Mineral Engineering Student Has Unusual Summer Job

Mineral Engineering student Brandon Pease found himself with an unusual summer job. He was not only gaining knowledge in mineral engineering and blasting techniques, but he was also helping to preserve a New Mexico landmark.

The Kneeling Nun is a rock formation near Santa Rita, New Mexico, and also at the edge of an open pit copper mine owned by Chino Mines. Chino's problem was how to remove copper ore from the mine without damaging the Nun, which is a 90-foot tall pillar of volcanic tuff. The rock pillar was named for its resemblance to a nun kneeling at an altar and, according to legend, asking forgiveness for past sins.

Phelps Dodge called on experts at New Mexico Tech to help monitor the Kneeling Nun. Dr. Cathy Aimone-Martin, blasting vibration specialist and associate professor of mineral engineering, and Brandon Pease, a senior in mineral engineering, spent the summer doing work which will help protect the formation.

"The fundamental problem is in vibrational control of structures," explains Pease. "There's a lot of demand in the mining industry for people who understand how to control blasting vibrations, but there are not a lot of people studying the subject in universities. Working under Cathy I'm getting a great background in the subject."

There are many practical applications for this type of work. Pease says, "Another mineral engineering student, Fernando Rodriquez, is doing a similar study near Farmington, on controlling blasting vibrations in residences."

Preserving a landmark is only part of the challenge facing Pease and Aimone. In addition, a pair of endangered peregrine falcons are nesting on a rock ledge facing the Kneeling Nun. Regulations require that people must keep at least 1000 feet away during the nesting season.

Before the nesting season started, experienced rock climbers scaled the Kneeling Nun to place vibration sensors on top. A cable leads to the seismograph recording unit 1000 feet away so researchers can download rock motion information as the pinnacle resonates from nearby blasting. There are also sensors, each with its own seismograph, at the base of the Nun and at a nearby wall of the mine.

Pease explains, "Before this project, the mining company had one recording machine which had to be switched every two weeks between sensors at the top and base of the Nun. We couldn't get data for the top and bottom of the rock pinnacle simultaneously from the same blast. We redesigned the data collection system to obtain vibration data for the base and top over the same blasting time period. In this manner, we can provide better analysis to monitor the stability of the Nun during future mining operations."

Pease's summer job, which included setting up the data base for the data to be collected, will continue into the fall. He'll be back on the Tech campus, analyzing the data. He says, "The plan is for this project to continue for about 5 years. Phelps Dodge will have to monitor the Nun's stability on a continuous basis."

Pease adds that, depending on what the study shows, Phelps Dodge has several possible actions they could take to protect the Kneeling Nun as mining progresses closer to the pinnacle. For instance, they could make changes in their blasting design, modifying the timing of each charge or the direction of blasthole initiation. He says, "There are plenty of things a blaster can do to reduce vibrations, and we hope to be able to give them the data to base their decisions on."

Pease concludes, "Tech mineral engineering students who want challenging summer jobs are always able to find them. It looks great on your resume when you graduate."