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> Cananea Copper Mine - Sonora - Mexico

Cananea Copper Mine - Sonora - Mexico

author: Nasa/Novapix

reference: t-namex-00010

Image Size 300 DPI: 25 * 17 cm

One of the largest open-pit copper mines in the world, the Cananea mine produced over 164,000 tonnes of copper in 2006. The mine is located approximately 40 km south of the border between the USA (Arizona) and Mexico (Sonora). Copper and gold ores at Cananea are found in a porphyry copper deposit, a geological structure formed by crystal-rich magma moving upwards through pre-existing rock layers. A porphyry - an igneous rock with large crystals in a fine-grained matrix - is formed as the magma cools and crystallizes. While crystallization is occurring, hot fluids can circulate through the magma and surrounding rocks via fractures. This hydrothermal alteration of the rocks typically forms copper-bearing and other minerals. The active, 2 km in diameter Colorada Pit is recognizable in this astronaut photograph by the concentric steps or benches cut around its perimeter. These benches allow for access into the pit for extraction of ore and waste materials. The city of Cananea - marked by its street grid - is located to the northeast of the mine workings. A leachate reservoir is located to the east of the mine for removal and evaporation of water pumped from the mine workings - the bluish-white coloration of deposits near the reservoir suggests the high mineral content of the leachate. The mine workings at Cananea are significant in the recent history of Mexico, as poor working conditions there in 1906 led to a miner's strike that resulted in 19 deaths. This event is generally considered to a major catalyst of the Mexican Revolution of 1910, as well as the beginning of Mexico's labor movement. Current environmental and economic conditions at the mine led to a worker strike that halted mine operations in 2007. Astronaut photograph was acquired on March 3 2008 from the International Space Station (ISS).

Keywords for this photo:

2008 - COPPER - EARTH - EARTH FROM SPACE - EXPEDITION 16 - GOLD - ISS - MEXICO - MINE -