Demand is rising rapidly for many types of metals, along with an increase in e-waste containing valuable and hazardous materials. Knowledgeable researchers believe that metals already in use, in infrastructure, or in waste can make up much, if not most, of the metals that we will need. Opening new mines should be a last resort.
Ancient indigenous people used seven so-called “Metals of Antiquity”; today, our complex technologies require a much longer list of essential metals. Many of these are mined in poorer countries, even though deposits of these important ores are found in the United States.
Geologists love to have a bird’s eye view of landscapes. They are helpful for all types of research - tracing active faults and identifying copper ore deposits among them. In this post there are two stories about geology fieldwork - one about earthquakes in Egypt and the other about copper in Chile, tied together by arid landscapes and helicopters.
Among the high peaks of the Andes Mountains, gold-bearing quartz veins in the granitic bedrock have been exposed by erosion from ice, wind and water. Numerous ancient small gold mines are found at altitudes that cluster around an impressively high elevation of 16,000 feet.
