The bottom fauna of china clay waste deposits in Mevagissey Bay

Abstract

The mining of china clay in Cornwall is an industry dating from the middle of the eighteenth century, and one which has grown to major prominence in the south-western peninsula, as illustrated by the historical accounts of Barton (1966) and Hudson (1969). Present-day mining processes give rise to two main types of particulate waste. The coarser waste, or tip-sand, is deposited on land to form the massive white tips which characterize the scenery of the Cornish china clay mining areas, although small amounts may be used locally as a building aggregate. The finer-grained waste, known as micaceous residue, is produced in lesser quantities and is disposed of in a different manner.