From The Erzgebirge To Potosi

This book traces the history of mining and geology from the 1500's in the valuable silver mines of the Erzgebirge Mts of eastern Germany to the rich silver mines of Bolivia, including Potosi. With emphasis on the famous first mining geologist/engineer, Georgius Agricola who wrote his treatise on mining and smelting techniques, De Re Metallica, during the Renaissance and the contributions of some well-known geologists whose theories proliferated during the Industrial Revolution, the close connection between society and the natural sciences is examined. A major section on the engineering application of mapping at a large Canadian open pit mine demonstrates modern geological and geotechnical thinking. The powerful tools of both the miners and the geologists, dialectical and historical materialism are explained in detail in their relation to the earth's processes, the mining cycle and social redress. The environmental movement and the struggle of the miners for better working conditions and a more humane social system are discussed as is the comparison between the equitable Inca mit'a labour system and the corrupted mit'a of the Conquistadores. Richly illustrated, with 74 figures, and images of the famous scientists and maps and photographs to explain technical points make it highly readable.

Most of these poems are from the direct experience of the author, be it working at a mine or in mineral exploration, mostly in Canada but also in Latin America, or with my family and including both sorrow and joy with the short life of my son, or philosophizing about life, or talking about people’s heroes like David Thompson, the great Canadian surveyor and explorer and friend of the First Nations, or Simon Bolivar, the great liberator of South America who took on a whole empire with complete faith in his fellow latinos and their ability to defeat the Spanish Empire. Also, there is the joy of spending winter time in Mexico with its warmth and gorgeous flowers and luxurious vegetation.

The constant increase in the consumption of mineral resources, as well as the growing awareness of their exploitation, is causing deep concern within the scientific community. This concern is justified by the fact that the energy transition will increase the pressure on these resources, as renewable energies require an increased and more diversified quantity of mineral materials. This book presents an overview of the exploitation of these mineral resources, where the natural, regulatory and environmental constraints interfere with economic, financial and geopolitical interests. By mobilizing the fields of the humanities, geosciences and engineering, it also analyzes the challenges that the energy transition will encounter, challenges related to the contradictory effects that the acceleration of the extraction of these resources will have on their physical availability, the economies that exploit them and the populations that live off of them

The Ore Minerals Under the Microscope: An Optical Guide, Second Edition, is a very detailed color atlas for ore/opaque minerals (ore microscopy), with a main emphasis on name and synonyms, short descriptions, mineral groups, chemical compositions, information on major formation environments, optical data, reflection color/shade comparison with four common/standard minerals of a similar color or grey shade, and up to five high-quality photos for each mineral with scale. In addition, the atlas contains a compilation from some of the prominent publications in the field of ore microscopy presented on a list of 431 minerals. Concise, full-color pictorial reference for scientists and geologists Explains how to describe and identify microscopic samples of minerals Draws material from prominent literature yielding more than 400 different minerals

GOLD: History and Genesis of Deposits is the product of an effort by the Society of Economic Geologists to publish materials that will expand knowl edge concerning timely, specific topics important to the study of economic geology and to economic geologists. A volume on gold was selected for a general review-type publication because of the importance of the gold mining industry in the 1980s. The officers and council of the Society of Economic Geologists authorized the preparation of this book on gold in 1981, and Dr. Robert W. Boyle was selected as its author. Dr. Boyle has extensive experience in the study of gold deposits. He has an international reputation and a broad interest and understanding of the gold mining industry, the origin of gold deposits, and the history of gold as a metal and ore from prehistoric times to recent. Dr. Boyle uses important publications on gold deposits as source materials to document the various pathways of geological thought over time to introduce the reader to modern concepts. The book contains a wealth of information concerning gold.

Thomas Mohide, one of the world's acknowledged silver authorities has produced a panoramic study of this remarkable commodity. It provides in-depth analysis of the outlook in all demand sectors, the future availability from mines and recovered from scrap, the changing structure of the industry and the anticipated supply and demand brackets. Coupled with a look at markets, price, consumption and applied technology the result is a book of global interest for anyone in the mining or financial professions.

The first edition of this book has been out of print for seven years. The ques tion as to whether a new edition should be produced was answered affirmatively on many counts. I think that the considerations which led me to write this book in 1949 are still valid (see Preface to the First Edition). Moreover, a description of those areas of interest which together comprise the field of Mineralogy seems to be more necessary than ever, because of the rapid advances which have been made. Due to the rapid extension of our knowledge, I did not dare again to treat the whole field by myself. Accordingly, Professor ZEMANN kindly agreed to revise the first part of the book dealing with Crystallography. He made many important corrections. In Part II the basic question arose as to whether the physical-chemical approach to rock forming processes, becoming more and more important, required inclusive treatment of the fundamentals of physical chemistry in the book. I see certain dangers in trying to produce a petrology text which is physical chemically self-sufficient. Thus, I retain the same opinion which prevailed when I wrote the previous edition; namely that the necessary basic knowledge should be acquired in lectures and laboratory classes in physics, chemistry, and physical chemistry, and with the help of standard literature dealing with these subjects. This back ground is, therefore, presumed and fundamentals are only referred to occasionally.