MINERALS ARE THE MAJOR SOURCE OF THE "ELEMENTS"

THESE "ELEMENTS” ARE THE FUNDAMENTAL BUILDING BLOCKS OF ALL LIFE AND ALL MATERIAL THINGS'. THEY OCCUR IN NATURE ALMOST ALWAYS IN CHEMICAL COMBINATIONS OF TWO OR MORE ELEMENTS.

IN THE EARTH'S CRUST THE TOP FEW MILES - OXIDES OF SILICON, ALUMINUM, IRON, AND CALCIUM ARE MOST COMMON, BUT MOST ELEMENTS ARE SO RARE THAT THEIR AVERAGE CONCENTRATION IN THE CRUST CAN BE MEASURED ONLY IN SMALL FRACTIONS OF A PERCENT OR IN PARTS PER MILLION! FOR EXAMPLE:

CONCENTRATED DEPOSITS OF MINERALS MUST BE FOUND BY
EXPLORATION.

The direction and emphasis of exploration for a given mineral commodity is both a measure of the resource potential of specific areas or geologic features and a reflection of trends in the utilization of that mineral commodity.

Despite increasing demand for minerals and major new domestic exploration in 1972 for copper, fluorine, gold, silver, molybdenum, nickel, oil and gas, and zinc, overall domestic exploration was reduced in 1972.

Causes of decline in mineral exploration include:

Short-term uncertainties in demand for some metals;
Uncertainties over future restrictions on land use;
Prospecting moratorium in some areas;

New pollution-control measures at domestic mines
and smelters that have closed some and increased
costs at others; and

Ad valorem tax laws in some states that discourage or limit exploration.

Additional details of 1972 exploration are provided in
Appendix II.

After valuable mineral deposits are found, they must be developed for mining.

MINERAL RAW MATERIALS MINED WERE VALUED AT $32 BILLION

As near-surface and high-grade deposits are mined out, it is necessary to move to deeper and lower-grade deposits. Mining operations now extend to the continental shelves and are expected to extend to the seabeds.

Today half of the coal, two-thirds of the oil, and important fractions of other minerals remain behind after mining has ceased. Inherently safe mining systems must be developed that will also improve present extraction ratios. Mining systems must also operate with minimum damage to the environment.

The wide-scale use of huge mechanized equipment in mining has changed mining from a labor-intensive to a capital-intensive industry, but a skilled and stable labor force is highly important to productivity.

After mining, the transportation net becomes important.