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Recent Posts
- They come and go
- Study geology!
- Groundwater
- A look at Fågeltofta’s geology
- A little bit of geology
- A bitter taste
- Lybymosse revisited
- Thursday thoughts
- What’s up in January?
- What is green about a metal?
- Charming the media?
- Much less than expected?
- Thoughts about the ‘Dictyonema shale’
- Alum shale and uranium
- Samrådsunderlag – Project Viken
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Category Archives: Thoughts and Tales
They come and go
I had not been really updated on what is happening in Jämtland and the Storsjö area, where two companies have been exploring the Alum shale for uranium and vanadium. So now I took a closer look at what the two … Continue reading
Posted in Alum Shale, Österlen, Jämtland, Shales, Thoughts and Tales
Tagged Alum Shale, Aura Energy, Jämtland, Scandivanadium, Skåne, uranium, Vanadium
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Study geology!
Most people have some knowledge in biology, physics, chemistry and mathematics, but very few are actually familiar with geology. Of course everyone knows about dinosaurs, most people also know about volcanoes and earthquakes and how devastating a tsunami can be. … Continue reading
Posted in Österlen, geology, Thoughts and Tales
Tagged earth science, Geological Sciences, geology, geoscience, mining, raw material, smart phone
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Groundwater
Clean and healthy water is probably one of the most important things for our survival. We are really fortunate here in Sweden that we can drink tap water, that we can cook with clean water, water our plants with clean … Continue reading
A look at Fågeltofta’s geology
Let’s continue a bit more along the geology trail! After all geology is fun and interesting and many more should get insight into the subject – that’s at least what I think :-)) Linking geology to real life is a … Continue reading
Posted in Alum Shale, Österlen, geology, Shales, Thoughts and Tales
Tagged Alum Shale, Österlen, Drill cores, Exploration permits, geological maps, Geological Sciences, Geological Survey of Sweden, geology, Geosciences, quaternary sediments, Scandinavian ice sheet, Scandivanadium, Skåne
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A little bit of geology
Recently, Bergsstaten – the Mining Inspectorate of Sweden – approved ScandiVanadium‘s latest work plan (May 8th, 2019) for coring close to Spjutstorp (license Killeröd 1) and Fågeltofta (license Fågeltofta 1) in Österlen. In its decision, the Mining Inspectorate writes that … Continue reading
A bitter taste
The announcement by ScandiVanadium – the company which is exploring the Scanian Alum shale for vanadium – that it secured 500 000 SEK for a joint project from VINNOVA has made headlines in the media and has outraged people on … Continue reading
Posted in Alum Shale, Österlen, Shales, Thoughts and Tales
Tagged Alum Shale, Scandivanadium, Skåne, Vanadium
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Lybymosse revisited
ScandiVanadium concluded, based on their Lybymosse drill cores, that the “Dictyonema Formation” had been reached. First I thought that they are probably not correct. But when they reported their first results, I thought that they are indeed correct and that … Continue reading
Posted in Alum Shale, Österlen, Shales, Thoughts and Tales
Tagged Alum Shale, Cambrian, Drill cores, geology, Gislövshammar, Lyby drilling, Ordovician, Scandivanadium, Vanadium, vanadium pentoxide
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Thursday thoughts
This morning I read an interesting article in the news. The article dealt with the environmental impact on ecosystems, animals and humans caused by the production of drugs in low-wage countries. Drugs, such as those commonly used against fungal infections … Continue reading
Posted in Thoughts and Tales
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Charming the media?
The most recent ASX announcement of ScandiVanadium of December 18 has made headlines in several regional newspapers and in Swedish TV. What is the whole thing about and why does it create such an interest? The only thing that ScandiVanadium … Continue reading
Posted in Alum Shale, Österlen, Shales, Thoughts and Tales
Tagged Alum Shale, alunskiffer, ASX, Österlen, Dictyonema shale, geology, geoscience, media, mining, Scandivanadium, Vanadium, vanadium pentoxide
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Much less than expected?
ScandiVanadium‘s recently issued ASX Announcements, one dating November 14, 2019 and another dating November 29, 2019, are interesting reading. These announcements detail some of the analytical results of drill holes HDD001, HDD001B, HDD002, HDD003B, and HDD005 from Lybymosse. During the … Continue reading
Posted in Alum Shale, Österlen, Jämtland, Shales, Thoughts and Tales
Tagged Alum Shale, Österlen, Cambrian, Dictyonema shale, Dictyonma formation, Exploration permits, geology, Lyby, Lyby drilling, mining, mining in Sweden, Ordovician, Scandivanadium, stratigraphy, Tremadocian, uranium, Vanadium, vanadium pentoxide
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Thoughts about the ‘Dictyonema shale’
About two months ago, I commented on ScandiVanadium’s drilling in Lybymosse and suggested that the extended drilling program (including additional drill holes) might be due to the fact that the company had encountered difficulties and that they might not have … Continue reading
Posted in Alum Shale, Österlen, Jämtland, Shales, Thoughts and Tales
Tagged Alum Shale, Österlen, Cambrian, Dictyonema shale, Dictyonma formation, Drill cores, Geosciences, Mines, Ordovician, Scandivanadium, Skåne, Tremadocian, uranium, Vanadium, vanadium pentoxide
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Sometimes I am wondering …
… if my writing is easy enough to understand. My intention is not to reach out to geologists or geology students, but to reach a wider audience with little or no geological knowledge. Although I try to keep my texts … Continue reading
… and they are still drilling
August 8th, 2019 ScandiVanadium sent out a press release where they informed that the drilling campaign in Lyby has started. The press release stated that a total of five drill holes with a maximum depth of between 60 and 125 … Continue reading
Posted in Alum Shale, Österlen, Jämtland, Thoughts and Tales
Tagged Alum Shale, Bergsstaten, Drill cores, Lyby, Scandivanadium, Sveriges Geologiska Undersökning
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There is a lot of uranium in the Alum shale ….
In my last blog I wrote that not much has been published regarding the 28 deep drill cores made by SGU around Myrviken between 1977 and 1979. But I was not entirely correct. David Gee alerted me to a figure … Continue reading
Where is the vanadium in Jämtland?
In my last blog I wrote that the geology of Skåne and Jämtland is different because tectonic processes affected Jämtland much more than they did affect Skåne. This means that rocks in Jämtland are thrust and partly folded, whereas rocks … Continue reading
Posted in Alum Shale, Österlen, Jämtland, Thoughts and Tales
Tagged Alum Shale, Österlen, Geological Survey of Sweden, geology, Jämtland, Skåne, uranium, Vanadium
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Same same, but slightly different
What we today know as Alum shale was originally an organic-rich clay that was deposited in a shallow ocean off the coast of the old continent Baltica. Although this deposition took place between 513 to 480 million years ago during … Continue reading
Posted in Alum Shale, Österlen, Jämtland, Shales, Thoughts and Tales
Tagged Alum Shale, Österlen, Bergsstaten, Exploration permits, Jämtland, mining in Sweden, Myrviken, Oviken, Skåne, uranium, Vanadium
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Focus on Jämtland
Who would have thought that I would return to Jämtland after so many years? Not physically, however, only mentally … Years ago my research group analysed the sediments in Lake Spåime, a small lake close to Snasahögarna, between Handöl and … Continue reading
Posted in Alum Shale, Österlen, Jämtland, Shales, Thoughts and Tales
Tagged Alum Shale, Österlen, Häggån project, Jämtland, mine waste, uranium, Vanadium, Viken project
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Saturday morning thoughts
A few weeks ago, I was invited to write a debate article in the magazine NyTeknik. The editor referred to earlier debate articles we had in the newspaper Sydsvenskan and thought that I could write something along these lines for … Continue reading
Posted in Alum Shale, Österlen, Thoughts and Tales
Tagged Alum Shale, mine waste, mining in Sweden, mining industry, public debate
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Mystery solved
Maybe some of my readers will remember that I am the proud owner of a piece of the Lyby drill core. When I looked closer at the rock sample I saw that it was grey, compact and contained a large … Continue reading
Posted in Alum Shale, Österlen, Shales, Thoughts and Tales
Tagged Alum Shale, Dictyonema shale, Drill cores, geology, Komstad limestone, Lyby, Scandivanadium, uranium
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What is a shovel?
This is a half serious text – no heavy geological facts and summary at all today! When I wrote about the latest Investors Summary of ScandiVanadium it struck me how simple the planned Alum shale mining process is communicated. The … Continue reading
Leakage
In one of my blogs I described a few of the historical (and not so historical) sites, where Alum Shale was mined for various purposes (alum, oil and gas extraction, uranium and/or vanadium). I also mentioned that huge piles (and … Continue reading
Posted in Alum Shale, Österlen, Shales, Thoughts and Tales
Tagged Alum Shale, groundwater, mine waste, pollution, uranium, Vanadium
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A piece of the Lyby drill core
Last night I came back home with a small piece of the Lyby drill core. Now you might wonder how I could get hold of this precious piece of rock. Yesterday evening I was in Simrishamn, because the chairperson of … Continue reading
Posted in Alum Shale, Österlen, Shales, Thoughts and Tales
Tagged Alum Shale, Österlen, Dictyonema shale, Drill cores, geology, Lyby, Scandivanadium, Skåne, uranium, Vanadium, VetoNu.
3 Comments
Window dressing
Media attention on ScandiVanadium‘s plans for Österlen and eastern Skåne is really at a peak currently. Not only did all local and some national Swedish newspapers and TV report about the start of the drilling in Lyby and about the … Continue reading
Posted in Alum Shale, Österlen, Shales, Thoughts and Tales
Tagged Alum Shale, Österlen, media, mining, mining in Sweden, Scandivanadium, Skåne, Vanadium, VetoNu.
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Fake news, feelings and false information
Summer in Sweden is holiday time. But ScandiVanadium does not seem to have adapted this Swedish tradition. The company is really busy now. Just recently, they have issued a new flashy brochure for their share holders, and today they started … Continue reading
Posted in Alum Shale, Österlen, Shales, Thoughts and Tales
Tagged Alum Shale, Österlen, Dictyonema shale, Drill cores, Lyby, mining in Sweden, Scandivanadium, uranium, Vanadium
7 Comments
Comments on ScandiVanadium’s latest ASX announcement
ScandiVanadium presents regular updates on the progress of their Skåne project to investors. In their last update, which was published July 19, the company reports on the analysis of samples in collaboration with RISE (the Research Institutes of Sweden) and … Continue reading
Posted in Alum Shale, Österlen, Shales, Thoughts and Tales
Tagged Alum Shale, ASX, Österlen, Dictyonema shale, geology, mine waste, mining in Sweden, Scandivanadium, Skåne, uranium, Vanadium, XRF
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It is just farmland …
… is what ScandiVanadium’s chairman Brandon Munro is supposed to have said during an interview. I am not quite sure how this should be interpreted. Did he mean that it is easier to open a mine in farmland areas as … Continue reading
Posted in Alum Shale, Österlen, Shales, Thoughts and Tales
Tagged agriculture, Österlen, Mines, Scandivanadium, Skåne, Vanadium
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Coring in Lyby Mosse
Scandivanadium will finally start drilling. Their first location is south of Lyby, a small hamlet in the central part of Skåne, which belongs to Hörby commune. Five cores will be drilled by the company DrillCon from Nora as part of … Continue reading
Posted in Alum Shale, Österlen, Shales, Thoughts and Tales
Tagged Alum Shale, Dictyonema shale, geology, Hörby, Lyby, Scandivanadium, uranium, Vanadium
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History is talking
Mining of Alum Shale is not a new idea at all. Alum Shale has been mined for centuries in Sweden and today we are left with huge heavy metal (and Uranium) leaking piles of mining waste. Initially the Alum Shale … Continue reading
Posted in Alum Shale, Österlen, Shales, Thoughts and Tales
Tagged Alum Shale, Andrarum, Österlen, Degerhamn, gas, Kvarntorp, mine spoil, mine waste, mining in Sweden, mining industry, oil, uranium, Vanadium
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Beautiful Österlen, beautiful Alum Shale
During the last months I have posted various blogs relating to the Alum Shale and Scandivanadium’s planned exploration of Vanadium in Österlen. Scandivanadium’s plans for Österlen have made headlines in various media and have also been mentioned recently in the … Continue reading
Posted in Alum Shale, Österlen, Shales, Thoughts and Tales
Tagged Alum Shale, Österlen, geology, Luleå University, mining in Sweden, Scandivanadium, sedimentary rocks, Skåne, uranium
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A look at Scandivanadium’s work plan
A few days ago I looked into Scandivanadium’s most recent work plan for their exploration target Killeröd, where the company is planning to make 8-10 drill holes. In the work plan the company repeats the same old story; i.e. that … Continue reading
Study visit to Potsdam
Last week I spent a few days in Potsdam, on a study visit with members of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences‘ class V, which is the class for Geosciences. Our first stop was at GFZ, where we got an … Continue reading
Posted in Thoughts and Tales, Travels
Tagged climate change, earth sciences, polar research
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Brachiopods are not bivalves
In one of my last blogs, I addressed the answers I got from the qualified geologist who is hired by Scandivanadium, i.e. whether bottom water conditions were oxygen poor or not during the formation of the Dictyonema Shale and whether … Continue reading
Posted in Alum Shale, Österlen, Shales, Thoughts and Tales
Tagged Alum Shale, Österlen, Dictyonema shale, Scandivanadium, Skåne
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Stepperiders revisted
It is seven years ago that I spent a month at Stepperiders in Mongolia, where I had a really fantastic time. I documented my stay in my blog after I had come back home again, because internet access was not … Continue reading
Posted in Mongolia 2012, Thoughts and Tales, Travels
Tagged horseback riding, memories, Mongolia, Stepperiders, volunteering
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Obsessed by the Swedish Alum Shale
I would almost say that I have become obsessed with the Swedish Alum Shale. With this super boring dark grey to black shale that has hardly any fossils in it and was deposited 500 million years ago on an even … Continue reading
Posted in Alum Shale, Österlen, Shales, Thoughts and Tales
Tagged Alum Shale, Österlen, geochemistry, Scandivanadium, Skåne
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A question to Scandivanadium
In my e-mail correspondence I found some lines from Scandivanadium’s CEO David Minchin, where he writes that since the Vanadium bearing Dictyonema Formation sits on top of the Cambrian Alum Shale, Scandivanadium will not have to dig up the Alum … Continue reading
Posted in Alum Shale, Österlen, Shales, Thoughts and Tales
Tagged Alum Shale, Österlen, Dictyonema, Scandivanadium, Skåne, Vanadium
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Mining and the Alum Shale in focus
I spent most of yesterday in the building of the Swedish Parliament. This was a nice change to my usual environment, the campus of Stockholm University at Frescati, and the Department of Geological Sciences in the Geoscience building. The reason … Continue reading
Posted in Alum Shale, Österlen, Shales, Thoughts and Tales
Tagged Alum Shale, Österlen, mining in Sweden, Skåne, Vanadium
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New course starts Monday!
Tomorrow our Master course (Field Studies in Geological Sciences) starts, which will have a clear focus on Applied Geology and will be almost completely different compared to last year’s course. We are very lucky that we could recruit an adjunct … Continue reading
Metals versus organics
It may not be easy for a person who has no or little geological or geochemical knowledge to read geological literature or to interpret geological maps. Yet all of this, or most of this literature is available and can be … Continue reading
Mining and exploration in focus on Swedish Television
A few days ago, the Swedish news program Agenda reported on the protest movement VetoNu, which works to prevent mining of Alum Shale in Österlen. As I have written earlier, the UK/Australian company Scandivanadium wants to explore the Alum Shale … Continue reading
Posted in Alum Shale, Österlen, Shales, Thoughts and Tales
Tagged Alum Shale, Österlen, geochemistry, Jämtland, mine spoil, Scandivanadium, sustianability, Vanadium, vanadium uranium, VetoNu.
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Flagabro and the Dictyonema shale
Flagabro is a small hamlet in eastern Skåne. Lately it has gained international fame. Well – this is actually not entirely correct, because it is not the hamlet that is famous, but the creek that runs close to the hamlet … Continue reading
Posted in Alum Shale, Österlen, Shales, Thoughts and Tales
Tagged Alum Shale, alunskiffer, Österlen, Dictyonema, Flagabro, Scandivanadium, Skåne, vanadin, Vanadium
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A shale is a shale and a sandstone is a sandstone
In my last blog I showed how different the geochemical composition of a shale is as compared to a sandstone. In my example I compared a typical sandstone from southern Sweden with a typical shale and limestone from southern Sweden. … Continue reading
Posted in Alum Shale, Österlen, Shales, Thoughts and Tales
Tagged Alum Shale, Andrarum, Österlen, Degerhamn, Exploration permits, groundwater, Kvarntorp, mining in Sweden, Oviken, pollution, Scandivanadium, Skåne, uranium, Vanadium
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Different name, same content
In its latest update (23rd of April 2019), Scandivanadium, the company which is exploring Österlen’s Alum Shale for mining of Vanadium, no longer calls the Dictyonema shale (where most of the Vanadium is located) a shale (or an Alum Shale), … Continue reading
Posted in Alum Shale, Österlen, Shales, Thoughts and Tales
Tagged Alum Shale, Österlen, Dictyonema, geochemistry, groundwater, mine spoil, pollution, Scandivanadium, Skåne, uranium, Vanadium
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500 million year old mud and clay
In my last blog I started to write about Alum Shale and more specifically about the Alum Shale of southernmost Sweden, which is about 500 million years old. It is fascinating that geologists can read these old rocks and reconstruct … Continue reading
Posted in Alum Shale, Österlen, Thoughts and Tales
Tagged Alum Shale, Österlen, Drill cores, geology, trace elements, uranium, Vanadium
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Becoming a Nimby
Three years have gone by since my last blog entry. A lot has happened during the past three years and I just felt far too busy to commit to writing a blog. But today I decided to start writing again. … Continue reading
Posted in Alum Shale, Österlen, Thoughts and Tales
Tagged Alum Shale, Österlen, Bergsstaten, Scandivanadium, Skåne, Vanadium
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SGU in focus
The Geological Survey of Sweden (SGU) has made media headlines during the past days. This government “expert agency for issues relating to bedrock, soil and groundwater in Sweden” recently changed is director and with the change in directors, there always … Continue reading
Human adaptation to climate change in prehistoric NE Thailand?
This pretty challenging line, however without the question mark, is the title of a new manuscript, which we submitted yesterday. For this manuscript we pulled together all the paleoclimate evidences we have for Northeast Thailand based on our sedimentary records … Continue reading
Posted in Asian monsoon, Singapore sabbatical, Thoughts and Tales
Tagged Asian monsoon, Asian monsoon project, Department of Geological Sciences, Earth Observatory of Singapore, Geological Sciences, lake sediments, monsoon history, Nanyang Technical University, natural science, science, sediments, Stockholm University, Sweden
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Student exchange opportunities! Grab it!
Why not spend some time in tropical Singapore, where the sun is (almost) always shining and temperatures never fall below 25 degrees C, and combine this with studying geosciences? Thanks to an agreement between the science faculties at Stockholm University … Continue reading
Posted in Singapore sabbatical, Thoughts and Tales
Tagged Asian School of the Environment, Department of Geological Sciences, Earth Observatory of Singapore, Exchange studies, Geological Sciences, geology, Geosciences, Nanyang Technical University, natural science, science, Singapore, Stockholm University, Students, Sweden, undergraduate students
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A view from far away
When I am abroad (and of course also when I am back home) I try to keep updated on what is going on by reading a variety of online news in the languages I know and by browsing through my … Continue reading
It is actually a great feeling …
…. when your PhD student manages to get a paper accepted in Nature. It never happened to me before, but today was the day! Francesco, who had worked so hard on this paper and on the replies to the various … Continue reading
Barbara Wohlfarth 