Page 54 - Geologic Investigations in the Lake Valley Area, Sierra County, New Mexico

silicification is not proven to be the same generation as jasperoid that occurs at Lake Valley. The Oligocene Mimbres Peak For­ mation at Town Mountain is not mineralized, with the exception of rare manganese veinlets; however, offset along the Lake Val- ley fault could have obscured mineralized rhyolite.
We suggest that regardless of the timing of early mineral­ ization, supergene enrichment produced the large orebodies at the Bridal Chamber and Bunkhouse. Clark (1895) described
Note: A combined list of references for all chapters of this Professional Paper is located at the end of this volume, begin­ ning on page 76.
them as being in caverns and as consisting largely of cerargyrite (horn silver), which typically forms during supergene processes. The Lake Valley Limestone in the area was at or close to the sur­ face in Paleocene to Eocene time and Quaternary time. Quater­ nary paleochannel gravels are spatially associated with the deposits. This association may reflect easier erosion of the supergene altered rock, or indicate that the paleochannel played some role as a conduit of fluids.
Mineral Deposits of the Lake Valley Mining District 47