Need some geological advice

[azblackbird]

Here's a couple sections I'm really interested in prospecting. Just wondering what all the dots signify? There's nothing on the map legend. According to the writing on the map, it says what I'm assuming is "abundant hematite staining argillic alteration"? Anybody here know if that means it would be a good potential to hit on some gold, or maybe even some crystals?

Here's what it looks like from the air… any opinions?

[Hoser John]

According to USGS topo guide they mean sand area. Same in my map book also-John

[Rimshot]

Tif=

QTs=

-l-l-l-l-=

-o-o-o-=

TB=

TH1=

QS=

argillic altn=

talis=

Xs=

Many, many, questions...hmmmmmmmmmm....could we have a map 101 class...any instructors out there? Basic map reading would be ok...

This is a very good subject to discuss. One that is not discussed very much here on this board and would be great for rookie map readers young and old.

Edited April 29, 2014 by Rimshot

[homefire]

The goodies are out there. This may help. http://geology.isu.edu/geostac/Field_Exercise/topomaps/

[Rimshot]

That site is ok HF but what a rinkydink map...you can't even read the legend.

[homefire]

Just adjust the Size .

[AzNuggetBob]

The letter abbreviations are for geologic time periods. the dots probably represent quartz or Hematite float.

this may help.

AzNuggetBob

Edited April 29, 2014 by AzNuggetBob

[clay]

Without a unified geology we can't know exactly what the symbology means. Each geologist will make up his own symbology depending on his alma mater and what he thinks about the structure of the rocks in a given area. Not much "science" there but there are some symbols that are more commonly used.

The dotted areas usually mean surface gravel deposits or possibly breccia - in this case I think not.

Usually...

• QTs - Quaternary or Tertiary Alluvium - old gravels
• THl - Tertiary porphyritic rhyodacite flows - orange or red/brown old igneous rocks
• Qs - Quaternary gravels - relatively recent gravel deposits
• Xt - X is usually for metamorphics ,very old metavolcanics, metasedimentary, schist, gneiss etc. - Usually Precambrian or early Proterozoic these can be so hard to classify that often they are custom to the map.
• Tif - Tertiary dikes and plugs
• Xs - schists, amphibolite or gneiss
• -l-l-l-l- - most often a thrust fault - usually direction is indicated but not in this example
• -o-o-o- - most often a detached fault - usually direction is indicated but not in this example
• argillic altn = argillic alteration zone - specific to this map

The solid dark lines are probably indicating undefined faults.

This is not a topographic map it is a geology map. Trying to relate these symbols to something common to topo maps will just leave you confused. Geology maps invariably have their own legends that will tell you a lot more about that specific map than I can guessing at the cartographers intent here.

Edited April 29, 2014 by clay

[azblackbird]

Without a unified geology we can't know exactly what the symbology means. Each geologist will make up his own symbology depending on his alma mater and what he thinks about the structure of the rocks in a given area. Not much "science" there but there are some symbols that are more commonly used.

Thanks for responding Clay, maybe you can help me out here. As you well know most geologist/cartographers worth their weight will usually try to abide by the accepted symbolic standards as adopted by the various historical governing bodies when mapping geological formations. It's the same theory in context as my current (internet) and past (oil field) businesses. There are standards to follow if your gonna be in those businesses.

In the case of the specific areas I wish to prospect. The geologist/cartographers generally stayed with the accepted standards, however I feel they could probably have been a little more detailed when defining or plotting the argillic alteration bodies by commenting on them a little more in the map legend. Maybe it's just wishful thinking on my part.

Here are the exact maps and legends that I'm deriving my information from. Maybe you can help me interpret the meanings or intentions of the geologists, and hopefully give me a little more guidance as to whether you believe the area is worth prospecting or not.

Geology report for Northeastern Hieroglyphic Mountains

Geology map for Northeastern Hieroglyphic Mountains

The areas I'm specifically interested in prospecting are T7N, R2W sec. 22 and 23. By all appearances they look good (as referenced by the above posted photos) both on the geology maps, google earth, and from what I can remember when riding past the areas on my dirt bike.

Let me know what you all think…

[Rimshot]

_{Great info guys!}

[clay]

Thanks for responding Clay, maybe you can help me out here. As you well know most geologist/cartographers worth their weight will usually try to abide by the accepted symbolic standards as adopted by the various historical governing bodies when mapping geological formations. It's the same theory in context as my current (internet) and past (oil field) businesses. There are standards to follow if your gonna be in those businesses.

In the case of the specific areas I wish to prospect. The geologist/cartographers generally stayed with the accepted standards...

That's funny!

This report is preliminary and has not been edited

or reviewed for conformity with Arizona Geological Survey standards

You might have to study a few more geologic reports before you understand the joke. This might shorten your path to humor. The only real progress in 20 years. Unified geology might eventually happen but getting geologists to agree on the specifics is like herding cats - best done when they are dead, or on the federal dole.

Here are the exact maps and legends that I'm deriving my information from. Maybe you can help me interpret the meanings or intentions of the geologists, and hopefully give me a little more guidance as to whether you believe the area is worth prospecting or not.

Geology report for Northeastern Hieroglyphic Mountains

Geology map for Northeastern Hieroglyphic Mountains

I thought I recognized that map! I do have the report and map as well as the later ofr-87 which was quite helpful in defining the geology on our Little San Domingo map. Boy those maps are poorly made. They will give you eyestrain if you spend weeks on them as Ruby and I did.

I did prospect that area in the early 80's and didn't have much luck. As you see in the reports the latite is low quartz content and the crystalline basement is well... basement.

The area was pretty well blanketed with lode claims from 1987 to 1991 but no claims since. I suspect the exploration there has been mostly for potassium, lithium and tungsten as to the west and north. I did find some gold there but it was really small and poorly concentrated.

I hope you have more luck than me. Obviously I didn't have the advantage of the report as it hadn't come out at that time. Maybe you will be the one to find the big strike there. Good luck!

[adam]

Edited April 30, 2014 by adam

[Rimshot]

lool Adam!

Edited April 30, 2014 by Rimshot

[azblackbird]

1. You might have to study a few more geologic reports before you understand the joke. This might shorten your path to humor. The only real progress in 20 years. Unified geology might eventually happen but getting geologists to agree on the specifics is like herding cats - best done when they are dead, or on the federal dole.

2. I thought I recognized that map! I do have the report and map as well as the later ofr-87 which was quite helpful in defining the geology on our Little San Domingo map. Boy those maps are poorly made. They will give you eyestrain if you spend weeks on them as Ruby and I did.

3. I did prospect that area in the early 80's and didn't have much luck. As you see in the reports the latite is low quartz content and the crystalline basement is well... basement.

1. I suppose if you're in engaged in that sort of business then there are plenty of inside jokes to be had. Speaking from my limited experience, all the maps I've seen of the areas I wish to prospect whether from the late 1800's to present day, do appear to conform somewhat to some sort of geological standards. So obviously somewhere, sometime, somebody decided this symbol will stand for this, or that symbol would stand for that. So far from what I've seen (at least for the areas I'm really interested in), the maps all seem to be somewhat congruous whether from the 1930's or from the 1990's. I'm sure with your experience you've probably seen it all and have sometimes wondered WTF were these guys thinking.

2. Yep, I agree… compared to the computer generated maps we have today, the maps back in those days left a little to be desired with their hand drawn markings. I've got a similar map for the San Domingo area and it's way more clear, as it appears that somebody swapped out the hand drawn markings and overlayed it with a computerized version.

3. Unless you were riding a mule, or spent an awful lot of time hiking, I'm almost certain you weren't prospecting the areas that I've specified on the maps. The only access to that area is single track or by old pack mule trails as you can clearly see on google earth. A little ways south of there is the Morgan City wash area and a few other prospects, so maybe that is what you are referring too. A little ways north and west are the Picachos and San Domingo areas with their prospects and mines.

The area was pretty well blanketed with lode claims from 1987 to 1991 but no claims since. I suspect the exploration there has been mostly for potassium, lithium and tungsten as to the west and north. I did find some gold there but it was really small and poorly concentrated.

You know what's really funny… the majority of the mines in the Picacho and San Domingo areas were not even gold mines…they were mostly some type of off breed mineral that by todays standards we consider pretty much worthless. But yet when it comes to gold placers, these areas were some of the top producers in the state of Arizona. So where the heck is all this gold coming from then?

I hope you have more luck than me. Obviously I didn't have the advantage of the report as it hadn't come out at that time. Maybe you will be the one to find the big strike there.

Good luck!

Thanks for the well wishes. Even though I'm still pretty new to this game, I figure these days with all our fancy smancy equipment and what not, we have somewhat of an advantage over the prospectors of yore. Even though they got the "easy gold", I know for a fact that no matter how many prospectors there were back in the day crowding all the gold bearing areas, they still couldn't cover every square mile of land. So somewhere someplace out there in the boonies, there's an undiscovered vein full of gold, rich pocket, or a placer with my name on it. That's kinda what I'm banking on! But to be perfectly honest… I really don't care if I ever find anything or not, as I just have fun doing all the research, mapping, GPS marking, and whatnot, and then hopping on the bike or the Rhino with the detector, or dry washer and seeing if what I think looks good on the maps and the aerials, also looks good in real life. I guess for me it's the thrill of the hunt that is the fun part. If there's a pot of gold at the end of that rainbow, then that's all the better.

[AzNuggetBob]

Do they have a cut the crap avartar ? AzNuggetBob

Edited April 30, 2014 by AzNuggetBob

[El Dorado]

Do they have a cut the crap avartar ? AzNuggetBob

You don't have to read this........comments like that are absolutely useless. I for one like to follow AZBB and his relentless quest for finding an unknown new gold deposit. Thinking out of the box is far from crap.......

[homefire]

You don't have to read this........comments like that are absolutely useless. I for one like to follow AZBB and his relentless quest for finding an unknown new gold deposit. Thinking out of the box is far from crap.......

Yep, That's how the Unknown Goodies are Discovered.

[AzNuggetBob]

EI D you dont have to read my comments either. AzNuggetBob

[AzNuggetBob]

Unfortunately you guys have no idea whats really going on. AzNuggetBob

[azblackbird]

Do they have a cut the crap avartar ? AzNuggetBob

Cut the crap? Why just because rather than hitting all the tourist attractions to hunt for gold, I would rather do some actual prospecting… does that bother you somehow?

Unfortunately you guys have no idea whats really going on. AzNuggetBob

So tell us there Bedrock Bob… what's going on?

[Au Seeker]

Cut the crap? Why just because rather than hitting all the tourist attractions to hunt for gold, I would rather do some actual prospecting… does that bother you somehow?

So tell us there Bedrock Bob… what's going on?

AZBB,

Just for the record, AzNuggetBob is not Bedrock Bob.

[chrisski]

Kind of dangerous posting all that info here. You put a lot of work into finding that area. When i prospect, up to 6 days of planning go imto a one day trip. You may have cut five days off someone's work. I did a map, lr2000 search of that area over a year ago, but the remoteness of that area did not justify my boots on the ground for the one day a week i go out.

Although if somone uses yourinfo, itsnot clami jumping, they may concentrate their effort there.

I wish you luck nd hope you make it out there to prospect.

[azblackbird]

Kind of dangerous posting all that info here. You put a lot of work into finding that area. When i prospect, up to 6 days of planning go imto a one day trip. You may have cut five days off someone's work. I did a map, lr2000 search of that area over a year ago, but the remoteness of that area did not justify my boots on the ground for the one day a week i go out.

I'm not too worried about it. The only access is single track and pack trails which means you have to either hike it or bike it. If somebody wants to prospect that area in 100° heat, they have my full blessing. In fact I'll even provide them with a bike to ride (providing they can prove to me they have some dirt riding experience), a gold detector, and all the digging tools, plus I'll even lead them to the exact spots I have picked out that would be ripe for detecting and dry washing.

Any takers? Feel free to give me a call @ 623-363-5333 and we'll make a day out of it.

AZBB,

Just for the record, AzNuggetBob is not Bedrock Bob.

I'm sorry Au... I could've sworn he was Bedrock Bob, just by the way he seemed to be so easily offended and upset that I might be conspiring to perpetrate some evil doings upon the forum masses. My bad…

[AzNuggetBob]

El D

I agree with you on out of the box thinking, but as far as your comment about me, I rarely write a comment that isn't educational. you may not agree with them, that's fine.

AZBB I realize you say your new to the game. you may want to review your patch etiquette thread and mining claim rules and regs. not suggesting anything, just saying. AzNuggetBob

Edited May 2, 2014 by AzNuggetBob

[azblackbird]

AZBB I realize you say your new to the game. you may want to review your patch etiquette thread and mining claim rules and regs. not suggesting anything, just saying. AzNuggetBob

What does patch etiquette and mining claim rules and regs have to do with anything? Care to elaborate?