History & Geology
Critical Metals: Copper
May 2012 by Chris Ralph
From time to time I’ve been doing a series on critical metals and how important they are to our complex and technological society. This month we are going to take a look at copper, and how important that metal is to our modern lives.
All About Chalcopyrite
…there are loads of different copper minerals, but a large number of them form first in the ground as chalcopyrite and then through the effects of weathering are changed into other minerals like malachite, cuprite and chrysocolla.
The Birimian Greenstone Belts of West Africa
The country we were to visit was Burkina Faso, a small country about the same size of my home state of Nevada with about 10 times more people. The second day I was in Africa, we went out to the goldfields for the first time.
Alaska: Kodiak Islands Mineral Resources
The fresh material is worked and concentrated by the waves on the flat, wide beach platform. The waves wash away the lighter minerals, leaving the heavies near the bluffs and in depressions on the beach.Prospecting With The Help of Fluvial Geomorphology
Quiz yourself about the stream in figure 5. Based on your previous knowledge of where gold is found in a stream and in this article, where do you think you will find the most gold?
Nevada's Lithium Boom
When prospecting for lithium, after confirming for macro attributes through research and field work, including examination of surface geology, the main tool is an accurate lithium assay.
Understanding Large Gold Deposit Types: Discovering New Mines
The other opportunity that I see is in seeking unusual types of deposits. Specifically, the prospector would be searching for the stuff no one (or almost no one) is searching for. These deposits are effectively hiding in plain view.
Reese River Silver Mining District, Nevada
The strike and the dip of the veins can be broken down into two categories: veins in the eastern area and along Lander Hill, and the veins in the southwestern portion of the district.
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