Locality
11°1´ east longitude, 52°20´ north latitiude [ map ]
Name
Helmstedt, Germany, Europa
Personal relationship of donor
Mineral deposits research
Historical relevance of location
Lignite (\"brown coal\") mining near Helmstedt was the basis of the industrialisation of the region.
Political relevance of location
Lignite is currently used to fire the power stations in the Helmstedt area. It has been used as a fuel for industry since last century, but will be exhausted in a few years. Originally it was planned to extend the mines to the NW, but these plans are now considered non-viable for socio-economic reasons.
Geological relevance of location
Lignite was formed in mires near the coast in a subtropical to tropical climate in Eocene times.
Classification of the earth
Structure
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soft lignite, earthy texture
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Colour
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brown
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Age
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Eocene, Tertiary, 54 million years
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other
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Lignite, which is mined in open pits, is currently a resonably cheap fuel. It was formed in a very warm, almost tropical period in the Cenozoic.
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Donor
Geoscientific Collections Section of the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources,
Geological Survey of Lower Saxony,
Hannover,
Germany