Integrating PHysical Science and the Geological Environment
Rita M. O’Keefe
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Give FeedbackEXAMPLES IN CONNECTICUT
The most widely mined deposit in the Connecticut Uplands is pegmatite which can be found in Deep River, where there is a dramatic roadcut between Exits 3 and 4 on Route 9. Pegmatite is similar in composition to granite, except that the individual crystals are sometimes as large as three to four feet long. Pegmatite is a very striking rock that is white or pink in color. The large size of the mineral crystals and the random inclusion of precious and semiprecious gems are what makes pegmatites so valuable. The bigger crystals of quartz, feldspar and mica are also separated out of the rock easily allowing simplification of the purification process that is so important in a mining operation. Granite, although not as stunning as pegmatite, has also been quarried at several locations in Connecticut. Many important quarries were in the Coastal Slope of Eastern Connecticut which include Branford, Stony Creek, Guilford, Waterford, and Groton.