Geochemical Data for Environmental Studies of Mineral Deposits at Nabesna, Kennecott, Orange Hill, Bond Creek, Bremner, and Gold Hill, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Alaska
Eppinger RG, Briggs PH, Rosenkrans D, Ballestrazze V, Aldir J, Brown ZA, Crock JG, d'Angelo WM, Doughten MW, Fey DL, Hageman PL, Hopkins RT, Knight RJ, Malcolm MJ, McHugh JB, Meier AL, Motooka JM, O'Leary RM, Roushey BH, Sutley SJ, Theodorakos PM, Wilson SA. 1999. Geochemical Data for Environmental Studies of Mineral Deposits at Nabesna, Kennecott, Orange Hill, Bond Creek, Bremner, and Gold Hill, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Alaska. U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Open-File Report. 99-342. Denver, CO
Environmental geochemical investigations were carried out between 1994 and 1997 in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve (WRST), Alaska. Mineralized areas studied include the historic Nabesna gold mine/mill and surrounding areas; the historic Kennecott copper mill area and nearby Bonanza, Erie, Glacier, and Jumbo mines; the historic mill and gold mines in the Bremner district; the active gold placer mines at Gold Hill; and the unmined copper-molybdenum deposits at Orange Hill and Bond Creek. The purpose of the study was to determine the extent of possible environmental hazards associated with these mineralized areas and to establish background and baseline levels for selected elements. Thus, concentrations of a large suite of trace elements were determined to assess metal loadings in the various sample media collected. This report presents the methodology, analytical results, and sample descriptions for water, leachate, sediment, heavy-mineral concentrate, rock, and vegetation (willow) samples collected during these geochemical investigations. An interpretive U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper incorporating these geochemical data will follow. Analytical data for samples collected in 1994 at Nabesna and Kennecott were previously published in a U.S. Geological Survey open-file report (Eppinger and others, 1995a and 1995b). An interpretive report on the 1994 data was also published (Eppinger and others, 1997). The present report supercedes the older analytical data release, bringing all the data from the entire study together in this single report. Also, sample locations are more accurate in the present report. The 1994 sample locations in the earlier report were determined by digitizing from 1:63,360-scale maps. These sites were re-occupied in 1996 and locations were refined using highly accurate military Global Positioning System (GPS) equipment (Rockwell PLGR+96 units) and more detailed field maps provided by WRST.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Eppinger, R.; Briggs, P.; Rosenkrans, D.; Ballestrazze, V.; Aldir, Jose; Brown, Z.; Crock, J.; d'Angelo, W.; Doughten, M.; Fey, D.; Hageman, P.; Hopkins, R.; Knight, R.; Malcolm, M.; McHugh, J.; Meier, A.; Motooka, J.; O'Leary, R.; Roushey, B.; Sutley, S.; Theodorakos, P.; Wilson, S.
- Date of Issue
- 1999
- Units
- HIST , WRST
- Keywords
- Analytical techniques, atomic fluorescence, atopmic absorption spectrophotometry, Bond Creek, Bremner, data files, ehistory, ferrous iron by colorimetry, field numbers, geochemical analyses, Geology, Gold Hill, Heavy mineral concentrations, History, inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry, inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry, ion chromatography, Kennecott, leached samples, Mineralogy, Mines, Nabesna, Orange Hill, precipitates, Rocks, Sample collection and preparation, Sample Media, Sediments, Techniques, Water, Willows