Despite the growing amount of free GIS software packages (examples are listed at the end of this little article) most of the people still think about more or less expensive software solutions, provided by a few companies (some of them you will find at the end of this article as well…) and refrain from showing their geo-spatial data. Others may simply not be in the mood or lack the time to learn the handling of new software. (more…)
The mineralogical and chemical characteristics of Palaeozoic rocks in the northern Eifel Mountains provide information on the sedimentary provenance in the NW Rhenohercynian Basin and on the mineralogical and hydrothermal control of trace element abundance. Elements mainly bound to illite (i.e. V, Ni, Rb, Sr, Cu, Ba) can be distinguished from elements predominantly controlled by chromite (Cr) and zircon (Zr). Lower Devonian and Upper Carboniferous units have similar (more…)
In comparison to other commodities, e.g. gold, niobium-ores are related to a small number of igneous rocks, in particular carbonatites and genetically-related silicate-carbonate rocks.
Within these rocks niobium is segregated principally in oxide minerals such as the pyrochlore-microlite solid solution series (Ca,Na)2(Nb,Ta)2O6(O,OH,F) and niobian perovskite (Ca,Na)(Ti,Nb)O3. At least four other Nb minerals can occur in sufficient quantities to dominate or affect the niobium content of a carbonatite. They include ferrocolumbite FeNb2O6, fersmite (Ca,REE,Na)(Nb,Ta,Ti)2(O,OH,F)6, niocalite Ca4NbSi2O10(O,F), and wöhlerite NaCa2(Zr,Nb)Si2O8(O,OH,F). Pyrochlore is the dominant niobium host and the only mineral (more…)
Wakefieldite-(La), ideally LaVO4, is a new mineral from the long abandoned Glücksstern Mine, Gottlob hill, Friedrichroda, Thuringia, Germany. The mineral occurs as light pinkish to brown prismatic crystals up to 0.5 mm in length. Wakefieldite-(La) is associated with hausmannite, baryte and gottlobite. The streak is white, the Mohs hardness 4 and the luster adamantine. The crystals are transparent to translucent. Electron microprobe analysis (more…)
The RWTH-1 well within Aachen offers outstanding conditions for the study of Devonian to Carboniferous sedimentary rocks in the NW Rhenohercynian close to the Brabant Massif. The geochemical data obtained from core and cutting samples provide information on the depositional history (Lower Devonian, Siegenian, to Upper Carboniferous, Namurian to Westphalian) of the NW-Rhenohercynian basin and set constraints on the mineralogical and hydrothermal control on trace element abundance in the northern Eifel region (more…)
The Veladero district in the Rio Turbio Basin (San Juan, Argentina) consists of at least eight alteration zones within an area of 14 km2. It contains several large bulk-tonnage Au-Ag-deposits in altered, silicified volcanic rocks. The oxidized zone extends to considerable depth. The Veladero orebody occurs as a 750 m x 3000 m tabular body (more…)
Niobium is a shiny, white, soft, and ductile metal with superconductive properties. Niobium products are used in a wide variety of applications. The largest end market for HSLA steel is for large diameter steel pipelines for the transmission of natural gas and oil. Price increases in oil and natural gas during the last years have created a new interest in exploration for, and (more…)
Pyrochlore is a common accessory mineral in granite pegmatites, nepheline syenites and carbonatites. Its ability to accomodate many different elements lead to a wide range of pyrochlore varieties. This is obvious for the U- and Th- contents. The Sokli carbonatite complex is part of the Kola alkaline province (KAP) in the northern Baltic Shield. The complex is situated in the area of Savukoski, Finish Lapland, close to the border to Russia. The emplacement age of 360 – 370 Ma falls in (more…)
The coal mining waste dump Anna I of the Anna black coal underground mine in Alsdorf (Germany) – in operation between 1854 and 1983 – is characterized by internal combustion. Volatile products of this process are emitted though vent-like holes and fractures on the top of the dump. Surface temperatures are heterogeneous within a dm-scale and partly exceed 210 degrees centigrade. The pH of condensed vapour (more…)
Pyrochlore is a common accessory mineral in granite pegmatites, nepheline syenites and carbonatites. The general chemical formular is A2-mB2X6-wY1-n • pH2O where A includes Na, Ca, U, Th , Pb, REE, Ba and Sr; B includes Nb, Ta, Ti, Zr and Fe; X = O and OH; Y = O, OH and F. The ability to accomodate many different elements leads to a wide range of pyrochlore varieties.
In Sokli (Finland) pyrochlore composition (more…)