The Intersection of Framework Geology and Mineral Potential Assessment in the Gold Hill Mining District (SS-175)

By: Stephanie E. Mills

The Gold Hill Mining District, located in western Tooele County, is one of Utah’s oldest and most diverse mining districts. It is the largest past-producer of tungsten and arsenic in Utah, and a notable past-producer of lead, copper, gold, silver, and zinc. Known mineralization events are associated with a Jurassic quartz monzonite pluton emplacement, an Eocene granite stock emplacement, and a Late Miocene low-sulfidation epithermal system.

Special Study 175, The Intersection of Framework Geology and Mineral Potential Assessment in the Gold Hill Mining District, Utah, applies new field observations and new geochemical data supplemented by historical exploration documents along with geochemical and geophysical data from previous minerals exploration. A modern mineral system framework is utilized to connect the geologic history of the district to its complex multi-generational mineralization and identifies three main features with relevance to mineralization history and in need of further research. These features are (1) the emplacement of the Jurassic pluton; (2) the Ferguson detachment fault; and (3) the development of Clifton Flat and the Gold Hill Wash fault. This study provides a basis for further investigation of all these features and the potential for a buried magmatic-hydrothermal porphyry copper system.

Other Information:
Published: 2025
Pages 54
Appendices: 4
Location: Utah
Media Type: Paper Publication