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Gold Mineralization Within the Cripple Creek Diatreme/Volcanic <br />Complex, Cripple Creek Mining District, Colorado, USA <br />C~ <br />• <br />Jeffrey A. Pontius <br />P17ces Peak Mining Company <br />P.O. Box 191 <br />Victor. CO 808b0 <br />(719)689-2977 <br />Fax (719) 689-3254 <br />The CliDpla Cruk Miltirtq tluViet Nea On the vwt[attt flattk dt <br />Pikp Paak. liasaan milaa fatrdlwan of Colorado Sprktga IFiqun 11. In <br />tna diadicYs 101 ylar hlatary it hat DrotlutW in atxaaa of 21 milion <br />ounep of gold 1720 medic tonal, making R the second 4rgeat <br />producer in me United States. Exploradon DY Pikaa Paak Mirknq <br />rdmpany Over the paR tflrN Yvan hY dalktad a Proven naerw a} 1.4 <br />mnkon totruinetl Quota of gold within a [kill kWitatatl mourn Dan <br />of nearly 2.5 million ouneaa. Moat of this minaralizaton n epmatnrm <br />within tlu Crasaott dapoan which is IoutaO in dta mouth sandal portion <br />Of the tlisifftt. <br />Nofllll <br />Gold mineralization m the Cflppla Crack district is re4nd to tna <br />emplacement of a 35 m.y. old allulins dratnmarvolcamc tamplax. A <br />majority of the poltl minankzaDOn at C(IDPIa Creek was tlaocadad <br />3horpy char the main phaY of rpneoua antl tliatnmal atttwty. The <br />gold tnnapdR aVatema pnmerkV Ybllaatl deep attuCNnl conduits for <br />both ma high gratla vain antl bulk bw grade depoal[a. Fluids wrthm <br />thaw Dnmary eontluits haw • magmaut atgnarura IpoW-telluride ouarQ <br />vein ivatamal wllh only minor metaOnt contamrnanon. The <br />sumourging broatl lawygtle mnmahzanon Inatrve gold pVnta, <br />discamina[atl avttsmel appears to nave had some mrxinp wnh metaonc <br />waters. Oati to date su0geets a dean mapmanG Iman[Iel source for <br />minaralliing fluitls. <br />REGIONAL GEOLOGIC OVERVIEW <br />Tha Criop4 Creek mlmnp tllstntt is IoUtetl wnhm a Tengrv <br />a~kalina tltatremervolCamt Comdlea Oatetl aI approximareW 35 m.v. <br />Surrountlmg country rotka ere Preeambran granrtea and metamorpmc <br />untie. During the Leramitla Oropsny me Pikes Paak re0~on exoenencetl <br />sigmfitant uplih and Idtal tldming prtOf t0 vOlCimam. The mBChanl6m <br />for emplacement tlf the alkaline diaireme is still deba[etl Dut believetl <br />IO De aSEOCOtetl wnh the tm(ial exiMalOnil tlClOMt tleVlloOminL alOnp <br />the Rio Gentle Rift system: a mttl-tonnnent rift sva[am that bisects <br />New Maxieo and conhnuaa into aoutnern and central Coloratlo. Fipura <br />2 is a IegrOnal [![fO01t map ahOwinp [tie IotahOn of the Cripple Creek <br />orstnct raunve to the Rio Grande Rlh. <br />the snensronal Rio Grantle svatem is most obvious m the <br />Cripple Creek area along north atnkmp notes en0 pgban atrutmrea, hke <br />the Four Mile antl Oil Creek faults. Although this north trentling fabrlt <br />currently ddmidatea the area, subtle ng~ONl northeast frantic exrit m <br />Ina Pratamorian. Theca northeast features may relate [p a ore-exiating <br />IaDnt mat was dominant outing me onpmal deposnwn at the early <br />Preeemorun unns. Work comoletetl Ov klipfel 119921 tlocuments <br />avtdente for a possible PreGmbtran oft envrtonment rn northern <br />Cdlpratlp ilOnO i genefal northeast trentl. which COUItl inclutle the <br />Cploratlb porphyry bel[ ICOlOndO mmeni pelt) Intl pOialbly GOntinUe <br />a0uth IOward Cripple Creak. <br />470 <br />2d <br />I-70' <br />DENVER ~ <br />TELLER ~ 425 <br />couNTr 24 , <br />DMDE ~® <br />SPRMaS <br />0 20 Km CRIPPLE CREEK \ <br />~ MINING DISTRICT <br />0 20 Mfles <br />-~ PUEBLO <br />COLOMDO <br />I-25 <br />LOCATION MAP OF CRIPPLE CREEK TELLER COUNTY <br />FiG. 1 <br />AI Cripple Creek Inc tlutreme was probably lotalizad at the <br />mteraecuon o1 normeastarn and northwestern structural zoNa. Tha <br />CrioDla Creek ComDlea may nave formatl rn a shallow graben valley <br />wNth was hlletl with alluvwm 1T711ahasaaa Creek FMI. Aa hypabyalal <br />mVUlIVe3 •nCduntered grOUnd want. lxp103we tllatrarnal anrdpWta <br />Depan. While the aroep welbd dratrema amerpetl, rolumsm, intruerve <br />arnvrty antl auDSitlanq Daeame dominate m ma eaanm Dart of the <br />. RANDOL AT MINEXPO '92 95 <br />