Castelnuovo Mine (Castelnuovo Pit; Castelnuovo deposit), Cavriglia, Arezzo Province, Tuscany, Italyi
Regional Level Types | |
---|---|
Castelnuovo Mine (Castelnuovo Pit; Castelnuovo deposit) | Open-Cast Mine (Reclaimed) |
Cavriglia | Commune |
Arezzo Province | Province |
Tuscany | Region |
Italy | - not defined - |
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Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):
43° 32' 40'' North , 11° 27' 50'' East
Latitude & Longitude (decimal):
Type:
Open-Cast Mine (Reclaimed) - last checked 2020
Köppen climate type:
Nearest Settlements:
Place | Population | Distance |
---|---|---|
Castelnuovo dei Sabbioni | 1,242 (2014) | 1.0km |
Neri | 678 (2014) | 1.2km |
Massa | 158 (2014) | 1.7km |
Meleto | 639 (2014) | 2.7km |
San Cipriano-S.Barbara-Centinale | 1,977 (2014) | 3.1km |
Mindat Locality ID:
21094
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:2:21094:7
GUID (UUID V4):
b9aeb43d-484b-4a95-b49b-a478f25b2005
Other Languages:
Italian:
Miniera Castelnuovo (Cavo minerario Castelnuovo; Giacimento Castelnuovo), Cavriglia, Provincia di Arezzo, Toscana, Italia
Open-pit mine of the Santa Barbara mining concession, situated near the village of Castelnuovo dei Sabbioni, opened in the homonymous lignite deposit in the period 1956-1994. It reached the depth of 150 m. Presently reclaimed.
The first mine, opened in 1864 in the Castelnuovo deposit, was an open-pit mine named Casino mine (Miniera del Casino). Later, the deposit was mined mainly by underground methods and included various mines such as the mines named Castelnuovo or Bicchierone, Cave Vecchie, Poggio d'Avene, Le Culle, Carpinete, Basi, and Valle al Pero. Castelnuovo's last underground mine, Carpinete (43.553163 N, 11.473551 E), closed in 1969.
The first mineral described for this lignite deposit is a white-yellowish fossil resin, found as small brittle blades, often grouped to form fibrous-radiating spherules, and incrustations in lignite. It was supposed a new species and named bombiccite (Bechi, 1868; Bombicci, 1869; and other authors). Studies performed by Boeris (1921) and Ciusa & Galizzi (1921) led to suppose the possible sameness between bombiccite and hartite, later confirmed by X-ray powder diffraction and single-crystal analyses performed by Pellizzer (1955 a,b). Detailed work concerning the hartite structure was subsequently published by Foresti Serantoni et al. (1978), who established this natural diterpene as having the alpha-dihydrophyllocladene structure.
Other minerals reported in the first period of mining activity are siderite and pyrite. Siderite was first noted by Grattarola (1876) as small crystals in lignite fissures. According to Sagri & Magi (1992), it can be found, both within Meleto Clays and the lignite layers, as lenses and nodules, and rarely as yellowish-brown euhedral microcrystals. Pyrite was found as small crystalline masses during the underground mining operations in stopes characterised by gaseous exhalation (Castelli, 1922).
The recent mining operations allowed to discover layered deposits of phosphates inside the Meleto Clays. Anapaite and vivianite were abundantly found, but always separately in different layers.
In particular, anapaite appears as radiating masses with variable shape and size. The interior contains many cavities filled by aggregates of triclinic tabular crystals. The crystals are green or yellow-green, translucent, vitreous, and a millimeter or two in size. A gradual change in the character of the masses, with regard to their position inside Meleto Clays, has been observed: in the uppermost part there are small nodules, nearly spherical and about 1 cm in diameter, progressing to nodules as large as 10 cm in diameter in the lower part. The anapaite nodules often appear joined together to form a compound cluster. At the bottom of the formation of Meleto Clays, near the Macigno Sandstone, layers of anapaite with a thickness ranging from 5 to 20 cm and an extension of tens of meters occur. Anapaite is rarely associated with baryte, as thin, radiating, hemispherical, yellowish aggregates no larger than 1 mm.
Vivianite most commonly occurs as a replacement of vegetable organic matter; blue to dark blue, perfectly preserved leaves have been collected in a bluish clayly matrix. The concretionary radiating nodules are also very attractive; they are blue, up to 7 cm in size and have cavities lined with bright blue vivianite crystals to 2 mm. Blue earthy concretions also occur.
Castelnuovo mine, is the type locality for grattarolaite and rodolicoite, two anhydrous iron phosphates, found as reddish-brown nodules in lignite beds which appear to have naturally burned. The two mineral species occur as small crystallites (<100 nm), associated in fine-scale intergrowth that prevent the measurement of physical properties.
Gypsum, as aggregates of greyish dull prismatic crystals, has been occasionally found in the bluish clays. However, the best specimens, consisting of colourless elongated crystals reaching several centimetres in length, have been found on a particular orange-red brick-like matrix, which formed during lignite self-combustion through clay baking and the consequent oxidation of ferrous minerals (Billi, 1980; Brizzi et al., 1991; Corazza et al., 1994).
Select Mineral List Type
Standard Detailed Gallery Strunz Chemical ElementsMineral List
12 valid minerals. 2 (TL) - type locality of valid minerals.
Rock Types Recorded
Note: data is currently VERY limited. Please bear with us while we work towards adding this information!
Select Rock List Type
Alphabetical List Tree DiagramDetailed Mineral List:
ⓘ Anapaite Formula: Ca2Fe2+(PO4)2 · 4H2O References: |
ⓘ Baryte Formula: BaSO4 References: |
ⓘ Branchite Formula: C20H34 References: |
ⓘ Grattarolaite (TL) Formula: Fe3+3(PO4)O3 Type Locality: References: |
ⓘ Gypsum Formula: CaSO4 · 2H2O References: |
ⓘ Hematite Formula: Fe2O3 Description: as blackish, thin layers hosted by roasted clays; some hematite has a velvety texture produced by layers of microcrystals. |
ⓘ Maghemite Formula: (Fe3+0.67◻0.33)Fe3+2O4 Description: as massive brown specimens distinguished by a strong magnetic susceptibility. |
ⓘ Pyrite Formula: FeS2 References: |
ⓘ Rodolicoite (TL) Formula: Fe3+PO4 Type Locality: References: |
ⓘ Siderite Formula: FeCO3 References: |
ⓘ Sulphur Formula: S8 Description: very rarely occurs as thin crusts and small masses associated with gypsum on an orange-red brick-like matrix, which formed during lignite self-combustion through clay baking and the consequent oxidation of ferrous minerals. |
ⓘ Vivianite Formula: Fe2+Fe2+2(PO4)2 · 8H2O References: |
Gallery:
List of minerals arranged by Strunz 10th Edition classification
Group 1 - Elements | |||
---|---|---|---|
ⓘ | Sulphur | 1.CC.05 | S8 |
Group 2 - Sulphides and Sulfosalts | |||
ⓘ | Pyrite | 2.EB.05a | FeS2 |
Group 4 - Oxides and Hydroxides | |||
ⓘ | Maghemite | 4.BB.15 | (Fe3+0.67◻0.33)Fe3+2O4 |
ⓘ | Hematite | 4.CB.05 | Fe2O3 |
Group 5 - Nitrates and Carbonates | |||
ⓘ | Siderite | 5.AB.05 | FeCO3 |
Group 7 - Sulphates, Chromates, Molybdates and Tungstates | |||
ⓘ | Baryte | 7.AD.35 | BaSO4 |
ⓘ | Gypsum | 7.CD.40 | CaSO4 · 2H2O |
Group 8 - Phosphates, Arsenates and Vanadates | |||
ⓘ | Rodolicoite (TL) | 8.AB. | Fe3+PO4 |
ⓘ | Grattarolaite (TL) | 8.BE.10 | Fe3+3(PO4)O3 |
ⓘ | Vivianite | 8.CE.40 | Fe2+Fe2+2(PO4)2 · 8H2O |
ⓘ | Anapaite | 8.CH.10 | Ca2Fe2+(PO4)2 · 4H2O |
Group 10 - Organic Compounds | |||
ⓘ | Branchite | 10.BA.10 | C20H34 |
List of minerals for each chemical element
H | Hydrogen | |
---|---|---|
H | ⓘ Anapaite | Ca2Fe2+(PO4)2 · 4H2O |
H | ⓘ Gypsum | CaSO4 · 2H2O |
H | ⓘ Vivianite | Fe2+Fe22+(PO4)2 · 8H2O |
H | ⓘ Branchite | C20H34 |
C | Carbon | |
C | ⓘ Siderite | FeCO3 |
C | ⓘ Branchite | C20H34 |
O | Oxygen | |
O | ⓘ Anapaite | Ca2Fe2+(PO4)2 · 4H2O |
O | ⓘ Baryte | BaSO4 |
O | ⓘ Gypsum | CaSO4 · 2H2O |
O | ⓘ Hematite | Fe2O3 |
O | ⓘ Maghemite | (Fe3+0.67◻0.33)Fe23+O4 |
O | ⓘ Siderite | FeCO3 |
O | ⓘ Vivianite | Fe2+Fe22+(PO4)2 · 8H2O |
O | ⓘ Grattarolaite | Fe33+(PO4)O3 |
O | ⓘ Rodolicoite | Fe3+PO4 |
P | Phosphorus | |
P | ⓘ Anapaite | Ca2Fe2+(PO4)2 · 4H2O |
P | ⓘ Vivianite | Fe2+Fe22+(PO4)2 · 8H2O |
P | ⓘ Grattarolaite | Fe33+(PO4)O3 |
P | ⓘ Rodolicoite | Fe3+PO4 |
S | Sulfur | |
S | ⓘ Baryte | BaSO4 |
S | ⓘ Gypsum | CaSO4 · 2H2O |
S | ⓘ Pyrite | FeS2 |
S | ⓘ Sulphur | S8 |
Ca | Calcium | |
Ca | ⓘ Anapaite | Ca2Fe2+(PO4)2 · 4H2O |
Ca | ⓘ Gypsum | CaSO4 · 2H2O |
Fe | Iron | |
Fe | ⓘ Anapaite | Ca2Fe2+(PO4)2 · 4H2O |
Fe | ⓘ Hematite | Fe2O3 |
Fe | ⓘ Maghemite | (Fe3+0.67◻0.33)Fe23+O4 |
Fe | ⓘ Pyrite | FeS2 |
Fe | ⓘ Siderite | FeCO3 |
Fe | ⓘ Vivianite | Fe2+Fe22+(PO4)2 · 8H2O |
Fe | ⓘ Grattarolaite | Fe33+(PO4)O3 |
Fe | ⓘ Rodolicoite | Fe3+PO4 |
Ba | Barium | |
Ba | ⓘ Baryte | BaSO4 |
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