Explore the colourful mineral world beneath the Earth’s surface in the next In the Wild West lecture at the Western Australian Museum – Perth on October 26, 2012.
‘Colours of the Earth’, presented by WA Museum curator of minerals and meteorites Dr Peter Downes, will describe the diverse and exotic minerals of the weathered zone, revealed by mining in Western Australia.
“To use an analogy from the biological world, some of Western Australia’s mineral deposits could be described as mineralogical rainforests, remarkable for the diverse range of mineral species that they contain.
“Western Australia is richly endowed with some outstanding mineral deposits that pretty much span the entire sweep of geological time.
“When some of these mineral deposits were exposed at the surface of the Earth in the past, they were affected by the atmosphere and ground water, and the chemical reactions that followed have produced some weird and wonderful minerals over time - it’s a great place to look for new mineral species,” Dr Downes said.
In the lecture, Dr Downes will take his audience on a virtual tour from the Telfer gold mine in the Great Sandy Desert, to the Whim Creek copper mine and the Bali copper deposits in the Pilbara, and the 132 North nickel mine near Widgiemooltha in the Goldfields.
Dr Downes works with the minerals and meteorite collections at the Western Australian Museum. Taking great interest in the weathering of minerals and the chemistry of the oxidised zone, Dr Downes is always on the lookout for rare and exotic minerals to add to the Museum’s collections.
Entry to the lecture is by gold coin donation, with bookings essential online at www.museum.wa.gov.au/inthewildwest or by calling 9212 3813.
The Harry Butler lecture series: In the Wild West is proudly presented by the WA Museum in partnership with Chevron Australia. The series showcases the work of Museum scientists, curators and associates in the areas of natural and social sciences.
LECTURE: ‘Colours of the Earth’
WHEN: Friday 26 October, 12:30pm
WHERE: Western Australian Museum – Perth, Perth Cultural Centre, James Street, Perth
BOOKINGS ESSENTIAL: museum.wa.gov.au/inthewildwest
COST: By gold coin donation
