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Laboratory Manual for Introductory Geology 4e

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The minerals and elements we most rely on are typically present in small

amounts in the crust, in quantities far too small to mine profitably. Economically

viable mineral deposits are found where the rock-forming processes that we will

explore in Chapters 5, 6, and 7 concentrate the desired elements far beyond their

average abundances. Such deposits are rare and are not distributed equally across

the globe. Locations of selected mineral deposits in the United States are shown in

FIGURE 3.8, and the economic values of 2017 production are shown in FIGURE 3.9.

(To learn more about the status of the mineral commodity industry, you can examine

the annual summaries published by the United States Geological Survey, available

online at https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/mcs/.)

FIGURE 3.8 Locations of selected mineral deposits in the contiguous United States.

B3

P2

Mg

P2

0

0

250

150

500 km

300 miles

Beryllium

Copper, lead, zinc

Copper ± silver

Copper, molybdenum

Gold

Gold + silver

Iron

Molybdenum

Platinum

Zinc

Mg = Magnesium

P2 = Gold and silver

B3 = Lead and zinc ± copper

± silver

(a) Ore mineral deposits.

Peat

Dia

Peat

Dia

P

Dia

Bar

Dia

MgCp He

Bar

MgCp

NaC

Gyp Bar

P

MgCp

Dia

B

NaC

Gyp

B

P

MgCp

S

S K

S

He

He

He Gyp

He

He

He

Salt

Peat

Salt

S

0

0

Peat

Peat

250

150

S

S

MgCp

K Peat

S

Peat

S

500 km

300 miles

Bar

Salt

Peat

Peat

Ver

P

Ver

Kya

Peat

P

Pyrp

Peat

PPeat

P Peat

MgCp

Clay

Feldspar

Gypsum

Halite

Mica

Sulfur

Talc

Dia = Diatomite

Bar = Barite

Gyp = Gypsum

NaC = Soda ash

S = Sulfur

K = Potash

Ver = Vermiculite

Pyrp = Pyrophyllite

B = Borates

MgCp = Magnesium

Compounds

(b) Industrial mineral deposits.

70 CHAPTER 3 MINERALS

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