Latest news with #geologists
Sustainability Times
3 days ago
- Business
- Sustainability Times
Secret Gold Megatrove Revealed: Massive $84 Billion Deposit Unearthed by Experts in One of the World's Richest Soil Zones
IN A NUTSHELL 🌍 Beneath the hills of Hunan Province, China, a massive gold reserve valued at $85 billion has been discovered. valued at $85 billion has been discovered. 🔍 Advanced three-dimensional geological modeling played a key role in locating the rich gold veins. played a key role in locating the rich gold veins. 💡 The discovery positions Hunan Province as a potential leader in China's gold mining sector , promising economic growth. , promising economic growth. 🌱 Environmental concerns are high, with strict regulatory oversight promised to balance industrial progress with ecological responsibility. Deep beneath the rolling hills of Pingjiang County, Hunan Province, China, a monumental geological discovery is set to redefine the global gold industry. A team of esteemed geologists has unearthed one of the largest gold reserves in recent memory. Hidden more than 1.2 miles underground, this treasure trove holds over 1,000 metric tons of gold, valued at approximately $85 billion. This revelation, facilitated by cutting-edge prospecting technologies, marks a significant chapter in China's resource extraction narrative. The Wangu gold field, now recognized as one of the richest untapped mineral deposits, is capturing the attention of both domestic and international mining circles. Visible Gold and a Rare Density Within the Wangu gold field, over 40 gold veins have been identified, penetrating the bedrock at depths reaching 1.86 miles. Initial explorations at about 1.24 miles revealed reserves of around 300 tons, but subsequent drillings exposed deeper layers with even more promise. The ore extracted from these depths boasts a gold concentration as high as 138 grams per metric ton, a grade seldom observed in modern, large-scale mining operations. As ore-prospecting expert Chen Rulin points out, the presence of visible gold within the drilled rock cores underscores the exceptional quality of mineralization found at this site. The visible gold, typically encountered only in smaller high-grade samples, has elevated the Wangu deposit to comparisons with the world's most productive mines. Jaya Anand Singh's Research Path : A Journey from Curiosity to Contribution Technology Behind the Breakthrough The discovery of the Wangu gold field is not merely a stroke of geological fortune but the result of advanced technological innovation. Cutting-edge surveying methods, particularly three-dimensional geological modeling, have played a pivotal role in this breakthrough. These technologies enabled scientists to accurately identify subterranean formations, guiding drill rigs with unprecedented precision towards gold-rich zones. Liu Yongjun, the deputy director of the Hunan Geological Bureau, has confirmed ongoing drilling efforts around the main deposit's periphery, leading to the discovery of additional gold veins. As exploration continues, the potential to expand the known boundaries of this vast deposit grows, promising even greater mineral wealth. 'It Didn't Burn My Eyes!': Scientists Finally Create a Real Tear-Free Onion That Keeps All the Taste Without the Crying A New Mining Frontier in Central China The enormous scale of the Wangu deposit positions Hunan Province as a burgeoning powerhouse in China's gold mining sector. The development of this field is likely to stimulate significant investment, not only in mining operations but also in the region's infrastructure. This includes enhancing transport and energy networks necessary to support such a large-scale mining endeavor. Technicians from the Hunan Province Geological Disaster Survey and Monitoring Institute are already busy assessing rock samples and preparing for broader extraction efforts. Although a precise timeline for commercial mining has not been established, the field's potential ensures it will be a priority for future development, promising substantial economic growth for the region. 'They Finally Saw It!': James Webb Captures 14 Herculis c, the Mysterious Exoplanet Hidden in Darkness for Over Two Decades Environmental Watchdogs Remain Alert The scale of planned extraction has naturally drawn scrutiny from environmental watchdogs. Large-scale gold mining at such depths poses several environmental risks, including land subsidence, water contamination, and carbon emissions. In response, authorities in Hunan have committed to conducting operations under stringent regulatory oversight. Experts suggest that the development of the Wangu gold field could serve as a benchmark for harmonizing industrial ambition with environmental stewardship. While the reserve's size is headline-worthy, the methods employed in its extraction could prove equally significant, potentially setting new standards for environmentally responsible mining practices. The discovery of the Wangu gold field presents monumental opportunities and challenges. As the world watches this unfolding saga, the decisions made in the coming years could have far-reaching implications for both the global gold market and environmental policies. How will the balance between resource extraction and ecological responsibility be navigated in this new era of mining? This article is based on verified sources and supported by editorial technologies. Did you like it? 4.5/5 (22)
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Science
- Daily Mail
Is Yellowstone's supervolcano on the brink of erupting? Scientists discover a new HOLE in one of the park's basins
Scientists have just discovered a new hole in a basin in Yellowstone National Park - raising fears the supervolcano could be on the brink of erupting. The unsettling 13-foot gap is located at Norris Geyser Basin – one of the hottest, oldest and most dynamic of Yellowstone's thermal areas. Experts at the United States Geological Survey (USGS) say it formed over several months, starting at around Christmas 2024. Despite being a channel of bubbling volcanic activity, a photo from the government agency shows the cavity as a serene pool. With its unusually light blue water and brilliant white sand, the scene looks like it was captured on a faraway planet. The discovery comes just four months after the USCS discovered a newly opened volcanic vent in Yellowstone, spewing steam into the air. Yellowstone is one of the world's largest active volcanoes - and if it erupted, it would cover up to two-thirds of the US with ash. Entire states could become uninhabitable as toxic air sweeps through it, grounding thousands of flights and forcing millions to leave their homes. The new thermal feature, discovered by geologists on April 10 but only revealed this week, is a 'blue water spring' – a natural exit point producing exceptionally pure, clear water. The water is relatively warm (about 43°C/109°F), light blue in colour and reaches about one foot (30cm) below the rim of the pool. In terms of the cause of its creation, the experts point to a 'hydrothermal explosion' – an eruption of such force that boiling water, mud and surrounding rocks are broken and flung through the air. Satellite imagery suggests it happened as a series of mildly explosive events between late December 2024 and early February 2025 prior to discovery. The imagery shows there was no feature present in the spot on December 19, but by January 6, a small depression had formed there. Another image from February 13 shows the fully formed water pool, overall indicating that it did not form in a single major explosive event. Rocks and pure white geothermal mud made of silica surrounding the pool were probably ejected during 'multiple small events'. In contrast, other hydrothermal features at Yellowstone have formed during 'brief and violent episodes of change'. What is Yellowstone? One of the most famous volcanos on Earth, Yellowstone is located beneath a national park spanning three states - Idaho, Wyoming and Montana. There lies a magma chamber, pulsing with molten and superheated rock and toxic gases such as sulfur dioxide (SO2) and hydrogen sulfide (H2S). Old Faithful, Yellowstone National Park's famous geyser, which has erupted jets of boiling water every 44 to 125 minutes into the air continuously for the last 800 years. Erupting an average of 130 feet into the air at 200°F the thermal attraction could prove fatal to anyone in close proximity when it blows. When we think of volcanoes we tend to think of striking cone-shaped features that rise high into the sky, but Yellowstone volcano is largely underground. Yellowstone volcano blew catastrophically 630,000 years ago and many fear it's getting ready for another eruption, but fortunately, the new hole doesn't necessarily indicate it is in any immediate danger of doing so. Dr Craig Magee, geologist at the University of Leeds, stressed that Yellowstone has a 'long history of hydrothermal activity'. 'There are lots of small earthquakes and subtle changes in ground elevation regularly recorded there,' he told MailOnline. 'All these tell-tale signs, and others, indicate Yellowstone has an active magmatic and hydrothermal system beneath it. 'But the occurrence of one event, like this single hydrothermal explosion, is unlikely to represent increasing volcanic activity or a move closer to eruption; it is just a symptom.' According to the academic, if Yellowstone had 'swarms' of hydrothermal explosions, plus increasing seismic activity and ground movement, it could suggest increased activity level. However, volcanoes do not work in predictable ways and their eruptions do not follow predictable patterns or schedules. Hydrothermal explosions are caused by pressure changes that result from the transition of liquid water to steam, but even scientists know 'relatively little' about them, according to Dr Magee. 'In Yellowstone, hydrothermal explosions are one of the main hazards the numerous tourists who visit may come across,' he said. Despite its potency, Yellowstone National Park's famous volcanic activity draws about 4 million tourists per year from around the world. One of the park's most famous geothermal features, the Old Faithful geyser, spews jets of boiling water every 44-125 minutes. According to a recent study, Yellowstone's magma chamber is just 2.3 miles (3.8km) or about 12,500 feet below Earth's surface. This marginal distance is about the same as between Buckingham Palace and St Paul's Cathedral in London, but the study authors also did not consider an eruption to be imminent. Nasa believes drilling up to six miles (10km) down into the supervolcano beneath Yellowstone National Park to pump in water at high pressure could cool it. Despite the fact that the mission would cost $3.46 billion (£2.63 billion), Nasa considers it 'the most viable solution.' Using the heat as a resource also poses an opportunity to pay for plan - it could be used to create a geothermal plant, which generates electric power at extremely competitive prices of around $0.10 (£0.08) per kWh. But this method of subduing a supervolcano has the potential to backfire and trigger the supervolcanic eruption Nasa is trying to prevent. 'Drilling into the top of the magma chamber 'would be very risky;' however, carefully drilling from the lower sides could work. This USGS graphic shows how a 'super eruption' of the molten lava under Yellowstone National Park would spread ash across the United States Even besides the potential devastating risks, the plan to cool Yellowstone with drilling is not simple. Doing so would be an excruciatingly slow process that one happen at the rate of one metre a year, meaning it would take tens of thousands of years to cool it completely. And still, there wouldn't be a guarantee it would be successful for at least hundreds or possibly thousands of years.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Another hole has formed at Yellowstone National Park, geologists say
More geological changes are occurring at Yellowstone National Park, as another hole forms in one of the park's basins. The hole is a blue water spring, discovered by geologists in April as they conducted routine maintenance of temperature logging stations at Norris Geyser Basin, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. MORE: Hidden magma cap discovered at Yellowstone National Park The pool, located in the Porcelain Basin sub-basin west of a patch of vegetation known as "Tree Island," was not there during their last visit to the area in the fall, according to the USGS. The water is light blue in color and is about 1 foot deep below the rim. It's geological features indicate it formed as a result of a hydrothermal explosion -- an event caused by pressure changes that result from the transition of liquid water to steam, according to the USGS. MORE: Researchers working to save whitebark pine, a declining keystone tree species in the greater Yellowstone area The pool measures about 13 feet in diameter and is surrounded by numerous small rocks about 1 foot across. The rocks are covered by light gray, sandy mud. It is "not surprising" that a hydrothermal explosion occurred at the site, as it has happened several times in recent decades, according to the USGS. The North Geyser Basin is the "most dynamic" area in Yellowstone, the agency said. High-resolution satellite imagery indicates that the hole was not present on Dec. 19, but images taken on Jan. 6 show a depression that had formed in the area. By Feb. 13, the pool had been filled with water, the satellite images show. More will hydrothermal explosions will likely be recorded, as a monitoring station installed in 2023 can detect geophysical data indicating an explosion. MORE: Yellowstone visitors are getting so comfortable with approaching wildlife that park officials are asking them to stop In April 2024, a "small" explosion at the Porcelain Terrace left a crater measuring several feet across in diameter, according to the USGS. A hole that formed in Yellowstone's Biscuit Basin, near Old Faithful, in July 2024 was also attributed to a hydrothermal explosion, according to the National Park Service. While that hole likely formed in a single major explosive event, the newest thermal feature appears to have formed by multiple small events that initially threw rocks but later threw silica mud a short distance, creating a small pit that became filled with silica-rich water. MORE: Yellowstone supervolcano has a lot more magma than previously thought: Scientists Geologists estimate that the feature probably started to develop on Dec. 25, with further activity occurring through late January and early February, according to the USGS. Beneath Yellowstone National Park lies a complex and extensive volcanic system. The park is thoroughly monitored by the USGS and the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory.
Gizmodo
15-07-2025
- Science
- Gizmodo
There's a Strange New Hole in Yellowstone National Park
Last April, geologists conducting routine maintenance at temperature logging stations in Yellowstone National Park's Norris Geyser Basin found something unexpected: a previously undocumented thermal pool of blue water. The newly identified pool, found in the Porcelain Basin subbasin, is about 13 feet (4 meters) wide, its idyllic blue water is around 109 degrees Fahrenheit (43 degrees Celsius), and the water's surface sits about one foot (30 centimeters) below the rim of the pool, according to a United States Geological Survey statement. The geologists found light-gray mud-covered rocks, including rocks up to one foot wide (30 cm), surrounding the pool. How did this feature form? According to the geologists, the clues actually paint a relatively clear picture: the pool likely resulted from a hydrothermal explosion—when liquid water turns to steam and causes underground pressure changes, creating a steam blast. Hydrothermal explosions are not uncommon at Norris Geyser Basin, which has experienced similar events before. Well-documented ones include the 1989 explosion of Porkchop Geyser. More recently, a new monitoring station installed in 2023 detected an explosion in the Porcelain Terrace area on April 15, 2024. Satellite imagery shows that the new pool did not exist before December 19, 2024. By January 6, 2025, a small cavity had begun to take shape, and on February 13, the water pool had fully formed. However, the recently installed monitoring station—which detects hydrothermal activity via infrasound (extremely low-frequency sound waves)—did not register any strong or distinct explosions during that time. It did, though, detect a number of weak acoustic signals from the direction of the pool, including on December 25, 2024, January 15, 2025, and February 11, 2025, but without an associated seismic signal that would normally accompany a strong explosion. As such, the pool likely formed after a number of smaller explosions chucked out rocks and silica mud, as opposed to a single big event. Silica-rich water then filled the resulting hole. The activity probably started on December 25, 2024, and continued in January and early February of this year. Norris Geyser Basin is the oldest and most active thermal area in Yellowstone and hosts the tallest geyser—a sporadically explosive hot water spring—on Earth. Yellowstone itself has over 10,000 thermal features, such as geysers, hot springs, steam vents, and mudpots, which attract tourists and scientists alike from all over the globe. The thermal activity is driven by an underground magma reservoir (part of the giant Yellowstone volcano complex), which heats up groundwater and triggers a series of chemical and physical reactions. Ultimately, the finding shows that even the most studied landscapes can still surprise us.
New York Times
12-07-2025
- Science
- New York Times
Denver Museum Finds a Dinosaur Fossil Under Its Parking Lot
Have you ever searched for a pair of glasses, only to realize that they were on your head the whole time? The Denver Museum of Nature and Science is filled with exhibits of dinosaur skeletons. And in the scientific equivalent of tossing couch cushions, its scientists discovered a dinosaur fossil deep — really deep — below the surface of one of its own parking lots, the museum announced this week. The fossil, estimated to be about 70 million years old, was buried 763 feet below the surface and unearthed because of a drilling project that aimed to better understand the geology of the Denver Basin. The museum wanted to understand the geology to see if it would be possible to replace natural gas with geothermal systems to heat and cool the museum. Two drilling rigs bore test holes under one of the museum's paved parking lots, reaching almost 1,000 feet below the surface. On Jan. 30, one of the museum's geologists, who was sifting through what had been extracted, immediately recognized the dinosaur bone, sending museum staff members into a frenzy. James Hagadorn, the museum's curator of geology, stepped out of a parent-teacher conference as his phone lit up with texts. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
