Kaatiala, Finland

DESCRIPTION

GEOLOGY

Kaatialla is a lithium pegmatite. It was mined for ????? but is now abandoned.

VISITS

This was the second stop on the 1997 mineral trip to Finland. Even here Markku held a short lecture on the geology of the pegmatite. Then we all rushed away to the big waste rock heaps for mineral hunting.
The most common mineral to find in big beauteful crystals was schorl. The columbite was harder to find. I found the only one and that was during a picnic on the top of the heap. It was lying on the ground between Birgit and me, and I was looking at it the whole time we ate. Finally I asked if it was her stone and she answered that it was not, so I took it up and there it was.
I also took the time to remove a great crystal of schorl from a rock. I had to work about 30 minutes until it gave up and dropped out into my hand. Unfortunately it also broke in three parts, as seen below.

Mineral assemblage

Columbite, Muscovite, Schorl,

Schorl
Schorl recovered from a great boulder. It still got its top left.
Collected 1997-06-
(300 dpi, 800x600, k)

Columbite
Columbite crystal collected as a dessert after having some sandwiches. It proves the saying that you should look where you are standing!
Collected 1997-06
(300 dpi, 800x600, k)

Muscovite
This is the first time I've seen muscovite in the form of small balls. We found a couple of pieces in a small area of the dump pile.
The muscovite is totally surrounded by quartz.
Collected 1997-06-
(300 dpi, 800x600, k)

Muscovite
Aggregate of yellowish muscovite. It was easy to find fine samples with yellowish aggregates as this one together with schorl.
It is a compact ball of muscovite without any traces of other minerals except from the schorl crystals.
Collected 1997-06-
(300 dpi, 800x600, k)

If you have some questions, suggestions or comments you are welcome to write me a line or two.

Locality index. Main index.

axelsson@acc.umu.se

	Schorl Schorl recovered from a great boulder. It still got its top left. Collected 1997-06- (300 dpi, 800x600, k)
	Columbite Columbite crystal collected as a dessert after having some sandwiches. It proves the saying that you should look where you are standing! Collected 1997-06 (300 dpi, 800x600, k)
	Muscovite This is the first time I've seen muscovite in the form of small balls. We found a couple of pieces in a small area of the dump pile. The muscovite is totally surrounded by quartz. Collected 1997-06- (300 dpi, 800x600, k)
	Muscovite Aggregate of yellowish muscovite. It was easy to find fine samples with yellowish aggregates as this one together with schorl. It is a compact ball of muscovite without any traces of other minerals except from the schorl crystals. Collected 1997-06- (300 dpi, 800x600, k)