2014 wallace fund report - society of economic geologists€¦ · csm seg - wallace fund report...

CSMSEG-WallaceFundReportCamborneSchoolofMine’sSEGStudentChaptercouldnotspendthefundingobtainedfromtheWallaceFundtorunitsoriginallyplannedtriptoParysMountain,Wales.Thiswasduetoissuessurroundingschedulingofthetripwhichresultedinnotenoughstudentsbeingabletoattend.Thus,thefundswereallocatedtothe2016/17committeetobespentonfield-relatedexcursions,primarilytosubsidisestudentsfortravelexpenses.HungaryFieldtrip–SamplingmethodsonabandonedminingregionsDates:14th-18thMay2017ThistripwashostedbytheUniversityofMiskolc’sSEGStudentChapter(Hungary)andwaswellattendedbystudentsfromUKSEGchapters.Itfocussedononeofthemostbasicmethodsinminingactivity,fieldsamplingtechniques.Courseparticipantslearntabouttheoretical,statisticalandphysicalaspectsofsamplingfromProfessorsofMiskolcUniversity.Thetripwasprofessionallyorganisedandhighlyinformative,allthreestudentwhoattendedfromCSMwereincrediblyimpressedbytheindustry-focusofthetrip.Day1–Telkibanya,Hungary

OurfirstdayinEasternEuropewasspentatMiskolcUniversitywherewewereintroducedtomembersofattendingSEGStudentChaptersandtreatedtoseveralintroductorypresentationsfromPhDstudentsandstaff.

Day2–Telkibanya,Hungary

Studentsweretakendowna200-yearoldundergroundgoldmineandlearnedhowtouseaportableXRFtomeasurepotassiumcontentalongthe500madit.Theafternoonconsistedofrockandsoilsamplingofthegroundabovethemine,formanystudentthiswasanewskilltolearnandourHungarianhostsweregreatinexplainingtoparticipantseffectiveandsystematicmethodsofdatacollection

Day3–SmolnikandGelnica,Slovakia

Thisregionhasagoldandcopperminingheritageandthissitewaschosentobringstudentsasacidrockdrainageisstilloccurringhere,drivenbythehighconcentrationofsulphidemineralsintherockmass.Thefocusofthedaywasonnaturalwaterflowsandthuslearninghowtotakewatersamples.StudentstookpH/Ehmeasurementsandsamplepreparationandevaluationofresultstookplaceintheevening.

Day4–Palhaza,HungaryThePerlite-92Ltd.minewasourdestinationforthedayasthecompanyhadkindlyagreedtohostusandgiveusaninsightintotheperliteindustry.Weweretreatedtoaminingactivitypresentationandashortlessononthemineralogicalandchemicalpropertiesoftherock,whichsomestudentshadnotyetencountered.Themineallowedstudentstousetheirlaboratoryandweweretaskedwithcollectingrockandwatersamplesfromtheminetomeasuretheswellingcapacityoftheperlite.ThiswasafantasticopportunityandwasfollowedbyaBBQtocelebratethesuccessofthetrip.

Figure1-AcollectionofphotostakenatvariouslocalitiesacrossHungaryandSlovakiaoverthefour-dayexcursion.

OrleansUniversitySEGStudentChapterFieldtriptoCornwallDates:3rd-7thJuly2017TheUniversityofOrleansStudentChaptervisitedCornwallinJuly2017wheretheywereaccompaniedbyCSMandPortsmouthstudentstovisitSn-W-CudepositsrelatedtoVariscangranitoids.ThetripwasrunoverfourdaysandstudentswereaccompaniedbyJensAndersen,RobinShailandSamHugheswhokindlygaveuptheirtimetolendtheirextensiveknowledgetoattendees.Thetripwasahugesuccessandagreatinter-chaptercollaborationandsofarchaptershavestayedintouchwhichaviewtorunmoretripstogetherinthefuture.Day1–St.Agnes

StudentsweretakentoCliggaHeadtoobservetheextensivegreisensatthisclifflocalitywhereemphasiswasdirectedatidentifyingSn-Wmineralisation.JensandRobinranasmallpracticalexerciseheretohelpstudentsbecomecompetentinidentifyingSn-Wmineralssuchaswolframiteandtourmalinewithinthefield.TheafternoonwasspentonSt.AgnesbeachandunderstandingthefieldrelationshipbetweentheSn-Cuzoneswhicharewellexposedthere.

Day2–St.Just

SamHughesledthesecondfieldday,takingstudentstoBotallackandCapeCornwall.IntheselocalitiesstudentswereshowntherelictsofSn-mining.ParticularlyatCapeCornwallemphasiswasputonunderstandingtheemplacementofigneoussheetswhicharerelatedtomineralisationontheperimeterofthegranitoidhere.

Day3–BreageDistrict

VisittotheTregonningGranitetostudythevariousdeformationstageswhichareassociatedwithVariscanconvergence.RobinShail,anexpertonSWEngland,showedstudentsfieldevidenceofD1,2&3stagesandledashortexerciseonhowtomeasurevariousstructuralfeatures,askillthatiscriticalforaccuratedatarecording.

Day4–Land’sEndGraniteandZennor

ThemorningofthisdaywasfocussedonunderstandingtheemplacementoftheLand’sEndGranitebystudyingthechangingmineralogyofthegranitoid.Attentionsurroundeddistinguishingthegenesisofveinsinthegranitewhichweretourmaline-bearingandwereproductsofbothmagmaticandhydrothermalprocesses.Intheafternoon,wewereinvitedtoRosevaleMinewhichisarestoredtinmine,runbyseveralCSMalumnimembers.Theminewasactiveintheearly20thcenturyandminersextractedSn-bearingmineralsfromanearverticallode.Theexperiencegavestudentsanunderstandingoftheconditionsandminingmethodsusedatthistime,andforsomestudentgavethemafirstexperienceofseeingtheworkingsofanundergroundmine.

Figure2-AcollectionofphotostakenatvariouslocalitiesacrossCornwalloverthefour-dayexcursion.