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MINERALISATION IN DETAIL
ORIGINS OF MINERALISATION
| The vein in Engine Vein.
A close-up of the vein material in Engine
Vein mine showing the blue/grey copper sulphide ores. The brown staining
is iron, probably derived from copper iron pyrites that has been transformed
into malachite (copper carbonate). Pinkish areas are barite.
(Below) Secondary deposits. Malachite, azurite and chrysocolla are readily moved by surface water permeating through the sandstone. The water will be mildly acidic with carbonic and humic acids and can dissolve the copper carbonates leading to their redeposition as shown here in Blue Shaft, Engine Vein. The deposits are superficial, a fact not lost on the miner, but indicate larger concentrations of copper above. |
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