Caption
A rock collector explores piles of fluorescent minerals found in the tailings of the Pacific Tungsten Mine near Darwin, California. The bright colours are caused by fluorescence excited by a shortwave ultraviolet lamp. Among the minerals shown here are Scheelite (blue/white), Calcite (red), Silica coatings containing uranyl ions (green), Fluorite (pink), and 'desert varnish' (yellow/orange). February 2010.
Availability
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