Jennifer M. Smith HBSc thesis abstract

Skarn deposits in southern Yukon, southwestern Mackenzie and northern British Columbia are host to a variety of ore elements including tungsten, copper, zinc, lead, silver, molybdenum, and tin.  A study of five of these skarn occurrences in light of recently proposed descriptive classification schemes based on the major ore element assemblages defines each skarn occurrence as a distinct skarn type.

Studies by Dawson and Dick (1978) and Dick (1979) have shown that skarns in this area may be divided into four main groups based on the major ore element assemblages that they contain.  These are:  1) W-Cu,  2) W-Mo,  3) Zn-Pb, and 4) W-Cu-Sn.  Minor ore elements associated within these groups vary from deposit to deposit.

A more recent study by Einaudi et al, (1981) suggests that skarn deposits are best classified on the basis of the dominant economic metal and suggest six major subclasses, consisting of Fe, W, Cu, Zn-Pb, Mo and Sn.

Three scheelite-bearing skarn occurrences on the McDame Prospect in northern British Columbia are defined as tungsten skarns and reflect major ore element assemblages of W-Cu and W-Mo.

Two zinc-lead skarn occurrences on the Norquest Prospect in southern Yukon Territory are defined as zinc-lead/zinc skarns and reflect a dominantly Zn-Pb-(Ag) ore element assemblage.