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Post by jonsdigs on Aug 8, 2007 18:13:52 GMT -5
I just took a job as a mine geologist at Gordonsville, Tennessee. Anybody out there live nearby? At 40 miles away I'd imagine the Nashville Grotto would be the closest. I'll be working in mineralized paleokarst about 1200' deep.
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Brian Roebuck
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Post by Brian Roebuck on Aug 8, 2007 18:27:38 GMT -5
Well that's pretty cool Jon! Lynn is looking up where Gordonsville is but it looks to be in prime cave country near the Cumberland Plateau. There is at least one grotto nearer to where you'll be than Nashville I think (Lynn will post on that soon). We've been caving in that area several times and it's a good spot to be as is most of central Tennessee.
Reckon we'll be "neighbors" more or less since you'll only be about an hour and a half away from our house! Welcome to Tennessee and all 9000 + caves!
Woo Hoo! ;D
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L Roebuck
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Post by L Roebuck on Aug 8, 2007 18:46:48 GMT -5
Congrats on your new job Jon ! So when will you officially be a Tennessean? Tennessee will soon be know as " The land of 10,000 Caves!" Of course you know we measure distance in country miles. So ' as the crow flys ' you are going to be in our neighborhood OR at least you can be in an hour or so. I had to look at a map to see where Gordonsville TN is located. Nashville Grotto is close but Spencer Mountain Grotto is about 40 miles too. Upper Cumberland Grotto may actually be the closest grotto to you at 30 miles. So you can take the pick of the litter or maybe take turns and visit all the grotto's. Also you might like to know the Fall TCS Meetings are held in Cookeville, TN. Give us a call when you get here!
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Post by Sharon Faulkner on Aug 8, 2007 23:45:13 GMT -5
Hey Jon, this is great news, you'll be able to attend the 2007 TAG Fall Cave-In, or as it is also known, TAG on the Mountain (TOTM), this October. Whoo-hoo! There you will be able to meet literally hundreds of TAG cavers if you are of a mind to, or.... you could just go caving. Congratulations on the new job!
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Post by madratdan on Aug 13, 2007 8:37:53 GMT -5
Congrats on your new job, Jon! Rather fitting you are moving to a place called Gordonsville......since your son is named............Gordon.
The canyon will miss you.
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Post by jonsdigs on Aug 14, 2007 20:08:04 GMT -5
I'm here in G-ville! Does anybody know of a house for rent around here? (Smith County)
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L Roebuck
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Post by L Roebuck on Aug 14, 2007 21:15:48 GMT -5
I'm here in G-ville! Does anybody know of a house for rent around here? (Smith County) Welcome! I can ask about rentals on the Spencer Mountain Grotto list if you would like?
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Brian Roebuck
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Post by Brian Roebuck on Aug 14, 2007 21:27:25 GMT -5
I'm here in G-ville! Does anybody know of a house for rent around here? (Smith County) Welcome to Tennessee. I hope you find a place to rent soon and can get out caving with some of us!
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Post by Sharon Faulkner on Aug 15, 2007 0:53:47 GMT -5
Wow, when you saying I'm moving, you really mean you're moving right then don't you Jon? ;D ;D
I'll post about rentals on the Huntsville Grotto group too. We have some members that live in Tennessee that might have a lead on something.
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Post by jonsdigs on Aug 23, 2007 5:37:11 GMT -5
I found this great house with lots of room in a delightful country setting. It is just over the hill from the mine in the Gordonsville city limits. Here's where I work.
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Brian Roebuck
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Post by Brian Roebuck on Aug 23, 2007 6:06:22 GMT -5
That's really great Jon! Congrats on the find. I like your photos as well. Since you'll be so close you ought to come meet fellow Tennessee cavers at the TCS meeting coming up in Cookeville next month. You'll fit right in. If you are interested in caving this weekend on Sunday PM me. We're headed for one of our favorite horizontal caves for survey, photos, etc.
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Post by jonsdigs on Aug 29, 2007 2:40:14 GMT -5
I plan to come to Cookeville to the TCS meeting next Wednesday. Every day I drive down this tunnel over a mile to 1200 feet deep (600 feet below sea level) to a maze of literally hundreds of miles of 12x12 tunnels and huge mined out rooms called stopes. As I familiarize myself to the mine, I drive all over in a small diesel buggy to map locations and get out and walk through labyrinthine, now unused, tunnels to booming galleries with sparkling minerals in the walls. They are often 50 feet high with 40 feet between columns. New areas keep becoming accessible as we pump down the water. For size here is one of the loaders that dig out these tunnels. The wheels are as tall as I am. Since I don't have time for multiple flash photography, here are some photos of our underground shop. It was made in an old stope with the walls painted white and electricity and lights installed. Note the man in the doorway for scale. Under the light at the far wall is a buggy like the one I scoot around in. Here is a shot in a different part of this huge space. Yes, that is a regular full sized diesel pickup truck. It's like getting paid to go caving everyday. Talk about borehole...
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Brian Roebuck
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Post by Brian Roebuck on Aug 29, 2007 5:32:03 GMT -5
Wow! That's more extensive than the mine they used at convention in Marengo! Deeper too! I would like to see some of that myself sometime. What do they mine down there? Is it all limestone to the depth you are working? I thought my job was rather different but you have me beat! BTW Jon the TCS meeting is on the 22nd of September which should be a Saturday. Go here for details; www.webwhisper.com/tcs/meetings.htmlWe'll see you there.
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Post by jonsdigs on Aug 29, 2007 21:24:11 GMT -5
It is all limestone all the way down and much further. We mine zinc in Ordovician paleokarst in the Knox Series. The zinc (sphalerite) occurrs as matrix in dolomite breccia. Here's minerals from our mine. They call the doubly terminated golden calcite "footballs" that they find in "bugholes." Photo by Scott Kleine
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Brian Roebuck
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Post by Brian Roebuck on Aug 30, 2007 5:33:35 GMT -5
That's really neat Jon. It is hard to imagine how deep the limestone goes around here. Talk about potential for deep caves (although I doubt any are really developed that deep). Do I see some purple quartz (forget the name) as well?
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L Roebuck
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Post by L Roebuck on Aug 30, 2007 7:26:45 GMT -5
Jonsdigs you sound like 'a kid in a candy store' ! ;D ;D I imagine Tennessee's underground may be a huge limestone shock? It would be interesting to hear a comparison between Tennessee and the Colorado Rockies.
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Post by jonsdigs on Sept 16, 2007 19:30:54 GMT -5
Sorry, I just got back on line by getting connected by satellite. Here's a picture of one of the big pockets we mine into with big crystals of golden calcite, purple fluorite and the black sparkly stuff is our zinc (sphalerite.) The Styrofoam boards are 2" thick for scale. We don't EVEN have limestone this thick out there but do have a few huge mines in Colorado. You do, however, have air here. Instead of working at 10,000' , I work at 600' below sea level.
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Post by Sharon Faulkner on Sept 16, 2007 22:22:33 GMT -5
Sounds like you're having a ball in the mine Jon. ;D
Beautiful pic of the fluorite. I've found very small pieces of fluorite embedded in an Alabama cave before. Thought it was a pretty impressive find at the time, but it was nothing compared to what you have in your photos.
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Post by Azurerana on Sept 18, 2007 10:24:49 GMT -5
Is there a mineral trade in the fluorite/double terminated calcite xls? Some mines run a side business in specimens, since they can get tens or hundreds of dollars for one rock, instead of X dollars per ore ton. Looks like there is potential. Since the Rosiclare (Hardin Co.) IL mines shut down, there is a dearth in new fluorite/calcite material.
If not, take a big lunch box some day. I'd really like some nice pieces. *|:-)
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Post by jonsdigs on Sept 18, 2007 20:06:33 GMT -5
You're right Az. See: here and hereOur mine complex includes the Gordonsville Mine, the Elmwood Mine, and the Cumberland Mine. The last operator of the mine was contracting out the commercial collecting of specimens but abuse was rampant. With prices like these, you can see we have an issue with keeping the workers on their equipment both for safety and productivity reasons. There is a strict policy in place where a miner's bringing out a rock is considered theft and subject to summary dismissal. Even I can't take rocks off property. No problem for me as my enjoyment is in the finding of the specimens.
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Brian Roebuck
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Post by Brian Roebuck on Sept 18, 2007 20:16:38 GMT -5
Wow those are some cool crystals and minerals! I thought you were just making gravel! I'd like to see the minerals in their natural state like that. Do they occur in pockets like geodes or in veins? Very interesting!
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Post by jonsdigs on Sept 18, 2007 20:32:39 GMT -5
They occur in pockets in rare incompletely filled spaces between the angular pieces of breccia caused by half a billion year old cave breakdown. Almost all the pockets I see are a foot or smaller in size. It is still an exceptional experience.
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