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Linchberg tunnel, Magdalena Mining District, Socorro County, New Mexico, USAi
Regional Level Types
Linchberg tunnelTunnel
Magdalena Mining DistrictMining District
Socorro CountyCounty
New MexicoState
USACountry

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Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):
34° 4' 6'' North , 107° 11' 39'' West
Latitude & Longitude (decimal):
Type:
Nearest Settlements:
PlacePopulationDistance
Magdalena911 (2017)7.0km
Socorro8,722 (2017)27.9km
Lemitar330 (2011)28.0km
Polvadera269 (2011)29.3km
Luis Lopez107 (2011)29.8km
Mindat Locality ID:
33391
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:2:33391:0
GUID (UUID V4):
0
Other/historical names associated with this locality:
Lynchburg; Patterson


Started 1910 by American Zinc, Lead, and Smelting Co.; taken over by C.T. Brown in 1912 and Empire Zinc Co. in 1915 or 1916.

1300ft tunnel running east to 3000ft north-south-trending fault zone. Irregular stoping and drifting present along fault zone.

Empire Zinc operated Linchburg until 1961; it was acquired by Hydro Resources Inc. of Albuquerque, NM and produced intermittently from 1973 to 1977 or 1981. Approximately 10,000t of ore was milled at a site in Paterson Canyon. The mine was used for explosives testing by the US Army Corps of Engineers until 1993.

Remaining ore reserves are unknown, but the mine does not appear to have a ventilation raise and is full of gas and mold. Reestablishment of ventilation is necessary if production is to be resumed, as is expansion of the main haulage tunnel.

NOTE: No attempt should be made to enter this mine! In 1993, the hard rock Linchberg tunnel was one of the mines the government selected for the storage of unstable explosives and other toxic materials. A substantial metal gate was installed at the portal and two metal locked gates built on the road to the mine to protect the site. Mining engineers visiting the tunnel in 2016 revealed mold at the entrance and substantial amounts of gas escaping the portal that caused prolonged eye irritation. The Linchberg mine remains privately owned and repurposed as a hazardous materials storage facility.

Select Mineral List Type

Standard Detailed Gallery Strunz Chemical Elements

Commodity List

This is a list of exploitable or exploited mineral commodities recorded at this locality.


Mineral List


23 valid minerals.

Detailed Mineral List:

Andradite
Formula: Ca3Fe3+2(SiO4)3
Calcite
Formula: CaCO3
Cerussite
Formula: PbCO3
Chalcopyrite
Formula: CuFeS2
Epidote
Formula: (CaCa)(AlAlFe3+)O[Si2O7][SiO4](OH)
Fluorite
Formula: CaF2
Galena
Formula: PbS
'Garnet Group'
Formula: X3Z2(SiO4)3
Greenockite
Formula: CdS
Hedenbergite
Formula: CaFe2+Si2O6
Hematite
Formula: Fe2O3
Hemimorphite
Formula: Zn4Si2O7(OH)2 · H2O
Ilvaite
Formula: CaFe3+Fe2+2(Si2O7)O(OH)
Ktenasite
Formula: ZnCu4(SO4)2(OH)6 · 6H2O
Magnetite
Formula: Fe2+Fe3+2O4
Native Gold
Formula: Au
Native Silver
Formula: Ag
Pyrite
Formula: FeS2
'Pyroxene Group'
Formula: ADSi2O6
Quartz
Formula: SiO2
Scheelite
Formula: Ca(WO4)
Serpierite
Formula: Ca(Cu,Zn)4(SO4)2(OH)6 · 3H2O
Siderite
Formula: FeCO3
Sphalerite
Formula: ZnS
Wulfenite
Formula: Pb(MoO4)

Gallery:

List of minerals arranged by Strunz 10th Edition classification

Group 1 - Elements
Native Gold1.AA.05Au
Native Silver1.AA.05Ag
Group 2 - Sulphides and Sulfosalts
Sphalerite2.CB.05aZnS
Chalcopyrite2.CB.10aCuFeS2
Greenockite2.CB.45CdS
Galena2.CD.10PbS
Pyrite2.EB.05aFeS2
Group 3 - Halides
Fluorite3.AB.25CaF2
Group 4 - Oxides and Hydroxides
Magnetite4.BB.05Fe2+Fe3+2O4
Hematite4.CB.05Fe2O3
Quartz4.DA.05SiO2
Group 5 - Nitrates and Carbonates
Calcite5.AB.05CaCO3
Siderite5.AB.05FeCO3
Cerussite5.AB.15PbCO3
Group 7 - Sulphates, Chromates, Molybdates and Tungstates
Ktenasite7.DD.20ZnCu4(SO4)2(OH)6 · 6H2O
Serpierite7.DD.30Ca(Cu,Zn)4(SO4)2(OH)6 · 3H2O
Scheelite7.GA.05Ca(WO4)
Wulfenite7.GA.05Pb(MoO4)
Group 9 - Silicates
Andradite9.AD.25Ca3Fe3+2(SiO4)3
Hemimorphite9.BD.10Zn4Si2O7(OH)2 · H2O
Ilvaite9.BE.07CaFe3+Fe2+2(Si2O7)O(OH)
Epidote9.BG.05a(CaCa)(AlAlFe3+)O[Si2O7][SiO4](OH)
Hedenbergite9.DA.15CaFe2+Si2O6
Unclassified
'Pyroxene Group'-ADSi2O6
'Garnet Group'-X3Z2(SiO4)3

List of minerals for each chemical element

HHydrogen
H Epidote(CaCa)(AlAlFe3+)O[Si2O7][SiO4](OH)
H HemimorphiteZn4Si2O7(OH)2 · H2O
H IlvaiteCaFe3+Fe22+(Si2O7)O(OH)
H KtenasiteZnCu4(SO4)2(OH)6 · 6H2O
H SerpieriteCa(Cu,Zn)4(SO4)2(OH)6 · 3H2O
CCarbon
C CalciteCaCO3
C CerussitePbCO3
C SideriteFeCO3
OOxygen
O AndraditeCa3Fe23+(SiO4)3
O CalciteCaCO3
O CerussitePbCO3
O Epidote(CaCa)(AlAlFe3+)O[Si2O7][SiO4](OH)
O HedenbergiteCaFe2+Si2O6
O HematiteFe2O3
O HemimorphiteZn4Si2O7(OH)2 · H2O
O IlvaiteCaFe3+Fe22+(Si2O7)O(OH)
O KtenasiteZnCu4(SO4)2(OH)6 · 6H2O
O MagnetiteFe2+Fe23+O4
O QuartzSiO2
O ScheeliteCa(WO4)
O SerpieriteCa(Cu,Zn)4(SO4)2(OH)6 · 3H2O
O SideriteFeCO3
O WulfenitePb(MoO4)
O Pyroxene GroupADSi2O6
O Garnet GroupX3Z2(SiO4)3
FFluorine
F FluoriteCaF2
AlAluminium
Al Epidote(CaCa)(AlAlFe3+)O[Si2O7][SiO4](OH)
SiSilicon
Si AndraditeCa3Fe23+(SiO4)3
Si Epidote(CaCa)(AlAlFe3+)O[Si2O7][SiO4](OH)
Si HedenbergiteCaFe2+Si2O6
Si HemimorphiteZn4Si2O7(OH)2 · H2O
Si IlvaiteCaFe3+Fe22+(Si2O7)O(OH)
Si QuartzSiO2
Si Pyroxene GroupADSi2O6
Si Garnet GroupX3Z2(SiO4)3
SSulfur
S ChalcopyriteCuFeS2
S GalenaPbS
S GreenockiteCdS
S KtenasiteZnCu4(SO4)2(OH)6 · 6H2O
S PyriteFeS2
S SerpieriteCa(Cu,Zn)4(SO4)2(OH)6 · 3H2O
S SphaleriteZnS
CaCalcium
Ca AndraditeCa3Fe23+(SiO4)3
Ca CalciteCaCO3
Ca Epidote(CaCa)(AlAlFe3+)O[Si2O7][SiO4](OH)
Ca FluoriteCaF2
Ca HedenbergiteCaFe2+Si2O6
Ca IlvaiteCaFe3+Fe22+(Si2O7)O(OH)
Ca ScheeliteCa(WO4)
Ca SerpieriteCa(Cu,Zn)4(SO4)2(OH)6 · 3H2O
FeIron
Fe AndraditeCa3Fe23+(SiO4)3
Fe ChalcopyriteCuFeS2
Fe Epidote(CaCa)(AlAlFe3+)O[Si2O7][SiO4](OH)
Fe HedenbergiteCaFe2+Si2O6
Fe HematiteFe2O3
Fe IlvaiteCaFe3+Fe22+(Si2O7)O(OH)
Fe MagnetiteFe2+Fe23+O4
Fe PyriteFeS2
Fe SideriteFeCO3
CuCopper
Cu ChalcopyriteCuFeS2
Cu KtenasiteZnCu4(SO4)2(OH)6 · 6H2O
Cu SerpieriteCa(Cu,Zn)4(SO4)2(OH)6 · 3H2O
ZnZinc
Zn HemimorphiteZn4Si2O7(OH)2 · H2O
Zn KtenasiteZnCu4(SO4)2(OH)6 · 6H2O
Zn SerpieriteCa(Cu,Zn)4(SO4)2(OH)6 · 3H2O
Zn SphaleriteZnS
MoMolybdenum
Mo WulfenitePb(MoO4)
AgSilver
Ag Native SilverAg
CdCadmium
Cd GreenockiteCdS
WTungsten
W ScheeliteCa(WO4)
AuGold
Au Native GoldAu
PbLead
Pb CerussitePbCO3
Pb GalenaPbS
Pb WulfenitePb(MoO4)

Other Databases

Link to USGS MRDS:10127198

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality


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