Worthington Mountains
| Worthington Mountains | |
|---|---|
| Highest point | |
| Peak | Worthington Peak [2] |
| Elevation | 2,738 m (8,983 ft) |
| Coordinates | 37°55′4″N 115°36′41″W / 37.91778°N 115.61139°W |
| Dimensions | |
| Length | 12 mi (19 km) N-S |
| Width | 2.8 mi (4.5 km) E-W |
| Area | 25 sq mi (65 km2) |
| Geography | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Nevada |
| District | Lincoln County |
| Range coordinates | 37°53′06″N 115°36′23″W / 37.885°N 115.6064°WCoordinates: 37°53′06″N 115°36′23″W / 37.885°N 115.6064°W |
| Topo map | USGS Worthington Peak |
The Worthington Mountains is a small 12 mile long north-south trending mountain range in northwestern Lincoln County, Nevada.[2][1] The range is bounded by the Sand Spring Valley to the west and Garden Valley to the east. The Quinn Canyon Range lies to the northwest, the Golden Gate Range lies to the east and the Timpahute Range lies to the south and southeast.[2]
The range has two prominent peaks: Worthington Peak at 8,983 feet (2,738 m) near the north end and Meeker Peak at 8,766 feet (2,672 m) near the south end. The surrounding basins have elevations of 4,900 to 5,900 feet (1,500 to 1,800 m).[2]
Geology and mining
The Freiberg district on the northeast end of the range, located northeast of Worthington Peak, has had a long history of mining. The bedrock in the area is Pogonip Group limestone and dolomites of Ordovician age which strike north south and dip 20° to the west. The sedimentary rocks have been faulted and intruded by numerous felsic intrusives. The old Freiberg mine was worked for gold and silver starting in 1865. Later the New Freiberg mine was worked with underground and open pit methods for silver, lead, zinc and copper from 1919 through 1948.[3]
The Upper Devonian Guilmette Formation outcrops in the southern portion of the range. The Guilmette contains exposures of the Alamo Breccia related to the Alamo Impact which is approximately centered in the Timpahute Range some 12 miles (19 km) to the south.[4]
Wilderness area
The main part of the range is within the Worthington Mountains Wilderness Area. The wilderness encompasses 30,664 acres of the range. Leviathan Cave just northeast of Meeker Peak is within the wilderness. The northern part of the range, north of Worthington Peak, including the old mining area is outside of the wilderness.[5]
References
- 1 2 "Worthington Mountains". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2009-05-04.
- 1 2 3 4 Timpahute Range, Nevada, 30x60 Minute Topographi Quadrangle, USGS, 1988
- ↑ Tingley, Joseph P., The Mineral Resources of the Timpahute Range 30x60 Minute Quadrangle, Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology, Report 46, 1991, pp 6-10
- ↑ Leroux, Hugues; John E. Warme and Jean-Claude Doukhan; Shocked quartz in the Alamo breccia, southern Nevada: Evidence for a Devonian impact event, Geology, 1995, v. 23, pp. 1003-1006
- ↑ Worthington Mountains Wilderness Area, Bureau of Land Management