Gold mining on the Shan Plateau, Myanmar
The western margin of the Shan Plateau in Myanmar, in particular the Mogok metamorphic belt, is rich in jade, gemstones such as rubies and emeralds, and gold. At a remote mine about 90 km north of Pyin Oo Lwin, gold is is extracted from quartz veins developed along a fault zone in Precambrian low-grade metamorphics. Ore grades are about 1 ppm. Working conditions are hard, and salaries are low. Here, a worker carries freshly blasted material from the pit to a waiting truck, from where the ore will be transported to a crushing and separating facility.
Taken on 15
February
2019
Submitted on 15 February 2019
Categories
- Energy, Resources and the Environment (295)
- European Geosciences Union (309)
- Field (2717)
- Geochemistry, Mineralogy, Petrology & Volcanology (845)
- Interdisciplinary/Other (784)
- People (290)
Location
- Asia (996)
- South-Eastern Asia (145)
- Myanmar (3)
- Exact location (96.4618 E, 22.4385 N)
Tags
mining, minerals, gold, ore, shan state, myanmar, geopolitics, miner, metals, shan plateau, economic geology, worker
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Credit: Ian Watkinson (distributed via imaggeo.egu.eu)
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