Mina de Canal Caveira

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The Mina de Canal Caveira is a disused mine in the district of Grândola in Alentejo / Portugal near Canal Caveira. It was opened in 1863 and finally closed in 1966 . It belongs to one of 4 disused Portuguese mines in the pyrite belt of the South Iberian peninsula . In addition to pyrite and copper , the mine was also produced . Historically, the mine was operated under the Romans , who extracted copper for Miróbriga near Santiago do Cacém . The deposit provided copiapite, chalcopyrite , goethite , pyrite, iron vitriol , quartz , sulfur , copper and sphalerite .

environment

The operators left the mine without remedying the environmental damage that had already occurred. The situation with regard to groundwater pollution is worrying. The rock remnants heaped up from the mine are widely visible on a dump and are estimated at several 100,000 tons. They contain a high proportion of sulfur. Sulfur crystals are visible everywhere and have been penetrating the groundwater for over 40 years. In heavy rain, sulfur enters the Sado River via the Ribeira de Grândola .

  • Environmental damage from the disused Mina de Canal Caveira

  • disused station of Canal Caveira

Coordinates: 38 ° 7 ′ 24.8 ″  N , 8 ° 30 ′ 8 ″  W.