Michigan is home to one of the world's largest copper mines.
The state of Michigan is a wonderland for geology enthusiasts because of the wide variety of mineral deposits and rock formations located in the area. Michigan is known as one of the largest producers of rock salt in the United States, and the state is also home to one of the world's largest copper mines. Areas suitable for field trips and explorations focused on geology in Michigan can be found across the region.
Keweenaw Peninsula
Located in the upper area of Michigan, the Keweenaw peninsula is surrounded by Lake Superior. This region is toured often by geologists and mineral enthusiasts because it contains one of the world's largest copper mines. With some deposits dating from the Precambrian and Pleistocene eras, rocks have been found at the Keweenaw peninsula with ages in excess of one billion years. In addition to copper specimens, other mineral discoveries at the site include copper arsenides, calcite crystals, chalcocite, silver crystals and datolite. Chlorastrolite, the state gemstone of Michigan, is found here occasionally as well. Mining at the Keweenaw peninsula is currently restricted to the Caledonia copper mine. However, other mines in the region offer walking tours that relate the history of the mine along with geological information.
Isle Royale National Park
Isle Royale National Park is located in the far northern region of Michigan in the city of East Harbor. Surrounded by Lake Superior, this park is the site of two bedrock formations, the Portage Lake Lava series and the Copper Harbor Conglomerates. Approximately 85 percent of the island is covered by Portage lava rocks, while copper deposits cover the remaining land. The bedrock formations were created as a result of a natural rock folding process, which also formed the Lake Superior basin. The deposits are thin, ranging from inches to about four feet in depth. In addition to these rock formations, the Greenstone Ridge is located in Isle Royale and is believed to be a part of the largest lava flow on earth. Easy accessibility makes Isle Royale National Park a popular field trip for those interested in the geology of Michigan.
Middle Devonian Transverse Group
Positioned in Charlevoix and Emmet counties, the Middle Devonian Transverse Group is a geological formation in the northern area of Michigan's Southern Peninsula. This group consists of five different formations sites: Gravel Point, the Petoskey Formation, Jordan River, the Charlevoix Limestone formation and Whiskey Creek. These formations contain shale beds and carbonates that have been mined since the late 1800s. Some of the quarries are still active, but many, such as the Northern Lime Company Quarry, are now abandoned. Exploring the Middle Devonian Transverse Group delights those interested in geology because of the wide variety of deposits and rocks that exist in the area.
Tags: Isle Royale, area Michigan, copper mines, Devonian Transverse, Devonian Transverse Group, Isle Royale National
