Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Scientific, Educational, and Environmental Considerations Regarding Mine Sites and Geoheritage: A Perspective from SE Spain

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Geoheritage Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Should abandoned mine sites be eligible for some official protection under the umbrella of geoconservation? Providing they have enough educational and scientific value, the answer is affirmative, and we suggest that they should be granted protection at the level of geoheritage sites. Some may see mining as an environmental disaster, but others, with a more geologically oriented mind, may perceive mining as a blessing. Mining unveils the geology, thus allowing a more comprehensive vision of geological features such as rock units, faults, minerals, etc. We analyze the advantages and disadvantages of abandoned mines and districts as geologic observational sites, through the analysis of two mining districts from SE Spain: Mazarrón and Cartagena–La Unión. We propose that if an abandoned mine site or district has enough geological value, not only the mining site but also the whole geologic block hosting the ore deposits should also be protected. In this respect, the Sierra de Cartagena, hosting the Cartagena–La Unión district, is a valuable geological asset where an important chapter of the Alpine and late Alpine geologic history of SE Spain is written.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Amils R, González-Torila E, Fernández-Remolara D, Gómez F, Aguilera A, Rodríguez N, Malki M, García-Moyano A, Fairén AG, de la Fuente V, Sanz JL (2007) Extreme environments as Mars terrestrial analogs: the Rio Tinto case. Plan Space Sci 55:370–381

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Arana R (2007) El patrimonio geológico de la Región de Murcia. Available at http://www.acc.org.es/docos/de2007/Lecc%20Ap%20Curso%202007_Arana.pdf

  • Benito R, López-Ruiz J, Hertogen J, Cebriá JM, Doblas M, Oyarzun R, Demaiffe D (1999) Sr and O isotope constraints on the source and crustal contamination in the high-K calc-alkaline and shoshonitic Neogene volcanic rocks of Spain. Lithos 46:773–802

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Camus F (1975) Geology of the El Teniente orebody with emphasis on wall-rock alteration. Econ Geol 70:1341–1372

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Doblas M, Oyarzun R (1989) Neogene extensional collapse in the western Mediterranean (Betic-Rif Alpine orogenic belt): implications for the genesis of the Gibraltar Arc and magmatic activity. Geology 17:430–433

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Donaldson JA (2005) Friends of Canadian Geoheritage. Available at http://http-server.carleton.ca/∼jadonald/friends.html

  • Fundación Cante de las Minas (2010) 50 Festival Internacional del Cante de las Minas. Available at http://www.fundacioncantedelasminas.org/inicio.php

  • García-Cortés A (ed) (2007) Contextos geológicos españoles: Una aproximación al patrimonio geológico de relevancia internacional. Instituto Geológico Minero de España, Madrid

    Google Scholar 

  • García-Cortés A, Rábano I, Locutura J, Bellido F, Fernández-Gianotti J, Martín-Serrano A, Quesada C, Barnolas A, Durán JJ (2001) First Spanish contribution to the geosites project: list of the geological frameworks established by consensus. Episodes 24:79–91

    Google Scholar 

  • García-Ruiz JM, Villasuso R, Ayora C, Canals A, Otálora F (2007) Formation of natural gypsum megacrystals in Naica, Mexico. Geology 35:327–330

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • González-Toril E, Gómez F, Rodríguez N, Fernández-Remolar D, Zuluaga J, Marina I, Amils R (2003) Geomicrobiology of the Tinto River, a model of interest for biohydrometallurgy. Hydrometallurgy 71:301–309

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • López García JA, Lunar R, Oyarzun R (1988) Silver and lead mineralogy in gossan-type deposits of Sierra de Cartagena, southeast Spain. Trans Instn Min Metall (Sect B: Appl Earth Sci) 97:82–88

    Google Scholar 

  • López García JA, Oyarzun R, López Andrés S, García Romero E (2007) El sureste de España: un patrimonio geológico en vías de desaparición. DVD Innovación y Calidad Docente, Editorial Complutese, Madrid

    Google Scholar 

  • López García JA, Oyarzun R, Manteca Martínez JI, García Romero, E, López Andrés S (2010) El distrito minero de La Unión. Plomo, zinc, plata y estaño en la Sierra de Cartagena. Geoguías GEMM, Serie Distritos Mineros 3. Available at http://www.aulados.net/GEMM/Geoguias/Geo_La_Union.pdf

  • López Ruiz J, Rodríguez Badiola E (1980) La región volcánica neógena del sureste de España. Estud Geol 36:5–63

    Google Scholar 

  • Manteca Martínez JI, Ovejero Zapino G (1992) Los yacimientos de Zn, Pb, Ag—Fe del distrito minero de La Unión-Cartagena, Bética oriental. In: García Guinea J, Martínez Frías J (eds) Recursos minerales de España. CSIC Editions, Madrid, pp 1085–1102

    Google Scholar 

  • Manteca Martínez JI, Pérez de Perceval Verde MA, López-Morel MA (2005) La industria minera en Murcia durante la época contemporánea. Available at http://repositorio.bib.upct.es/dspace/bitstream/10317/416/1/imm.pdf

  • Manteca Martínez JI, García García C, Berrocal Caparrós C, Jiménez Medina P, Collado Espejo PE, Recio Sevilla A (2008) Puesta en valor del patrimonio cultural de la Sierra Minera de la Unión: El plan director de la Cuesta de las Lajas y carretera del 33, aspectos geológico-mineros y ambientales. Available at http://www.arqueomurcia.com/archivos/publicaciones/jornadaspatri19/patrimonio_industrial.pdf

  • Martínez Alcalde M (2005) El patrimonio minero de Mazarrón: el catálogo de las Pedreras Viejas. Available at http://www.arqueomurcia.com/apart/publicaciones/jornadasXVI.pdf

  • Martínez Coronado A, Oyarzun R, Esbrí JM, Llanos W, Higueras P (2010) Sampling high to extremely high Hg concentrations at the Cerco de Almadenejos, Almadén mining district (Spain): the old metallurgical precinct (1794 to 1861 AD) and surrounding areas. J Geochem Explor. doi:10.1016/j.gexplo.2010.04.007

    Google Scholar 

  • Nordstrom DK (2009) Acid rock drainage and climate change. J Geochem Explor 100:97–104

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Oen IS, Fernandez JC, Manteca JI (1975) The lead-zinc and associated ores of La Unión, Sierra de Cartagena, Spain. Econ Geol 70:1259–1278

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Oyarzun R, Marquez A, Ortega L, Lunar R, Oyarzún J (1995) A late Miocene metallogenic province in southeast Spain: atypical Andean-type processes on a smaller scale. Trans Instn Min Metall (Sect B: Appl earth sci) 104:197–202

    Google Scholar 

  • Oyarzun R, Cubas P, Higueras P, Lillo J, Llanos W (2009) Environmental assessment of the arsenic-rich, Rodalquilar gold–(copper–lead–zinc) mining district, SE Spain: data from soils and vegetation. Environ Geol 58:761–777

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Oyarzun R, Lillo J, López García JA, Esbrí JM, Cubas P, Llanos W, Higueras P (2010) The Mazarrón Pb–(Ag)–Zn mining district (SE Spain) as a source of heavy metal contamination in a semiarid realm: geochemical data from mine wastes, soils, and stream sediments. J Geochem Explor. doi:10.1016/j.gexplo.2010.04.009

    Google Scholar 

  • Platt JP, Vissers RLM (1989) Extensional collapse of thickened continental lithosphere: a working hypothesis for the Alboran Sea and Gibraltar Arc. Geology 17:540–543

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Robles-Arenas VM, Rodríguez R, García C, Manteca JI, Candela L (2006) Sulphide-mining impacts in the physical environment: Sierra de Cartagena–La Unión (SE Spain) case study. Environ Geol 51:47–64

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rodríguez P, Hidalgo R (1997) Valoración de los recursos minerales en el núcleo minero de Mazarrón. Available at http://www.dipalme.org/Servicios/Anexos/anexosiea.nsf/VAnexos/IEA-RNMA-c16/$File/RNMA-c16.pdf

  • Russell MJ, Hall AJ (1997) The emergence of life from iron monosulphide bubbles at a submarine hydrothermal redox and pH front. J Geol Soc 154:377–402

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sharples C (2002) Concepts and principles of geoconservation. Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service. Available at http://www.dpiw.tas.gov.au/inter.nsf/Attachments/SJON-57W3YM/$FILE/geoconservation.pdf

  • Valdés J, Pedroso I, Quatrini R, Dodson RJ, Tettelin H, Blake R, Eisen JA, Holmes DS (2008) Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans metabolism: from genome sequence to industrial applications. BMC Genomics 9:597–620

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Viladevall M, Fonta X, Navarro A (1999) Geochemical mercury survey in the Azogue Valley (Betic area, SE Spain). J Geochem Explor 66:27–35

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This study was funded by Vicerrectorado de Desarrollo y Calidad de la Docencia, UCM, Projects 2007/161 and 2009/124; and Plan Nacional en I+D+i del Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, Project CGL2009-13171-C03-01. We thank Juan Manuel García-Ruiz for the photograph of giant gypsum crystals from the Naica mine (Mexico).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Cristalografía y Mineralogía, Facultad de Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Complutense, 28040, Madrid, Spain

    Jose A. López-García, Roberto Oyarzun & Sol López Andrés

  2. Departamento de Ingeniería Minera, Geológica y Cartográfica, Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena, Paseo Alfonso XIII 52, 30203, Cartagena, Spain

    Jose I. Manteca Martínez

Authors
  1. Jose A. López-García
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Roberto Oyarzun
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Sol López Andrés
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Jose I. Manteca Martínez
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jose A. López-García.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

López-García, J.A., Oyarzun, R., López Andrés, S. et al. Scientific, Educational, and Environmental Considerations Regarding Mine Sites and Geoheritage: A Perspective from SE Spain. Geoheritage 3, 267–275 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12371-011-0040-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12371-011-0040-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation