Pyrite belt of the South Iberian peninsula
The mines described here are located in the center of a geological layer of pyrite (pebbles) that runs through the south of the Iberian Peninsula (250 km long and 60 km wide). This occurrence extends from the Mina de Canal Caveira in the western Alentejo Litoral to Estremadura / southern Spain to the Mina do Riotinto. In addition to pyrite, the deposit also contains zinc , copiapite, chalcopyrite , goethite , iron vitriol , quartz , rhomboclase, sulfur , copper and sphalerite . In the Alentejo, the following mines are located on this pyrite layer:
- Mina de Canal Caveira - closed in 1966,
- Mina de Lousal - closed in 1988,
- Mina de Aljustrel - closed in 2008
- Mina de Neves Corvo (only with copper production)
- Mina de São Domingos - closed in 1966
and in southern Spain is:
- Minas de Riotinto
- Mina de Herrerías
- Mina de Tharsis
- Mina de La Joya
- Mina de Buitrón
- Mina de San Miguel
- Mina de Lomero-Poyatos
- Mina de Cueva de la Mora
- Mina de Cala
- Mina del Castillo
- Mina de Teuler
gallery
Plan of the São Domingos mine
former loading station in Pormarão on the Rio Guadiana
View of the historic ore port of Pormarão on the Rio Guadiana
Lousal Mine Museum in the Alentejo
View of the historic ore port of Pormarão on the Rio Guadiana
