Anthracite Coal — Dirty Diamond Mine — Antarctica

Anthracite Coal Dirty Diamond Mine, Antarctica

Discover the Wonders of Antarctic Geology with this interesting rock specimen from Antarctica. Antarctica has long captivated adventurers, explorers, and geologists as the coldest, windiest, and driest continent on Earth. In 1962, a group of geologists ventured to Antarctica in search of coal. They blasted into a coal bed at Terrace Ridge, near Mt. Schopf, named after James Morton Schopf, a renowned paleobotanist, palynologist, and coal geologist.

Historical Significance

Mt. Schopf is located in the Ohio Range, near Discovery Ridge, and is part of the Trans-Antarctic Mountains. The Ohio Range forms the northeast end of the Horlick Mountains. The coal from the Dirty Diamond Mine was pivotal for scientific studies on the grade and economic potential of mining in Antarctica during the 1960s.

Protected Resources

Today, the Madrid Protocol, legally enforced in 1998, explicitly bans any extraction activity related to mineral resources, except for scientific purposes. This material is from an old estate collection and was collected in the 1960s.

Specimen Details

Size: 50mm H X 39mm W X 18mm D, All-natural, no repairs, stable.

Included with Purchase

• Certification of Authenticity
• Information about this Dirty Diamond Mine/ Carboniferous specimen
• Tag and tag stand
• Protective case

Please note that the acrylic display base and photo cube are not included.

Own a Piece of Antarctic History

Here is an extremely rare opportunity to own a coal specimen from one of Earth's most extreme localities. This anthracite coal from Antarctica was legally obtained and is from an old estate collection.

This material was legally obtained and ships with a Certificate of Authenticity and information about the specimen.