Phalaborwa mine - Géologie et géo-tourisme

If you now visit the pit, you can see a fairly massive flank collapse, on the North-West of the pit : from Google Earth... .. and from the public lookout point (identified ...
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Phalaborwa mine Extrait du Géologie et géo-tourisme http://jfmoyen.free.fr

Phalaborwa mine - Textes et documents pédagogiques - Photos géologiques -

Date de mise en ligne : mercredi 30 avril 2008

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Géologie et géo-tourisme

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Phalaborwa mine

The Phalaborwa Copper mine exploits carbonatites from a ca. 1.2 Ga pipe, which represents the core of a complex including syenites, pyroxenites and other weird rocks that I'll try and post here one day. Until 2000, it was exploited as an open-cast pit, that is now some 2 km wide and 700 m deep. In 2000, wall stability became an issue and they moved to undeground mining.

A good idea indeed. If you now visit the pit, you can see a fairly massive flank collapse, on the North-West of the pit : from Google Earth...

.. and from the public lookout point (identified on the GE photo above) :

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Phalaborwa mine

Copyright © Géologie et géo-tourisme

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