Mineralogy and Ore Deposits

 

Obvious connection because nearly all the ores that produce metals are composed of ‘minerals’.

Take just one example: Copper

Link to the Los Alamos Periodic Table or the more detailed Web Elements Periodic Table

 

Amazing diversity of relatively important copper-bearing minerals and deposit types.
Copper Cu
Cuprite Cu2O
Tenorite CuO
Chalcocite Cu2S
Digenite Cu9S5
Covelite

CuS
Chalcopyrite CuFeS2
Bornite

Cu5FeS4
Azurite Cu3(CO3)2(OH)2
Malachite

Cu2CO3(OH)2
Atacamite Cu2Cl(OH)3
Antlerite Cu3SO4(OH)4
Brochantite

Cu4SO4(OH)6
Chrysocolla Cu4H4Si4O10 (OH)8
Dioptase

Cu6Si6O18 • 6H2O
Enargite Cu3AsS4
Luzonite Cu3AsS4
Famatinite Cu3SbS4
Tennantite Cu12As4S13
Tetrahedrite

Cu12Sb4S13
Kostovite CuAuTe4
Stannite Cu2FeSnS4
Torbernite Cu(UO2)2(PO4)2 • 8-12H2O
Turquoise

CuAl6(PO4)4(OH)8 • 5H2O

Look at some examples with direct (or indirect) connections to Wisconsin:

Native Copper District - history and decline

White Pine District - history and mineralogy - development of ideas on replacement of sulfides

Porphyry Copper Deposits - the next Big thing - understanding of hydrothermal alteration, exploration clues

Massive Sulfide Deposits - the name says it all - morphology depends on setting and density and temperature of the hydrothermal fluid.

An old estimate for the Crandon Deposit:

 
Tons of Ore
% Cu
% Pb
% Zn
g/t Ag
g/t Au
Zinc - Massive Ore
42,900,000
0.6
0.73
8.40
52.6
1.4
Cu - Stringer Ore
24,500,000
1.8
0.03
0.71
10.0
0.3
Total
67,400,000
1.0
0.5
5.6
36.8
1.0
Approximate Value/ton
$96
$25
$4
$50
$7
$10

 

Weathering and Supergene Enrichment of Copper Ores - Frosting the Cake

Beginning of a Trip to the Flambeau Mine

Magmatic copper sulfide ores - Sudbury Ontario