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Drowning is the Leading Cause of Death
Drowning is the number one cause of death in abandoned mines. Most people involved in this type of accident went to a quarry for swimming. Quarries are extremely dangerous places to swim. Steep drop-offs, deep water, sharp rocks, flooded equipment, submerged wire, and industrial waste make swimming risky. Another risk factor is the very cold…
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Where Do Fatalities Occur?
Deaths in abandoned and inactive mines occur across the United States. Many of them occur in the eastern coal fields, the sand and gravel quarries of the upper Mississippi Valley, limestone quarries in the southeast, or the metal mines in the southwest. Deadly accidents can happen in any type of abandoned mine or quarry. Stay…
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Dangerous Places!
Abandoned mines and quarries are dangerous places! In a typical year, several people die in accidents that occur in abandoned mines across the United States. Some of these deaths can be prevented if citizens know the danger of these properties; if landowners make better efforts to warn and limit access; and, if governments have improved…
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What is Tourmaline?
Tourmaline is the name of a large group of boron silicate minerals. These minerals share a common crystal structure and similar physical properties – but vary tremendously in chemical composition. The wide range of compositions and color zoning within crystals causes tourmaline to occur in more colors and color combinations than any other mineral group. Tourmaline is…
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Mineral Collecting
Azurite is popular with mineral collectors. They appreciate its deep blue monoclinic crystals, nodular habit with interesting structures, and representative examples of its botryoidal and stalactitic habits. Excellent specimens can sell for hundreds, thousands, or tens of thousands of dollars depending upon their quality and size. The instability of azurite is a problem for collectors. If exposed…
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Azurite Pigments
Azurite was ground and used as a pigment in blue paint as early as ancient Egypt. Through time, its use became much more common. During the Middle Ages and Renaissance, it was the most important blue pigment used in Europe. Much of the azurite used to make the pigment was mined in France. Making pigment from…
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Uses of Azurite
While azurite is not an extremely abundant mineral and is rarely found in large deposits, it has been used in a number of ways. Some of these are explained below. Copper Prospecting and Mining Geologists know that abundant azurite is often found in the rocks above deposits of copper ore. That enables them to use azurite as…
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Physical Properties of Azurite
The most diagnostic property of azurite is it distinctive deep blue color. It is also soft with a Mohs hardness of only 3.5 to 4. It contains copper, which gives its blue color and a specific gravity of 3.7 to 3.9, which is exceptionally high for a non-metallic mineral. Azurite is a carbonate mineral and produces a…
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Geologic Occurrence
Azurite is a secondary mineral that usually forms when carbon-dioxide-laden waters descend into the Earth and react with subsurface copper ores. The carbonic acid of these waters dissolves small amounts of copper from the ore. The dissolved copper is transported with the water until it reaches a new geochemical environment. This new environment could be a location where water…
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What Is Crystal Habit?
Crystal habit is the tendency for specimens of a mineral to repeatedly grow into characteristic shapes. These shapes are influenced by the atomic structure of the mineral, but they can also be influenced by the environment of crystal growth. Regardless of influence, crystal habit shapes can be characteristic of the mineral and displayed by many specimens of…