Geology and mineral deposits of lincoln and flathead counties, montana, montana. A laymans guide to the treasure state special publication montana bureau of mines and geology alt, david d on. Lincoln area, lewis and clark county, montana smithsonian. The plains to the east, stretching into the dakotas and. Welcome to the online catalog for the montana bureau of mines and geology mbmg.
Geology of the arcobig southern butte area, eastern snake. Geology and ore deposits of the butte district, montana. Both laccoliths are internally differentiated and contain a variety of rock types, including shonkinite, syenite, and pegmatite. Cartography at the montana bureau of mines and geology by susan smith montana bureau of mines and geology 0 west park street, butte, montana 597018997 phone. Geological survey publications related to montanas geology, hydrogeology, etc.
About the montana bureau of mines and geology serving the citizens of montana through geologic and hydrologic research and information. The dominant phase, the butte quartz monzonite bqm, has been dated at 75. Butte became a hotbed for silver and gold mining in its early stages, and grew exponentially upon the advent of electricity in the latenineteenth century due to the lands large natural stores of copper. Montana bureau of mines and geology publications geology. The bald butte mine is a gold and silver mine located in lewis and clark county, montana at an elevation of 6,880 feet. Issue 74 of professional paper paperback or softback by weed, walter harvey and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. The boulder batholith encompasses about 4,000 square kilometers km2 in. Part or all of this report is presented in portable document format pdf. The montana bureau of mines and geology produces a variety of map products for the state of montana. Other ores silver include supergene native silver, acanthite, stephanite, proustite, and pyrargyrite while molybdenite is native.
Although it depicts a butte located 50 miles east of great falls, the formation of crown butte was very similar. In fact, the only difference between a mesa and a butte is its size. Included are rare insights into the gold, copper and silver mines of butte, montana together with hard to find maps and photographs. The boulder batholith and the richest hill on earth. Structural geologic evolution of the butte district, montana article in economic geology 1086.
The arcobig southern butte area of the eastern snake river plain, idaho, includes a volcanic rift zone and more than 70 holocene and late quaternary basalt volcanoes. The rift zone is the locus of extensional faults, graben, fissure basaltic volcanic vents, several. Montana butte district location geology of the butte mining district, montana base map modified from four u. Geology of the shonkin sag and palisade butte laccoliths in the highwood.
The town of square butte is located at the foot of a mountain where a big spring supplies everyone with water. Geology and landscape 1 s eventyfive or eighty million years ago, volcanoes dotted the western edge of north america, which was located here in western montana and in idaho. Vernacular architecture forum 30th annual meeting, butte, montana 2009 gibson. Montana tech 0 west park street butte, mt 597018997. The authors tell you what the rocks are and what they mean. Biennial report of the montana bureau of mines and geology. Montana bureau of mines and geology the online books page. Geology and mineral deposits of lincoln and flathead. The emergence of the concept of stratigraphy, for example, which had originated as a product of the study of. Geology of the butte north 30 x 60 quadrangle, southwest montana. An overview of the mining history and geology of butte.
The butte district contains two porphyry cumo deposits and the younger zoned main stage base metal lode deposits that formed in the period from 66 to 62 ma, synchronous with laramide compressional thrust faulting and folding in southwest montana. Geologic road signs montana department of transportation. Montanas colorful history includes the stories told through geology. Butte is a city in southwestern montana established as a mining camp in the 1860s in the northern rocky mountains straddling the continental divide. The two most iconic ones are the one 22 miles west of great falls visible from some parts of great falls, and the one featured in this post, which is 50 miles east of great falls. New geologic mapping of the butte district reveals three distinct episodes of deformation. Roadside geology of montana roadside geology series. Geologic units in butte county, california quaternary alluvium and marine deposits pleistocene to holocene at surface, covers 31 % of this area alluvium, lake, playa, and terrace deposits. This short coffee table picture book in english, german and french presents elements, minerals and rocks with pictures and facts. A device used to reduce the particle size of laboratory specimens, dry chemicals, mined ores, and other solid materials. Lists of series titles, including cost and availability, can be found in the mbmg publications catalog. With great detail as well as with an insight into montana history, we the reader go through the events of this tragedy in 1917.
The shonkin sag and square butte laccoliths of central montana differentiated. Butte was laid out in 1886 and was named for big butte, a nearby conical peak locally called the richest hill on earth. Bald butte mine the bald butte mine is a gold and silver mine located in lewis and clark county, montana at an elevation of 6,880 feet. Southwest montana was something like this about 78 million years ago. An overview of the mining history and geology of butte, montana. Two of the most prominent buttes are located in a cascade county, montana, about 22 miles 35 km. I am collecting the entire roadside geology and geology underfoot series because they are excellent books that address specific areas of the united states. Some of the topics include the early history of gold, silver and copper mining in the butte area, insight into the geology of its mining areas, the local distribution of gold, silver and copper ores, as well their. A geological survey bulletin 1141p a description of the geologic features and economic resources of the area united states government printing office, washington. Butte granite kbg quartz porphyry dikes kqp, tmqp boulder batholith aplite dikes ka granite. One was built in london, england, about 1800 by william cary 17591825. Butte north 1989, butte south 1989, elk park pass 1985, and homestake 1978. When it reached the surface, the magma created violent explosions that hurled chunks of rock, cinders, and volcanic ash into the. The arco volcanic rift zone extends southeast for 50 km from arco to about 10 km southeast of big southern butte.
Buttes were once part of flat, elevate d areas of land known as mesa s or plateau s. Buttes were created through the process of erosion, the gradual wearing away of earth by water, wind, and ice. The batholith was shaped by magma shoved upwards by volcanic eruptions about 60 to 70 million years ago. Established in 1919, the montana bureau of mines and geology mbmg continues to fulfill its mandate to collect and publish information on montanas geology to promote orderly and responsible development of the energy. Geology publications montana bureau of mines and geology publications search.
Square butte is located along montana highway 80 6. Mining dominated the citys life and economy from its establishment in 1862. Charles marion russell, the noted montana western artist used both. These fluids formed a stockwork of quartz and quartzsulfide veinlets with a variety of styles of potassic and sericitic alteration envelopes. Structural geologic evolution of the butte district, montana. Stanley korzeb montana tech of the university of montana. In square butte, view the historic jail located at the west end of town. The butte mining district of montana by us department of. The interesting, basic and informative facts are short, simply written, easy to understand, entertaining and thought provoking. Cartography at the montana bureau of mines and geology. Geology of the cleveland quadrangle bearpaw mountains blaine. Square butte country club 226 broadway ave, square butte, montana 59446 rated 4.
Butte s are tall, flattopped, steep sided towers of rock. The geologic formation of square butte is a laccolith, a mass of igneous rock formed from magma that did not surface but instead spread out, forcing the overlying. A geological survey bulletin 1141p a description of the geologic features and economic resources of the area united states government printing office. Fort mountain present square butte southwest of great falls, montana. Geologic field work is always fun, but especially so when it turns up something unexpected. The north butte mining disaster of 1917, michael punke takes a look at a not well known mining disaster which is the deadliest in us history. Geology of the, cleveland quadrangle bearpaw mountains blaine county, montana by robert george schmidt, w. Butte is in the heart of a huge granite formation called the boulder batholith that stretches from south of helena to north of dillon.
Americans such as amos eaton 17461822 and the father of american geology, william maclure 17631840, were at the cutting edge of the new science. Dept of geological eng, montana tech, butte mt 59701, usa. Sep 24, 2019 the montana bureau of mines and geology produces a variety of map products for the state of montana. Molten magma rose up through the earths crust from 81 to about 74 million years ago. Falls, montana, six miles south of shonkin sag laccolith, and two miles west of square butte laccolith figures 1 and 2. Shonkin sag and square butte laccoliths are at the eastern edge of the highwood mountains as part of the central montana alkalic province. The boulder batholith and the richest hill on earth t he boulder batholith originated as part of the elkhorn mountains volcanics. Useful graphics and charts supplement the text and help you to understa. Books and books in butte, montana books about butte. About forty square miles of middle tertiary volcanic rocks are composed of a. Two of the most prominent buttes are located in a cascade county, montana, about 22 miles 35 km due west of great falls and in b chouteau county, montana, about 50 miles 80 km due east of great falls and about 15 miles 24 km due east of the highwood mountains. Magma immiscibility in the shonkin sag and square butte laccoliths. Paleomagnetic studies of the butte quartz monzonite in the central and western part of the district suggest lesser tilts of 5 to 17 degrees north to northwest geissman et al. Square butte is a name used for 11 buttes in montana.
Square butte is an unincorporated community in chouteau county, montana, united states, named for the unique rock formation of the same name slightly southwest of the town. Geology and differentiation of round butte laccolith central montana. In an effort to resolve the question to the amount of postmineralization tilting, the structural geology of the butte district was remapped at 1. A laymans guide to the treasure state special publication montana bureau of mines and geology. Geology of the cleveland quadrangle bearpaw mountains. Books about butte books and books in butte,montana books. L ewis may have carried either of two period telescopes that are still in existence. The term is sometimes used for an elevation higher than a hill but not high enough for a mountain. Butte, montana was once know as the richest hill on earth for its historical extensive mining industry. Butte, city, seat 1881 of silver bow county, southwestern montana, u. Copper, as well as zinc, silver, manganese, gold, lead, molybdenum, and arsenic have been extracted from mines in the region. Look on the horizon to the right of the bison to see square butte, round butte, and the highwoods. Lost lake and square butte in central montana big sky walker. Established in 1919, the montana bureau of mines and geology mbmg continues to fulfill its mandate to collect and publish information on montana s geology to promote orderly and responsible development of the energy, groundwater, and mineral resources of the.
The town of square butte gets its name from a nearby geologic formation. Geology and structural history of the butte district, montana. Covellite cus, digenite cu 9 s 5, djurleite cu 31 s 16, and colusite cu 26 v 2 as,sn,sbs 32 are minor sources. The porphyry cumo deposit in butte, montana, formed where magmatic hydrothermal fluids, introduced with injections of porphyrytic dikes, fractured and permeated the butte quartz monzonite. Geology ore deposits butte district montana abebooks. The material to be reduced in particle size is sealed in a durable cylindrical container along with two or more balls made out of mineral material or metal. Montana consists of the butte granite and a group of associ ated smaller. Each interpretive sign describes the geologic and paleontological wonders of the treasure state to help share montanas story.
Montana bureau of mines and geology, butte mt 59701, usa. The material to be reduced in particle size is sealed in a durable cylindrical container along with two or more balls made out of mineral. It consists of an achromatic objective lens that magnifies a field of one arc degree 36 times at 1,000 yards, which would have enabled him to view approximately onethird of fort mountain with it at one time. Fire and brimstone is a historical account of the 1917 mining disaster in butte, montana, and the dramatic rescue efforts and the aftermath of the largest mining disaster of the 20th century. Health hazards from mining in butte, montana case studies. Geology and ore deposits of the butte district, montana geology and ore deposits of the butte district, montana, geological survey u. Synthesis of petrographic, geochemical, and isotopic data for the. For best results viewing and printing pdf documents, it is recommended that you download the documents to your computer and open them with adobe reader.
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