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Metallogeny of the Great Basin: Crustal Evolution, Fluid Flow, and Ore Deposits

Project Objectives

Key objectives of this project are (1) synthesis of the enormous amount of information generated over past decades in the Great Basin by the USGS, States, academia, mining and petroleum industry into an atlas of digital maps, cross sections, and relational databases, (2) these maps, sections and databases will be augmented and combined with new information from critical topical or geographic areas to address fundamental problems of ore genesis for a variety of ore deposit types, (3) a digital 4-D geologic model will be constructed in northern Nevada that encompasses the major mineral belts, (5) one or more detailed 4-D models will be constructed for large mining districts such as the Carlin trend, (6) the 4-D models will be used to reconstruct the geology for important periods of ore formation on regional and district scales, and (6) the resulting 3-D reconstructions will be the foundation for numerical models of fluid flow, metal transport, and ore deposition.

Relevance & Impact

The geologic maps, sections, data bases, 4-D models and reconstructions produced by this project will be valuable products in their own right and will increase understanding of the geology of the Great Basin and the relation of ore deposits to its tectonic history. Documentation of the spatial and temporal relationships between ore deposits of different types and ages together with the fluid flow and chemical modeling results will result in a vastly improved understanding of the fundamental controls on metallogeny in this world class gold province and the roles of crustal structures and inheritance in mineral belts. The identification of these controls and the methods of study developed during the course of this project are exportable to other regions of interest and should be of value to future metallogenic and assessment studies at home and abroad. Further, resulting data and interpretations, in particular an information bank on areas in the Great Basin likely to receive focused attention from the mining industry in the future, will provide scientific syntheses highly relevant to decision makers in other Federal, State, and Local agencies.

Project Chief:

Products

Products are listed according to task:

Task 1 - 4-D geologic model of northern Nevada mineral belts and Atlas of Great Basin geology and ore deposits

Presentations

• Gao, Y., Person, M.A., Dahlstrom, D., Hofstra, A., Sweetkind, D., Howard, K., John, D.A., Prudic, D., and Wallace, A., 2003, The role of faults in the plumbing of the Great Basin geothermal systems and gold mineralization, Geological Society of America.

Reports

• Sweetkind, D.S., Faunt, C.C., and Phelps, G., 2002, Evaluation and Quantification of Uncertainty Inherent in Geologic Data, Interpretations and Conceptual Models: EOS, Transactions, American Geophysical Union, v. 83, p. F497.

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Task 2 - Neogene tectonics, ore deposits, and Middle Miocene reconstruction

Maps

• Wallace, A.R., 2003, Geologic map of the Willow Creek Reservoir SE quadrangle, Elko, Eureka, and Lander Counties, Nevada: Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology Map 136, scale 1:24,000.
• Wallace, A.R., 2003, Geologic map of the Willow Creek Reservoir quadrangle, Elko County, Nevada: Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology Map 135, scale 1:24,000.

Reports

• Brueseke, M.E., Hart, W.K., Wallace, A.R., Heizler, M.T., and Fleck, R.J., 2003, Mid-Miocene volcanic field development in northern Nevada: New age constraints on the timing of Santa Rosa-Calico volcanism: Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs, v. 35, no. 4, p. 63.
• Glen, J.M.G., Ponce, D.A., Nomade, S., and John, D.A., 2003, Dike emplacement and the birth of the Yellowstone hotspot, western USA [abs.]: EGS-AGU-EUG joint assembly, Nice, France, April 2003.
• John, D.A. and Hofstra, A.H., 2002, Hydrothermal Alteration and Stable Isotope Constraints on Formation of the Mule Canyon Low-Sulfidation Au-Ag Deposit, North-Central Nevada: GSA Cordilleran Section Meeting, Abstracts with Programs, v. 34, no. 5, p. A-15.
• John, D.A., Hofstra, A.H., and Theodore, T.G., 2003, Preface to special issues devoted to gold deposits in northern Nevada: Part 1, regional studies and epithermal deposits: Economic Geology, v. 98, no. 2, p.x-x
• John, D.A., Wallace, A. W., and Hofstra, A.H., 2002, Middle Miocene Epithermal Au-Ag deposits related to continental tholeiitic basalt magmatism, northern Great Basin, western USA: GSA Abstracts with Programs Vol. 34, No. 6, p. 185.
• Leavitt, E., Spell, T.L., Wallace, A.R., Goldstrand, P., Arehart, G.B., 2003, Volcano-tectonic setting of the Midas epithermal vein deposit, Elko County, Nevada: Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs, v. 35, no. 4, p. 61.
• Ludington, S, and John, D., 2002, Magmatic and metallogenic specialization of volcanic rocks related to epithermal gold mineralization, Great Basin, USA [abs], in Interaction between mafic and felsic melts in orogenic suites-dynamics of processes, nature of end-members, effects: Pre-field Meeting Workshop, Abstract Volume, Eurogranites 2002, p. 37.
• Pierce, K.L., Morgan, L.A., and Saltus, R.W., Yellowstone plume head: Postulated relations to the Vancouver slab, continental boundaries, and climate GSA, in Bonnichsen, B., ed., Tectonic and Magmatic Evolution of the Snake River Plain Volcanic Province: Idaho Geological Survey Bulletin 30, p. 5-33.
• Wallace, A.R., 2002, Late Cenozoic evolution of the Great Basin: Applications to precious-metal, diatomite, and geothermal resources: Northwest Mining Association Annual Meeting, Abstract Book, p. 3-4. Report, Delivered: Wallace, A.R., 2003, Geology of the Ivanhoe Hg-Au district, northern Nevada: Influence of Miocene volcanism, lakes, and active faulting on epithermal mineralization: Economic Geology, v. 98, no. 2, p. 409-424.
• Wallace, A.R., 2004, Processes related to the formation of Neogene lacustrine diatom-rich sediments and diatomite deposits, Great Basin region, in Castor, S.B., Papke, K.G., and Meeuwig, R.O., eds., Betting on Industrial Minerals--Proceedings of the 39th Forum on the Geology of Industrial Minerals: Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology Special Publication 33, p. 229-242.
• Wallace, A.R., Fleck, R.J., and Theodore, T.G., 2004, New studies on the middle Miocene Humboldt Formation, northeastern Nevada: Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs, v. 36, no. 4, p. 7.

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Task 3 - Paleogene tectonics, ore deposits, and Late Eocene reconstruction

Maps

• Geologic map of the Mule Canyon quadrangle, Lander County, Nevada: Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology Map 144, scale 1:24,000, 16 p.
• Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology Map 147, scale 1:24,000.
• Nutt, C.J., and Hart, K.S, 2003, Geologic map of the Big Bald Mountain Quadrangle and part of the Tognini Spring Quadrangle, Nevada, USGS Map.

Posters

• Nutt, C.J., and Hofstra, A.H., 2002, Jurassic intrusion-related and Eocene Carlin-type gold mineralization in the Alligator Ridge-Bald Mountain area, east-central Nevada: Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, v. 35, p. 142.

Presentations

• Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, v. 35, No. 6, p. 26.
• Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, v. 35, No. 6, p. 617.
• Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, v. 36, No. 4, p. 71.
• Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, v. 36, No. 4, p. 71.
• Northwest Mining Association Abstract Book, Dec. 2-6, 2003, p. 17-18.
• Howard, K.A., 2003, Ruby Mountains core complex as a guide to Eocene deep crustal structure in the Elko-Carlin region, Nevada, USGS
• John, D.A., 2005, New perspectives on the origin and distribution of Cenozoic epithermal goldsilver deposits in the northwestern United States, Geologic Association of Canada
• 2003, U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 2209-C, 35 p.
• 2004, Economic Geology, v. 99, p. 411-412
• Economic Geology, 2003, v. 98, p. 1063-1067.
• Hofstra, A.H., 2002, Diverse Origins of Sedimentary Rock-Hosted Disseminated Gold Deposits worldwide: Overview: in Topical Session 7. Diverse Origins of Sedimentary Rock-Hosted Disseminated Gold Deposits: A Global Perspective, chaired by Albert H. Hofstra, GSA Abstracts with Programs Vol. 34, No. 6, p. 140.
• Howard, K.A., 2002, Ruby Mountains core complex as a guide to Eocene deep crustal structure in the Elko-Carlin region, Nevada: Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, v.34, no. 6, p. 83.
• Howard, K.A., 2003, Crustal structure in the Elko-Carlin region,Nevada, during Eocene gold mineralization: Ruby-East Humboldt
  metamorphic core complex as a guide to the deep crust: Economic Geology, v. 98, no.2, p. 249-268.
• Lee, S.-Y., Barnes, C.G., Snoke, A.W., Howard, K.A., and Frost, C.D., submitted, Petrogenesis of Mesozoic peraluminous granites in the Lamoille Canyon area, Ruby Mountains, Nevada, U.S.A.: Journal of Petrology, v. 44, no.4, p. 713-732.
• Nutt, C.J., Paleogene deformation, sedimentation, and early magmatism in northeast Nevada: in Carlin-type deposits of northern Nevada and their regional setting, SEG Field Trip, April 17-21-2002.
• Nutt, C.J., and Hofstra, A.H., 2003, Alligator Ridge District, East-central Nevada: Carlin-type Gold Mineralization at Shallow Depths, USGS
• John, D.A., Animation showing progression of magmatic activity in the western US from 55 to 0 Ma, USGS, Data Series

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Task 4 - Mesozoic-Cenozoic plutons and pluton-related ore deposits

Reports

• Cunningham, C.G., Austin, G.W., Naeser, C.W., Rye, R.O., Balantyne, G.H., and Barker, C. E., 2002, Carlin-type gold deposits related to the Bingham Canyon, Utah, Porphry Cu deposit; thermal and isotopic constraints: in Topical Session 7. Diverse Origins of Sedimentary Rock-Hosted Disseminated Gold Deposits: A Global Perspective, chaired by Albert H. Hofstra,, GSA Abstracts with Programs Vol. 34, No. 6, p. 143.
• McGibbon, D. H., Theodore, T.G., 2002, Magmatic affiliations for enigmatic gold deposits in the northern Battle Mountain mining district, Nevada: in Topical Session 7. Diverse Origins of Sedimentary Rock-Hosted Disseminated Gold Deposits: A Global Perspective, chaired by Albert H. Hofstra,, GSA Abstracts with Programs Vol. 34, No. 6, p. 142.

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Task 5 - Late Paleozoic to Early Tertiary Contractional Deformation

Maps

• Theodore, Ted G; Moring, Barry C; Harris, Anita G; Armstrong, Augustus K; Finney, Stanley C , 2003, Geologic map of the Beaver Peak Quadrangle, Elko and Eureka Counties, Nevada: Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology, Report: 143, 14 pp., 1 sheet.

Reports

• Murchey, Benita, 2004, Regional analysis of spiculite faunas in the Permian Phosphoria Basin; implications for paleoceanography, in Hein, James. R., editor, Life cycle of the Phosphoria Formation; from deposition to the post-mining environment, Handbook of Exploration and Environmental Geochemistry, vol.8, pp.111-135, 2004
• Racheboeuf, Patrick R.; Moore, Thomas E.; and Blodgett, Robert R., 2004, A new species of Dyoros (Brachiopods, Chonetoidea) from Nevada (United States) and Stratigraphic Implications for the Pennsylvanian and Permian Antler Overlap Assemblage, Geobios, vol. 37, no. 3, p. 382-394.
• Theodore, Ted G; Kotlyar, Boris B; Singer, Donald A; Berger, Vladimir I; Abbott, Earl W; Foster, Andrea L , 2003, Applied geochemistry, geology, and mineralogy of the northernmost Carlin Trend, Nevada, in John, David A; Hofstra, Albert H; Theodore, Ted G, eds., Gold deposits in northern Nevada; Part 1, Regional studies and epithermal deposits: Economic Geology and the Bulletin of the Society of Economic Geologists, vol.98, no.2, pp.287-316, Apr 2003
• Theodore, Ted. G.; Berger, Vladimir I.; Singer, Donald A.; Harris, Anita G.; Stevens, Calvin H., 2004, Synthrusting deposition of the pennsylvanian and permian Strathearn Formation, Northern Carlin Trend, Nevada, Sedimentary Geology v 165, p. 1-28

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Task 6 - Paleozoic passive margin carbonate platform: Stratigraphic, sedimentologic, petrographic, and structural relationships to syngenetic ore deposits

Reports

• Clark, S.H.B., Poole, F.G., and Wang, Z., 2004, Comparison of some sediment-hosted, stratiform barite deposits in China, the United States, and India: Ore Geology Reviews, v. 24, p. 85-101.
• Cook, H.E., and Corboy, J.J., 2004, Great Basin Paleozoic Carbonate Platform: Facies, Facies Transitions, Depositional Models, Platform Architecture, Sequence Stratigraphy, And Predictive Mineral Host Models, USGS Open-File Report 2004-1078, 135 pgs.
• Emsbo, P., Griffin, G.L., and Hofstra, A.H., 2002, Geology, Geochemistry and Genesis of SEDEX Au ores on the Carlin Trend, Nevada: in Topical Session 7. Diverse Origins of Sedimentary Rock-Hosted Disseminated Gold Deposits: A Global Perspective, chaired by Albert H. Hofstra,, GSA Abstracts with Programs Vol. 34, No. 6, p. 140.

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Task 7 - Precambrian crust/mantle domains, crustal faults, and ore deposits

Reports

• Christiansen, W.D., Premo, W.R., Hofstra, A.H., Emsbo, P., and Lange, I.M., 2002, Stratabound SRHDG resource in Middle Proterozoic rocks of the Big Belt Mountains near York, Montana: Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs, vol. 34, no. 6, p. 143.
• Cline, J.S., Stuart, F.M., Hofstra, A.H., Tretbar, D.R., Riciputi, L., and Premo, W., 2002, He, Nd, and stable isotope constraints on Carlin-type ore fluid components, Getchell, NV, USA: Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs, vol. 34, no. 6, p. 141.
• Crafford, AEJ and Grauch, VJS, 2002, Geologic and geophysical evidence for the influence of deep crustal structures on Paleozoic tectonics and the alignment of world class gold deposits, north central Nevada, USA: Ore Geology Reviews, v. 21, p. 157-184.
• Glen, J.M.G., McKee, E. H., Ludington, S., Ponce, D.A., Hildenbrand, T.G., and Hopkins, M.J., 2003, Geophysical Terranes of the Great Basin and Parts of Surrounding Provinces, U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2004-1008, 303p. (http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2004/1008/)
• Grauch, V. J. S., Rodriguez, B. D., Bankey, Viki, and Wooden, J. L., 2003, Evidence for a Battle Mountain-Eureka crustal fault zone, north-central Nevada, and its relation to Neoproterozoic-Early Paleozoic continental breakup: Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 108, no. B3, 2140, doi:10.1029/2001JB000681.
• Grauch, V. J. S., Rodriguez, B. D., and Wooden, J. L., 2003, Geophysical and isotopic constraints on crustal structure related to mineral trends in north-central Nevada and implications for tectonic history: Economic Geology, v. 98, pp. 269-286.
• Hofstra, A.H., Premo, W.R., Emsbo, P., Cline, J.S., and Aleinikoff, J.N., 2000, U-Th-Pb dating of hydrothermal minerals from Carlin-type gold deposits, Nevada -- results and evaluation: GSN 2000 proceedings, p. 61-65.
• Hofstra, A.H., Premo, W.R., Emsbo, P., Cline, J.S., and Aleinikoff, J.N., 2000, U-Th-Pb dating of hydrothermal minerals from Carlin-type gold deposits, Nevada -- results and evaluation: Geology and Ore Deposits 2000: The Great Basin and Beyond, Program with abstracts, p.55
• Jarboe, N., Coe, R.S., Glen, J.M.G., and Renne, P.R., 2003, A Study of Mid-Miocene Yellowstone Hotspot Volcanics and the Search for the Steens Mountain Reversal (abs.), Eos, Trans., Am. Geophys. Union, Fall ann. Mtg., 84, 46, GP11C-0276.
• Nazarova, K., and Glen, J.M.G., 2004, Integration of NASA/GSFC and USGS Rock Magnetic Databases (abs.), Eos, Trans., Am. Geophys. Union, Spring ann. Mtg., 85, 17, GP21A-04.
• Rodriguez, B. D. and Williams J. M., 2002, Resistivity structure across the Humboldt River Basin, north-central Nevada, U. S. Geological Survey, Open-File Report 02-39, 114 p. (http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2002/ofr-02-0039/)
• Wannamaker, P. E., Doerner, W. M., and Rodriguez, B. D., 2002, Analysis of magnetotelluric profile data from the Ruby Mountains metamorphic core complex and southern Carlin trend region, Nevada: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 02-214, 50 p. (http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2002/ofr-02-0214/)
• Williams, J.M., Rodriguez, B.D., Magnetotelluric data release for locating the Archean/Proterozoic suture zone, East-Central Tooele County, Utah: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 03-495. (http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2003/ofr-03-495/)
• Williams, J.W., Rodriguez, B.D., Magnetotelluric survey to locate the Arhcean/Proterozoic suture zone in northeastern Nevada: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2004-1215, 212 p. (http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2004/1215/)

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Task 8 - District scale geologic, fluid flow, and geochemical models

Reports

• Cline, J.S., Stuart, F.M., Hofstra, A.H., Tretbar, D.R., Riciputi, L., and Premo, W., 2002, He, Nd, and stable isotope constraints on Carlin-type ore fluid components, Getchell, NV, USA: in Topical Session 7. Diverse Origins of Sedimentary Rock-Hosted Disseminated Gold Deposits: A Global Perspective, chaired by Albert H. Hofstra, GSA Abstracts with Programs Vol. 34, No. 6, p. 141.
• Cline, J.S., Stuart, F.M., Hofstra, A.H., and Tretbar, D.R., 2002, Helium and Stable Isotopic Constraints on the Source of Ore Fluid Components at the Getchell Carlin-type Gold Deposit, North-central, Nevada, USA, Eighth Biennial Pan-American Current Research on Fluid Inclusions, Halifax, Canada, Program with Abstracts, p. 23-24.
• J.S. Cline, F.M. Stuart, A.H. Hofstra, W. Premo, L. Riciputi, R.M. Tosdal, and D.R. Tretbar, 2003, Multiple Sources of Ore-fluid Components at the Getchell Carlin-type Gold Deposit, Nevada, USA: 7th Biennial SGASEG Meeting, Athens, Greece, Aug 24-28, 4 pgs.
• Jean S. Cline, David Shields, Lee Riciputi, Mostafa Fayek, Tracy L. Copp, John Muntean, Albert H. Hofstra, 2003, TRACE ELEMENT AND ISOTOPE MICROANALYSES SUPPORT A DEEP ORE FLUID SOURCE AT THE GETCHELL CARLIN-TYPE GOLD DEPOSIT, NORTHERN NEVADA, GSA Abstracts with Programs, 1pg.
• Yigit, O. and Hofstra, A.H., 2003, Lithogeochemistry of Carlin-type gold mineralization in the Gold Bar district, Battle Mountain-Eureka trend, Nevada: Ore Geology Reviews, v. 22, p. 201-224.
• Yongli Gao, Dave Dahlstrom, Mark Person, Al Hofstra, Dave John, Keith Howard, Don Sweetkind, and Dave Prudic, 2003, THE ROLE OF FAULTS IN THE PLUMBING OF THE GREAT BASIN GEOTHERMAL SYSTEMS AND GOLD MINERALIZATION: GSA Abstracts with programs, 1 pg.

Workshops

• Hofstra, A.H., Emsbo, P., and Cline, J.S., 2002, Distinguishing Characteristics and Models for Carlin-type Gold Deposits: in Carlin-type deposits of northern Nevada and their regional setting, SEG field trip guide CD, C. Thorman, ed., April 17-21, associated with SEG’s Global Exploration 2002:Integrated Methods for Discovery conference, Denver, CO.

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