Ming Mineral Mine, Newfoundland. 8/4/03
- Day 12 Minerals We're Looking For: We are looking for sulfides; CuS2 etc. Clues:
Where an iron rust color is visible, there are often other minerals
present. Pyrite, FeS2, colored stains in the terrain
also indicate the presence of copper. This mine was formerly used for
mining copper sulfides and other Cu-minerals to eventually produce copper.
Copper's main use in industry today is for electrical wiring. It is
the cheapest material and only needs to be coated with rubber or another
material to prevent oxidation and provide insulation. Minerals Visible and Collected
Here: Bornite, Cu5FeS4 is a metallic
mineral that has a fresh bronze color when fresh, but later weathers
to dark blue. It is a copper sulfide. Pyrite, FeS2
aka: fools gold, is a metallic yellow mineral that often is initially
mistaken for gold. As pyrite weathers, the Fe and S ions break down.
Then, the sulfate may bond with oxygen forming H2SO4,
or sulfuric acid. Arseno-pyrite, CuFeS, is a copper iron sulfide. It
is silvery in color and, as the name implies, contains amounts of arsenic.
Chalcopyrite, CuFeS2, when weathered, reveals
brilliant metallic hues of the rainbow, similar to oil on water, ontop
of the pyrite yellow. Galena is a lead sulfide, PbS, found near the
pyrite adjacent to the tailings pond. click on any picture for a larger view!
This abandoned mine is definitely not the most aesthetically pleasing
one we have visited! The terrain is mainly devoid of living vegetation,
and there are tailings ponds of unnatural hues. It does not appear that
any form of remediation has taken place at this site.
bornite, pyrite, chalcopyrite, arsenopyrite (don't eat it!), trace amounts
of gold, galena, and quartz.
This Site's Geologic History:
The minerals here are all mainly volcanogenic massive sulfides. They were
pumped up through the ocean floor by convection currents and deposited
in volcanic rocks. When they hit the cold ocean water, they precipitated
from the liquid in a cloud resembling black smoke; hence their name 'black
smoker deposits." These minerals were later buried by other sediments
and uplifted during tectonic events, which pushed them to the surface.
The host rock here has been metamorphosed and has
a blue-gray sheen to it. This rock is most likely metavolcanic/schist.