Postcards from the Field

The best (and perhaps most fun) way to access the Rio Chama Canyon Wilderness is by boat. Recently, a team of mappers spent a week completing field work along the river’s edge, accessing the geology exposed in several of the larger tributaries.

Mine wastes, including mill tailings (the byproduct of mineral processing after ore minerals have been separated from ore), waste rock piles (non-ore that must be removed to mine ore), and mine water are being examined as potential sources of critical minerals. Critical minerals are materials that are important to a country’s national security, economy, and have supply chains that are vulnerable to disruption. In the United States, the USGS has defined 50 critical minerals, many of which are important for green energy technologies. The New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources is working closely with the USGS to inventory and characterize mine wastes in New Mexico. Recently, we had the opportunity to test a new method for characterizing mine wastes: radiometric surveys using an unmanned aerial system (UAS), more commonly known as a drone.

The Society of Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration, Inc. (SME) held their annual conference the week before last in Phoenix, AZ. SME is the international professional society for the mining industry. This year, New Mexico Tech sent 28 students and six professors and staff, many of whom work on NMBGMR-sponsored projects.