Sherman Mine
Encyclopedia
Sherman Mine is a large abandoned open pit mine
in Temagami, Ontario
, Canada
. It was a major producer of iron ore. The mine was the source of a multi-ton boulder
of banded iron formation
and was mined from 1967 until 1990 by Cleveland-Cliffs Iron Company. This 2.2 billion year old formation consists of thin layers of sediment
that were deposited in a marine environment and subsequently metamorphosed
. Sherman Mine is the largest open pit mine in Temagami, consisting of seven open pits known as the East Pit, South Pit, North Pit, West Pit and the Turtle Pits.
records a time in the early Earth
's history when the atmosphere
and ocean
s contained significantly less oxygen
than their present day counterparts.
Open-pit mining
Open-pit mining or opencast mining refers to a method of extracting rock or minerals from the earth by their removal from an open pit or borrow....
in Temagami, Ontario
Temagami, Ontario
Temagami, formerly spelt as Timagami, is a region and a municipality in northeastern Ontario, Canada, in the District of Nipissing with Lake Temagami at its heart....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It was a major producer of iron ore. The mine was the source of a multi-ton boulder
Boulder
In geology, a boulder is a rock with grain size of usually no less than 256 mm diameter. While a boulder may be small enough to move or roll manually, others are extremely massive....
of banded iron formation
Banded iron formation
Banded iron formations are distinctive units of sedimentary rock that are almost always of Precambrian age. A typical BIF consists of repeated, thin layers of iron oxides, either magnetite or hematite , alternating with bands of iron-poor shale and chert...
and was mined from 1967 until 1990 by Cleveland-Cliffs Iron Company. This 2.2 billion year old formation consists of thin layers of sediment
Sediment
Sediment is naturally occurring material that is broken down by processes of weathering and erosion, and is subsequently transported by the action of fluids such as wind, water, or ice, and/or by the force of gravity acting on the particle itself....
that were deposited in a marine environment and subsequently metamorphosed
Metamorphism
Metamorphism is the solid-state recrystallization of pre-existing rocks due to changes in physical and chemical conditions, primarily heat, pressure, and the introduction of chemically active fluids. Mineralogical, chemical and crystallographic changes can occur during this process...
. Sherman Mine is the largest open pit mine in Temagami, consisting of seven open pits known as the East Pit, South Pit, North Pit, West Pit and the Turtle Pits.
Mineralogy
Its mineralogyMineralogy
Mineralogy is the study of chemistry, crystal structure, and physical properties of minerals. Specific studies within mineralogy include the processes of mineral origin and formation, classification of minerals, their geographical distribution, as well as their utilization.-History:Early writing...
records a time in the early Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
's history when the atmosphere
Atmosphere
An atmosphere is a layer of gases that may surround a material body of sufficient mass, and that is held in place by the gravity of the body. An atmosphere may be retained for a longer duration, if the gravity is high and the atmosphere's temperature is low...
and ocean
Ocean
An ocean is a major body of saline water, and a principal component of the hydrosphere. Approximately 71% of the Earth's surface is covered by ocean, a continuous body of water that is customarily divided into several principal oceans and smaller seas.More than half of this area is over 3,000...
s contained significantly less oxygen
Oxygen
Oxygen is the element with atomic number 8 and represented by the symbol O. Its name derives from the Greek roots ὀξύς and -γενής , because at the time of naming, it was mistakenly thought that all acids required oxygen in their composition...
than their present day counterparts.
See also
- Barton MineBarton MineBarton Mine, also known as Net Lake Mine, is an abandoned underground mine in Cobalt Mining District of Northeastern Ontario, Canada. It is located on the west shore of the north arm of Net Lake in Temagami North....
- Leckie MineLeckie MineLeckie Mine, also known as Penrose Mine, is an abandoned gold producing underground mine in Northeastern Ontario, Canada, located on the eastern shore of Arsenic Lake north of the town of Temagami...
- Copperfields Mine
- Kanichee MineKanichee MineThe Kanichee Mine, also less commonly known as the Ajax Mine, is an abandoned base metal and precious metal mine, located in the Temagami region of northeastern Ontario, Canada. It is near the small unincorporated community of Temagami North, accessed by the Kanichee Mine Road from Highway 11. The...
- Beanland MineBeanland MineBeanland Mine, also known as Clenore and A.E. Perron, is an abandoned gold and silver producing underground mine, located in the Temagami region of northeastern Ontario, Canada. It is one of the several mines within the Temagami greenstone belt, a volcanic belt characterized by felsic and mafic...
- Northland MineNorthland MineThe Northland Mine, also called the Northland Pyrite Mine and Harris Mine, is an abandoned underground mine in Northeastern Ontario, Canada, located on the southwestern shore of James Lake in Best Township of Temagami. It was operated by the Northland Mining Company during the early 1900s with the...
- Ferguson Bay MineFerguson Bay MineFerguson Bay Mine is an abandoned copper mine in Temagami, Northeastern Ontario, Canada. It is located near the eastern shore of Ferguson Bay of Lake Temagami. A winter road from Sandy Inlet through Coppersand Lake was created to the mine in 1957. Subsequently, a small road, known as Miner's Road,...
- Hermiston-McCauley Mine
- Milne TownsiteMilne TownsiteThe Milne Townsite, commonly referred to as Milnes, is an abandoned community in Strathy Township, municipality of Temagami, Nipissing District in northeastern Ontario, Canada, located on the north shore of Link Lake, just south of the Milne-Sherman Road, and about north of the town of Temagami...
- Sherman volcanoSherman volcanoThe Sherman volcano is a possible prehistoric volcano in the municipality of Temagami in Northeastern Ontario, Canada. Geological evidence indicates that it was located west of the abandoned Sherman Mine and lies in the Archean Temagami greenstone belt....
- List of mines in Ontario