How deep is the Bisbee mine?

Photo, Print, Drawing Sacramento Pit copper mine at Bisbee, Arizona. This is a pit 435 feet deep. In 1911 a shaft was sunk into the slopes of the east wall. In 1917 a dynamite charge blew off the top rock of the crown and dredges were worked to excavate the pit's ore bodies.

How deep is the Lavender Pit Bisbee AZ?

The pit covers an area of 300 acres (1.2 km²), and is 900 feet (274 m) deep. Large tonnages of dump rock are placed around Bisbee, notably north of the residential district of Warren and other parts of the southeastern Mule Mountains area.

Is the Bisbee mine still active?

The mine opened in 1877 and eventually closed when Phelps Dodge discontinued mining operations in Bisbee in the mid-1970's. The Queen Mine opened once again as a tour for visitors in 1976, nearly 100 years after the mine originally opened.

How many miles of tunnels are in Copper Queen Mine?

Bisbee definitely qualifies as "small town America" and since 1877, the Copper Queen Mine has called one of Arizona's southernmost cities home. With over 2,000 miles of tunnels, the mine ranks as one of the five largest underground mines in the world.

How deep is the deepest strip mine?

AngloGold Ashanti's Mponeng gold mine, located south-west of Johannesburg in South Africa, is currently the deepest mine in the world. The operating depth at Mponeng mine ranged from between 3.16km to 3.84km below the surface by the end of 2018.

What is the deepest mine in the United States?

Bingham Canyon Mine, located near Salt Lake City, UT in the United States, is the world's deepest man-made open pit excavation site. Bingham Canyon, which is the largest copper mine in the United States, is approximately 4.5 km in diameter and 1.2 km deep.

When did the Bisbee mine close?

In almost 100 years of continuous production before the Bisbee mines closed in 1975, the local mines produced metals valued at $6.1 billion (at 1975 price) one of the largest production valuations of all the mining districts in the world.

Why did the Bisbee mine close?

Late mining period

By 1974 ore reserves had been depleted and December brought the announcement of the impending closure of mining operations in Bisbee. Phelps Dodge curtailed open pit operations that year and ceased underground operations in 1975.

Who owns the Bisbee copper mine?

Phelps Dodge's former headquarters building in Bisbee has been adapted as a mining museum, which offers interpretation of the mining era and its effects in the region. The company was acquired by Freeport McMoRan, which in the early 21st century was investigating new means of mining in this area.

What is Bisbee II Turquoise?

Bisbee turquoise is perhaps one of the most valued and best types of turquoise ever produced. Having only ever been actively mined by one independent miner for a short 2 year period from 1972-1974, the turquoise is primarily a by-product of the large copper mining operation owned by the Phelps-Dodge company.

What is at the bottom of the Lavender Pit?

A giant hole in the ground with toxic red water at the bottom. A 300-acre, 900-foot deep open-air mine that ceased production in 1974. Throughout its history, 86 million tons of ore was excavated, 600,000 tons of which was copper. Other by-products included gold, silver, and turquoise.

How many copper mines are in Arizona?

There are 27 major mines in Arizona, including 10 major copper mines which produce 23 to 632 million pounds of copper per year. Of interest, only two of the 10 major copper mines are located north of Phoenix; the rest are located in the southeastern part of the state.

What was the highest population of Bisbee AZ?

But the population of Bisbee had dropped nearly 60%, from a high of 9,205 in 1920 down to 3,801 by 1950.

What is the largest copper mine in Arizona?

This is the Morenci Mine, one of the largest copper mines in the world. With an annual production of between 700 and 850 million pounds of copper, the Morenci Mine is the largest copper mine in Arizona.

What does the name Bisbee mean?

Early Origins of the Bisbee family

The name is derived from "the lands of Busby or Busbie in the parish of Carmunnock, Renfrewshire.

Why is Bisbee Arizona famous?

Louis. Bisbee is now a tourist spot thanks to its old west charm and what the old west left behind. The explosive growth of the town around the turn of the century is thanks to the Copper Queen Mine where 8 billion pounds of copper were mined. Two former miners showed FOX 10 how it was done in the early days.

Where is the Bisbee turquoise mine?

Bisbee Blue or Bisbee turquoise refers to the turquoise that comes from copper mines located in the vicinity of Bisbee, Arizona.

How deep does the underground have to be before it gets hot?

Geological variation in the underground, such as heat flow, heat production and thermal conductivity, first become significant around 1,000m and deeper below the surface.

How far can you dig before it gets too hot?

I have been underground in a couple of mines (one down to 9000 feet) and the deeper down we went the worse the heat got. It was fine until about 6500 feet and then it got noticeably warmer quite quickly as we descended down to 9000 feet.

Are underground mines hot or cold?

Deep underground mines are “hot” work sites because of the heat from the rock itself. Ground water flowing through hot rock formations becomes hot and adds to the air temperature. Activities like drilling, blasting, and welding add to the heat load put on miners, on the surface and underground.

What is the largest underground mine in the world?

Part of state-run Codelco, 55 kilometers east of Rancagua, El Teniente is the world's largest underground mine. Its more than 2,400 kilometers of tunnels yield more than 400,000 metric tons of refined copper per year.

Where is the largest mine in the world located?

The world's biggest open-pit mine currently is the Bingham Canyon Mine in Utah. The copper mine, which is part of Rio Tinto's Kennecott operation, is roughly 4km wide and more than 1.2km deep.