Where is the most uranium found in New Mexico?
Almost all uranium in New Mexico is found in the Grants mineral belt along the south margin of the San Juan Basin in McKinley and Cibola counties in the northwest part of the state. Stretching northwest to southeast, the mineral belt contains the Chuska, Gallup, Ambrosia Lake, and Laguna uranium mining districts.
Can you find turquoise in New Mexico?
Turquoise deposits are widely distributed in New Mexico in a triangular- shaped region extending from Santa Fe County at the northern apex to Otero, Dofra Ana, and Grant Counties in the south.
Can you mine in New Mexico?
New Mexico currently mines a diverse set of natural resources, and is a leading state in the mining of several minerals, including potash, perlite, zeolite, copper, and molybdenum. New Mexico generates 1.7 percent of total US non-energy minerals production value (not including coal).
Is uranium still mined in New Mexico?
There are currently no operating uranium mines in New Mexico. There is exploratory drilling activity and plans to develop mines at old mine sites and proven ore bodies. At this time, there is no operating uranium mill in New Mexico to process the ore.
Are parts of New Mexico Radioactive?
The radioactive deposits of north-central New Mexico are some- what more diversified, but the majority of them are of two types: uraniferous copper deposits associated with carbonized plant remains in arkoses, sandstones, and siltstones of Permian and Triassic age; and radioactive coals and black shales of Jurassic and …
Is pegmatite rock valuable?
Pegmatite is an economically-important rock because it is the source material for lithium, cesium, and rare earth elements and because it may hold large gemstones.
Why is there so much turquoise in New Mexico?
Turquoise occurs in spots where acidic water comes into contact with copper, forming veins or nuggets of stone. This solidified hydrated copper aluminum phosphate has been found in Russia, China, and Iran as well as across the Southwest United States in Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, southern California, and New Mexico.