southeastern Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1763, 429 p., 7 plates on CD.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Geology, geochemistry, and genesis of the Greens Creek massive sulfide deposit, Admiralty Island, Southeastern Alaska / edited by Cliff D. Taylor and Craig A. Johnson ; prepared in cooperation with Kennecott Greens Creek Mining Company. p. cm. -- (Professional paper ; 1763) Includes bibliographical references. ISBN 978-1-4113-2622-4 (pbk.) 1. Sulfide minerals--Alaska--Greens Creek. 2. Geochemistry--Alaska--Greens Creek. I. Taylor, Cliff D. II. Johnson, Craig A. III. Kennecott Greens Creek Mining Company. QE389.2.G46 2010 549’.32097982--dc22

2010033687

Volume Contents

1. Introduction and Overview of the U.S. Geological Survey–Kennecott Greens Creek Mining Company Cooperative Applied Research Project at the Greens Creek Mine ...........................................................................................................3

By Cliff D. Taylor and Craig A. Johnson2. The Late Triassic Metallogenic Setting of the Greens Creek Massive Sulfide

Deposit in Southeastern Alaska ...............................................................................................13By Cliff D. Taylor, John Philpotts, Wayne R. Premo, Alan L. Meier, and Joseph E. Taggart, Jr.

3. The History of Greens Creek Exploration ................................................................................65By Andrew W. West

4. Geology of the Greens Creek Mining District .........................................................................93By Norman A. Duke, Paul A. Lindberg, and Andrew W. West

5. The Airborne Geophysical Survey of the Greens Creek Area ...........................................109By James Fueg

6. Geology and Metal Zoning of the Greens Creek Massive Sulfide Deposit, Southeastern Alaska ................................................................................................................125

By Cliff D. Taylor, Andrew W. West, Kerry G. Lear, Tim E. Hall, and John M. Proffett

7. Geologic Structure of the Greens Creek Mine Area, Southeastern Alaska ....................141By John M. Proffett

8. Geochemistry of Metasedimentary Rocks in the Hanging Wall of the Greens Creek Massive Sulfide Deposit and of Shales Elsewhere on Admiralty Island .............163

By Craig A. Johnson, Cliff D. Taylor, Joel S. Leventhal, and Katja Freitag9. Mineralogical, Textural, and Metal Residence Studies of Primary, Recrystallized,

and Remobilized Ores of the Greens Creek Deposit ...........................................................187By Cliff D. Taylor, Steven J. Sutley, and Frederick E. Lichte

10. Sulfur and Lead Isotope Characteristics of the Greens Creek Polymetallic Massive Sulfide Deposit, Admiralty Island, Southeastern Alaska ...................................241

By Cliff D. Taylor, Wayne R. Premo, and Craig A. Johnson11. Microfossil and Radioisotopic Geochronological Studies of the Greens Creek

Host Rocks .................................................................................................................................287By Wayne R. Premo, Cliff D. Taylor, Lawrence W. Snee, and Anita G. Harris

12. Radiogenic Isotopic Characterization and Petrogenesis of Host Rocks to the Greens Creek Deposit ..............................................................................................................339

By Wayne R. Premo and Cliff D. Taylor13. Structure of the Lower Southwest Orebody, Structural Comparison to Neighboring

Orebodies, and Tectonic Model for the Greens Creek Deposit ........................................371By Katja Freitag

14. Three-Dimensional Modeling and Visualization of Greens Creek Drill-hole Data .........405By Gregory K. Lee and Cliff D. Taylor

15. A Genetic Model for the Greens Creek Polymetallic Massive Sulfide Deposit, Admiralty Island, Southeastern Alaska .................................................................................417

By Cliff D. Taylor, Kerry G. Lear, and Steven R. Newkirk

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Plates

4–1. Geology of the Greens Creek mine area. 7–1. Geologic map of the surface, Greens Creek mine, Alaska. 7–2A. Greens Creek mine, Alaska, Cross Section 3000. 7–2B. Greens Creek mine, Alaska, Long Section 4800. 7–3. Map of the surface, Greens Creek mine, Alaska; F2, S2, L2, and S2/bedding

intersections. 7–4. Map of underground workings, Greens Creek mine, Alaska; F2, L2, and S2/bedding

intersections. 7–5. Map of the surface, Greens Creek mine, Alaska; F3, S3, L3, F4, S4, L4.

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USGS Contributors to the Professional Paper

Harris, Anita G.Johnson, Craig A.Lee, Gregory K.Leventhal, Joel S.Lichte, Frederick E. Meier, Alan L.Philpotts, John A.Premo, Wayne R.Snee, Lawrence W.Sutley, Steven J.Taggart, Joseph E., Jr.Taylor, Cliff D.*

*Principal contact:U.S. Geological Survey – Mineral Resources ProgramBox 25046 Federal Center, MS-973 Denver, CO 80225-0046 USA303-236-2499ctaylor@usgs.gov

Kennecott Greens Creek Mining Company Contributors to the Professional Paper

Hall, Tim E.Lear, Kerry G.Newkirk, Steven R. West, Andrew W.Kennecott Greens Creek Mining CompanyP.O. Box 32199Juneau, AK 99803(Newkirk now at Department of Earth Sciences, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN 38152)

Other Contributors to the Professional Paper

Duke, Norman A.Department of Earth SciencesUniversity of Western OntarioLondon, Ontario, Canada N6A 5B7

Fueg, JamesChugiak, AK 99567-0236

Lindberg, Paul A.Sedona, AZ 86336

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Proffett, John M.Eagle River, AK 99577-7124

Freitag, KatjaDepartment of Geology and Geological EngineeringColorado School of MinesGolden, CO 80401(now at McKinsey & Company, Johannesburg, South Africa)

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