Lake Jeannine - Tailings

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Turning in one 360° circle, this tailings pile extended as far as the eye could see. This huge tailings pile is made from silica, limestone and other types of materials that are residual when crude iron ore is processed.

Gary is 6' 2" tall but is dwarfed by the size of this pile. We stopped our van and walked to the top of the pile.

The landscape looks like a distant moon or planet although it's in North America. Although one would think these piles would be like sand, they are, in fact, made of very coarse material. It was originally deposited as a slurry and as the water dried it formed a surface almost as hard as concrete. Although the surface area has a hard crust, the sides and bottom edges are soft and sand-like. In a strong wind, the material will be picked up by the wind and blown great distances. This can be very abrasive to the skin if you are unlucky enough to get caught in a tailings dust storm.