Field Trip: Comstock Mine Dump - JUN 21, 2009


Comstock Mine Dumps
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Amanda picks through the rocks at the base of the mine dump.
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On the last day of a camping and rockhounding trip through Northern Arizona and Southern Utah, we visited a mine dump west of Cedar City, Utah. The rock piles were immense and forbidding. But there was much to be found. The material contained a great deal of magnetite as we later discovered its effect on a compass needle. I still haven't identified a number of the clear, cream, yellow and orange crystals that adorned the stones we brought back. Several specimens turned out to be fluorescent, glowing orange, yellow and white under long wave UV. This is definitely an area I would like to pick through again.


Collection of rocks I collected at the site.
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Collection SiteComstock Mine Dumps, Iron County, Utah, USA
37:36.874 N 113:23.576 W
DateJune 21, 2009
Minerals CollectedCalcite, Dendrites, Magnetite, ++