rare earth minerals, with addition- al deposits of metals and minerals ranging from jade to tin to plati- num to uranium. And don’t forget oil and gas. When it comes to geological di- versity, it turns out size matters. “It’s just so darn big,” Satre said. “When you have a land mass or a jurisdiction that is that large, your chance of having a multitude ZQ XTYP]LW OP[Z^T_^ ^TRYTʭNLY_Wd increases.” The state’s tectonic history also [WLd^L^TRYTʭNLY_]ZWPSPLOOPO “Alaska is this fascinating geo- logic story,” Satre said. “Not all of Alaska was formed at the same time or even at the same place on the globe.” 5`^_ SZb QL]ʮ`YR L]P _SP state’s rocks and hills? Research- ers are now theorizing that the Brooks Range formed in Greenland and “rotated” into its current loca- tion. Or consider Southeast Alaska, which was formed by the meeting of the North American Plate and _SP ;LNTʭN ;WL_P LYO _SPY ɭ^WTO
into place,” Satre said. The result is a recipe for major geologic di- aP]^T_dbT_SXLYdOTʬP]PY_VTYO^ of rock and mineralization in one geographic area. “When you go from island to island here in Southeast Alaska, you’re actually jumping across millions of years of history,” Sa- tre said. “You have this complete variety of geologic processes. That whole process ends up concentrat- ing metals. “The geology is just so fascinat- ing. We have complicated rocks.” This story was presented by the Council of Alaska Producers, work- ing to help Alaskans understand what mining contributes to our state’s economy and how Alaska’s modern mines operate in an envi- ronmentally safe and responsible manner. It was produced by the creative services department of the Anchorage Daily News in collab- oration with Council of Alaska Producers.
METALS, CONTINUED from PAGE 41
found all over Alaska, from rein- forced guardrails along the high- bLd _Z _SP eTYN [WL_P^ ZY ʭ^STYR boats that attract salt to protect their hulls from corrosion. BSTWP eTYN OPʭNTPYNd T^ ]L]P TY [WLNP^ bSP]P eTYNQZ]_TʭPO QZZO^ are readily available, in some coun- tries it’s a common cause of illness and death. Teck, which operates Red Dog Mine, has partnered with UNICEF and other organizations to LOO]P^^eTYNOPʭNTPYNd?SPNZX - pany says more than 140 million people have been served by its Zinc & Health program. Alaska’s ‘complicated’ geology Along with the silver, gold, zinc LYOWPLOMPTYR[]ZO`NPOL_T_^ʭaP major metal mines, Alaska is also rich in copper, coal, graphite and
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The Alaska Miner
January 2020
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