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Cave-in-Rock, Cave-In-Rock Mining Sub-District, Hardin County, Illinois, USAi
Regional Level Types
Cave-in-RockVillage
Cave-In-Rock Mining Sub-DistrictMining Sub-district
Hardin CountyCounty
IllinoisState
USACountry
Cave-in-Rock, Cave-In-Rock Mining Sub-District, Cave-in-Rock Mining Sub-District, Hardin County, Illinois, USA
Cave-in-Rock, Cave-In-Rock Mining Sub-District, Illinois-Kentucky Fluorspar District, USA

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Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):
37° 28' 8'' North , 88° 9' 59'' West
Latitude & Longitude (decimal):
Type:
Köppen climate type:
Nearest Settlements:
PlacePopulationDistance
Cave-in-Rock318 (2011)0.1km
Elizabethtown287 (2017)12.5km
Rosiclare1,082 (2017)16.6km
Marion2,986 (2017)16.9km
Sturgis1,912 (2017)18.3km
Mindat Locality ID:
3753
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:2:3753:5
GUID (UUID V4):
0


The town of Cave-in-Rock is named after a natural cave bordering the Ohio River in the southeastern portion of Illinois. The cave was noted by French explorers in 1744, who called it the “Caverne dans le Roc” (Cave in the Rock). During the early 1800s to about 1834, the cave was used by outlaws that preyed upon travelers on the Ohio River (though the stories are exaggerated). The cave today is now part of the Illinois State Park System.

The cave is formed from the middle Mississippian St. Louis Limestone Formation and only extends about 55 feet from the mouth. Reinertsen (1992, p. 16-17) postulated that the present cave formed about 2-10 million years ago by groundwater that moved slowly through bedrock under hydrostatic pressure. The groundwater slowly dissolved the limestone and the calcium carbonate from the stone was carried away as a solution to be deposited elsewhere. He also stated that the cave may actually be larger than it currently is, but debris has filled in to its back wall. At one point it also extended further to the south, but the modern Ohio River has eroded a significant portion of it. Finally, Reinertsen, also suggested that Cave-in-Rock is not connected with the “Big Sink”, Illinois’s largest sinkhole, as that feature formed much earlier than the cave and no evidence has been presented that groundwater from the “Big Sink” could be discharged to Cave-in-Rock and then into the river.

Cave-in-Rock (the town), along with the towns of Elizabethtown and Rosiclare southwest of Cave-in-Rock, were focal trade points of the Illinois-Kentucky Fluorspar District, which had small and large mines operating from the 1840s to 1995, when the last mine, the Annabel Lee Mine, shutdown.

Select Mineral List Type

Standard Detailed Gallery Strunz Chemical Elements

Mineral List


33 valid minerals.

Paragenesis


Pargenetic Sequence [MinRec 28:23]
Bitumen
Rhombohedral Calcite
Yellow Fluorite
White Fluorite
Chalcopyrite
Blue Fluorite
Early Purple Fluorite
Quartz
Sphalerite
Galena
Late Purple Fluorite
Scalenohedral Calcite
Baryte
Witherite

Detailed Mineral List:

ⓘ Anglesite
Formula: PbSO4
ⓘ Ankerite
Formula: Ca(Fe2+,Mg)(CO3)2
ⓘ Aragonite
Formula: CaCO3
ⓘ Azurite
Formula: Cu3(CO3)2(OH)2
ⓘ Baryte
Formula: BaSO4
ⓘ Benstonite
Formula: Ba6Ca6Mg(CO3)13
ⓘ Calcite
Formula: CaCO3
ⓘ Celestine
Formula: SrSO4
ⓘ Cerussite
Formula: PbCO3
ⓘ Chalcopyrite
Formula: CuFeS2
ⓘ Cuprite
Formula: Cu2O
ⓘ Dolomite
Formula: CaMg(CO3)2
ⓘ Epsomite
Formula: MgSO4 · 7H2O
ⓘ Fluorite
Formula: CaF2
ⓘ Galena
Formula: PbS
ⓘ Goethite
Formula: Fe3+O(OH)
ⓘ Greenockite
Formula: CdS
ⓘ Gypsum
Formula: CaSO4 · 2H2O
ⓘ Hemimorphite
Formula: Zn4Si2O7(OH)2 · H2O
ⓘ Hydrozincite
Formula: Zn5(CO3)2(OH)6
ⓘ Kaolinite
Formula: Al2(Si2O5)(OH)4
ⓘ 'Limonite'
ⓘ Malachite
Formula: Cu2(CO3)(OH)2
ⓘ Marcasite
Formula: FeS2
ⓘ Native Sulphur
Formula: S8
ⓘ Paralstonite
Formula: BaCa(CO3)2
ⓘ 'Petroleum'
ⓘ 'Petroleum var. Bitumen'
ⓘ Pyrite
Formula: FeS2
ⓘ Pyromorphite
Formula: Pb5(PO4)3Cl
ⓘ Quartz
Formula: SiO2
ⓘ Smithsonite
Formula: ZnCO3
ⓘ Sphalerite
Formula: ZnS
ⓘ Strontianite
Formula: SrCO3
ⓘ Vaesite
Formula: NiS2
ⓘ 'Wad'
ⓘ Witherite
Formula: BaCO3

Gallery:

List of minerals arranged by Strunz 10th Edition classification

Group 1 - Elements
ⓘNative Sulphur1.CC.05S8
Group 2 - Sulphides and Sulfosalts
ⓘSphalerite2.CB.05aZnS
ⓘChalcopyrite2.CB.10aCuFeS2
ⓘGreenockite2.CB.45CdS
ⓘGalena2.CD.10PbS
ⓘPyrite2.EB.05aFeS2
ⓘVaesite2.EB.05aNiS2
ⓘMarcasite2.EB.10aFeS2
Group 3 - Halides
ⓘFluorite3.AB.25CaF2
Group 4 - Oxides and Hydroxides
ⓘGoethite4.00.Fe3+O(OH)
ⓘCuprite4.AA.10Cu2O
ⓘQuartz4.DA.05SiO2
Group 5 - Nitrates and Carbonates
ⓘCalcite5.AB.05CaCO3
ⓘSmithsonite5.AB.05ZnCO3
ⓘAnkerite5.AB.10Ca(Fe2+,Mg)(CO3)2
ⓘDolomite5.AB.10CaMg(CO3)2
ⓘAragonite5.AB.15CaCO3
ⓘCerussite5.AB.15PbCO3
ⓘStrontianite5.AB.15SrCO3
ⓘWitherite5.AB.15BaCO3
ⓘParalstonite5.AB.40BaCa(CO3)2
ⓘBenstonite5.AB.55Ba6Ca6Mg(CO3)13
ⓘAzurite5.BA.05Cu3(CO3)2(OH)2
ⓘMalachite5.BA.10Cu2(CO3)(OH)2
ⓘHydrozincite5.BA.15Zn5(CO3)2(OH)6
Group 7 - Sulphates, Chromates, Molybdates and Tungstates
ⓘAnglesite7.AD.35PbSO4
ⓘBaryte7.AD.35BaSO4
ⓘCelestine7.AD.35SrSO4
ⓘEpsomite7.CB.40MgSO4 · 7H2O
ⓘGypsum7.CD.40CaSO4 · 2H2O
Group 8 - Phosphates, Arsenates and Vanadates
ⓘPyromorphite8.BN.05Pb5(PO4)3Cl
Group 9 - Silicates
ⓘHemimorphite9.BD.10Zn4Si2O7(OH)2 · H2O
ⓘKaolinite9.ED.05Al2(Si2O5)(OH)4
Unclassified
ⓘ'Limonite'-
ⓘ'Wad'-
ⓘ'Petroleum
var. Bitumen'
-
ⓘ''-

List of minerals for each chemical element

HHydrogen
Hⓘ AzuriteCu3(CO3)2(OH)2
Hⓘ EpsomiteMgSO4 · 7H2O
Hⓘ GoethiteFe3+O(OH)
Hⓘ GypsumCaSO4 · 2H2O
Hⓘ HemimorphiteZn4Si2O7(OH)2 · H2O
Hⓘ HydrozinciteZn5(CO3)2(OH)6
Hⓘ KaoliniteAl2(Si2O5)(OH)4
Hⓘ MalachiteCu2(CO3)(OH)2
CCarbon
Cⓘ AnkeriteCa(Fe2+,Mg)(CO3)2
Cⓘ AragoniteCaCO3
Cⓘ AzuriteCu3(CO3)2(OH)2
Cⓘ BenstoniteBa6Ca6Mg(CO3)13
Cⓘ CalciteCaCO3
Cⓘ CerussitePbCO3
Cⓘ DolomiteCaMg(CO3)2
Cⓘ HydrozinciteZn5(CO3)2(OH)6
Cⓘ MalachiteCu2(CO3)(OH)2
Cⓘ ParalstoniteBaCa(CO3)2
Cⓘ SmithsoniteZnCO3
Cⓘ StrontianiteSrCO3
Cⓘ WitheriteBaCO3
OOxygen
Oⓘ AnglesitePbSO4
Oⓘ AnkeriteCa(Fe2+,Mg)(CO3)2
Oⓘ AragoniteCaCO3
Oⓘ AzuriteCu3(CO3)2(OH)2
Oⓘ BaryteBaSO4
Oⓘ BenstoniteBa6Ca6Mg(CO3)13
Oⓘ CalciteCaCO3
Oⓘ CelestineSrSO4
Oⓘ CerussitePbCO3
Oⓘ CupriteCu2O
Oⓘ DolomiteCaMg(CO3)2
Oⓘ EpsomiteMgSO4 · 7H2O
Oⓘ GoethiteFe3+O(OH)
Oⓘ GypsumCaSO4 · 2H2O
Oⓘ HemimorphiteZn4Si2O7(OH)2 · H2O
Oⓘ HydrozinciteZn5(CO3)2(OH)6
Oⓘ KaoliniteAl2(Si2O5)(OH)4
Oⓘ MalachiteCu2(CO3)(OH)2
Oⓘ ParalstoniteBaCa(CO3)2
Oⓘ PyromorphitePb5(PO4)3Cl
Oⓘ QuartzSiO2
Oⓘ SmithsoniteZnCO3
Oⓘ StrontianiteSrCO3
Oⓘ WitheriteBaCO3
FFluorine
Fⓘ FluoriteCaF2
MgMagnesium
Mgⓘ AnkeriteCa(Fe2+,Mg)(CO3)2
Mgⓘ BenstoniteBa6Ca6Mg(CO3)13
Mgⓘ DolomiteCaMg(CO3)2
Mgⓘ EpsomiteMgSO4 · 7H2O
AlAluminium
Alⓘ KaoliniteAl2(Si2O5)(OH)4
SiSilicon
Siⓘ HemimorphiteZn4Si2O7(OH)2 · H2O
Siⓘ KaoliniteAl2(Si2O5)(OH)4
Siⓘ QuartzSiO2
PPhosphorus
Pⓘ PyromorphitePb5(PO4)3Cl
SSulfur
Sⓘ AnglesitePbSO4
Sⓘ BaryteBaSO4
Sⓘ CelestineSrSO4
Sⓘ ChalcopyriteCuFeS2
Sⓘ EpsomiteMgSO4 · 7H2O
Sⓘ GalenaPbS
Sⓘ GreenockiteCdS
Sⓘ GypsumCaSO4 · 2H2O
Sⓘ MarcasiteFeS2
Sⓘ PyriteFeS2
Sⓘ SphaleriteZnS
Sⓘ Native SulphurS8
Sⓘ VaesiteNiS2
ClChlorine
Clⓘ PyromorphitePb5(PO4)3Cl
CaCalcium
Caⓘ AnkeriteCa(Fe2+,Mg)(CO3)2
Caⓘ AragoniteCaCO3
Caⓘ BenstoniteBa6Ca6Mg(CO3)13
Caⓘ CalciteCaCO3
Caⓘ DolomiteCaMg(CO3)2
Caⓘ FluoriteCaF2
Caⓘ GypsumCaSO4 · 2H2O
Caⓘ ParalstoniteBaCa(CO3)2
FeIron
Feⓘ AnkeriteCa(Fe2+,Mg)(CO3)2
Feⓘ ChalcopyriteCuFeS2
Feⓘ GoethiteFe3+O(OH)
Feⓘ MarcasiteFeS2
Feⓘ PyriteFeS2
NiNickel
Niⓘ VaesiteNiS2
CuCopper
Cuⓘ AzuriteCu3(CO3)2(OH)2
Cuⓘ ChalcopyriteCuFeS2
Cuⓘ CupriteCu2O
Cuⓘ MalachiteCu2(CO3)(OH)2
ZnZinc
Znⓘ HemimorphiteZn4Si2O7(OH)2 · H2O
Znⓘ HydrozinciteZn5(CO3)2(OH)6
Znⓘ SmithsoniteZnCO3
Znⓘ SphaleriteZnS
SrStrontium
Srⓘ CelestineSrSO4
Srⓘ StrontianiteSrCO3
CdCadmium
Cdⓘ GreenockiteCdS
BaBarium
Baⓘ BaryteBaSO4
Baⓘ BenstoniteBa6Ca6Mg(CO3)13
Baⓘ ParalstoniteBaCa(CO3)2
Baⓘ WitheriteBaCO3
PbLead
Pbⓘ AnglesitePbSO4
Pbⓘ CerussitePbCO3
Pbⓘ GalenaPbS
Pbⓘ PyromorphitePb5(PO4)3Cl

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

North AmericaContinent
North America PlateTectonic Plate
USA

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