The Morenci copper mine, located in southeastern Arizona, is the fourth largest copper producer in the world, producing 780,000 tons of ore per day at an average grade of 0.3-0.4 ounces/ton.
Field Trips
Morenci Copper Mine: January 28-29, 2000
The Mineral Deposits (GEOL/ME 462) class of 2000 made an overnight excursion to the Morenci copper mine. The weather was a typical sunny southwestern day, but camping out in the mountains on the way there was a bit chilly!
The Morenci copper mine, located in southeastern Arizona, is the fourth
largest copper producer in the world, producing 780,000 tons of ore per
day at an average grade of 0.3-0.4 ounces/ton.
In the picture to the left, students and Professor Chavez are at an outcrop of chysocolla and brochanite with one of the open pits in the background.
Mineral deposit students let by Professors Chavez and Campbell and Chief Mine Geologist Ralph Stegen spent an exciting day touring the mine and using geologic skills to investigate the complexities of this copper porphyry deposit. Students were asked to challenge themselves by projecting their geologic knowledge gained in lecture and in labs into this real world situation. Students used a combination of many geologic skills including:
Students left the mine enlightened with a sense of how a large copper
mine operates and an understanding of what skills they need to build in
order to be marketable in the mining industry!
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