Moke Creek prospect, Queenstown, Queenstown-Lakes District, Otago Region, New Zealandi
Regional Level Types | |
---|---|
Moke Creek prospect | Prospect |
Queenstown | - not defined - |
Queenstown-Lakes District | District |
Otago Region | Region |
New Zealand | Country |
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Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):
44° 58' 1'' South , 168° 36' 20'' East
Latitude & Longitude (decimal):
Type:
KΓΆppen climate type:
Nearest Settlements:
Place | Population | Distance |
---|---|---|
Queenstown | 10,442 (2018) | 8.3km |
Arrowtown | 2,151 (2011) | 16.4km |
Kingston | 2,460 (2018) | 41.5km |
Mindat Locality ID:
15261
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:2:15261:6
GUID (UUID V4):
00ff36b1-4831-4ecd-9149-655a3020ebe0
Copper.
The Moke Creek copper prospect is about 10 kilometres north-west of Queenstown as the crow flies, but to reach by road is double that distance. Head west on the Queenstown-Glenorchy Road, then north to Moke Lake. Go past the campground and continue until 600 metres before the McConnochie Creek confluence with Moke Creek. It's a public road but access past the campground is uncertain at the time of writing due to actions of the local farmer.
The Moke Creek lode starts north of the creek, crosses to the southern side, and through the hill to the south-east face in the McConnochie Creek valley. The main spot is on the south bank, the copper lode part of a talus strewn slope below a cliff face to the creek. Various workings are noted from shallow pits to adits.
Copper was discovered here in 1864, however the only recorded production was 3 tonnes of ore shipped to Australia in 1917.
Copper sulphide rich layers in a greenschist band up to 3 metres thick, consisting of quartz, albite, tourmaline, chlorite, epidote, occasionally stilpnomelane, and graphite.
Sulphides include massive chalcopyrite, pyrrhotite, pyrite, and minor sphalerite. Secondary copper species appear uncommon, with only fine granular covellite noted as cross cutting veinlets. Irregular colloform limonite veinlets up to 1 mm wide cut sulphides and silicates.
The immediate area is known also for gold, as are many of the streams in the district. The creek banks and neighbouring terraces were sluiced in the 1860's, while the creek is being dredged to the present day. This is the equivalent of metal detecting in Australia, although requires more money and effort. A scuba diver braves the cold water towing a portable dredge behind him vacuuming up creek bed gravels for flakes of gold. Registering a claim is required, and claim jumpers have been prosecuted in the past. The practice is not environmentally friendly, the amount of gold is sparse, and most participants suffer from gold fever.
Select Mineral List Type
Standard Detailed Gallery Strunz Chemical ElementsDetailed Mineral List:
β Albite Formula: Na(AlSi3O8) |
β Chalcopyrite Formula: CuFeS2 References: |
β 'Chlorite Group' |
β Covellite Formula: CuS |
β Epidote Formula: (CaCa)(AlAlFe3+)O[Si2O7][SiO4](OH) |
β Graphite Formula: C |
β 'Limonite' |
β Pyrite Formula: FeS2 References: |
β Pyrrhotite Formula: Fe1-xS References: |
β Quartz Formula: SiO2 |
β Sphalerite Formula: ZnS |
β Stilpnomelane Formula: (K,Ca,Na)(Fe,Mg,Al)8(Si,Al)12(O,OH)36 · nH2O |
β 'Tourmaline' Formula: AD3G6 (T6O18)(BO3)3X3Z |
Gallery:
List of minerals arranged by Strunz 10th Edition classification
Group 1 - Elements | |||
---|---|---|---|
β | Graphite | 1.CB.05a | C |
Group 2 - Sulphides and Sulfosalts | |||
β | Covellite | 2.CA.05a | CuS |
β | Sphalerite | 2.CB.05a | ZnS |
β | Chalcopyrite | 2.CB.10a | CuFeS2 |
β | Pyrrhotite | 2.CC.10 | Fe1-xS |
β | Pyrite | 2.EB.05a | FeS2 |
Group 4 - Oxides and Hydroxides | |||
β | Quartz | 4.DA.05 | SiO2 |
Group 9 - Silicates | |||
β | Epidote | 9.BG.05a | (CaCa)(AlAlFe3+)O[Si2O7][SiO4](OH) |
β | Stilpnomelane | 9.EG.40 | (K,Ca,Na)(Fe,Mg,Al)8(Si,Al)12(O,OH)36 Β· nH2O |
β | Albite | 9.FA.35 | Na(AlSi3O8) |
Unclassified | |||
β | 'Chlorite Group' | - | |
β | 'Limonite' | - | |
β | 'Tourmaline' | - | AD3G6 (T6O18)(BO3)3X3Z |
List of minerals for each chemical element
H | Hydrogen | |
---|---|---|
H | β Epidote | (CaCa)(AlAlFe3+)O[Si2O7][SiO4](OH) |
H | β Stilpnomelane | (K,Ca,Na)(Fe,Mg,Al)8(Si,Al)12(O,OH)36 · nH2O |
B | Boron | |
B | β Tourmaline | AD3G6 (T6O18)(BO3)3X3Z |
C | Carbon | |
C | β Graphite | C |
O | Oxygen | |
O | β Albite | Na(AlSi3O8) |
O | β Epidote | (CaCa)(AlAlFe3+)O[Si2O7][SiO4](OH) |
O | β Quartz | SiO2 |
O | β Stilpnomelane | (K,Ca,Na)(Fe,Mg,Al)8(Si,Al)12(O,OH)36 · nH2O |
O | β Tourmaline | AD3G6 (T6O18)(BO3)3X3Z |
Na | Sodium | |
Na | β Albite | Na(AlSi3O8) |
Na | β Stilpnomelane | (K,Ca,Na)(Fe,Mg,Al)8(Si,Al)12(O,OH)36 · nH2O |
Mg | Magnesium | |
Mg | β Stilpnomelane | (K,Ca,Na)(Fe,Mg,Al)8(Si,Al)12(O,OH)36 · nH2O |
Al | Aluminium | |
Al | β Albite | Na(AlSi3O8) |
Al | β Epidote | (CaCa)(AlAlFe3+)O[Si2O7][SiO4](OH) |
Al | β Stilpnomelane | (K,Ca,Na)(Fe,Mg,Al)8(Si,Al)12(O,OH)36 · nH2O |
Si | Silicon | |
Si | β Albite | Na(AlSi3O8) |
Si | β Epidote | (CaCa)(AlAlFe3+)O[Si2O7][SiO4](OH) |
Si | β Quartz | SiO2 |
Si | β Stilpnomelane | (K,Ca,Na)(Fe,Mg,Al)8(Si,Al)12(O,OH)36 · nH2O |
S | Sulfur | |
S | β Chalcopyrite | CuFeS2 |
S | β Covellite | CuS |
S | β Pyrite | FeS2 |
S | β Pyrrhotite | Fe1-xS |
S | β Sphalerite | ZnS |
K | Potassium | |
K | β Stilpnomelane | (K,Ca,Na)(Fe,Mg,Al)8(Si,Al)12(O,OH)36 · nH2O |
Ca | Calcium | |
Ca | β Epidote | (CaCa)(AlAlFe3+)O[Si2O7][SiO4](OH) |
Ca | β Stilpnomelane | (K,Ca,Na)(Fe,Mg,Al)8(Si,Al)12(O,OH)36 · nH2O |
Fe | Iron | |
Fe | β Chalcopyrite | CuFeS2 |
Fe | β Epidote | (CaCa)(AlAlFe3+)O[Si2O7][SiO4](OH) |
Fe | β Pyrite | FeS2 |
Fe | β Pyrrhotite | Fe1-xS |
Fe | β Stilpnomelane | (K,Ca,Na)(Fe,Mg,Al)8(Si,Al)12(O,OH)36 · nH2O |
Cu | Copper | |
Cu | β Chalcopyrite | CuFeS2 |
Cu | β Covellite | CuS |
Zn | Zinc | |
Zn | β Sphalerite | ZnS |
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