Mynydd Parys Cu-Pb-Zn mines: mineralogy, microbiology and acid mine drainage

Mynydd Parys in Anglesey is the site of two famous mines which dominated copper production in the early industrial revolution, and is still under investigation for possible future deep mining. It is now a valuable research site for its ore deposits, being an excellent example of the volcanic-associated massive sulphide ('VMS') type, its primary and post-mining mineralogy, surface water geochemistry, and related specialized microbiology and problems of acid mine drainage, as well as for its industrial and archaeological record. This chapter discusses the general background to these different geochemical aspects and their specific occurrence and intricate interdependence on Mynydd Parys as well as the problems posed by the management of such a site.