In the report on Mogollon Geology I posted there are some key considerations to be weighed. This is a first rate report that covers the essential elements of a good geologic report; mapping first hand, description of structure/faulting and the statements about the alteration of the rocks within and surrounding the veins, regional geology. The ring faults/structures, that bound the collapsed rocks dropping into an emptied magma chamber, are deep-seated providing the plumbing for post-collapse surges of magma. It seems as if this is the story of the Mogollon District. Rocks of the caldera rim are uplifted and faulted again at Mogollon mines due to the doming caused by a rising packet of magma, most likely remobilizing movement on pre-exiting faults as well. An essential ingredient for epithermal veins to form; well there was plenty of heat (thermal energy) here! The Mogollon/Datil volcanic field is a significant geological feature.
In looking at Google earth images showing California, Arizona, New Mexico, the Basin and Range pattern of rocks is clearly visible bounding Mogollon to the south and west. The Great Plains stretches to the east and the Rockies trend off to the north of Mogollon. Centered in the image is the large volcanic field of Mogollon/Datil, a blister of heat and lava of regional scale, just perfect for a large hydrothermal system.
The mined faults/veins are truncated to the west by the "KING" fault as named by Lingren, Graten and Gordon in Ore Deposits of New Mexico (1910). The reason for this is clear in the USGS Mogollon Quadrangle Map; a separate sequence of rocks is faulted into place on the west. To the east of the Queen vault, mine rocks are just down-dropped and present at a deeper depth, where this puts the veins and the productive zone to the east of the Queen Fault/vein is an open question for me yet. The drill bit should reveal this.
The epithermal veins present at Mogollon may crop out at the surface devoid of quartz and gold and silver values as calcite veins; epithermal veins are "zoned" in this way according to my conversation with John. At many locations the veins crop out as calcite veins indicating a shallow segment of the vein is cropping out at the surface. There is a reference to a map of the veins themselves on the USGS Fault Map that I will try to find and post.
Bottom line IMO is that the story told by Columbus Silver is backed up by maps and reports from dis-interested parties, spanning many decades. John Livermore understood the potential here as presented by well-known and documented geology. Now, over the next year or so, we will find out how promising the ground actually is. A big point for me is that to the west the faults and veins are truncated, to the east the productive faults continue across the Queen fault with mine rocks present just at a deeper depth. The reports I have read indicate that the offset on the Queen fault is not that great. Another important point for me was that the volcanic rocks are fairly fresh and not really twisted up in a complicated structural way. Another words the geology is pretty straight forward and fairly easy to interpret... notice the USGS Map does not contain a lot of dash faults and rock unit contacts, this gives me a high degree of confidence in the subsurface interpretations that are drawn in the cross sections.
I will post more as I have time and find new sources of information. Nothing not to like for me so far.
Not Investment advice. DYODD, look at the maps, ask questions, look at the Google images and see what you think.
