Mine Falls Minerals

MINE FALLS LOCALITY - Google image

MINE FALLS LOCALITY - annotated

ANATASE Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH
Pair of deep-blue anatase crystals with quartz crystals. Largest anatase is 1 mm.

ANATASE Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH
Another pair of deep-blue anatase crystals with quartz crystals. Largest anatase is 1 mm.

ANATASE Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH
1 mm anatase crystal

ANATASE Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH
0.3 mm orange-red anatase crystal on quartz crystals

ANKERITE Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH
Broken 3.5 cm tan rhombic siderite crystal cross-section, with limonite rind, embedded in sphalerite

ARSENOPYRITE Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH
8 mm arsenopyrite crystal in quartz

ARSENOPYRITE Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH
4 mm arsenopyrite crystal in quartz-mica matrix

ARSENOPYRITE Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH
A 12 inch wide, 20 pound chunk from a large sheet-like vein of arsenopyrite that was exposed at Mine Falls Park during construction of the hydro-electric plant in 1984

ARSENOPYRITE Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH
9 cm specimen with many diamond cross-section voids formally occupied by arsenopyrite crystals.

ARSENOPYRITE Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH
7 cm specimen of intergrown steel-gray arsenopyrite crystals with minor mica-quartz.

ARSENOPYRITE Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH
5 mm arsenopyrite crystal in quartz.

BROOKITE Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH
0.5 mm brookite crystal group on quartz crystals.

CALCITE Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH
2 mm calcite crystal in center.

CALCITE Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH
4 mm field of view. Calcite scalenohedrons with stilbite.

CHABAZITE Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH
9 mm field of view

CHABAZITE Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH
8 mm field of view. Chabazite on stilbite.

GALENA Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH
5 mm crystal group in quartz pocket

GALENA Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH
6.5 cm specimen of galena in milky quartz.

HEULANDITE Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH
2.7 mm heulandite crystal

HEULANDITE Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH
2.6 mm heulandite crystal

HEULANDITE Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH
7 mm complex heulandite crystal

ORTHOCLASE var. Adularia Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH
0.3mm orthoclase var. adularia crystals

PREHNITE Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH
5 mm field of view

PREHNITE Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH
5 mm field of view. Stilbite crystal protruding from top

PYRITE Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH
3 mm field of view. Tiny pyrite cubes on calcite

PYRITE Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH
0.6 mm cubo-octahedral pyrite crystal on oxidized pyrrhotite

PYRITE Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH
1.8 mm pyrite crystal

PYRRHOTITE Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH
4.5 mm pair of co-planer, oxidized, pyrrhotite crystals with small pyrie crystal, top right.

PYRRHOTITE Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH
5 cm specimen of massive pyrrhotite on milky quartz.

PYRRHOTITE Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH
3 cm specimen of massive Pyrrhotite

QUARTZ Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH
7.5 cm specimen

QUARTZ Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH
6 cm specimen

QUARTZ Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH
2.6 cm double terminated "floater" quartz crystal from large pocket

QUARTZ Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH
2.3 cm quartz crystal

SPHALERITE Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH
4 cm specimen of massive sphalerite

STILBITE Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH
8 mm field of view. Limonite coated stilbite crystals on quartz.

STILBITE Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH
Largest stilbite crystal is 4 mm

STILBITE Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH
9 mm field of view

SYNCHYSITE-(Ce) Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH
0.3 mm pale yellow, hexagonal Synchysite-(Ce) crystal with deep blue Anatase crystal

Mine Falls, Nashua, NH, Mineral Gallery Return to mindatnh front page. Click on image for larger view
This page is an alphabetical photo gallery of minerals from the Mine Falls Park locality, Nashua, New Hampshire. (A locality specific photo set from mindatnh.org) 16 species, 39 mineral photos, 2 locality photos, 2 mineral analyses. See also: Mindat.org locality link These mineral photos are an update to the Rocks & Minerals article Sept/Oct 1990, Vol 65 No.5, pgs. 433-437, "Recent Mineral Discoveries at Mine Falls Park" by Scott Whittemore. This article provides an excellent overview of the history of this old locality. Per the Mine Falls Park web page (2013), "Visitors enjoy numerous passive recreation opportunities." The request on this web page: "Don't ...Damage or deface signs or structures, such as bridges, rocks, etc." is hopefully directed at graffiti vandals and not intended to prohibit the acquisition of a few mineral samples by the hobbyist collector. The Nashua Parks and Recreation Dept. provides a Trail Map for Mine Falls Park. For the photos below, the species chemistry is included with the first example of each mineral.
MINE FALLS LOCALITY - Google image	MINE FALLS LOCALITY - Google image Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH Notes: View of Mine Falls hydro-electric station looking upstream. Blasting in 1983-4 for the hydrostation and river bed channel exposed the minerals found at this locality. The lowering of the river bed enabled the ledge seen on the right side of the photo to be available for mineral prospecting.
MINE FALLS LOCALITY - annotated	MINE FALLS LOCALITY - annotated Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH Annotation: RED : This vertical (approx 20 ft.) ledge zone hosted a one to two inch wide vein of arsenopyrite in white quartz. Some zones of this vein were solid arsenopyrite, as shown by the 12 pound slab below. No evidence remains of this vein today. BLUE : This verticle zone dipping into the river channel was the location where most zeolite minerals, carbonate minerals, and prehnite were found. None of these minerals were found after the deepened channel was flooded. YELLOW : The phyllite rock ledge contains thin (1 - 2 mm) quartz crystal seams that host micro anatase, brookite (rarely), and chabazite crystals. ORANGE : A quartz dyke, 4 to 12 inches wide, traverses the exposed ledge below the dam. Sulfide minerals galena, sphalerite, pyrrhotite, and pyrite were found in this dyke. A one foot diameter pocket containing quartz crystals was opened on the "island side" of the vein, lower left. WHITE : The west side of the river bed ledge may be accessed via a path originating between two houses on Cheyenne Drive, opposite intersection with Inca Drive. Although unmarked, it is believed this path is a public "right of way."
ANATASE Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH Pair of deep-blue anatase crystals with quartz crystals. Largest anatase is 1 mm.	Species: ANATASE TiO₂ Locality: Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH Specimen Size: Pair of deep-blue anatase crystals with quartz crystals. Largest anatase is 1 mm. Field Collected: Scott Whittemore Catalog No.: Notes:
ANATASE Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH Another pair of deep-blue anatase crystals with quartz crystals. Largest anatase is 1 mm.	Species: ANATASE Locality: Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH Specimen Size: Another pair of deep-blue anatase crystals with quartz crystals. Largest anatase is 1 mm. Field Collected: Scott Whittemore Catalog No.: Notes:
ANATASE Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH 1 mm anatase crystal	Species: ANATASE Locality: Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH Specimen Size: 1 mm anatase crystal. Field Collected: Scott Whittemore Catalog No.: Notes: It is difficult to avoid some "washed-out" appearance with these dark blue crystals on a bright reflective background.
ANATASE Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH 0.3 mm orange-red anatase crystal on quartz crystals	Species: ANATASE Locality: Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH Specimen Size: 0.3 mm orange-red anatase crystal in quartz crystal seam. Field Collected: Tom Mortimer Catalog No.: u555 Notes: This anatase crystal has prominent pinacoid faces.
ANKERITE Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH Broken 3.5 cm tan rhombic siderite crystal cross-section, with limonite rind, embedded in sphalerite	Species: ANKERITE Ca(Fe²⁺ ,Mg,Mn²⁺)(CO₃)₂ Locality: Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH Specimen Size: Broken 3.5 cm tan rhombic ankerite crystal cross-section, with limonite rind, embedded in sphalerite. Field Collected: Tom Mortimer Catalog No.: Notes: Specimen backside is mostly galena. Ankerite confirmed by EDS analysis
ARSENOPYRITE Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH 8 mm arsenopyrite crystal in quartz	Species: ARSENOPYRITE FeAsS Locality: Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH Specimen Size: 8 mm arsenopyrite crystal in quartz Field Collected: Tom Mortimer Catalog No.: 655 Notes:
ARSENOPYRITE Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH 4 mm arsenopyrite crystal in quartz-mica matrix	Species: ARSENOPYRITE Locality: Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH Specimen Size: 4 mm arsenopyrite crystal in quartz-mica matrix Field Collected: Tom Mortimer Catalog No.: U1040 Notes:
ARSENOPYRITE Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH A 12 inch wide, 20 pound chunk from a large sheet-like vein of arsenopyrite that was exposed at Mine Falls Park during construction of the hydro-electric plant in 1984	Species: ARSENOPYRITE Locality: Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH Specimen Size: A 12 inch wide, 20 pound chunk from a large sheet-like vein of arsenopyrite that was exposed at Mine Falls Park during construction of the hydro-electric plant in 1984. Field Collected: Tom Mortimer Catalog No.: Notes: This chunk is about 80% arsenopyrite, mixed with some quartz and mica. Slickenside surfaces are present on both sides.
ARSENOPYRITE Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH 9 cm specimen with many diamond cross-section voids formally occupied by arsenopyrite crystals.	Species: ARSENOPYRITE - (casts) Locality: Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH Specimen Size: 9 cm specimen with many diamond cross-section voids formally occupied by arsenopyrite crystals. Field Collected: Tom Mortimer Catalog No.: 798 Notes: This specimen is a testimony of the dissolution of arsenopyrite releasing arsenic into the groundwater.
ARSENOPYRITE Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH 7 cm specimen of intergrown steel-gray arsenopyrite crystals with minor mica-quartz.	Species: ARSENOPYRITE Locality: Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH Specimen Size: 7 cm specimen of intergrown steel-gray arsenopyrite crystals with minor mica-quartz. Field Collected: Tom Mortimer Catalog No.: Notes: A typical Mine Falls Park arsenopyrite vein rock chunk. After the blasting for the hydrostation out-fall channel, hundreds of pounds of this vein were laying on the channel floor.
ARSENOPYRITE Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH 5 mm arsenopyrite crystal in quartz.	Species: ARSENOPYRITE Locality: Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH Specimen Size: 5 mm arsenopyrite crystal in quartz. Field Collected: Tom Mortimer Catalog No.: 653 Notes:
BROOKITE Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH 0.5 mm brookite crystal group on quartz crystals.	Species: BROOKITE TiO₂ Locality: Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH Specimen Size: 0.5 mm brookite crystal group on quartz crystals. Field Collected: A Bob Janules specimen Catalog No.: Notes: Brookite is rare at the Mine Falls Park locality.
CALCITE Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH 2 mm calcite crystal in center.	Species: CALCITE CaCO₃ Locality: Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH Specimen Size: 2 mm calcite crystal in center. Field Collected: Scott Whittemore Catalog No.: 659 Notes:
CALCITE Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH 4 mm field of view. Calcite scalenohedrons with stilbite.	Species: CALCITE Locality: Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH Specimen Size: 4 mm field of view. Calcite scalenohedrons with stilbite. Field Collected: Scott Whittemore Catalog No.: 660 Notes:
CHABAZITE Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH 9 mm field of view	Species: CHABAZITE K₂NaCa_0.5(Al₄Si₈O₂₄) · 11.5H₂O Locality: Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH Specimen Size: 9 mm field of view Field Collected: Scott Whittemore Catalog No.: u071 Notes:
CHABAZITE Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH 8 mm field of view. Chabazite on stilbite.	Species: CHABAZITE Locality: Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH Specimen Size: 8 mm field of view. Chabazite on stilbite. Field Collected: Scott Whittemore Catalog No.: u020 Notes:
GALENA Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH 5 mm crystal group in quartz pocket	Species: GALENA PbS Locality: Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH Specimen Size: 5 mm crystal group in quartz pocket Field Collected: Tom Mortimer Catalog No.: 853 Notes:
GALENA Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH 6.5 cm specimen of galena in milky quartz.	Species: GALENA Locality: Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH Specimen Size: 6.5 cm specimen of galena in milky quartz. Field Collected: Tom Mortimer Catalog No.: Notes:
HEULANDITE Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH 2.7 mm heulandite crystal	Species: HEULANDITE generalized formula (Ca,Na)_2-3Al₃(Al,Si)₂Si₁₃O₃₆·12H₂O Locality: Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH Specimen Size: 2.7 mm heulandite crystal Field Collected: Tom Mortimer Catalog No.: u1415 Notes: Heulandite is the rarest of the three zeolite species found at Mine Falls Park
HEULANDITE Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH 2.6 mm heulandite crystal	Species: HEULANDITE Locality: Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH Specimen Size: 2.6 mm heulandite crystal Field Collected: Tom Mortimer Catalog No.: u1415 Notes: The characteristic coffin shape face with pearly luster of heulandite is visible in this view.
HEULANDITE Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH 7 mm complex heulandite crystal	Species: HEULANDITE Locality: Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH Specimen Size: 7 mm complex heulandite crystal Field Collected: Tom Mortimer Catalog No.: 1062 Notes: The heulandite crystals have little contrast with the surrounding matrix.
ORTHOCLASE var. Adularia Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH 0.3mm orthoclase var. adularia crystals	Species: ORTHOCLASE var. Adularia KAlSi₃O₈ Locality: Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH Specimen Size: 0.3mm orthoclase var. adularia crystals Field Collected: Tom Mortimer Catalog No.: Notes: Not an outstanding example of this species for New Hampshire. A voucher photo for this species at Mine Falls Park.
PREHNITE Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH 5 mm field of view	Species: PREHNITE Ca₂Al₂Si₃O₁₂(OH) Locality: Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH Specimen Size: 5 mm field of view Field Collected: Tom Mortimer Catalog No.: p/o u279 Notes: These tabular prehnite crystals were found in calcite filled seams. Sharp, clean, crystals are exposed by dissolving the calcite with vinegar or muriatic acid.
PREHNITE Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH 5 mm field of view. Stilbite crystal protruding from top	Species: PREHNITE Locality: Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH Specimen Size: 5 mm field of view. Stilbite crystal protruding from top. Field Collected: Tom Mortimer Catalog No.: p/o 1062 Notes:
PYRITE Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH 3 mm field of view. Tiny pyrite cubes on calcite	Species: PYRITE FeS₂ Locality: Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH Specimen Size: 3 mm field of view. Tiny pyrite cubes on calcite Field Collected: Tom Mortimer Catalog No.: Notes: It is difficult to avoid a few reflections on these tiny, lustrous, cubes.
PYRITE Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH 0.6 mm cubo-octahedral pyrite crystal on oxidized pyrrhotite	Species: PYRITE Locality: Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH Specimen Size: 0.6 mm cubo-octahedral pyrite crystal on oxidized pyrrhotite Field Collected: Bob Janules specimen Catalog No.: u1337 Notes:
PYRITE Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH 1.8 mm pyrite crystal	Species: PYRITE Locality: Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH Specimen Size: 1.8 mm pyrite crystal Field Collected: Bob Janules Catalog No.: u1337 Notes:
PYRRHOTITE Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH 4.5 mm pair of co-planer, oxidized, pyrrhotite crystals with small pyrie crystal, top right.	Species: PYRRHOTITE Fe_1-xS (x = 0 - 0.2) Locality: Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH Specimen Size: 4.5 mm pair of co-planer, oxidized, pyrrhotite crystals with small pyrie crystal, top right. Field Collected: Bob Janules Catalog No.: u1337 Notes:
PYRRHOTITE Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH 5 cm specimen of massive pyrrhotite on milky quartz.	Species: PYRRHOTITE Locality: Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH Specimen Size: 5 cm specimen of massive pyrrhotite on milky quartz. Field Collected: Tom Mortimer Catalog No.: 1464 Notes: Pyrrhotite is slightly magnetic, distinguishing it from pyrite
PYRRHOTITE Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH 3 cm specimen of massive Pyrrhotite	Species: PYRRHOTITE Locality: Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH Specimen Size: 3 cm specimen of massive Pyrrhotite Field Collected: Tom Mortimer Catalog No.: 1473 Notes:
QUARTZ Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH 7.5 cm specimen	Species: QUARTZ SiO₂ Locality: Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH Specimen Size: 7.5 cm specimen Field Collected: Tom Mortimer Catalog No.: Notes: Some crystals have a bright white quartz over-growth.
QUARTZ Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH 6 cm specimen	Species: QUARTZ Locality: Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH Specimen Size: 6 cm specimen Field Collected: Tom Mortimer Catalog No.: 970 Notes: These quartz crystal clusters came from a basket-ball sized pocket from the "mine island" side of the principal quartz vein. Limonite residue in this pocket indicated that much of the space not occupied by quartz was filled with a sulfide mineral, perhaps pyrrhotite. As New Hampshire quartz specimens go, these are not particularly attractive, but for a southern NH locality, they are relatively large.
QUARTZ Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH 2.6 cm double terminated "floater" quartz crystal from large pocket	Species: QUARTZ Locality: Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH Specimen Size: 2.6 cm double terminated "floater" quartz crystal from large pocket Field Collected: Tom Mortimer Catalog No.: 961 Notes:
QUARTZ Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH 2.3 cm quartz crystal	Species: QUARTZ Locality: Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH Specimen Size: 2.3 cm quartz crystal Field Collected: Tom Mortimer Catalog No.: 1567 Notes:
SPHALERITE Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH 4 cm specimen of massive sphalerite	Species: SPHALERITE ZnS Locality: Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH Specimen Size: 4 cm specimen of massive sphalerite Field Collected: Tom Mortimer Catalog No.: Notes:
STILBITE Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH 8 mm field of view. Limonite coated stilbite crystals on quartz.	Species: STILBITE NaCa₄[Al₉Si₂₇O₇₂] · nH₂O Locality: Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH Specimen Size: 8 mm field of view. Limonite coated stilbite crystals on quartz. Field Collected: Tom Mortimer Catalog No.: u660 Notes:
STILBITE Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH Largest stilbite crystal is 4 mm	Species: STILBITE Locality: Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH Specimen Size: Largest stilbite crystal is 4 mm Field Collected: Tom Mortimer Catalog No.: u658 Notes:
STILBITE Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH 9 mm field of view	Species: STILBITE Locality: Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH Specimen Size: 9 mm field of view Field Collected: Tom Mortimer Catalog No.: 1062 Notes: A stack of 26 images processed with Helicon Focus. Multiple crystal habits of stilbite were observed at Mine Falls Park.
SYNCHYSITE-(Ce) Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH 0.3 mm pale yellow, hexagonal Synchysite-(Ce) crystal with deep blue Anatase crystal	Species: SYNCHYSITE-(Ce) Ca(Ce,La)(CO₃)₂F Locality: Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH Specimen Size: 0.3 mm pale yellow, hexagonal Synchysite-(Ce) crystal with deep blue Anatase crystal Field Collected: Tom Mortimer Catalog No.: u392 Notes: Synchysite-(Ce) indicated by EDS analysis performed on a Bob Janules specimen.