Cananea Copper Mine - Mexico - Cananea Copper Mine - Sonora - Mexico: The Cananea...

Cananea Copper Mine - Mexico - Cananea Copper Mine - Sonora - Mexico: The Cananea Mine is an open pit copper and gold mine located in Mexico. Its production began in 1899. Image taken from the International Space Station (ISS) on June 27, 2016. One of the largest open-pit copper mines in the world, the Cananea mine produced over 164,000 tonnes of copper in 2006. The mine is located approximately 40 km south of the border between the USA (Arizona) and Mexico (Sonora). Copper and gold ores at Cananea are found in a porphyry copper deposit, a geological structure formed by crystal-rich magma moving upwards through pre-existing rock layers. The mine workings at Cananea are significant in the recent history of Mexico, as poor working conditions there in 1906 led to a mineral's strike that resulted in 19 deaths. This event is generally considered to a major catalyst of the Mexican Revolution of 1910, as well as the beginning of Mexico's labor movement. Current environmental and economic conditions at the mine led to a worker strike that halted mine operations in 2007. Astronaut photograph was acquired on June 27, 2016 from the International Space Station (ISS)