Geology Lesson #6, with Capt. Paul and Dr. Nat (also known as Paul and Nathalie Brandes). We join our Pasty Cam instructors up near Copper Harbor for today’s lesson. Capt. Paul explains a bit about the La Roche Verte, a copper oxide vein in the notes here below:

“Another set, and something I was surprised a lot of people don’t know exists.

These photos were taken on Hays Point near Copper Harbor. First, I want to thank Sharon Smith for permission to access this area and for giving us some helpful guidance on where to go out there. The first photo is of the Copper Harbor Lighthouse from a view that many people don’t see. The next photo is a view looking across Copper Harbor towards the West Bluff of Brockway Mountain. The last two photos though are the real reason we ventured out there. These are photos of the La Roche Verte, a copper oxide vein that was first known to the French Voyageurs who paddled Lake Superior and later interested Douglass Houghton enough to write the first geologic report on the Keweenaw, setting off the copper rush. The outcrops in the video are part of the rock unit called the Copper Harbor Conglomerate, a mixture of conglomerates, sandstones , and minor basalt flows called the Lake Shore Traps. These are the rocks you see as you drive along Lake Superior on M-26 between Eagle River and Copper Harbor. The age of the Conglomerate is estimated to be 1.085 to 1.093 billion years old.

I don’t want to give away too much information as it is explained in the attached video. Sorry about the wind noise in the video; it was a windy, splashy day.”

Oooooooooooooh, i've been waiting for this one! Don't worry about a little wind noise!

Well I'm an EE from MTU ('82), but I sure enjoyed
the geology lessons (some from my old stomping
grounds - Ishpeming and the Dead River Basin)!
Enjoy the cool weather up there because it's still
hot and humid back in TX! Thanks Dr. Nat!

Wow...I love the clear, crisp photos and another well done video, Dr. Nat., I didn't mind the wind and wave action at all. It reminded me of back when I took the Wing down 26 and I would pull over and sit on the rocks and just listen. The days were just like that...blue skies and water that was so deep-blue, it brought tears to my eyes.
And a shout-out to Sharon!

I'm glad everyone is enjoying these little snippets of UP geology. They were fun to make and if we get up there again next year, we'll be creating more of these in other unique places.

Bruce: I wish we were still there, but sadly we had to return to SE TX where, yes, it is extremely hot/humid; 115 heat index is just too much.......

La Roche Verte:
Oh goodie, I too have been waiting for that!

Thanks Mary, Dr. Nat and Capt. Paul. I'm glad you were able to gain access.

I was on Manitou Island a couple years ago and we noticed a similar vein extending into the Lake. It appeared to be more white than the Chrysocolla vein. Is it more likely to be Calcite, Quartzite, or something else?

More than likely, it was calcite.