White Cliffs Mine (Oversite claims; Arizite Mine; Nuez claims; Mammoth; Kaolin claims; Arizite Products Mine; Arizona Gypsum Mine), Whitlock Wash area, Pinal County, Arizona, USAi
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Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):
32° 37' 59'' North , 110° 31' 59'' West
Latitude & Longitude (decimal):
Type:
Köppen climate type:
Nearest Settlements:
| Place | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| San Manuel | 3,551 (2011) | 9.9km |
| Mammoth | 1,487 (2017) | 14.2km |
| Oracle | 3,686 (2011) | 22.4km |
| Saddle Brooke | 9,614 (2017) | 33.7km |
| Catalina | 7,569 (2011) | 39.0km |
Mindat Locality ID:
130667
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:2:130667:8
GUID (UUID V4):
2a9ca4d5-fbfa-40a8-aebf-8f45ff50fa6a
A former surface gypsum and diatomaceous earth mine located in secs. 13 & 24, T9S, R17E, and in secs. 17-20, 29 & 30, T9S, R18E on the E bank of the San Pedro River about 2 miles downstream from Whitlock Wash. Produced 1920's to 1940's. The property extends into secs. 17, 18, 20, 29 & 30, and into secs. 13 & 24, T9S, R18E. Owned by the University of Arizona. Operated by Arimetco International, Inc. (1992). Previous operators included the White Cliffs, Inc. (1989).
Mineralization is a lacustrine diatomite and gypsum deposit hosted in the Quiburis Formation (Mudstone, siltstone, chert, diatomite, tuff). The diatomaceous sedimentary sequence, which contains abundant layers of mudstone, siltstone, and tuffaceous material, is at least 140 feet (42.67 meters) thick, 3218.6 meters wide and 4827.9 meters long. These strata have been faulted and folded and are tilted a few degrees to the NE and are truncated at the top by an erosional surface. The erosianal surface also cuts out older units to the SW. Locally, the diatomaceous sediment grades 60% - 80% diatomite.
The ash beds in the central part of the White Cliffs area are not commonly altered, although one bed in Camel Canyon has been altered to bentonite. No zeolites have been identified in the immediate area.
Workings include many small quarries which were put in during the 1960's. Kaiser put in 12 drill holes in 1968 around the periphery of the deposit. There has been "considerable" production in the past. This is the only Arizona deposit with a significant production history. Arimetco planned to begin production in February, 1993. This deposit is selectively mined for 1 foot to 2 feet thick beds of diatomite.
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Standard Detailed Gallery Strunz Chemical ElementsCommodity List
This is a list of exploitable or exploited mineral commodities recorded at this locality.Mineral List
3 valid minerals.
Rock Types Recorded
Note: data is currently VERY limited. Please bear with us while we work towards adding this information!
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Alphabetical List Tree DiagramDetailed Mineral List:
| ⓘ Calcite Formula: CaCO3 References: |
| ⓘ Gypsum Formula: CaSO4 · 2H2O |
| ⓘ Opal Formula: SiO2 · nH2O |
Gallery:
List of minerals arranged by Strunz 10th Edition classification
| Group 4 - Oxides and Hydroxides | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| ⓘ | Opal | 4.DA.10 | SiO2 · nH2O |
| Group 5 - Nitrates and Carbonates | |||
| ⓘ | Calcite | 5.AB.05 | CaCO3 |
| Group 7 - Sulphates, Chromates, Molybdates and Tungstates | |||
| ⓘ | Gypsum | 7.CD.40 | CaSO4 · 2H2O |
List of minerals for each chemical element
| H | Hydrogen | |
|---|---|---|
| H | ⓘ Gypsum | CaSO4 · 2H2O |
| H | ⓘ Opal | SiO2 · nH2O |
| C | Carbon | |
| C | ⓘ Calcite | CaCO3 |
| O | Oxygen | |
| O | ⓘ Calcite | CaCO3 |
| O | ⓘ Gypsum | CaSO4 · 2H2O |
| O | ⓘ Opal | SiO2 · nH2O |
| Si | Silicon | |
| Si | ⓘ Opal | SiO2 · nH2O |
| S | Sulfur | |
| S | ⓘ Gypsum | CaSO4 · 2H2O |
| Ca | Calcium | |
| Ca | ⓘ Calcite | CaCO3 |
| Ca | ⓘ Gypsum | CaSO4 · 2H2O |
Other Databases
| Link to USGS MRDS: | 10060239 |
|---|
Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality
Mexico
- Sierra Madre OccidentalMountain Range
North America
- Sonoran DesertDesert
- San Pedro river valleyValley
North America PlateTectonic Plate
- Basin and Range BasinsBasin
- Mazatzal DomainDomain
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References
