Study GuideGeology–Earth Resources We Depend On1. Metallic DepositsWhat Are Metallic Ore Deposits?Metals are found in almost all rocks, but usually in very small amounts. These amounts are often toolow to be worth mining.Metallic oredepositsare different. They areunusual concentrations of metal-rich minerals,usually sulfides, that contain enough metal to be mined for profit.Whether mining is profitable depends on many factors, such as metal prices, mining costs, andtechnology.Some of the most important metals we rely on include:•Iron, copper, and aluminum•Lead, zinc, silver, and gold•Chromium, nickel, cobalt, and manganese•Molybdenum, tungsten, vanadium, tin, and mercury•Magnesium, platinum, and titanium1.1Mineral ExploraƟon: Finding New Ore DepositsMineral explorationis the search for new ore deposits. In the past, many deposits were easy to findbecause they were exposed at Earth’s surface. Today, most surface deposits have already beendiscovered and mined.As a result, modern exploration is more challenging. Scientists now focus on developing new methodsto locate ore deposits that liehundreds or even thousands of feet below the surface, where theycannot be seen directly.Preview Mode
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