Colorado · Jefferson County
Past Producer

South Platte Pegmatite District

Jefferson County, Colorado, United States
FeldsparQuartzFluorine-FluoriteREEGemstoneThoriumNiobium (Columbium)TantalumManganese
⌖ Show on mapUSGS source ↗
Commodities
PrimaryFeldspar, Quartz
SecondaryFluorine-Fluorite, REE, Gemstone
TertiaryThorium, Niobium (Columbium), Tantalum, Manganese
Commodity typeB
Deposit
Deposit sizeS
WorkingsSurface
Orebody formLENTICULAR
Ore controlPegmatites Localized In Outer Granite Margin Of Pluton As Highly Fluid Liquid Segregations. Microcline-Perthite Localized In Zones By Fractional Crystallization According To Bowen Series. F, Rae, And Qtz Localized Near Center By Fractionation Of Resulting Hydrous Volatile-Rich Phase Of Melt.
Materials
Ore mineralsFluorite, Gadolinite, Quartz, Xenotime
GangueAmazonstone, Bastnaesite, Biotite, Calcite, Doverite, Fergusonite, Hematite, Limonite, Muscovite, Prochlorite, Pyrite, Pyrolusite, Sericite, Synchisite, Thalenite, Topaz, Yttrotantalite, Zircon
Geology
Host rockPegmatite · Idaho Springs Formation;Pikes Peak Granite
Associated rockPegmatite,Granite · Pegmatite;Pikes Peak Granite
StructureFront Range Uplift, Pikes Peak Batholith, Kennedy Gulch Fault Zone
Tectonic settingCentral Cordillera (Southern Rocky Mtns)
AlterationFe Oxidation In Biotite, Chloritization, Sericitization, Deuterogenic Wallrock Alt., 2d Hydrothermal Repl.
Economic & production
Development statusPast Producer
First production1935
Last production1965
Identification
Deposit ID10107990
MRDS IDD010180
RegionNA
Data scoreB
Coordinates39.39555, -105.21502
References
SIMMONS, W.B., AND HEINRICH, E.W., 1980, RARE-EARTH PEGMATITES OF THE SOUTH PLATTE DISTRICT, COLORADO: CGS RESOURCE SER. 11, 131 P.PETERSON, W.L., 1964, GEOLOGY OF THE PLATTE CANYON QUADRANGLE, COLORADO: USGS BULL. 1181-C, 23 P., 1 PL.HAYNES, C.V., JR., 1965, GENESIS OF THE WHITE CLOUD AND RELATED PEGMATITES, SOUTH PLATTE AREA, JEFFERSON COUNTY, COLORADO: GSA BULL., V. 76, NO. 4, P. 441-462.ADAMS, J.W., AND SHARP, W.N., 1972, THALENITE AND ALLANITE DERIVED FROM YTTROFLUORITE IN THE WHITE CLOUD PEGMATITE, SOUTH PLATTE AREA, COLORADO: USGS PROF. PAPER 800-C, P. C63-C69.HEINRICH, E.W., 1958, RARE-EARTH PEGMATITES OF THE SOUTH PLATTE-LAKE GEORGE AREA, DOUGLAS, TELLER, AND PARK COUNTIES, COLORADO (ABS.): GSA BULL., V. 69, NO. 12, PT. 2, P. 1579-1580.HAYNES, C.V., JR., 1958, RARE-EARTH MINERALIZATION IN THE WHITE CLOUD MINE NEAR SOUTH PLATTE, JEFFERSON COUNTY, COLORADO (ABS.): GSA BULL., V. 69, NO. 12, PT. 2, P. 1729-1730.ADAMS, J.W., AND OTHERS, 1962, THALENITE FROM TELLER COUNTY, COLORADO: USGS PROF. PAPER 450-D, P. D6-D8.SIMMONS AND HEINRICH, 1980