Gold occurrences near Jefferson, South Carolina
Gold, possibly in economic amounts, is present in the Jefferson area, South Carolina. It occurs in Slate Belt rocks of Paleozoic age, in Coastal Plain…
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GOLD OCCURRENCES NEAR JEFFERSON, SOUTH CAROLINA By James P. Minsrd OPEN FILE REPORT ? Tl:is rsp'Gri i Depertment of-the Interior U. S. Geological Survey.
Contents Previous mining and potential - Brewer mine area Lode rock Coastal Plain sediments Jefferson-Pageland upland area ;20 3).
Illustrations
Page Figure 1.--Index map of South Carolina showing area of the report. 2.S Map showing sample locations and generalized geology of area k Tables Table 1. Data on panned stream sediment samples 32
Data on outcrop samples. 33 ' Data on cuttings from, auger holes. 3-
Abstract
possibly in economic amounts, it present in tho Jefferson area, South Carolina. It occurs in Slate Belt rocks of Paleozoic a£C$ in Coastal Plain codimento of Cretaceous age> end in alluvial deposits of Qoatomary Tho area ia near tho inner edge of tbk Coastal Plain province* and includes the Brouor Gold Mine, which wan intorwlttontly active until 195 total gold production valued at about £fy;5Q$GOO Slate? Dolt rockn underlie tho entire area and crop out rsxlnly.in Talloy clopca and xinpsr drainage ;xysy its Coastal Plain codicants unclsrlio a upland; and alluvium lies to and aloi strcaioa draining the upland find in the bedrock adjacent areas* GoldAat the Brower Mine occurs chiefly in vain lodes in Gilice-ous volcar.lc and no ta volcanic rooli of Paleosoio ago* Gold in Coastal Plain cdicionto la nstily in placer deposits in tho louor gravol layers* Gold in Quatercai'y alluvial deposits is in placers in tb prooent 8troan chamiolo and in. Hood plain and abandoned oliannol deposits* A lodo deposit laay exist in tho rooks beneath tho Coastal Plain eodiraont
Introduction
The purpose of thi paper Is to report on the poosiblo gold potential in the Jefferson area, Chesterf ield'County, S.C. (fig. 1) which is near the Brewor gold mine. Gold is present in most of the rock types of tha area and occurs not only in the volcanic rocka of Paleozoic* age but also in the overlying Coastal Plain sedinents of Oretaceouo age and in the alluvial deposits o.f Quaternary ago. This preliminary report describee briefly tho geology of an area of about square isiles irhdch spans the boundary between tho Coastal Plain and Piedmont provinces (fig 2), and presents laboratory analyses and panning results of numerous samples of ths various rocks and Figure 2 near here Tho work is part of a nuch broader field roconnaiscanco atudy of the distribution of gold in the Atlantic Coastal Plain physiographic province, dene under the Heavy Ketals program of tho U. S. Geological Survey during 19&6* and 1966.
Figure 1.--Index map of South Carolina, showing area of Chesterfield County (Stippled). Black area is the area of this report and of Figure 2.
Figure 2.--Map showing sample locations and generalized geology of the Jefferson area, South Carolina.
Gold in the-amount of 1.20 ppm (parts pox* raillion) \ms detected in 19&5 in a s&.sple from tho fcaoal Goaatal F.ain gravol ono-half milo south of Joffcron (outcrop oaraple Table Additional eatsplir of outcrops and panning of strotin gravels during'tho fall of 197 shoved gold to bo not nly in tho oldor reels? in ooveral plaoos beneath the Coastal Plain sdinonis* Uit in ths Ooasteil Plain sedinc-nta and Qua ternary alluvixin* luring I- and May Ip68ff In or dor to deterniiis fho geolo5.o acrjociaticn and extent o£ tho sold nugei* holed trsre bored through tJsO Coaita! Plain ccdimontG.ddiivioiial outcrop samples *rere
colloc1>Cfd? and more streaa oodiisnts vrcro panned w
All samples were analyzed by atomic absorption techniques, either in mobile laboratories near the site or in the Denver laboratory of the u.s, Geological Survey, Analysts were G. W. Dounay, T. G. Cing, T. A. Roemer, J". G. Friskin, and A. J. Toevs. Physiogrophy The Jefferson area lies across the boundary between the Coastal Plain and Fie&aont physiographic provinces. The Coastal Plain sediments generally underlie fairly level to gently rolling law uplands between altitudes of 350 and 650 feet. These uplands have a gentle slope toward the southeast', a general characteristic of the Coastal Plain surface. £he region Is veil dissected by email streams; roost of the major parts of the streams have eroded through the Coastal Plain setUwonts into the bedrock formations underlying the Piednont physiographic sediments province, leaving areas of the Coastal Plainas isolated upland remnants. Only the small upper reaches of the streams flow on Coastal Plain sedi- ments* The land surface of the Piedmont is much more rolling and has steeper slopes than those of the Coastal Plain. Piedmont landforms vary from gently sloping areas underlain by saprolite to steep valley vails and bald knobs of bedrock rising conspicuously above the surrounding land surface. Streams are bordered by floodplains of alluvium of different widths and thicknesses. Some floodplains are narrow and covered by a thin.mantle of alluvium through which bedrock t/rotrudes, vherean.- others, particularly along Fork Crook, ore fairly wide and flat, and alluvium is su thick to cover the bedrock.
Geology
' Paleozoic rocks The oldest rocks in the area are part of that has long been known as the Carolina Slate Belt series (Overstreet aid Bell, 1965A, p. 1 Rock types include argillite, rhyolite-.tuff, rhyolite porphyry, silicified tuff, sericite and rauscovite schist, breccias, volcanic flovr rocks, hornblende gneiss, amphibolite, grayvracke, diabase, and granite. , In the Jefferson area, these rocks are mapped three units; argillite, granite, and intermixed rocks. The argillite and intermixed rocks are lev-grade meftsaorpMc rocks of Ordovieian. to Mississippian age, and the grsnite, whicli intrudes them, may be as young as Permian. The rocks are in various stages of leathering, ranging from fresh and hard through saprolites in which the parent formation can still be determined. to nearly unidentifiable saprolite clay. Argillite Argillite underlies valley bottoms and fairly gentle slopes and benches in the southern part of the area shown in fig. 2. This rock is largely greenish-and bromish-gray, fine-grained, laminated, tuffaceous argillite. As shown by Overstreet and Bell (19653), the unit includes other lithologies such as breccias and agglomerates, and is similar to the rocks mapped in North Carolina as the Tillery Formation (Conley and Bain, 19o5, p. 126, In this report on the Jefferson- area, the unit mapped as argil Lite is Largely restricted to the laminated argillHe; the other lithologieo are included in the intermixed rock unit.
Much of the urgillite is fissile and splits readily into thin
wavy plates. Laminae typically range in thickness from 0.5 mm to 0.5 cm. Minute platelets 3f mica are abundant and have' u strong preferred orientation. Because of the fine laminations the rock is often referred to as "varved." .Foliation surfaces are yavy and minutely irregular, and lateral crinkling of laminae and minute offsets or faults are evident. Many outcrops are littered by papery plates of weathered rock. Fresh rock tends to be greenish-grey; weathered rock is shades of brown, dull reds, and dull yellows. Intermixed rocks Included with the intermixed rocks are those napped between the argillite to the south rail the granite to the north. Inliers of the unit are within the granite at two locations in the northwestern part of the area (fig. 2). The unit includes rhyolite tuff, rhyollte porphyry, silicified tuff and breccia, diabase, hornblende gneiss, a>nphibolite, -muscovite schist, sericite schist, and saprolltic tuff. fthyolite tuff crops out in the road cut along Route 39 just eor>t of stream saaple nuniber location (Table 1). Tough, yellow-brown to pale orange-pink rhyolite porphyry crops out in and along Fork Creek t1ust north of Route at strean cample, number 23 location (Table lv>, and along Hugget Creek at stxeain sample number 51 location (Tab3.e 1), bet\reen Routes 39 and *K). The rock contains abundant pinkish feldspar crystals, bipyraraidal quarts crystals, end s01*10 small pyrite cubes. Silicified tuff crops out. in and along Fork Creek, aboxt 5' yards upstream from ctrean aonple nier 20 location, and along Niv.!0,et C-reek at stream sample number 52 location (Table The rock is frcy, tough, fine- to coarne-grc-ined and contains considerable pyrite an the j?inff-grajned varieties.
Coarse-grainod, dark-gray to greenish-gray and light-gray omphibolitic saprolite cro'p>out in JIugget Creek at outcrop sample locations 3, aid 10 (Table 2), both east and west of Route Uo. In the upper tributary to Fork Creek, northeast of VJhite Plains Church at stream sample number 2 location, is an outcrop of a similar rock, gneissic amphibol:ite, both unweathered and saprolitized* Mica schist crops out in the road cut near the top of the hill along Route to, south of outcrop caaple number 12 location (Table 2. Tlie rock is schistose, saprolitized, and is cut by quartz veins; angular fragments of quartz litter the surface. Mica schist also crops out in cuts along the west side of Route 151, just east of stream sample number 8 location "'(Table 1) The rock is partly sheared and saprolitic, cut by quart veins and pods, and contains much Muscovite and eericite as books up to one inch across. Amorphous siltston.es and clays tones, which may be veathered tuffs, crop out in cuts along Route 39 vest of ITugget Creek. The intermixed rocks underlie valley bottoms and slopes inter- mediate in steepness betvreen the fairly gentle slopes on the argillite and the steep ones on the granite. ;
Granite
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Light-gray, coarse-grained, massive, biotite granite, containing sparse, small lenses of fine-grained granite 9 ~rops out in the northern half of the area. Most outcrops of hard rock are along streams and low, ftiirly steep slopes; the rock underlying upper land surfaces is largely saprolite. Da appearance granite saprolite is much the same as the hard rock, but it can be easily excavated by hand shovel. Pink to light-gray potassic feldspar crystals and plates of Motite are clearly identifiable even though the rock is decomposed in place. The saprolitized rock generally is pale red to grayish-pink as compared with the light gray of the relatively unweathered gianite. Although not cosmipn, hard granite does crop out on the upper land surfaces. In the west central part of the area shown on fig. 2, Just vest of outcrop cample number 13 location (Table 2, granite forms prominent, massive, rounded knobs rising.as much an 30 feet above the hilltops and upper slopes. '.The ground surface, surrounding these outcrops is covered by light-gray sand; this surface resembles a sur- face on the Coastal Plain material. When examined closely, however, the sand grains cen be seen, to be angular fragments of quarts and feldspar derived frora the disintegrating bedrock. As determined frora auger holes and road cuts, the granite is locally saprolitized to depths of at least feet* Except at and near the surface, in the %one of eluvjation, the caprolite is clayey and maintains steep slopes in cut exposures. With, the exception of soms inliers of older rocks, the granite underlies most of tbe northern half of the area shown in fig. 2. It- apparently postdates the argillite and inter- mixed rocks, and way be of Pemion age.
Orotaceous Tuscaloosa Formation Coastal Plain eedicssnto of La to Cretaceous age in this area are referred to as tho Tuccaloosa Formation (VJilnhrth, 19p8> p. 2200) and are considered by Cooke 19) to be equivalent to the Raritevn of the ilddlo Atlantic Coaotal Plain, although some of the lower deposits aay bo of Early Cretaceoua ago*. Swift and Heron (l££p) reviewed the otratigraphy of the Carolina Cretaceous and redefined the upper part of the Tuscaloosa as the 3-Iiddondorf Fox*3mtion and tho lower part as tho Capo Fear P The Cretaceous Cotxatal Plain socliiaonto in the J area are unconoolidated, light-gray yellou-brovnif nd r c-lay silt, pand? and gravel; oapd predominates especially in tho upper part of tlie forioation* Clay ranges from yollovr to roddioh-brovm and ID chiefly haolinito* Sand la cexposed joatly of cjuarts, but is locally arkosic particularly where it io adjacent to or overlaps graito* Gravel is generally more abundant at the base and in tho loor part of the unit; some layers of gr&vel above tho lower beds are exposed in road cuts cuch a0 the one at cut-crop sample number 2 location (Table 2 and fi£ 2), The grael is chiefly pebblo GiOj but come cobbles are present* The base of the fo.rraation Is irregular and uncomfortably overlies all the older rock typea in the area* Sorae deposits of sand and gravel are filled channels cut into tho older rocks* The upper sandy deposits cover west of the upland along Koute 11 fron Jefferson northward for about four siilesj tho cand is generally leached to liht gray at the nurfViccu
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Compact arkosip sand is well exposed in. a cut on Route
outcrop sample nuriber 13 location (Table 2 and fig. 2}. Cross strati- fication is -well defined in this outcrop as it is in other exposures. The formation is generally veil "bedded and gravel is chiefly in dis- tinct layers and lenses from several inches to several feet thick. Most of the formation in this area probably is continental in origin and vras deposited in stream channels and on flood plains. The fossils found clsswhere in the formation are plant remains of terrestrial origin. The irregular channeled base, horizontal and cross stratification, lenticular shapes of gravel beds, abundance of sand, and apparent fluviatile origin favor correlation of these sediraents with the MlddcKdcrf (upper Tuscaloosa) of Swift and Heron (1969, p. 208 and 213-21, for \?hich they suggest a .fluvial origin, wore than with the Cape Fear Formation (lover TuscalooccO, for -which they seora to favor an origin other than fluvial (p. 212. It is difficult, hcr.rever, to specifically identify the Coastal Plain sediments in the Jefferson area with one of the divisions of Swift and Heron (1969), based only on the criteria of that report. Therefore, the Coastal Plain sediments in this area are still referred to as the Tuscaloosa Fonaation.
Quaternary deposits The streams are bordered by Quaternary deposits which are largely sand and gravel. Because these deposits are mostly thin and somewhat discontinuous along roany of the streams, they are only shown on the map (Fig. alorg part of Fork Creek \there they form a floodplain as much ' as 1/4 tailc wide and are thick enough to cover bedrock co:npletcly. Gold resources-present distribution Gold ic~prcrent in most of the rock types of the area. It seems to be more abundant in the si3.icified tuffs and breccias> Coastal Plain sediments, and Quaternary deposits than in the other rocks. This distribution is corroborated by past mining in these rocks and sediments* and by the* results of this study. Gold is corcentrated in the Brewer Mine area and farther north in the Jefferson-Pagciauci upland area. During the present ctucly, gold 7.:aa detected in the highest values . (to 12 ppm) in umreathsred silicificA tu-ff (Table 2) and in silicificd tuff saprolite (Table 3)? in araourrbs to 2.20 ppm. in Coastal Plain sediments (Tables 2 and 3), and in amounts to O.?0 ppra in stream sedi- ment samples (Table 2) The rock type in "which gold seems next abundant in quantity to the tuff and Coastal Plain sediments is the amphibolitic rocks. Gold as detected in these rocks in amounts of 0.02 to 0.0 ppm (Table 2. Gold was detected in argillite in an amount of 0.02 ppci in one outcrop sample (Table 2V-. Gold rao not detected in trco outcrop samples of granite from within the map nxea, but nappies of granite saprolite from auger holes contained cold in amounts of 0.02 pp;a (Table 3)*
The following discussion gives the total nuaber of samples token and the number containing gold: Of 11 samples of granite and granite saprolite, 2 contained gold; 9 of 35 samples o5 l internrJbced rocks and saprolite from intermixed rocks contained goldj of .16 sarspes of A argillite, 1 contained gold; 13 of 100 samples of Coastal Plain sand and gravel contained gold; and 92 of 110 samples of stream sediments contained gold. In addition to the soxiples mentioned above, 72 samples were col- lected from one road cut in an attempt to determine the precise fltrati- graphic position and lateral distribution of the gold. Each s mple was continuous for a horizontal distance of 10 feet, The cut is 200 feet
% long and U to 8 f3et deep5 it is along the west, side of Route 151? one half mile south of Jefferson, and is field sample number 1 location (Table 2 V; . Fifteen samples were collected arid mialyzed from the upper one foot thickness of argillite exposed in the "base of the cut; gold was'not detected in any of these samples. Of nineteen samples collected and analyzed fron the basal one foot of the gravelly Coastal Plain sediiaents; gold, in the amount of .06 ppra, was detected in 2. This is the same horizon from which outcrop sample number 1, containing 1,20 ppn gold, was collected. Gold was not detected in cny of nineteen samples from the Coastal Plain sediments 2 feet above the base, nor in any of 19 more from the top foot of the cut. The gold was in the basal gravelly sand ot the Coastal Plain sediments and must have "been transported into this area, because none was detected in the underlying argillite bedrock. Tiro hundred forty-three addition?! carrples vere collected in 1967. by A.£-jankel,ir>U.S.Ci.S., near the Brewer Mine. This iiawnlinfs and the s are discussed in the following Bre\:er Mind section.
Previous mining and potential - Brewer Mine area The Brewer Mne area'includes the Tanyard placer, the Hartzaan, Topaz, and Brewex Pits, and the other writings in the immediate vicinity (Pardee and Park, 19 !-,'-8, pis. 30, 31 and fig. 2, this report). About 5°jCOO in gold was recovered at the Brewer Mine during the period from 1828 to the mid-1890 f s and during brief periods up to 1935 (Pardee end Park, 191*8, p. 106). The Brewer deposit consists of gold- bearing silicified tuff, saprolite, and Coastal Plain sediments; the last -were largely derived from the weathered tuff. The first dis- coveries were placer deposits in the small, isolated outlier of Coastal Plain sediments which blanketed the bedrock surface west and south of the lode pit. The Coastal Plain sediments in this outlier ranged in thickness from a thin veneer to possibly 10 feet. In the early years of the operation as many as 200 people were working the deposit, raining . both the placer and top few feet of the. luadcrlying saprolits. Mining subsequently progressed down into weathered tuff and into the lode deposits. The ore was washed in rockers; later Chilean arrastres were used. Apparently there was little activity during the period from the late 1850's until after 1880 when much of the placer was reworked by hydraulic
methods, using water pumped from Little Fork Creek. A five-stamp mill, built in 1686 near the creek, was expanded to ho stamps by 1889 and, in 1892, a chlorination plant was added. Shortly after this the operation closed, partly as a result of legal issues over tailing damage; cince then, operatbn has been minimal ond brief.
Production from the placer contributed the bulk of the gold recovered from the total mining operation. Placer production has been estimated at $300,000 and the lode production at $150,000 (Pardee and Park, 198, p- lOo"!. About two-thirds of the placer area was known as the Tanyard Placer. Placer areas other than the Tanyard included patches of Coastal Plain sediment around the outcrop-of the lode and strips from these patches down natural drainage ways. The total placer area mined was about 185,000 square yards (38 acres). In addition to the placer \nines, the Brewer deposit included two-large pits in. the lode, the Brewer and Hartman, and vaany small surface openings ia bed- rock along a belt trending northwestward on the ridge between Little
Fork Creek end lynches River (Pardee and Park, 191*8, pis. 30, 31, 32. Lode rock The Brewer lode is chiefly in gray, hard, cherty, siliceous (quartz-sericite) schistose rock, much o.f it breccia and all probably derived from bedded volcrmic rocks. The lode is about 200 to 300 feet wide and extends northeast about 1,000 feet. The deepest workings, the Brewer Pit, are 1*10 feet deep. The upper ko to 60 feet of rock is weathered to varying degrees and some is loose, fine, white quartz sand. Weathering extends to a depth of at least 10 feet along a shattered zone in the southwest part of the Brewer Pit. Pyrite is abundant in the unweathered rock, mostly as disseminated grains, and constitutes from several percent to nearly half of large masses of rock in the lower part of the Brewer Pit.
Other minerals of the lode include bismuth, cassiterite, topaz, gold, and several copper minerals. Parts of the lode rock are composed almost entirely of topaz (Fries, 19*1-2). The gold-bearing rocks of the lode consisted of irregular lens-like "bodies ID-30 feet wide, closely grouped in the pit area, and oriented northwestward. The better grade of ore assayed $5 to $7 per ton and averaged $3 Samples 6 and 7 (Table 2), taken by the author from the unweathered pyrite-rich zones in. the bottom of the Pit, gave gold values of 12.0 and 0.04 ppm; the richest value was from the north side of the pit. *i? J/" A. Kinkel, U.S.G.S. (open file report, 1970), sampled the hard rock in the Brewer, Topaz, and-Hartnan, Pits (fig. and obtained the " % following analytical results (values in ppoO: Pit Brewer Topaz Topaz Hartman Hartman Hartman Field ITo, K 289 K 356 K 358 K 359 K 361 Lab. Ho. ABP 310 ..:A8X.023 ABX 972 ABX 025 ABX 026 ABX 028 - An b. 50 0.6U
Kinkel (open file report, 1970) collected 243 samples along Route 110 between Route 26£ and Route 39 (fig. 2) to see if the min- eralized zone might extend southwest from the 1-rewer Mine toward the Haile Mine (fig. l). These samples were almost continuous along all road cuts. Twenty of the samples contained gold in amounts of 0.02 ppra to 0.20 ppm. The apparent lack of rich mineralization in an arc of nearly 180° to the* west of the mine led Kinkel to speculate that (p. 2}-. "The Brewer Mine i.aay be at a volcanic center. The presence of fairly coarse pyroclastic and coarse tuff, shatter brecciation of diatresie type, very strong silicification in a United area, and the presence of an unusually large amount of fluorine in topaz, suggest that the mine might be in an explosion vent." ' " Coastal Plain sediments Most of the erea of Coast si Plain sedioients at the Brewer Mine was worked and reworked during early mining operations. Not only the fluvial and possibly marine (Pardee and Park, 198, p, 111) placers in the Coastal Plain sands and, gravels were worked but also the residual placers in the easily excavated underlying saprolite. The 3-or Ji-acre area of unworked Coastal Plain sediments, from a fevr feet to 10 feet thick (including tiie under lying weathered sandy saprolite), may be worth ixivestigating further. If the value of 2,20 ppai obtained from sample 8 (Table 2) is representative of several feet of the sand, the deposit may be economically significant, at least in conjunction with mining of the lode.
Beneath the Coastal Plain sedinents at tho Brewer Mine is* -weathered siliceous bedrock ranging 'from a veneer to several feet. Unless examined closely, this material looks nearly identical -':o the overlying Coastal Plain sand. The -weathered -siliceous rock is a white-to yellow-brown and reddish-brown fine-grained quartz sand tha seer:is to have blanketed nearly all the bedrock over the entire Tanyard Placer. Hear the mid/He of the placer area is an abundance of veS.n quartz; much of it is in windrows, apparently placed ojjide during mining operations. The large volune of material dus up, both Coastal Plain sediments and underlying candy caprolite, represents a prodigious effort because most of the work was done by hand. Hydraulic methods were used later, largely to rework
previously excavated material. An interesting aspect of the placer raining is the local abundance of rounded "pebbles" of ironstone other than iron-oxide coated quartz- pebbles near the bedrock pits. The presence of these ironstone "pebbles" on the surface inhere no Coastal Plain ssditiients now exist seeded to indicate a former wider distribution of such deposits which were subsequently eroded, leaving the ironstone "pebbles" as lag deposits. On the basis of this reasoning, gold found in the oaprolite sand beneath the "pebbles" was considered to be to stream or wave action placer deposits. Close examination of the "pebbles", however, leads the author to the conclusion that these "pebbles" are merely oxidized, rounded residual fragments of pyritic siliceous bedrock and do not by themselves necessarily indicate that Coastal Plain sediments formerly f blanketed these particular areas. IS
Other gold recovery operations in the mineralized area ware scattered and small. It seomjs probable that panning and sluicing or rocker recovery methods may have been employed along most of the streams, at least those near the Brewer Mine. However, large areas found in this study to be gold-bearing apparently were untouched by early miners, and the only stream along which remains of workings are sti'.ll readily visible is :Nugget Creek, and only west of Route 1*0. ' On the couth floodplain of plai: this creek, between Routes 39 and Uo, are small, divings a few feet across, ditches 2 or 3 feet wide and 10 to 30 feot long, and small piles of tailings from material scraped and dug from pockets and leathered 3*oint fillings in bedrock. A local farmer, Mr. Ingrahm, said that tenant farmers mined gold along the creek between Routes 39 and JiO over an 8-to- 10-year period, apparently during the 1930*8. He said (oral commun., I larch 19 3.S'68N thsy used a shaker (half barrel witli cleats"' and mercury, Although the author walked along several other streams in the area and panned along much of their lengths, no tangible evidence of mining activity like that .'along ITugget Creek .was seen. This is surprising because gold is readily recoverable in small amounts along the streams, particularly along Fork Creek which has a broad flood plain containing a considerable volume of alluvium. Also the largest particles of gold (coarse to very coarse} recovered by the author were from Nugget Creek east of Route ho where the flood plain shows no evidence of former mining activities. There ore old ditches in a regular pattern, but they appear to be part of a drainage system used when the lend was fornerly tilled.
Jefferson-Pageland upland area The Jefferson-Pageland upland area induces the remnant upland of Coastal Plain which constitutes the fairly flat-topped north-south drainage divide "between Fork Creek on the east and .Little Fork Creek on the west. It also includes the flat area of Coastal Plain in the vicinity of YThite Plains Church, and the flanking stream valleys, slopes, and hills of argillite, intermixed rocks, and granite (fig. 2). Argillite Only one sample (number 5, Table 2) of 16 taken in the argillite in the map area (fig. contained gold. Gold wis detected, however, in wany places in the stream sediments lying on the argillite. Most of this gold "was finer grained than that recovered from stream sediments on the intermixed rocks. This distribution may indicate finer gold in the host rocks> or tha foot that, because of tlie.snnller particle siiie, the gold iras capable of being transported farther arxd was derived froia other rock types upstresm fron the argillite. To date, gold values from the argillite are not encouraging, and further investigation of this rock unit does not appear to "be as promising as that of the intermixed rocks.
Intermixed rocks
Gold was detected in ,7 samples of a total of 33 obtained from the intermixed rocks; k of these (3* 10, and 12 Table were outcrop ;? samples and 3 (holes 2 and Table 3) were saj>rolitic material from auger hole cuttings. Outcrop samples 3>- JS ami 10 were obtained from exposures along Nugget Creek. The rock in each exposure is coarse- grained saprolitic amphibolite. Outcrop sample 12 was obtained from a road-cut exposure of weathered rhyolite tuff. Tlie auger cuttings samples, which contained as much as 0.0k ppm gold, were from hole 2 froax depths of 35-39 and. 39-3 feet, f<nd from hole 5 "t JvO-Ul feet (Table 3 - Each cample ve.s a saprolitG clay over- lain by 35 to kO feet of Coastal Plain se'diinents. The gold could have been contoniaation from the Coastal Plain sedii-icnts as the cuttings were withdrawn frons the holes. However, because f.old was detected in the same type of bedrock in outcrop (njurrole 12, Table 2 vi probably the gold was in place in the saprolite.
Hugget Creek,' whose drainage is confined tc the intermixed rocks, yielded more coarse gold then any other stream, and it was worked pre- viously by prospectors over a period of 8-10 yecrs during the 1930 ! s. ' The nearby location of the Brewer Mine, in the jyes&e belt of rocks, is an'added factor to the economic potential of these rocks. Peter.Popenoe and C, Tippcns, U.S. Geological Survey, ran ground electromagnetic surveys across part of this bolt of rocks along the road east of Route 151 (along which the series, of auger holes 1-6 are located) and along the next road to the east (fig. 2). These surveys detected two strong anomalies; the first, 100 feet wide, between augex* holes 3 and 4, and the second, 150 feet '-ride along the next road to the east on a line extended . between auger holes 3 and h northeast to strenn sample nurabcr 21 location (fig. 2). These two anomalies may bo a single continuous anomaly and nay indicate a tiiasniv* sulphSOe deposit in bedrock at a depth of yossibXy 35--JO feet beneath the Coastal Plain, sediments (Peter Popenoe, oral commun., February U, 1970). A straight line extended southwest from the two electromagnetic anomalies passes -dirough the Icaoim tiiineralized zone at the Brewer Mine. The Kugget '"reek northeast-trending zone, lies north of this line and warrants further investigation. Possibly the area north of the Brewer Mine and southwest of the Nugget Creek zone should also be investigated,, possibly at depth. The possibility of a mineralized zone in the rocks buried beneath the Coastal Plain sediments northeast from the Brewer Mine calls to mind the lola end Uvrarra Mines near Candor, North Carolina (Pardee and Park, 198, p. 82-83), where the lode was not discovered until 1901. 'ihis late 'discovery war, due primarily to the fact that the lode was mostly beneath a cover of Coastal Plain sediments. This lode produced a Million dollars worth of gold in the first 15 years of operation.
Granite As mentioned previously, gold was not present in any samples obtained from granite outcrops within the map crea (fig. 2). Although gold iras in auger cuttings fron two samples of granite saprolite, contamination vras possible from the overlying Coastal Plain sediments through i-rhich the samples passed on retrieval. Gold iras recovered at roany locations from stream sediments lying on £.Tanite bedrock. There, too, the gold could have been derived from the overlying Coastal Plain sediments in which it is present as fossil placers. However, only 11 samples were taken of the gronite, both fresh end oaprolitic. A nore thorough sampling seems warranted. Gold -was found.in minute anounts in three samples of granite collected fron a long deep road cut along Route 601 on the vest side of Lynches River miles \rest of the m?,p area (Z.*-Altschulcr, U.S.G.S,, written cora-un., April 1968. ';old values determined were 1*0, and 2. b- parts per billion. Coastal Plain sediments Gold is present in the Coastal Plain sediments which form the upland from the south edge of Jefferson north to Pagelond. Gold was detected in 11 samples of a total of 98 from this area. A sample of the basal Coastal. Plain gravelly sand south of Jefferson contained 1.20 ppra gold (sample 1, Table 2, and fig. . Several other samples of the basal Coastal Plain sediments near here yielded minor amounts of gold. Gold also was detected in small amounts in an outcrop of basal Coastal Plain grovel along Boute 151 north of Route 109 (ssi-wlo 2, 7-ible 2, and fig. 2). rtoall anounts of gold vere recovered from cuttings of Coastal Plain sane! and gravel from i.uger holes 1, 9 ? 12, o.ui 13 (Ts&le 3 and fig. 2).
The author first detected gold in panned concentrates from Fork Creek south of Jefferson. In an attempt to determine the source of ? the gold, stream bottom and bank sediments wer<?[ panned, working up- stream. In the first attempts, sediments from ;many locations only a short distance apart were panned. Later, because this obviously was too time consuming sediments were panned at wider intervals. This partly explains tie close spacing of sample locations along Fork Creek south of Jefferso'i and along Gold Dust Branch north of Route 109 o&& the wider-spaced intervals elsewhere. The close intervals along Nugget Creek, however, ere partly because larger cold particles were recovered and because it was believed' that they did not travel too far; close- spaced stations were selected in an attempt to locate the source. . After the source of sorae of the gold was traced into the base of the Coastal Plain sediments in ths upper reaches of Cold Duet "Branch (fig. holes were bored in these sediments in an attempt to discover how widespread was the occurrence of gold in thera. TThen gold was detected in stream sediments in the upper pojrb of Fork Creek northeast of White Plains Church, auger holes were put down into the Coastal Plain sediments which ring the drainage basin. As can be seen on F.igure 2 and Table 3, 8 of these 15 auger holes contained gold. Possibly gold is present in amounts up to one part per million in the lower part of the unconsolidated Coastal Plain sediments over cm area of several square miles in the Jefferson-Pageland upland. The Coastal Plain cover over this area rouges in thickness from a thin veneer to about Uo feet. Of course, in order to recover gold, the laid would have to be literal'ly turned over, the gold extracted, and nn attempt Wi.dc to restore the laud to its fern function. Jn the px'ocess, eiltiing of the streams undoubtedly would be a problem.
Quaternary deposits
Quaternary deposits contain gold in the Jefferson-Pageland upland these deposits area butAConstitu'ce a nuch smaller total volume than toe Coastal Plain sediments. Most of the streams are bordered by narrow flood plains underlain by thin alluvial deposits. The flood plain along Fork Creek,, however, particularly south of Route if-3, is fairly broad (fig. and is underlain by alluvial deposits as much as 10 feet thick; this consti- tutes a considerable volume of alluvium. Traces of gold are nearly everywhere in bed load sediments of the present stream channel .(Table 1 x- and TTere also detected in bonk samples* Therefore, a fairly laxge volume of auriferous alluvial sediments probably is.present on relatively
% unused loud, and some may be of economic importance. Source of gold Coastal Plain sediments The Brewer Mine Is the nearest source for the gold in the Coastal Plain sediments of the area. Two smaller gold raines, the Leach and Kirkley, are located 2.0 miles JT.A?. and 2.3 miles S.10°E. of Jefferson, respectively (Pardec and Park, 191*8, p. 105)* The gold in the base of the Coastal Plain sediments at the Brewer Mine likely was not transported far; probably it was derived from the underlying weathered lode rock and possibly from a short distance to the north. The gold rasy have been con- centrated by action of flowing water in a stream and/or by winnowing action of waves along a shoreline.
Gold in the Coastal Plain sediments of the Jefferson-Page£and upland orea probably was also derived from the 'mdcriying saprolite and bedrock or from a short distance up slope to the north. Part of this interpretation is "based on the fact that the economic concentration of gold in the Tanyard Placer at the Brewer Min<5 vas located on and near the lode. At the Haile Mine about 10 miles to the southwest near .Kershaw (fig, 1), the Coastal Plain sediraents directly over the lode contain appreciable amounts of gold as 5ret untaiaed. The author sampled the basal 5 feet of the 10-15 foot thick cover of Coastal Plain sedi- ments in the southeast part of the Haile Mine* Thirty-three of k2. samples, from a horizontal distance of 300 feet ? contained gold to 2.20
ppn and averaged .50 ppm. (50 cents per ton) £11 h2 samples averaged .Uo ppsi gold. Sorac o£ the fine gold particles nay hove corns fron sosie distance, but the coarser particles probably rcera not transported very far. A stream having a fairly steep gradient and p,jynreciab3.e volume of flovr probably trould have been required to transport the coarse particles of gold any considerable distance; a stream having large transport capability did not exist here because the Coastal Plain sediments are primarily Band with gravel layers only at and near the base of the section and most of the gravel is within the pebble size range.
Gold in the Coastal Plain sediments may have been concentrated a number of tines by different processes. In several places in the general region -where gold is present in low va3 ues in the bedrock, it is or has been present in higher values in the saprolite than in the underlying bedrock. These enriched saprolites can be considered residual placers, formed largely by lag concentration as the enclosing bedrock was saprolitized and the fines washed a-fcoy by rainfall. If such a zone of enrichment existed 5n the sr*prolite prior to the fluvial and marine processes associated with erosion of the weathered, surface and deposition as Coasto.1 Plain sediments, then a second concentration as a fluvial or marine placer could exist. Subsequent flash floods or wave action reworking'this material deposited as bars, fans, or deltas, possibly could constitute a third concentration process. Considering that concentration, could have taXen place through one or more stages 9 placers of economic significance nay have formed in the Coastal Plain sediments, particularly at the base and in this area vrhers the bedrock contains' gold. As mentioned earlier, rich lodes may be present in the rocks underlying the Coastal Bain sediraents. Considering these aspects, the economic potential of the area should be Investigated further. '
Source of gold Quaternary deposits
Gold in the Quaternary deposits is the result of one to several stages of reworking and concentrating. It may 'iiave "been derived directly from bedorck and deposited in the stream gravels and flood plain deposits thus having undergone only one stage of concentration "before the final stage of deposition as a Holocene placer. If conditions were favorable, repeated reworking may have concen- trated the gold as more enclosing sand, si3.t, and clay vere washed away; higher values isay be present in the Quaternary deposits than in the Coastal Plain sediments because the younger deposits have undergone at least one more reworking. The'vide flood plains along Fork Creek and
% Little Fork Creek, from southwest to east of Jefferson, may contain placers of significant values. Conclusions / .Gold is present in the Coastal Plain sediments (Tuscaloosa Formation) and Quaternary alluvium in the JeffersonI are'a, South Carolina, in amounts xip to it least 1.20 parts per million / ($1.20 per ton). Gold-bearing Coastal Plain sediinents cover an area " /of about 25 square miles and are several feet to Ho feet thick. The I go3.d in the see sed3.ments seems to be mostly in the basal few feet and
in sparse gravel layers above. /
These sediments appear to be largely fluviatij.e in origin but may include some beach deposits. Gold taay have undergone several concen- tration processes, c.nd placers of economic potential nay be present in the Coc-st-jl Plain eSinents and cJ.so 5n tha iridei*'flood plain alluvial deposits bordering the :prcsent stroais.
Factors detracting from the potential values of the deposits
include the present 'land use as residential and productive farm land, probsble silting of creeks during gold Recovery processes, and necessity to restore the land to its pro-gold-recovery condition. This study shows that gold in economic amounts may be present in underlying bedrock lodes that have not yet been discovered because of the thick cover .ol* Coastal Plain sediments. The intermixed group of rocks seems to be the most promising of the bedrock formations for further investigation. Gold is present in these rocks in several places up to at least 12 pp.n, both where they are exposed and where they lie beneath the Coastal Plain sediments.
In summary, the possibility of lode'gold in the area north of Jefferson is suggested by: (l) the coarse gold in nugget Creek, (2) the electro-Tnegnetic anomalies, and (3 "the gold-bearing caprollte recovered from auger hole number 2 (Table 3).
If gold in economic amounts is present in bedrock "beneath, the Coastal Plain sediments, then possibly undergrc-iind mining methods could be employed in vrhich minimal siirfa.ce damage and disfiguration vould be effected.
References cited
Cooke, G. W., 1936, 'Geology of the Coastal Plain of South CarolinaU.S. Geol. Survey Bull. 867, 196 p. Conley, J. F. , and Bain, G. L. , 1965, Geology of the Carolina slate belt west of the Deep River-Wadesboro Triassic basin, North Carolina* Southeastern Geology, v. 6, no. p." 117- 133. Fries, Carl, Jr. , 19-V2, Topaz deposits near the Frcwer Mine, Chesterfield ' County, South Carolina* U.S. Gool, Survey Bull. 936-C, p. 59-78. Overstreet, W, C., and Bell, Henry, 3d, 19o5A, 2he crystalline rocks of South Carolina: U.S. Gool. Survey Bull. 1183, 126 p. Overstreet, W. C., and Bell, Henry, 3d, 19653, Geologic map of the crystalline rocks of South Carolina: U.S. Geol, Survey Mice. Geol. Inv. Map 1-13, scale 1:250,000. Pardee, J. T. , and Parl;, C. P. , Jr., 19 Cola deposits of the southern Piedmont: U.S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 213- Swift, D. J. P., and Heron, S. D., Jr., 1969, Stratigraphy of the Carolina Cretaceoua: Southeastern Geology, v. 10, no. k, p. 20 1of VJilmorth, M. G,, 193? Lexicon of geogie names of the United States: U.S. Geol. Survey Bull. 896, Part 2, M-2, p. 125-2396.
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Table 1. Data on panned stream sediment samples. Only the fraction passing the .185 inch opening sieve was panned. A 15 inch gold pan was used; sample size was about 2/4 of a pan. Sample no. on map ! n '-17 H ! 21 t ! ' f j Field no.
2V*
W W 25;B2 ; 252 A 25u ; ; 2?4B1 ' 25*33 234*1 : ; Location (Figure 2) Gold Eu£t Branch of Fork, Greek, S of Rte 151
' !; -, : i-
j : ! - ij u ; n Fork Creok just d tream1 from Rfce 109L' : Fork Gr<?ok(. downstream! ft'om Rbe 109; :
:;. ; -
r: Fork Cre'elc, u;)s troan ,£ppm R-ie 45 ""! v , i-. Description of sample site gravel bar at the foot of the same pool as 2;52F2 gravel riffle below. the same pool as 2p2F5 sand and gravel bar in a pool beneath an overhanging granite ledp;e
gravel paved foo'i of a pool below a 2 foot High water ifc.ll over ledges of granite gravel riffle bolow 232D1 gravel bar in creek in a cut through a granite ridge gravel botton in a pool below a a low fUlls over a granite led. p;e gravel botton; in a pool 50 feet downstream from 2231 coarse sand bar in a pool by several large granite boulders sand bar in a pool about 50 yards downs treari from an old .' earth and rook dare. coarse gravel be.r in the middle of the creek /. ' ' H j
No, of gold particles in each pan; silt to VO sand size ' !
Table Data on panned* stream sodiment samples. Only tho fraction paot-.in the .X&5 inch opening sieve was panned. A 15 inch gold pan vaa used; sample size was about 5/4 of a pan. Sauple no. on 25' n n "
! "
; n Field no* 2?*C2 25*05 260B1 : 26CB2 26CB5 26CA1 26CA2 '
216H1' I
216H2 ' Location (Figure 2) Fork Cretek ! just c'.tfp-Streiamifrom Rte 45 :
£
it
east branch of Fork Creek between Rtes 4;Land 265 it u !,' !
Fork Creek ; just upstreani from ; u i' ti tt ! u ! ' 1! Fork Greek between R-£ea"26 and 11 ii*
Desoription of sample site batten gravel in a pool below low ffells over ledges of rhyolite porphyry 1 u n sand and gravel bar in a pool sand and gravel bar composed mainly of quartz gravel ; " sand and grave riffleu gravel riffle u ' u u . i n XO. Of gold particles in each pan; silt to VO sand size (some JXJ) '
";
Table 1. lixta on panned ntrcaa oodimcnt oamploo. Only tho fraction passing the .185 inch opening oiovo wao panned. A 15 inch gold pan wac uood; oamplo aize was about 2/4 a Pan Staple no. on cap
50' Pi i; ;i tl 5A It
it it tl 53; Field no. % 216? 210E2 210D1 2KXJ1 / 210B1 216A1 ' 21oA2 210A5 2if)-l 21f)-5 2P1-1 Location (Figure 2) / Fork Creek oetvreer Hteo 26p and 11 " u
,
tf
"; : ' '"! , : ir
fork Creek- just east of ats 151
it ' u 1! ij ; ii :i'
: u ' Description of sample site L gravel bar fine gravel on bottom of pool gravel riffle
". ii ' if ' " u . H , If ' !,
if
It' ' ' !I ' U - '
'
'1 Ho. of gold particles in each pan; silt to VC sand size
Table 1. Data on panned stream sediment camples. Only the fraction pas tine the .185 inch opening sieve was panned.' A 15 inch gold pan wac uoed; sample; size was about 5/4 of a .pan. Sample no. on c&p P9 4;
1! 49 ( It
501! ' Field no* 24kJ 244-A: 2MB 254D 25U 254-JL25*-2 ' T Location (Figure 2) Fork Creek just east of Etc 151 it ,
\ii
Little For K Creek N of Rte' 59 11' ! ', ' ' '.'
; branch of, Little Forlc Cre,ok just exst of Rte 40 upper part of Kugget Creek east of Rte 40 r .
it I?ag2et Creek east .of Rte 40
II: / ,ul 1'
r . ! ' . ; ' ": " ii! ' ..
Description of cample site ' gravel riffle it :
' /. gravel bar in a narrow channel gravel bar below a 4 foot thick qtz vein in raudctone saprolite fine bottom gravel botton gravel on quartz -veined gravel riffle on nudstone sapro- lite cut by a quartz vein sand and gravel in joints of saprolitic amphibolite
'
ti .pothole in saprolitic amphibolite ' ; ' nn pockets in bedrock joints just above 6 in. Alga falls over saprolitic aripniholito n Ko. of gold particles in each panj oilt to VC sand size (l coarse) (1 VC grain)
(1 VC p-ain)
Table 1.. ;>,ta on panned'atrcam oodimcnt oamploo. Only tho fraction paci-in,; the .18 inch opening oiovo wao pannod. A 15 inch sold pan vaa uocd; sample size was about 2/4 of a pan.
Simple no. on map i , pO
n ., it it n n "
H
,
, , H
Field no. 2A-6-7 Location (Figure 2) sane as 246-2 , ;i: t
u ! ! n n : '
: nl ; ' Kigget Ci"eak botwe en Rtes <T- 4-0 ii'
;
"'
2f2A 'PDrk.Gre'pk 'just irofHte; 265 (below Brewer Mine
.1
'
' ° .; '
t! Description of sample site sasie as 246-2 1!
K sand and gravel :£ro:n joints in saprolitic .anphibolito just- : belov; 6 inch hinfn falls H '
1! U tt - bottom gravel just below ledges of rhyolite porphyry gravel from bottom of pool at a bond be lev; an outcrop of vitreous tuff
n pockets of gravel in weathered grooves in foliated bedrock just below old mortared dam remnant H gravel riffle
ITo. of gold particles in each pan; silt to VO sand size (C-VC grains ] (4 c, 1 vo (6 nied, 2 C- VC grains) (1 C & 1 VC ftrain) (1 C grain) , !
j
Ot
Table 2. Data on outcrop samples shown on the map (Figure 2), Sample no. on Field ' no. 24? 25 31* poj; Location ' (Figure 2) road cut. wes t s ide. . Rte ll south;of Jeff 'era on
road cut eaistlside Rte 151 north 1 of Rte 109 Kugget Creek east of Rte 40 ; it east branch Fork 0 Greek 2 niles !NE of Jefferson Br ev, er Mine , b o tt om Drev;er pit,, north side Br e;; er Mine , bottom of I: r ewer piit, aou"th side ; Drev;er I-ane, north- oast part of the Tan;yard pit .'ii Nugget Creek c of Hte 40 . Fork Creek 'east of Rte Ipl south 1 of Jofi'ernon ' roac cut east side Rte 4C south of ,Hfo£S&t' -Greek road cut v,rest side Rte 40,2 1/2 miles 1JW cf Jefferson Description of sample ; basal, gravelly, clayey Coastal Plain sand coarse pebble layer in the Coastal Plain sand coarse-grained amphibolitic saprolite in creak bed it yellow-brown to pink-purple larrdnated argillite saprolite pyrititic silicified tuff coarse Coas-tal Plain- sand 5 feet from the base fron the basal foot of the coarse Coastal Plain sand coo.rse -grained tsapro/ii-i'c awtito/i'fe in creek bed stream bottom sand and gravel wA2a.f-A<:J fuJlf : cross'-atratified, arkosic, pebbly, coarse Coastal Plain sand Amount of gold 1.20 ppm flakes in 1000 g. samp. 0.02 ppm 0.02 ppm 0.02 ppm 12,0 ppm 0.04 ppm 2,20 ppm 0.06 ppm 0.04 ppm
0,70 P?21 1 flake in 100 g. sainole n
Table 3. Data frena-cuttings from auger holes shov/n on the map (Figure 2). i tid& no. on ra T) n it H n r H n n it Ficlc. no* 26 26? ' location (Figure 2;) ripur road along caot side Rte 151 N of Jeffer. .;i 1 ' ': ; ! T t '. ! '
) ,' j it ; , it
r
H ,
Depth, in feet, from surface 50' 4o-4l Description of sample yellowish-gray, pebbly clayey Coastal Plain sand ti y e 1 1 ow-br own , r c oar s e , clayey Coastal Plain sand yellow-brown, clayey Mmae-feettft saprolite yellow-brown to grayish- blue, clayey saprolite blue-gray saprolite it fine-pebbly, coarse Coastal Plain sand ye 11 ow-br own saprolite yellow-brown to
purplish saprolite Coastal Plain coarse sand and fine gravel coarse Coastal Plain sand pebbly, coarse Coastal Plain sand greenish-gray saprolite clay ' , Amount of £0ld 0.04 ppm ' - 0.02 ppm 0.04 ppm 1 flake in ICO g. saxnole
Table Data cuttings from auger holes shown on the map (Figure 2), -#*fo no* on ro n n n n n n n n i.-n u Field no , Location (Figure 2) spur road along east side Rte 151 N,of Je'ffer. n u west side Rte ,151 sout:.i of Rte 109 u ' u n j ' ! u east side Rte :15 north of Rte 1091 n n : It ' ' ( j n f ;, . N ' Depth, in feet, from surface
Description of sample yellow-brown Coastal Plain sand clayey, pebbly, coarse Coastal Plain sand on yellow-brown saprolite green-gray saprolite coarse iCoastal Plain sand n ti ducky-red granite sapr.olite tt clayey, coarse, light-;;:* gray Coastal Plain sand clayey, coarse, fine pebbly Coastal Plain sand
n gravel layer in Coastal Plain sand clayey, coarse, angular, .quartz sand with much feldspar. Derived from granite saprolite n M Amount of p-old 1 flake in 100 g. sample 5 flakes in 1000 g panned sample
2 flakes In.. 100 -g. sanpleG it 22-b-
,, Table Data 44si cuttings from auger holes shown on the map (Figure 2). no. on nap it 11 " it n it n n n n Fiej.d no a 29 "304 30? 51* Location (Figure 2) - vest side Rte ' 11 south /of 2nd creek north of Rte 109 : ti south- side, of read east :of V/hito Plains ' Church ; ; ; just north of White Plains Church : ; ; weat side of ' ' roid northjotff ' While/.?145fl:i- 0 lurch ' it /
H i /
;
' yovrth sido of roid 1.2 miles 1® of White Plains Church IT ' ; :
' Depth, in feet, from surface
f i ' Description of sample pebbly' Coastal Plain sand light-gray to pink granite saprolite coarse Coastal Plain sand light-gray to dusky-red saprolite clay coarse Coastal Plain sand coarse Coastal Plain sand on granite saprolite pebbly, coarse, Coastal Plain sand pebbly, coarse Coastal Slain sand on granite saprolite ye 1 1 ov7-br own , c 1 aye y / coarse Coastal Plain sand
pebbly, coarse Coastal Plain oand v/hite, fine- to medium sand- : fr omriwea ther.ed: grariito. ironstone intermixed Coastal Plain sand and granite saprolite sandy granite saprolite Amount of gold '- 0 002 ppm 0.02 ppm Oo02 ppm
0*02 ppm
U. S. Geological Survey OPEN FILE REPORT This report is preliminary and h*. nrt beea edited or reviewed f cc T'/C-TUJJ--' '7i Gn olop-\oal Survi or ro:udiK! .I c.re. 22'Jo 7/
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22'30 i: Map 5fiow'ng sample locations and genera//'zecy yeo/ojy of //?e fy parity 3-iapfed j-Vom Parcte* anu : ar: M jfg 7 pi. 3c. and Oversfaet d*A Bell* W&5 Mapl
, Alluvium Sand, gravel,! si.lt. and clay deposits. Shown only along Fork Creek where they are wide and thick enough to map ' 'Tuscaloosa Formation j Sand and gravel, yellowish-brown to light-gray; contains layers of silt and clay0 Gravel is mainly at or near the base. Locally contains pebbly arkosic-sand near the base and adjacent to the granite. Both horizontally and cross ) stratified. Irregular base in 3w o g J
! ' Granite Coarse grained to porphyritic biotite granite; gray to pinkish-gray. ' Intermixed rocks Rhyolite tuft, rhyolite porphyry, silicified tuff and breccia, hornblende plagioclase schist, Muscovite schist, and sericite schist. [ Argillite t Greenish-and-brownish-gray to grayish-brown, laminated 52; o
n O. n CO to 1-H co co td o EH 1-H O 1-H g fissile, tuffaceous argillite. ' : Contact Dashed where approxinately located, dotted where concealed, Location where streambed sand and gravel were panned. Underlined indicates that gold was recovered from the concentrate. Refer to Table 1.
' '.
Location of outcrop sampled; where underlined and numbered gold was detected. Refer to Table 2. Location of auger hole. Underlined indicates gold was recovered in the cuttings. Refer to Table $. Location of 'ground electro-magnetic anomaly