ANCHORAGE, Alaska, June 5 (UPI) -- A team of U.S. scientists is examining a deposit of rare earth elements in Alaska to better understand how they form.
Scientists working for the U.S. Geological Survey and St. Mary's University in Halifax examined the geochemistry of a granite deposit at Bokan Mountain in Alaska. They said they were examining the granite to determine how rare earth minerals formed.
"This research contributes to more efficient exploration for rare earth element deposits," USGS geologist Susan Karl said in a statement Tuesday from Anchorage. "By knowing more about how rare earth element deposits form, scientists and mining companies can more accurately target rocks that might contain mineable concentrations of these critical minerals."
The USGS said the United States is 100 percent dependent on foreign sources for rare earth minerals. It added there may be deposits of such minerals in 14 U.S. states.
About 95 percent of the rare earth minerals on the world market come from China.
Such materials are critical for manufacturing low-carbon resources such as electric vehicles and wind turbines.
