Croig Cave: a late Bronze Age ornament deposition and 3,500 years of coastal foraging in NW Mull, Scotland

Activity within caves provides an important element of the later prehistoric and historic settlement pattern of western Scotland. This contribution reports on a small-scale excavation within Croig Cave, on the coast of north-west Mull, that exposed a 1.95m sequence of midden deposits and cave floors that dated bewteen c 1700 BC and AD 1400. Midden analysis indicated the processing of a .... 950 BC, a penannular copper bracelet a discrete ritual episode within the cycle of otherwise potentially mundane activities. Lead isotope analysis indicates an Irish origin for the copper ore. A piece of iron slag within later midden deposits, dated to c 400 BC, along with high frequencies of wood charcoal, suggest that smithing or smelting may have occurred within the cave. High zinc levels in the historic levels of the midden c AD 1200 might indicate intensive processing of seaweed.

Gruvrätten vid Stora Kopparberget 1641-1682 : en undersökning över rannsakade brott och utdömda straff

The purpose of this essay is to examine and explain how the Swedish mining court of Stora Kopparberget (the Great Copper Mountain) implemented its judicial legislation between 1641-1682. Questions are asked about which counts of indictments the court tried, which sentences they handed out, in what quantities and how these results looks in comparison with other contemporary courts. The index cards of the court judicial protocols are the primary source of information. The methods are those of quantity- and comparative analysis.The results show that theft of copper ore was the most common crime ransacked by the court. Other common crimes were (in order): sin of omission, transgression of work directions, fights, slander and disdain, trade of stolen ore, failing appearance in court etc.Fines were by far the most common sentence followed by shorter imprisonments, gauntlets, loss of right to mine possession, twig beating, loss of work, penal servitude, banishment, “wooden horse riding” and finally military transcription. Even though previous re-search, in the field of Swedish specialized courts, is almost non existent evidence confirms great similarities between the Stora Kopparberget mining court and Sala mining court. This essay will, hopefully, enrich our knowledge of specialized courts, of 17th century mining industry and society and let us reach a broader understanding of the working conditions of the mountain.

Prospecção geofísica em ocorrência de cobre localizada na bacia sedimentar do Camaquã (RS)

Estudos de pesquisa mineral são fundamentais para o reconhecimento e a incorporação de novas reservas. Esse trabalho apresenta os resultados de aplicação do método geofísico da eletrorresistividade numa ocorrência mineralizada em carbonatos de cobre, por meio da técnica de caminhamento elétrico em arranjo azimutal. A área de estudos está inserida na bacia sedimentar do Camaquã, formada por um conjunto de unidades estratigráficas sedimentares e vulcanogênicas, onde são descritas diversas ocorrências cupríferas. A presença de azurita e malaquita em fraturas e zonas de maior porosidade em arenito encaixante define a geologia local. Os modelos de inversão revelam anomalias circulares de resistividade moderada para até 25m abaixo da ocorrência aflorante e anomalias de baixa resistividade em profundidades abaixo de 25m, além de áreas adjacentes com alta resistividade. Indicadores de mineralização descritos para ocorrências de cobre estudadas, no âmbito da bacia sedimentar do Camaquã, ocorrem na área de estudos e permitem caracterização em termos de resistividade elétrica. Áreas com silicificação apresentam alta resistividade, enquanto que valores intermediários são atribuídos a zonas com carbonatação e, finalmente, áreas de baixa resistividade, provavelmente, indicam concentrações de sulfetos disseminados.

Polarização induzida aplicada no estudo de ocorrencia de cobre localizada a nordeste de Caçapava do Sul (RS)

Mineral research works are fundamentals for recognition and incorporation of new reserves. This paper present an integrated analysis of geologic and metallogenetics data, with results gotten from the application of the Induced Polarization geophysical method, in an copper ore occurrence, inserted in Camaquã sedimentary basin, situated in northeast of Caçapava do Sul city (RS). In area ocurr arkosean arenites average coarse, the intensely silicified and recrystallized, pertaining to Passo da Promessa Formation. The presence of azurita and malachite in breakings and high porosity zones of the host rock characterizes the mineral occurrence in surface, located in the crossing two fault families. The inversion models indicate the predominance of high chargeability in vulcanics tuff, rock of high porosity in relation to the andesites and metaconglomerates gifts in the area. The strong structural control of the mineral occurrence associated the high chargeability in volcanic tuff is indications of the hydrothermal fluid access by means of faults, until rocks with great porosity, where it occurred disseminations of copper sulfides in depth and carbonates in surface.

Mineral and chemical compositions of hydrothermal ores and sediments from the Menez Gwen Hydrothermal Field, Mid-Atlantic Ridge

Mineralogy and geochemistry of sulfide-bearing rocks and ores discovered within the Menez Gwen Hydrothermal Field are studied. Samples were taken during Cruise 49 of R/V Akademik Mstislav Keldysh of the p.p. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology. Mineral composition of rocks and ores were studied by traditional methods of optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (CAMSCAN), and microprobe analysis (EPMA SX-50). Contents of trace elements were determined by laser ablation inductively coupled plasma - mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). Zn-Cu ore comprises zonal sulfide chimney intergrowths. Numerous Se-rich copper ore fragments occur in volcanomictic layered gritstones and/or barite slabs. Mineral composition, zonality and association of trace elements in ore are typical of black smokers formed at the basalt base near the Azores Triple Junction in the MAR. Obtained results make it possible to reconstruct formation history of the Menez Gwen Hydrothermal Field into the high-temperature (Cu-Se association in ore clasts), medium-temperature (Zn-Cu-As association in ore), and recent (Ba-SiO2 association) stages.

Zinc deposits and related mineralization of the Burketown mineral field, including the world-class Century Deposit, Northern Australia: Fluid inclusion and stable isotope evidence for basin fluid sources

The stratiform Century Zn-Pb deposit and the discordant Zn-Pb lode deposits of the Burketown mineral field, northern Australia, host ore and gangue minerals with primary fluid inclusions that have not been affected by the Isan orogeny, thus providing a unique opportunity to investigate the nature of the ore-forming brines. All of the deposits are hosted in shales and siltstones belonging to the Isa superbasin and comprise sphalerite, pyrite, carbonate, quartz, galena, minor chalcopyrite, and minor illite. According to Pb model ages, the main ore stage of mineralization at Century formed at I575 Ma, some 20 m.y. after deposition of the host shale sequence. Microthermometry on undeformed, primary fluid inclusions hosted in porous sphalerite shows that the Zn at Century was transported to the deposit by a homogeneous, Ca2+- and Na+-bearing brine with a salinity of 21.6 wt percent NaCl equiv. delta D-fluid of the fluid inclusion water ranges from -89 to -83 per mil, consistent with a basinal brine that evolved from meteoric water. Fluid inclusion homogenization temperatures range between 74 degrees and 125 degrees C, which are lower than the 120 degrees to 160 degrees C range calculated from vitrinite reflectance and illite crystallinity data from the deposit. This discrepancy indicates that mineralization likely formed at 50 to 85 Mpa, corresponding to a depth of 1,900 to 3,100 m. Transgressive galena-sphalerite veins that cut stratiform mineralization at Century and breccia-filled quartz-dolomite-sphalerite-galena veins in the discordant Zn-Pb lodes have Pb model ages between 1575 and 1485 Ma. Raman spectroscopy and microthermometry reveal that the primary fluid inclusions in these veins contain Ca2+, Na+. but they have lower salinities between 23 and 10 wt percent NaCl equiv and higher delta D-fluid values ranging from -89 to -61 per mil than fluid inclusions in porous sphalerite from Century. Fluid inclusion water from sphalerite in one of the lode deposits has delta O-18(fluid) values of 1.6 and 2.4 per mil, indistinguishable from delta O-18(fluid) values between -0.3 to +7.4 per mil calculated from the isotopic composition of coexisting quartz, dolomite, and illite. The trend toward lower salinities and higher delta D-fluid values relative to the earlier mineralizing fluids is attributed to mixing between the fluid that formed Century and a seawater-derived fluid from a different source. Based on seismic data from the Lawn Hill platform and paragenetic and geochemical results from the Leichhardt River fault trough to the south, diagenetic aquifers in the Underlying Calvert superbasin appear to have been the most likely sources for the fluids that formed Century and the discordant lode deposits. Paragenetically late sphalerite and calcite cut sphalerite, quartz, and dolomite in the lode deposits and contain Na+-dominated fluid inclusions with much lower salinities than their older counterparts. The isotopic composition of calcite also indicates delta O-18(fluid) from 3.3 to 10.7 per mil, which is larger than the range obtained from synmineralization minerals, supporting the idea that a unique fluid source was involved. The absolute timing of this event is unclear, but a plethora of Pb model, K-Ar, and Ar-40/Ar-39 ages between 1440 and 1300 Ma indicate that a significant volume of fluid was mobilized at this time. The deposition of the Roper superbasin from ca. 1492 +/- 4 Ma suggests that these late veins formed from fluids that may have been derived from aquifers in overlying sediments of the Roper superbasin. Clear, buck, and drusy quartz in veins unrelated to any form of Pb-Zn mineralization record the last major fluid event in the Burketown mineral field and form distinct outcrops and ridges in the district. Fluid inclusions in these veins indicate formation from a low-salinity, 300 degrees +/- 80 degrees C fluid. Temperatures approaching 300 degrees C recorded in organic matter adjacent to faults and at sequence boundaries correspond to K-Ar ages spanning 1300 to 1100 Ma, which coincides with regional hydrothermal activity in the northern Lawn Hill platform and the emplacement of the Lakeview Dolerite at the time of assemblage of the Rodinia supercontinent.

Recovery of copper from vanadiferrous magnetite ore of Masanikere area, Shimoga district

Studies have been carried out to recover copper from vanadiferrous magnetite ores by a novel reaction with lime in the presence of water vapour. The ore, mixed with different proportions of lime, has been roasted in the presence of steam. The roasted product is either directly leached with dilute mineral acids or subjected to magnetic separation and then leached. The effect of various parameters such as amount of lime added, temperature and duration of roasting and time of leaching on the recovery of copper has been investigated. The results indicate that over 90% copper could be recovered under optimum conditions of roasting and leaching.

The fortaleza de minas nickel, copper and platinoids deposit: ore types, tectonics and volcanological aspects

Pós-graduação em Geologia Regional - IGCE

A Preliminary Study of Montana Copper - Nickel Ore

Deposits of sulfides, containing nickel and copper with associated platineferous minerals occur in the Stillwater Igneous Complex. This is a group of unusual igneous rocks situated in Stillwater and Sweetgrass counties in Montana.

A Study of the Concentration of a Copper-Zinc Ore.

The ore under investigation in this thesis is a copper-zinc ore which came from the state of New Mexico. The exact location is unobtainable. The purpose of the investigation was to determine the most effective means of concentration of the valuable min­erals present in the ore.

The Testing and Concentration of a Low Grade Copper-Nickel Ore.

The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the possi­bility of concentrating a low grade copper-nickel ore, to determine the most effective method of concentration, and to attempt to draw some conclusions to determine whether or not the concentrates produced would be of sufficient high grade to make the recovery of nickel and copper a profit­able enterprise.

Sulfatizing Roasting of a Copper Sulfide Ore

At present copper sulfide ores are recovered by pyrometallurgical processes. While the recovery of cop­per from sulfide ores by hydrometallurgical means has long been considered attractive, the impurities, low re­covery and mechanical difficulties have kept this process from becoming commercial.