The posted coordinates will take you to a public lookout point with a series of information boards. Take some time to read the information boards and learn some interesting information about the Tech Corporation and the Highland Valley mine site.
Copper was first discovered in this general area in the late 1800’s and has been mined here ever since.
The general area of the mine site exists in a mountainous area with plenty of mining history. The geology dates back to the late Triassic and early Jurassic periods and this Nicola volcanic rock is of the Guichon batholith along with Miocene basalt. The batholith is a large irregular mass of coarse-grained igneous rock and is more than one hundred kilometres square. It is rich in copper and molybdenum and is the principal copper reserve in British Columbia. A large portion of the area is covered by glacial till which is an unconsolidated sediment consisting of various size rock fragments from clay to large boulders, all of which were deposited by alpine glacial action. The massive dull green-black rocks in the area are basaltic andesite.
One of the first prospectors of the Guichon batholith was George Novak who staked some claims in the general area in the late 1890’s. Mining in the Highland Valley mine site started in earnest in 1962, just five years after George Novak passed away at the age of 94, with the opening of the Bethlehem Copper Mine on the north side of the Highway. The Lornex Mine started in 1970 and the milling of the ore commenced in 1972, two years after the opening of the Municipality of Logan Lake.
The Highland Valley Copper mine is the largest open pit copper mine in Canada, and one of the largest in the world, with respect to the tonnage mined and milled . It is an amalgamation of three historic mining operations: Bethlehem (later Valley Copper), Lornex and Highmont. The Highland Valley Copper Mine consists of several large deep pits, dug to expose low-grade copper and molybdenum bearing ore deposits. The mine is expected to continue operating until at least 2024. There has been a continuous reclamation program on site and Highland Valley Copper has prepared new habitat for moose, deer, trout, birds, marmots, livestock, etc.
Please perform the following requirements to log this EarthCache and message me the answers to the questions:
1. Copper and molybdenum are both mined here, what is the name of an ore mineral that contains copper and what is the name of an ore mineral that contains molybdenum?
2. Reclamation of any mine site is extremely important as it will attempt to bring the site back to a pre-mining natural state. In the reclamation process, how thick is the ‘capping layer’ and what is it composed of?
3. Please post your favourite photograph of the mine site itself with your log, but please do no post any spoilers that would contain readable versions of any of the information boards. Yes a photo is mandatory.
The answers to the questions can be found on the information boards and/or at
MineralsEd
Unfortunately, anyone not fufilling the mandatory requirements above will have their log removed.