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Morasco area, Formazza, Verbano-Cusio-Ossola Province, Piedmont, Italyi
Regional Level Types
Morasco areaArea
FormazzaCommune
Verbano-Cusio-Ossola ProvinceProvince
PiedmontRegion
ItalyCountry

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Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):
46° 25' 9'' North , 8° 23' 41'' East
Latitude & Longitude (decimal):
Area:
1.0 km2
Type:
Köppen climate type:
Mindat Locality ID:
56423
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:2:56423:7
GUID (UUID V4):
0
Name(s) in local language(s):
Area di Morasco, Formazza (Pomatt), Val Formazza (Pomattertal), Val d'Ossola, Provincia del Verbano-Cusio-Ossola, Piemonte, Italia


Morasco (Moraschg; Morast) was a summer village, located in Valle di Morasco near the confluence of Rio Nefelgiù with Rio del Gries, submerged during the construction of the homonymous artificial lake (period 1940-1954). The dam (coordinates 46°25'40" N, 8°23'46" E) of the Morasco hydroelectric reservoir is 525 m long and 55 m high.

The area surronding the Morasco artificial lake is characterised by calcschists of the Lebendun Mesozoic series with embedded layers of mica schishts, quartzite, and carbonate rocks (dolomitic marble, etc.). Typical minerals of these rocks are quartz, muscovite, carbonates (calcite, siderite, ankerite), albite, adularia, rutile (as large crystals or as acicular crystal aggregates forming mesh-like networks [var. sagenite]), dravite, pyrite and other sulfides. Other minerals, such as chlorite, aragonite, talc, graphite, kyanite, garnet, etc., are sometimes found.
Weathered calcschists are brittle and shows a brown-red colour; iron-bearing minerals (pyrite, siderite, ankerite, and ferriferous calcite) alter progressively into limonite and complete pseudomorphs and skeletal relics can be found. Muscovite sometimes alters into illite, that may appear as radiating platy spherules on muscovite crystals.

Double-terminated flattened crystals of quartz have been found in calcschit fissures to the southeast of the lake, towards the valley ascending to Corno di Ban. Kyanite is typically found in the area of Alpe Bettelmatt (Bättelmatt), to the northwest of the lake.

Fresh rocks were encountered during excavation works for the hydropower project and the Gries Pass tunnel to connetcs the Swiss Transitgas pipeline to the Italian gas network. In particular, the tunnel excavated in 1974 for the natural gas pipeline evidenced good crystals of marcasite, calcite, and ankerite in calcschists; sphalerite, stibnite, tennantite, molybdenite-3R, and talc in dolomitic marble (Graeser & Stalder, 1974; Roggiani, 1975; Mattioli, 1979).

Being a collecting area the reported coordinates are to be intended as a sort of "starting point".

Select Mineral List Type

Standard Detailed Gallery Strunz Chemical Elements

Mineral List


21 valid minerals.

Detailed Mineral List:

ⓘ Albite
Formula: Na(AlSi3O8)
ⓘ Ankerite
Formula: Ca(Fe2+,Mg)(CO3)2
ⓘ Aragonite
Formula: CaCO3
ⓘ Bornite
Formula: Cu5FeS4
ⓘ Calcite
Formula: CaCO3
ⓘ 'Chlorite Group'
ⓘ Chrysocolla
Formula: Cu2-xAlx(H2-xSi2O5)(OH)4 · nH2O, x < 1
ⓘ Dickite
Formula: Al2(Si2O5)(OH)4
ⓘ Dravite
Formula: NaMg3Al6(Si6O18)(BO3)3(OH)3(OH)
ⓘ 'Garnet Group'
Formula: X3Z2(SiO4)3
ⓘ Graphite
Formula: C
ⓘ 'K Feldspar'
ⓘ 'K Feldspar var. Adularia'
Formula: KAlSi3O8
ⓘ Kyanite
Formula: Al2(SiO4)O
ⓘ 'Limonite'
ⓘ Marcasite
Formula: FeS2
ⓘ 'Molybdenite-3R'
Formula: MoS2
ⓘ Muscovite
Formula: KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
ⓘ Muscovite var. Illite
Formula: K0.65Al2.0[Al0.65Si3.35O10](OH)2
ⓘ Pyrite
Formula: FeS2
ⓘ Quartz
Formula: SiO2
ⓘ Rutile
Formula: TiO2
ⓘ Rutile var. Sagenite (of Saussure)
Formula: TiO2
ⓘ Siderite
Formula: FeCO3
ⓘ Smythite
Formula: (Fe,Ni)3+xS4 (x=0-0.3)
Description: As bronze hexagonal plates included in calcite crystals and, rarely, in muscovite
ⓘ Sphalerite
Formula: ZnS
ⓘ Staurolite
Formula: Fe2+2Al9Si4O23(OH)
ⓘ Stibnite
Formula: Sb2S3
ⓘ Talc
Formula: Mg3Si4O10(OH)2
ⓘ 'Tennantite Subgroup'
Formula: Cu6(Cu4C2+2)As4S12S

List of minerals arranged by Strunz 10th Edition classification

Group 1 - Elements
ⓘGraphite1.CB.05aC
Group 2 - Sulphides and Sulfosalts
ⓘBornite2.BA.15Cu5FeS4
ⓘSphalerite2.CB.05aZnS
ⓘSmythite2.CC.10(Fe,Ni)3+xS4 (x=0-0.3)
ⓘStibnite2.DB.05Sb2S3
ⓘPyrite2.EB.05aFeS2
ⓘMarcasite2.EB.10aFeS2
ⓘ'Tennantite Subgroup'2.GB.05Cu6(Cu4C2+2)As4S12S
Group 4 - Oxides and Hydroxides
ⓘQuartz4.DA.05SiO2
ⓘRutile4.DB.05TiO2
ⓘvar. Sagenite (of Saussure)4.DB.05TiO2
Group 5 - Nitrates and Carbonates
ⓘCalcite5.AB.05CaCO3
ⓘSiderite5.AB.05FeCO3
ⓘAnkerite5.AB.10Ca(Fe2+,Mg)(CO3)2
ⓘAragonite5.AB.15CaCO3
Group 9 - Silicates
ⓘKyanite9.AF.15Al2(SiO4)O
ⓘStaurolite9.AF.30Fe2+2Al9Si4O23(OH)
ⓘDravite9.CK.05NaMg3Al6(Si6O18)(BO3)3(OH)3(OH)
ⓘTalc9.EC.05Mg3Si4O10(OH)2
ⓘMuscovite
var. Illite
9.EC.15K0.65Al2.0[Al0.65Si3.35O10](OH)2
ⓘ9.EC.15KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
ⓘDickite9.ED.05Al2(Si2O5)(OH)4
ⓘChrysocolla9.ED.20Cu2-xAlx(H2-xSi2O5)(OH)4 · nH2O, x < 1
ⓘAlbite9.FA.35Na(AlSi3O8)
Unclassified
ⓘ'K Feldspar
var. Adularia'
-KAlSi3O8
ⓘ'Chlorite Group'-
ⓘ'Limonite'-
ⓘ'Molybdenite-3R'-MoS2
ⓘ'K Feldspar'-
ⓘ'Garnet Group'-X3Z2(SiO4)3

List of minerals for each chemical element

HHydrogen
Hⓘ ChrysocollaCu2-xAlx(H2-xSi2O5)(OH)4 · nH2O, x < 1
Hⓘ DickiteAl2(Si2O5)(OH)4
Hⓘ DraviteNaMg3Al6(Si6O18)(BO3)3(OH)3(OH)
Hⓘ Muscovite var. IlliteK0.65Al2.0[Al0.65Si3.35O10](OH)2
Hⓘ MuscoviteKAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
Hⓘ StauroliteFe22+Al9Si4O23(OH)
Hⓘ TalcMg3Si4O10(OH)2
BBoron
Bⓘ DraviteNaMg3Al6(Si6O18)(BO3)3(OH)3(OH)
CCarbon
Cⓘ AnkeriteCa(Fe2+,Mg)(CO3)2
Cⓘ AragoniteCaCO3
Cⓘ CalciteCaCO3
Cⓘ GraphiteC
Cⓘ SideriteFeCO3
OOxygen
Oⓘ K Feldspar var. AdulariaKAlSi3O8
Oⓘ AlbiteNa(AlSi3O8)
Oⓘ AnkeriteCa(Fe2+,Mg)(CO3)2
Oⓘ AragoniteCaCO3
Oⓘ CalciteCaCO3
Oⓘ ChrysocollaCu2-xAlx(H2-xSi2O5)(OH)4 · nH2O, x < 1
Oⓘ DickiteAl2(Si2O5)(OH)4
Oⓘ DraviteNaMg3Al6(Si6O18)(BO3)3(OH)3(OH)
Oⓘ Muscovite var. IlliteK0.65Al2.0[Al0.65Si3.35O10](OH)2
Oⓘ KyaniteAl2(SiO4)O
Oⓘ MuscoviteKAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
Oⓘ QuartzSiO2
Oⓘ RutileTiO2
Oⓘ SideriteFeCO3
Oⓘ StauroliteFe22+Al9Si4O23(OH)
Oⓘ TalcMg3Si4O10(OH)2
Oⓘ Garnet GroupX3Z2(SiO4)3
Oⓘ Rutile var. Sagenite (of Saussure)TiO2
NaSodium
Naⓘ AlbiteNa(AlSi3O8)
Naⓘ DraviteNaMg3Al6(Si6O18)(BO3)3(OH)3(OH)
MgMagnesium
Mgⓘ AnkeriteCa(Fe2+,Mg)(CO3)2
Mgⓘ DraviteNaMg3Al6(Si6O18)(BO3)3(OH)3(OH)
Mgⓘ TalcMg3Si4O10(OH)2
AlAluminium
Alⓘ K Feldspar var. AdulariaKAlSi3O8
Alⓘ AlbiteNa(AlSi3O8)
Alⓘ ChrysocollaCu2-xAlx(H2-xSi2O5)(OH)4 · nH2O, x < 1
Alⓘ DickiteAl2(Si2O5)(OH)4
Alⓘ DraviteNaMg3Al6(Si6O18)(BO3)3(OH)3(OH)
Alⓘ Muscovite var. IlliteK0.65Al2.0[Al0.65Si3.35O10](OH)2
Alⓘ KyaniteAl2(SiO4)O
Alⓘ MuscoviteKAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
Alⓘ StauroliteFe22+Al9Si4O23(OH)
SiSilicon
Siⓘ K Feldspar var. AdulariaKAlSi3O8
Siⓘ AlbiteNa(AlSi3O8)
Siⓘ ChrysocollaCu2-xAlx(H2-xSi2O5)(OH)4 · nH2O, x < 1
Siⓘ DickiteAl2(Si2O5)(OH)4
Siⓘ DraviteNaMg3Al6(Si6O18)(BO3)3(OH)3(OH)
Siⓘ Muscovite var. IlliteK0.65Al2.0[Al0.65Si3.35O10](OH)2
Siⓘ KyaniteAl2(SiO4)O
Siⓘ MuscoviteKAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
Siⓘ QuartzSiO2
Siⓘ StauroliteFe22+Al9Si4O23(OH)
Siⓘ TalcMg3Si4O10(OH)2
Siⓘ Garnet GroupX3Z2(SiO4)3
SSulfur
Sⓘ BorniteCu5FeS4
Sⓘ MarcasiteFeS2
Sⓘ Molybdenite-3RMoS2
Sⓘ PyriteFeS2
Sⓘ Smythite(Fe,Ni)3+xS4 (x=0-0.3)
Sⓘ SphaleriteZnS
Sⓘ StibniteSb2S3
Sⓘ Tennantite SubgroupCu6(Cu4C22+)As4S12S
KPotassium
Kⓘ K Feldspar var. AdulariaKAlSi3O8
Kⓘ Muscovite var. IlliteK0.65Al2.0[Al0.65Si3.35O10](OH)2
Kⓘ MuscoviteKAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
CaCalcium
Caⓘ AnkeriteCa(Fe2+,Mg)(CO3)2
Caⓘ AragoniteCaCO3
Caⓘ CalciteCaCO3
TiTitanium
Tiⓘ RutileTiO2
Tiⓘ Rutile var. Sagenite (of Saussure)TiO2
FeIron
Feⓘ AnkeriteCa(Fe2+,Mg)(CO3)2
Feⓘ BorniteCu5FeS4
Feⓘ MarcasiteFeS2
Feⓘ PyriteFeS2
Feⓘ SideriteFeCO3
Feⓘ Smythite(Fe,Ni)3+xS4 (x=0-0.3)
Feⓘ StauroliteFe22+Al9Si4O23(OH)
NiNickel
Niⓘ Smythite(Fe,Ni)3+xS4 (x=0-0.3)
CuCopper
Cuⓘ BorniteCu5FeS4
Cuⓘ ChrysocollaCu2-xAlx(H2-xSi2O5)(OH)4 · nH2O, x < 1
Cuⓘ Tennantite SubgroupCu6(Cu4C22+)As4S12S
ZnZinc
Znⓘ SphaleriteZnS
AsArsenic
Asⓘ Tennantite SubgroupCu6(Cu4C22+)As4S12S
MoMolybdenum
Moⓘ Molybdenite-3RMoS2
SbAntimony
Sbⓘ StibniteSb2S3

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

Eurasian PlateTectonic Plate
  • AlpsAccretionary Complex
EuropeContinent
Italy

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