Terry Klein, Task Leader
The project area includes much of the Colorado mineral belt, a northeast-trending belt of base and precious metal deposits, many of which were mined prior to 1900, that have accounted for most of the state's metal production. Industrial mineral, and alluvial aggregate and crushed stone deposits which are used for construction occur throughout the project area. The tremendous population growth forecast for the Front Range area will result in an increased need for these commodities, as well as a need to prioritize land-use. The area also contains coal and uranium deposits, natural gas, coal-bed methane and potential geothermal resources that may also impact land-use decisions.
The Colorado mineral belt contains significant Mo porphyries at Climax and Henderson; intrusion-related Pb-Zn-Ag-Au replacement deposits at Leadville and Gilman; intrusion-related polymetallic Au veins in crystalline rock at Central City, Idaho Springs, Breckenridge, Montezuma, Georgetown, and Empire; and alkaline-rock related deposits in the Gold Hill area district west of Boulder that may share similar origins with the significant alkaline gold system at Cripple Creek. Geochronological studies (40Ar/39Ar) of undated or poorly dated Late Cretaceous and Tertiary plutons are underway and will be used with new geologic maps and structural studies to understand the temporal/compositional evolution of intrusive rocks, the evolution of the brittle fracture systems that control the plutons and their associated metal deposits. Geochronology, radiogenic isotope, and geochemical studies will investigate the relationship of these mineral systems to host Proterozoic rocks. Remote sensing studies (AVIRIS, ASTER, Landsat 8) will characterize the type and extent of associated hydrothermal alteration related to key igneous intrusions. These studies will result in a better understanding of the controls and extent of metal-bearing and non-metal bearing intrusive centers, enabling data users to predict with better confidence what types of mineral systems might be associated with any given body of intrusive rocks, thereby permitting a more effective and accurate mineral-resource assessment.
Regional-scale data sets are important components in any mineral assessment. Mineral deposit location and site information is being revised and supplemented in cooperation with the Colorado Geological Survey. A limited amount of new airborne magnetic data has been acquired and has been added to the regional grid and legacy aeroradiometric data has been used to construct georeferenced maps. Regional geochemical data sets for rock, stream sediment, and water samples are being developed for use in mineral and environmental assessments.
A digital regional geologic map is being compiled from published 1:250,000 geologic maps and from published detailed geologic mapping in the Blanca Peak 1:100,000 quadrangle in the southern part of the study area. Geologic maps (1:100,000) from the Framework Task will replace smaller scale mapping (1:250,000) in the regional digital geologic map as they are completed.
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Numbers on the map correspond to the photos below. Land Status
Locations of Deposits and Sites
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Location 1. Pennsylvania Mine (Gold) in the Montezuma District. |
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Location 2. World-Class Climax Molybdenum Deposit. |
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Location 3. Aggregate Quarry in the Pikes Peak Batholith |
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U.S. Department of the Interior | U.S. Geological Survey
URL: http://esp.cr.usgs.gov/research/central_colorado/mineral.html
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Page Last Modified: Tue 14-Feb-2006 10:45:24 MST
Bureau of Land Management
State of Colorado
Department of Defense
National Park Service
U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service
Private
Aggregate, Dimension or Crushed Stone
Significant Deposit (metals only)
Precious Metal
Base Metal
Iron, Manganese, Titanium, Tungsten
Uranium or Thorium
Geothermal
Industrial mineral or rock
Colorado Mineral Belt Boundary
Major highway
Water
Urban area
