GIS-based identification of areas with mineral resource potential for six selected deposit groups, Bureau of Land Management Central Yukon Planning Area, Alaska
Links
- Document: Report (2.17 MB pdf)
- Plate: Plates 1-12 (39.0 MB pdf) - A single PDF file that contains the 12 plates not included in the report.
- Appendixes:
- Appendix A (28.4 KB xlsx) - Stream-sediment geochemistry summary statistics and percentile cutoffs.
- Appendix B (138 KB pdf) - Igneous rock geochemistry peer-reviewed literature sources.
- Appendix C (38.6 KB xlsx) - Alaska Resource Data File (ARDF) mineral deposit keyword and scoring templates.
- Appendix D (17.2 KB xlsx) - Lithology keyword search terms for an anticipated U.S. Geological Survey geologic map of Alaska.
- Appendix E (411 MB zip) - Scoring results for HUC analysis of selected deposit groups (folder containing Excel spreadsheet and geospatial data files)
- Companion File: Complete data package (451 MB zip) - A single ZIP file that contains the report, appendixes, metadata and plates.
- Metadata:
- Download citation as: RIS | Dublin Core
Abstract
This study, covering the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Central Yukon Planning Area (CYPA), Alaska, was prepared to aid BLM mineral resource management planning. Estimated mineral resource potential and certainty are mapped for six selected mineral deposit groups: (1) rare earth element (REE) deposits associated with peralkaline to carbonatitic intrusive igneous rocks, (2) placer and paleoplacer gold, (3) platinum group element (PGE) deposits associated with mafic and ultramafic intrusive igneous rocks, (4) carbonate-hosted copper deposits, (5) sandstone uranium deposits, and (6) tin-tungsten-molybdenum-fluorspar deposits associated with specialized granites. These six deposit groups include most of the strategic and critical elements of greatest interest in current exploration.
This study has used a data-driven, geographic information system (GIS)-based method for evaluating the mineral resource potential across the large region of the CYPA. This method systematically and simultaneously analyzes geoscience data from multiple geospatially referenced datasets and uses individual subwatersheds (12-digit hydrologic unit codes or HUCs) as the spatial unit of classification. The final map output indicates an estimated potential (high, medium, low) for a given mineral deposit group and indicates the certainty (high, medium, low) of that estimate for any given subwatershed (HUC). Accompanying tables describe the data layers used in each analysis, the values assigned for specific analysis parameters, and the relative weighting of each data layer that contributes to the estimated potential and certainty determinations. Core datasets used include the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Alaska Geochemical Database (AGDB2), the Alaska Division of Geologic and Geophysical Surveys Web-based geochemical database, data from an anticipated USGS geologic map of Alaska, and the USGS Alaska Resource Data File. Map plates accompanying this report illustrate the mineral prospectivity for the six deposit groups across the CYPA and estimates of mineral resource potential. There are numerous areas, some of them large, rated with high potential for one or more of the selected deposit groups within the CYPA.
Suggested Citation
Jones, J.V., III, Karl, S.M., Labay, K.A., Shew, N.B., Granitto, M., Hayes, T.S., Mauk, J.L., Schmidt, J.M., Todd, E., Wang, B., Werdon, M.B., and Yager, D.B., 2015, GIS-based identification of areas with mineral resource potential for six selected deposit groups, Bureau of Land Management Central Yukon Planning Area, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2015–1021, 78 p., 5 appendixes, 12 pls., https://dx.doi.org/10.3133/ofr20151021.
ISSN: 2331-1258 (online)
Study Area
Table of Contents
- Abstract
- Introduction
- Deposit Group Characteristics
- Datasets
- GIS-Based Methodology and Results by Deposit Group
- Summary
- Data Resources
- References Cited
| Publication type | Report |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | USGS Numbered Series |
| Title | GIS-Based Identification of Areas with Mineral Resource Potential for Six Selected Deposit Groups, Bureau of Land Management Central Yukon Planning Area, Alaska |
| Series title | Open-File Report |
| Series number | 2015-1021 |
| DOI | 10.3133/ofr20151021 |
| Year Published | 2015 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | U.S. Geological Survey |
| Publisher location | Reston, VA |
| Contributing office(s) | Alaska Science Center Geology Minerals |
| Description | Report: vii, 78 p.; 12 Plates: 11 inches x 16.3 inches; Metadata; 5 Appendices |
| Country | United States |
| State | Alaska |
| Other Geospatial | Central Yukon |
| Online Only (Y/N) | Y |
| Additional Online Files (Y/N) | Y |
| Google Analytic Metrics | Metrics page |