Excerpt from Mineral Resources of the South Warner Wilderness, Modoc County, CaliforniaThis study evaluated the mineral resources of the wilderness by (1) a geochemical study of bedrock and stream sediment samples, (2) a reexamination of recorded mining claims, and (3) an analysis of an aeromagnetic map of the area. A geologic map was also made during the study to provide a framework for these three methods of mineral surveying. The 553 bedrock samples and the 315 stream sediment samples were analyzed for 30 chemical elements by semiquantitative spectrographic techniques. Because these analytical data show no anomalous concentrations of the analyzed elements, they indicate the presence of only ordinary crustal rocks in the area. The aeromagnetic map shows several anomalies, but all can be explained by contrasting magnetic properties of the surface rocks, thus it also indicates normal crustal material, both at and at some depth beneath the surface in the wilderness. The recorded mining claims were staked mostly on small calcite veins that were worked for optical grade calcite. It is unlikely that these veins will be commercially exploitable in the foreseeable future, largely because of their small size and the current availability of synthetic calcite crystals.Except for the former calcite mining, the wilderness has not been an area of mineral production. Minor amounts of semiprecious stones, including hyaline opal, varieties of cryptocrystalline quartz, and petrified wood, occur in the area. Because such material is more abundant elsewhere, it is doubtful that the semiprecious stones would ever be worked commercially in the wilderness. Minor amounts of zeolite minerals are also present, but this material, too, is of no commercial value now or in the foreseeable future because of the existence of much richer deposits elsewhere and of the wide availability of synthetic zeolites.About the PublisherForgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.comThis book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully, any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.