LOW mineral resource potential is assigned to areas where geologic, geochemical, and geophysical characteristics define a geologic environment in which the existence of resources is unlikely. This broad category embraces areas with dispersed but insignificantly mineralized rock as well as areas with few or no indications of having been mineralized. MODERATE mineral resource potential is assigned to areas where geologic, geochemical, and geophysical characteristics indicate a geologic environment favorable for resource occurrence, where interpretations of data indicate a reasonable likelihood of resource accumulation, and (or) where an application of mineral-deposit models indicates favorable ground for the specified type(s) of deposits. HIGH mineral resource potential is assigned to areas where geologic, geochemical, and geophysical characteristics indicate a geologic environment favorable for resource occurrence, where interpretations of data indicate a high degree of likelihood for resource accumulation, where data support mineral-deposit models indicating presence of resources, and where evidence indicates that mineral concentration has taken place. Assignment of high resource potential to an area requires some positive knowledge that mineral-forming processes have been active in at least part of the area. UNKNOWN mineral resource potential is assigned to areas where information is inadequate to assign low, moderate, or high levels of resource potential. NO mineral resource potential is a category reserved for a specific type of resource in a well-defined area. Abstracted with minor modifications from: The USGS (U.S. Geological Survey) and the USBM (U.S. Bureau of Mines) studied 11,921 acres of the Dos Cabezas Mountains Wilderness Study Area (AZ-040-065) in Cochise County, Arizona. The study of this acreage was requested by the BLM (U.S. Bureau of Land Management). In this report, the studied area is called "wilderness study area" or just "study area." The wilderness study area covers about 18.6 sq mi (square miles) of the northeast flank of the Dos Cabezas Mountains in southeastern Arizona, where they lie just south of Interstate Highway 10 and 3-18 mi east and southeast of Willcox. Geologic, geochemical, geophysical, and mine and prospect studies were undertaken by the USGS and the USBM mainly during 1984. These followed more extensive geologic studies of the entire range, as well as studies of adjacent ranges. As a result of these investigations, about 3 sq mi of the study area is assigned a moderate mineral resource potential for porphyry, skarn, stockwork, massive-sulfide replacement, and vein deposits of copper, lead, zinc, molybdenum, tungsten, and silver. (In this report the term "deposit" does not carry a connotation of economic value.) Additionally, an identified resource of a silver-and gold-bearing quartz vein suitable for smelter flux is present. The rest of the area is assigned a low resource potential for both metallic and nonmetallic deposits.
Levels of Certainty