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Les Sausses Mine, Chavaniac-Lafayette, Brioude, Haute-Loire, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Francei
| Regional Level Types | |
|---|---|
| Les Sausses Mine | Mine |
| Chavaniac-Lafayette | Commune |
| Brioude | Arrondissement |
| Haute-Loire | Department |
| Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes | Region |
| France | Country |
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Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):
45° 10' 4'' North , 3° 34' 46'' East
Latitude & Longitude (decimal):
Type:
Köppen climate type:
Nearest Settlements:
| Place | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Chavaniac-Lafayette | 343 (2016) | 1.0km |
| Jax | 141 (2016) | 3.1km |
| Sainte-Eugénie-de-Villeneuve | 112 (2016) | 4.6km |
| Josat | 119 (2016) | 5.5km |
| Chassagnes | 136 (2016) | 6.1km |
Other/historical names associated with this locality:
Auvergne; Rhône-Alpes
Name(s) in local language(s):
Mine des Sausses
A former fluorite mine which operated two large quartz-fluorite veins hosting in biotite-sillimanite paragneisses. The fluorite operation was begun in 1923 by A. Delabre and was revived in 1967 by the Pechiney company. During its last period of activity until 1979, it produced nearly 350,000 tons of fluorite. This mine is located 600 m north of Chavaniac-Lafayette and about 10 km NE of Langeac.
The main mineralization consists of 4 main stages:
Stage 1: grey quartz breccias with pyrite, galena, and pyrrhotite altered to marcasite and encrusted with arsenopyrite. Other quartz breccias, of later formation, mineralized with anatase and silver-bearing minerals inclusions and exsolutions in galena are frequent.
Stage 2: banded deep green/purple fluorite associated with white quartz/chalcedony and adularia
Stage 3: blue/yellow cubic fluorite crystals (in vugs and cracks) often covered by a thin crust of white fluorite as a glaze
Stage 4: white/amber baryte crystals with some sulphides (mainly marcasite/pyrite and galena, sphalerite, etc...)
Today, all adits and shafts are closed and flooded. Only a few dumps remain near the Les Sausses hamlet. Therefore, all good specimens date from the time of operation and are increasingly difficult to find.
Select Mineral List Type
Standard Detailed Gallery Strunz Chemical ElementsDetailed Mineral List:
| ⓘ Acanthite Formula: Ag2S Description: Associated with covellite, inclusions in galena |
| ⓘ Anatase Formula: TiO2 Description: In quartz+galena breccia |
| ⓘ Arsenopyrite Formula: FeAsS Description: Crusts of micrcrystals on pyrite+marcasite in quartz breccia |
| ⓘ Baryte Formula: BaSO4 |
| ⓘ Bournonite Formula: PbCuSbS3 Description: Associated with freibergite and chalcopyrite, inclusions in galena |
| ⓘ Chalcopyrite Formula: CuFeS2 |
| ⓘ Covellite Formula: CuS |
| ⓘ Diaphorite Formula: Ag3Pb2Sb3S8 Description: Exsolutions in galena |
| ⓘ Enargite Formula: Cu3AsS4 |
| ⓘ Fluorite Formula: CaF2 Description: Banded deep green and violet fluorine associated with quartz and adularia
Yellow or pale blue fluorine (with hydrocarbons inclusions) associated with barite |
| ⓘ 'Freibergite Subgroup' Formula: (Ag6,[Ag6]4+)(Cu4 C2+2)Sb4S12S0-1 Description: Inclusions in galena |
| ⓘ Galena Formula: PbS |
| ⓘ Gersdorffite Formula: NiAsS Description: Associated with chalcopyrite |
| ⓘ Jarosite Formula: KFe3+3(SO4)2(OH)6 |
| ⓘ 'K Feldspar' Description: Associated with pink fluorite, chalcopyrite, sphalerite and galena with bournonite+freibergite inclusions |
| ⓘ 'K Feldspar var. Adularia' Formula: KAlSi3O8 Description: Associated with pink fluorite, chalcopyrite, sphalerite and galena with bournonite+freibergite inclusions |
| ⓘ Marcasite Formula: FeS2 |
| ⓘ Muscovite Formula: KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 Description: Muscovite 1M and 2M1 |
| ⓘ Muscovite var. Illite Formula: K0.65Al2.0[Al0.65Si3.35O10](OH)2 Description: Interstratified Illite/Smectite |
| ⓘ Pyrite Formula: FeS2 |
| ⓘ Pyrrhotite Formula: Fe1-xS |
| ⓘ Quartz Formula: SiO2 Description: Hyaline, white or amethyst |
| ⓘ Quartz var. Amethyst Formula: SiO2 |
| ⓘ Rutile Formula: TiO2 Description: Inclusions in pyrite+marcasite |
| ⓘ Sphalerite Formula: ZnS |
| ⓘ Zinkenite Formula: Pb9Sb22S42 |
List of minerals arranged by Strunz 10th Edition classification
| Group 2 - Sulphides and Sulfosalts | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| ⓘ | Acanthite | 2.BA.35 | Ag2S |
| ⓘ | Covellite | 2.CA.05a | CuS |
| ⓘ | Sphalerite | 2.CB.05a | ZnS |
| ⓘ | Chalcopyrite | 2.CB.10a | CuFeS2 |
| ⓘ | Pyrrhotite | 2.CC.10 | Fe1-xS |
| ⓘ | Galena | 2.CD.10 | PbS |
| ⓘ | Pyrite | 2.EB.05a | FeS2 |
| ⓘ | Marcasite | 2.EB.10a | FeS2 |
| ⓘ | Arsenopyrite | 2.EB.20 | FeAsS |
| ⓘ | Gersdorffite | 2.EB.25 | NiAsS |
| ⓘ | Bournonite | 2.GA.50 | PbCuSbS3 |
| ⓘ | 'Freibergite Subgroup' | 2.GB.05 | (Ag6,[Ag6]4+)(Cu4 C2+2)Sb4S12S0-1 |
| ⓘ | Diaphorite | 2.JB.05 | Ag3Pb2Sb3S8 |
| ⓘ | Zinkenite | 2.JB.35a | Pb9Sb22S42 |
| ⓘ | Enargite | 2.KA.05 | Cu3AsS4 |
| Group 3 - Halides | |||
| ⓘ | Fluorite | 3.AB.25 | CaF2 |
| Group 4 - Oxides and Hydroxides | |||
| ⓘ | Quartz var. Amethyst | 4.DA.05 | SiO2 |
| ⓘ | 4.DA.05 | SiO2 | |
| ⓘ | Rutile | 4.DB.05 | TiO2 |
| ⓘ | Anatase | 4.DD.05 | TiO2 |
| Group 7 - Sulphates, Chromates, Molybdates and Tungstates | |||
| ⓘ | Baryte | 7.AD.35 | BaSO4 |
| ⓘ | Jarosite | 7.BC.10 | KFe3+3(SO4)2(OH)6 |
| Group 9 - Silicates | |||
| ⓘ | Muscovite var. Illite | 9.EC.15 | K0.65Al2.0[Al0.65Si3.35O10](OH)2 |
| ⓘ | 9.EC.15 | KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 | |
| Unclassified | |||
| ⓘ | 'K Feldspar var. Adularia' | - | KAlSi3O8 |
| ⓘ | '' | - | |
List of minerals for each chemical element
| H | Hydrogen | |
|---|---|---|
| H | ⓘ Muscovite var. Illite | K0.65Al2.0[Al0.65Si3.35O10](OH)2 |
| H | ⓘ Jarosite | KFe33+(SO4)2(OH)6 |
| H | ⓘ Muscovite | KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
| O | Oxygen | |
| O | ⓘ K Feldspar var. Adularia | KAlSi3O8 |
| O | ⓘ Quartz var. Amethyst | SiO2 |
| O | ⓘ Anatase | TiO2 |
| O | ⓘ Baryte | BaSO4 |
| O | ⓘ Muscovite var. Illite | K0.65Al2.0[Al0.65Si3.35O10](OH)2 |
| O | ⓘ Jarosite | KFe33+(SO4)2(OH)6 |
| O | ⓘ Muscovite | KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
| O | ⓘ Quartz | SiO2 |
| O | ⓘ Rutile | TiO2 |
| F | Fluorine | |
| F | ⓘ Fluorite | CaF2 |
| Al | Aluminium | |
| Al | ⓘ K Feldspar var. Adularia | KAlSi3O8 |
| Al | ⓘ Muscovite var. Illite | K0.65Al2.0[Al0.65Si3.35O10](OH)2 |
| Al | ⓘ Muscovite | KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
| Si | Silicon | |
| Si | ⓘ K Feldspar var. Adularia | KAlSi3O8 |
| Si | ⓘ Quartz var. Amethyst | SiO2 |
| Si | ⓘ Muscovite var. Illite | K0.65Al2.0[Al0.65Si3.35O10](OH)2 |
| Si | ⓘ Muscovite | KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
| Si | ⓘ Quartz | SiO2 |
| S | Sulfur | |
| S | ⓘ Acanthite | Ag2S |
| S | ⓘ Arsenopyrite | FeAsS |
| S | ⓘ Baryte | BaSO4 |
| S | ⓘ Bournonite | PbCuSbS3 |
| S | ⓘ Chalcopyrite | CuFeS2 |
| S | ⓘ Covellite | CuS |
| S | ⓘ Diaphorite | Ag3Pb2Sb3S8 |
| S | ⓘ Enargite | Cu3AsS4 |
| S | ⓘ Freibergite Subgroup | (Ag6,[Ag6]4+)(Cu4 C22+)Sb4S12S0-1 |
| S | ⓘ Galena | PbS |
| S | ⓘ Gersdorffite | NiAsS |
| S | ⓘ Jarosite | KFe33+(SO4)2(OH)6 |
| S | ⓘ Marcasite | FeS2 |
| S | ⓘ Pyrite | FeS2 |
| S | ⓘ Pyrrhotite | Fe1-xS |
| S | ⓘ Sphalerite | ZnS |
| S | ⓘ Zinkenite | Pb9Sb22S42 |
| K | Potassium | |
| K | ⓘ K Feldspar var. Adularia | KAlSi3O8 |
| K | ⓘ Muscovite var. Illite | K0.65Al2.0[Al0.65Si3.35O10](OH)2 |
| K | ⓘ Jarosite | KFe33+(SO4)2(OH)6 |
| K | ⓘ Muscovite | KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
| Ca | Calcium | |
| Ca | ⓘ Fluorite | CaF2 |
| Ti | Titanium | |
| Ti | ⓘ Anatase | TiO2 |
| Ti | ⓘ Rutile | TiO2 |
| Fe | Iron | |
| Fe | ⓘ Arsenopyrite | FeAsS |
| Fe | ⓘ Chalcopyrite | CuFeS2 |
| Fe | ⓘ Jarosite | KFe33+(SO4)2(OH)6 |
| Fe | ⓘ Marcasite | FeS2 |
| Fe | ⓘ Pyrite | FeS2 |
| Fe | ⓘ Pyrrhotite | Fe1-xS |
| Ni | Nickel | |
| Ni | ⓘ Gersdorffite | NiAsS |
| Cu | Copper | |
| Cu | ⓘ Bournonite | PbCuSbS3 |
| Cu | ⓘ Chalcopyrite | CuFeS2 |
| Cu | ⓘ Covellite | CuS |
| Cu | ⓘ Enargite | Cu3AsS4 |
| Cu | ⓘ Freibergite Subgroup | (Ag6,[Ag6]4+)(Cu4 C22+)Sb4S12S0-1 |
| Zn | Zinc | |
| Zn | ⓘ Sphalerite | ZnS |
| As | Arsenic | |
| As | ⓘ Arsenopyrite | FeAsS |
| As | ⓘ Enargite | Cu3AsS4 |
| As | ⓘ Gersdorffite | NiAsS |
| Ag | Silver | |
| Ag | ⓘ Acanthite | Ag2S |
| Ag | ⓘ Diaphorite | Ag3Pb2Sb3S8 |
| Ag | ⓘ Freibergite Subgroup | (Ag6,[Ag6]4+)(Cu4 C22+)Sb4S12S0-1 |
| Sb | Antimony | |
| Sb | ⓘ Bournonite | PbCuSbS3 |
| Sb | ⓘ Diaphorite | Ag3Pb2Sb3S8 |
| Sb | ⓘ Freibergite Subgroup | (Ag6,[Ag6]4+)(Cu4 C22+)Sb4S12S0-1 |
| Sb | ⓘ Zinkenite | Pb9Sb22S42 |
| Ba | Barium | |
| Ba | ⓘ Baryte | BaSO4 |
| Pb | Lead | |
| Pb | ⓘ Bournonite | PbCuSbS3 |
| Pb | ⓘ Diaphorite | Ag3Pb2Sb3S8 |
| Pb | ⓘ Galena | PbS |
| Pb | ⓘ Zinkenite | Pb9Sb22S42 |
Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality
Eurasian PlateTectonic Plate
- Moldanubian BeltOrogenic Belt
EuropeContinent
France
- ⭔AuvergneRegion
- Massif CentralHighland Region
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Les Sausses Mine, Chavaniac-Lafayette, Brioude, Haute-Loire, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France