Our hidden mineral resources

Mankind will need more mineral resources in the next half-century than In the whole of its previous history. This applies to all types of minerals but particularly to fuels and to rare metals and elements. In many of the modern alloys and materials used in industry and science, many different constituents are added to the basic metals, including large quantities of rare elements.

Many kinds of minerals, occurring in large deposits, are being rapidly exhausted or In some cases have already been exhausted. This is especially true of iron ores, manganese, chromium, nickel, copper, lead, zinc, gold, silver and platinum.

Fewer deposits of metallic and nonmetallic minerals are being discovered near the surface and at depths of two or three kilometres. Prospectors are concentrating more and more onv deeper levels of the earth's crust.

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