ORE  DEPOSITS  OF  SILVER  PEAK  QUADRANGLE,  NEVADA. 
Bv  J.  E.  Spurr. 
INTRODUCTION. 
Description. — The  Silver  Peak  quadrangle  is  mostly  in  southwestern 
Nevada,  adjacent  to  the  California  boundary;  one  corner  of  it  lies  in 
California.  There  are  no  railway  or  telegraph  stations  within  the 
quadrangle;  the  nearest  is  at  Candelaria,  about  40  miles  to  the  north 
of  the  old  mining  camp  of  Silver  Peak. 
The  area  includes  the  Silver  Peak  Range  and  the  valley  which  lies 
east  of  it,  together  with  some  portions  of  outlying  mountains,  such  as 
the  Palmetto  Mountains  in  the  southern  portion  of  the  quadrangle  and 
Lone  Mountain  in  the  northeast  portion. 
The  climate,  vegetation,  water  supply,  and  other  conditions  are 
those  typical  of  the  Great  Basin  region,  in  which  the  quadrangle  lies. 
There  is  no  permanent  standing  or  running  water  of  any  importance, 
and  for  water  supply  the  occasional  springs  have  to  be  depended  on. 
The  valleys  and  lower  mountain  slopes  are  covered  by  sagebrush  only, 
while  on  the  upper  slopes  are  nut  pine  (pinon)  and  other  small  trees 
or  shrubs. 
There  are  at  present  only  a  few  hundred  people  within  the  quad- 
rangle, and  the  occupations  of  all  of  these  are  connected  with  the 
mining  industry.  Although  there  is  no  very  great  amount  of  actual 
mining  going  on,  some  prospecting  is  being  done.  The  region  has 
been  considerably  mineralized.  It  is  constantly  attracting  outside 
attention,  and  it  is  very  possible  that  it  may  become  the  seat  of  a 
profitable  mining  industry  if  the  conditions  and  cost  of  production  can 
be  so  adjusted  that  a  balance  can  be  reckoned  upon  in  favor  of  the 
mine  operator. 
GEOLOGY. 
The  general  geology  of  the  region  has  been  examined  for  the  Survey 
by  Mr.  H.  W.  Turner,  whose  report  has  not  yet  been  published.  His 
work  shows  that  the  chief  rocks  are  Paleozoic  limestones,  granitic 
rocks  of  pre-Tertiary  age  (granites,  diorites,  etc.),  with  abundant  Ter- 
tiary sediments,  and  Tertiary  lavas,  such  as  rhyolites,  andesites,  and 
basalts.     As  is  the  case  in  all  this  desert  region,  the  Pleistocene  wash 
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