Why you should take
this class if you are interested in Geology?
You will go
underground several times, with a first-row look at skarn deposits, ore veins,
and other features embedded in the grey and red gneisses of the
NE and SW Views from Bärenstein (a basaltic hardling), note the reservoir in the foreground. Leiternfahrt (not used by you)
Drift (Gößner Stolln Annaberg), elevator (Reiche Zeche Freiberg), and protective clothing (Molchner Stolln)
We will
explore and try to understand the history of these old mountains which were
folded up during the variszian orogenesis, and were formed in their current
state during the process of the alpine orogenesis. They are part of the
peripheral breaking area, and are comprised of a plate which was lifted
unevenly, yielding a slow rise from the northeast, and a sudden sharp drop at
the rift into
Of course, miners do need to know where to look for ore, and we will read about ancient ideas on how to find promising ore veins – some of them actually based on physical principles, such as the use of “Witterung”. That refers to the observation of the thermals above a hill side.
Minerals and
geological maps in the collection of
Naturally, we will see minerals, including spectacular specimens of amethyst, calcite, fluorite and barite. The collection of the Bergakademie Freiberg is one of the largest of the world. It is in the process of moving into Schloss Freudenstein, a palace, in which we will be able to visit it.
Let us also
mention at this point that the Erzgebirge delivered 280.000 tons of uranium
metal to the
Fluorescent minerals and glasses; radiation measurement on a piece of uranium pitchblende (These are Herr Kempe –a collector from the Wismut AG, and Dr Manfred Schauer – geologist with the Wismut AG, professor emeritus from Freiberg, and very helpful with the geological aspect of this course)