Earth's resources
Part of Hall of Planet Earth.
AMNH/R.Mickens
The Earth’s resources are many and varied. Some are illustrated by the samples shown here. Coal has long been an important and abundant source of energy, salt is a nutrient necessary for life, and gold has been considered precious throughout human history because of its rarity, malleability, and color.
In This Section
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Gold in conglomerate
Since their discovery in 1886, the Witwatersrand deposits have yielded more than 40,000 tons of gold.
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Coal
Coal is the most abundant fossil fuel. It forms when dead and decaying plants are buried in swamps and marshes.
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Salt
Salt beds form in sedimentary basins where water collects and evaporates.
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What is an ore?
Ore is defined as an economic concentration of minerals. The richness of ores can be vastly different.
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Dwindling resources
Many natural resources renew themselves, but often do so much more slowly than they are extracted and used.