“Standard atomic weights for chemical elements have commonly been considered as constants of nature, along with the speed of light and the attraction of gravity. Hold on to your Newtonian hat and prepare for the possibility of elementary nuances.” Quoted from the USGS press release.
Mineral hardness picks are pencil-like tools that have points made from materials that match the hardness of minerals in the Mohs Hardness Scale. With them you can easily test the hardness of mineral grains in a rock and test the hardness of small-size specimens. In our opinion they are easier to use than pieces of minerals and allow you to obtain more accurate results.
* Joe Bardswich – Moss Gold Mine
* Jerry Aiken and Matt Monte – Holbrook Potash Mine
* David Newlin – community response to potash mining at Holbrook
* Niemuth – mining news
* Kim Patten and Christy Caudill – National Geothermal Data System
“A unique deposit of heavy rare earth elements at Alaska’s Bokan Mountain could help scientists understand how rare earth element deposits form. [...] Currently, very little is known about the geologic setting in which REE deposits form. Understanding these geologic settings and how they come to be is a crucial step to being able to determine where mineable concentrations of REE might be found.” Quoted from the USGS press release.
The Wyoming Geological Survey has published: “Rare Earth Elements in Wyoming”, a report that investigates the production and geologic occurrence of rare earth elements in Wyoming.
The Mosquito Fault cuts through the open pit at the Climax Mine displacing the molybdenite ore body. You can see a great photo of the fault at the Leadville Geology Facebook page.
Geology.com and RockTumbler.com are both GeoShops.com websites.
Lots of people enjoy going to fee mining sites where you can prospect inactive surface mines, mine tailings, soil, sediments or outcrops and keep any rocks, gems, minerals or fossils that you find. Examples include: Herkimer Diamond Mines where you can search for doubly-terminated quartz crystals, and Crater of Diamonds where you might be lucky enough to find a real diamond.
The Arizona Geological Survey published a mineral resource evaluation for the proposed Arizona Sonoran Desert Heritage Area in western Maricopa County.
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court decided not to overturn over 100 years of property transactions in a case involving the ownership of natural gas produced from the Marcellus Shale. Shale gas is not to be treated differently from natural gas produced from a conventional reservoir.
The next Arizona Mining Review features an interview with Dorothy Kosich of MineWeb.com on the potential impact of the proposed Obama budget, and discussion with economist Dr. Kent Hill of Arizona State University on the economic impact of mining on Arizona. Also, a geologist from the Utah Geological Survey will discuss the recent landslide at the Bingham Canyon Mine.
Watch it online on Friday at 10:00-10:30 AM MST-PDT. A video of the program will be available online if you can’t watch at that time.
How diamonds form is one of the most common geological misconceptions. Diamonds form under a variety of conditions that rarely, if ever, involve coal as a source of carbon. In fact, most diamonds formed long before the first coal swamp or land plant!
Triboluminescence is a flash of light produced when a material is subjected to friction, impact or breakage. The phenomenon is also known as fractoluminescence and mechanoluminescence. Triboluminescence is common in minerals because about 50% of crystalline materials are thought to exhibit the property.
Salt Domes are mounds or columns of salt that have risen above their parent rock unit because of the salt’s low specific gravity.
They serve as oil and natural gas reservoirs; sources of sulfur; sources of salt; underground storage sites for oil, natural gas and helium; and, disposal sites for hazardous waste.
“Manufactured sapphire — a material that’s used as transparent armor on military vehicles—could become cheap enough to replace the glass display covers on mobile phones.” Quoted from the MIT press release.
Geologists use the “acid test” to identify carbonate minerals and to detect their presence in rocks. This article describes the acid test and how it can be used.
Arizona Mining Review is a live, online video magazine from the Arizona Geological Survey exploring and reviewing mining in Arizona — its challenges and successes. From potash to copper to gold, from mineral exploration to policy development, tune in to see experts from industry, academia, research, and politics discuss the current state and future of mining in Arizona.
You can view the next program live on Wednesday, March 27th at 10:00 AM – 10:30 AM MST or view archive programs at any time.
Perhaps the biggest listing of retail mineral specimen dealers on the web is the one at The-Vug.com. It includes hundreds of mineral dealers from around the world and links to their websites.
This short video by John Dyer explains the characteristics of well-cut and poorly-cut faceted gemstones. Beautiful faceted stones are a combination of great mineralogy and great craftsmanship.
Botswana has been one of the world’s leaders in the production of gem-quality diamonds but production levels are not sustainable. To diversify their mineral industry the plan is to focus on coal.
The Arizona Geology Blog has an interesting post about how potash deposits in the Holbrook Basin of Arizona have been valued. A Google search shows that Holbrook Basin potash has been frequently discussed on the blog.
Nonfuel mineral production values increased in the United States for the third consecutive year, up $1.7 billion since 2011. [...] The estimated value of mineral raw materials produced at mines in the United States in 2012 was $76.5 billion, a slight increase from $74.8 billion in 2011. Net exports of mineral raw materials and old scrap contributed an additional $21 billion to the U.S. economy.
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Homeowners Insurance usually does not cover damage caused by floods, landslides, earthquakes and other geohazards.
Frac Sand is a high-purity silica sand used in hydraulic fracturing to enhance the flow of oil and gas from tight rock units.
Diamonds from Coal? Diamonds form under a variety of conditions that rarely involve coal as a source of carbon.
Fluorescent Minerals glow with spectacular colors when illuminated in the dark with an ultraviolet lamp.
Helium is a byproduct of the natural gas industry. Its most important use is in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines.
Canada Diamond Mines: Canada is the third largest producer of gem-quality diamonds in the world.
Utica Shale: New wells in eastern Ohio prove that the Utica Shale will be a major source of natural gas and natural gas liquids.
Spectacular Fossils of the Green River Formation. Some of the world's best-preserved fossil fish from an intermountain lake.
Opals: Gem quality opal is one of the most spectacular gemstones. A single stone can flash with every color of the spectrum.
