An operating open-cut mine, located 40 km south of Burnie in northwestern Tasmania, producing magnetite and minor scheelite. It is the only presently operating mine in a series of related skarn deposits associated with Devonian granites intruding Ordovician limestones.
The pit contains a zoned magnetite-andradite-hedenbergite-vesuvianite-epidote skarn, which contains minor scheelite and molybdenite and calcite veins with various Cu, Pb, As, Zn, Bi sulphides, fluorite and some Be minerals.
Famous for excellent andradite specimens.
NOTE: It has been reported to us by local collectors that collecting at the mine is no longer permitted by the mine owners.
At least four paragenetic stages of skarn formation and ore deposition have been recognized (Zaw et al., 2000): stage I, clinopyroxene ± garnet ± vesuvianite ± wollastonite ± quartz ± scheelite; stage II, garnet-vesuvianite-magnetite ± scheelite ± apatite ± quartz; stage III, magnetite-amphibole-epidote-fluorite-quartz ± chlorite ± garnet ± vesuvianite ± scheelite ± carbonate ± pyrite ± clinopyroxene; and stage IV, hematite ± fluorite ± calcite ± quartz.
References:- K. Zaw, K. Zaw, and B. Singoyi (2000): Formation of magnetite-scheelite skarn mineralization at Kara, Northwestern Tasmania: Evidence from mineral chemistry and stable isotopes. Economic Geology, 95, 1215-1230.
- Sorrell, S. and Bottrill, R. (2005): Minerals of the Kara Mine, Tasmania. 48 pp. [see
http://www.lulu.com/content/150017]
- Bottrill, R. S. & Baker, W. E. (2008): A Catalogue of the Minerals of Tasmania. Geological Survey Bulletin 73, Mineral Resources Tasmania, 254 pp.
Mineral List:34 entries listed. 31 valid minerals.
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