The Belvidere Mt. ultramafic complex is part of the discontinuous belt of Appalachian serpentinites emplaced during the Taconic orogeny. Serpentinization at Belvidere Mt. involved hydration of the original peridotite and dunite. Understanding of the serpentinization process has increased greatly in recent years, but some aspects remain controversial.
Belvidere Mt. has been quarried for chrysotile asbestos during most of the 20th Century; active mining operations ceased in 1993. Public health concerns about the health effects of asbestos have generally failed to consider the different mineralogical and biomedical properties of asbestiform minerals. This in turn has led to unwarranted fears of exposure to minute amounts of chrysotile asbestos.
The purpose of this trip is to examine serpentine textures that shed light on the serpentinization process itself, to observe the numerous accessory minerals associated with the serpentinite, and to discuss current understanding of the health effects of mineral dusts in occupational and non-occupational settings.
Contact: Mark Van Baalen, Department of Geology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, mvb@harvarda.harvard.edu
Meeting Time and Place: Uncle Bill's Diner, Eden, VT, at 8:30 a.m. The diner is on State Route 100, just 2 miles south of its intersection with Route 118 in Eden.
Limit: no data
NEIGC 1999 | Field Trips | Friday | Saturday | Sunday