Geology Museum presents Copper Country minerals

A collection of mineral specimens from Michigan’s Copper Country is the focus of a special exhibit in October at the Geology Museum.

On loan from Michigan Technological University in Houghton, Mich., minerals from the renowned A.E. Seaman collection represent some of the finest specimens from the world’s largest native copper deposits.

Highlights of the exhibit will represent just a small portion of the rich mineral assemblage characteristic of Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula, according to museum director Klaus Westphal.

Formed a billion years ago, the copper deposits of the Keweenaw Peninsula sparked the first mining boom in the United States. Between 1845 and 1968, when Michigan’s last copper mine closed, Michigan produced more than 11 billion pounds of copper.

Admission to the exhibit and to the museum is free.

The Geology Museum is located in Weeks Hall, 1215 W. Dayton St. Museum hours: 8:30 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday, and 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday.