Traditionally our Chapter organizes autumn field trips to abroad. This time it was to neogene volcanic field in Central Slovakia, in area of Banská Štiavnica and Banská Bystrica. Field trip took place from 7th to 10th October 2016.
pseudomalachite
First day we visited quarry near Lehotka pod Brehmi. We have seen here a lot of perlite and some obsidian peaces, volcanic glass of neogene age.
Other day we focused on tertiary Fe, Cu mineralization in meta-greywackes and meta-sandstones of permian age in Ľubietová – Podlipa area. Here we visited heaps of mines Johan, Reiner and Dolní Ladislav with nice samples of pseudomalachite and libethenite. Then we moved to Špania Dolina, famous by its historical mining of Fe and Cu ores from deposit Piesky which is also formed by permian meta-sediments affected by tertiary volcanic processes with mesozoic carbonate rocks around. We were collecting here some samples of azurite and malachite.
sfalerite in quartz vein
Third day our interest was moved to locality Farbiště near Ponická Lehôtka where we can find triassic carbonates penetrated by triassic andezites and ryolites. From primary tennantite and chalkopyrite grew up big amount of secondary minerals. Next we looked at Banská Belá where we were looking for some nice quartz varieties from mesozoic quartzites.
At the last day of excursion we divided into two groups. First group visited active gold mine Rozália and second group visited the heap of this mine. Deposit is evolved in volcanics of Štiavnica stratovolcano (mainly andesites). Before gold there was mined Cu, Pb and Zn. Gold with base metal mineralization is contained in brecciated and/or banded quartz veins.
23 members of our Chapter participated on this excursion which was led by Chapter president Ondřej Krátký.
For more photos click here.
