File:Muruntau Au mine 2022.jpg

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Muruntau_Au_mine_2022.jpg(720 × 480 pixels, file size: 137 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg)

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Muruntau Gold Mine from space, 2022

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Muruntau Gold Mine from space. In satellite images of central Uzbekistan, a large circular cavity stands out amidst fields of sand and dusty plains. It is Muruntau gold mine, one of the world’s largest sources of gold.

On July 22, 2022, the Operational Land Imager (OLI) on Landsat 8 acquired this natural-color image of the mine. Hundreds of trucks and a conveyor system are used to transport ore to nearby processing facilities. Workers then use a process called heap leaching to extract gold and other precious metals.

The mine taps into the Muruntau gold deposit, thought to be one of the largest single gold deposits on Earth. The deposit was discovered in 1958, and mining began in 1967. The pit is now 3.5 kilometers (1.8 miles) wide and 600 meters (2,000 feet) deep. In 2021, the mine produced as much as 3 million ounces (85,000 kilograms) of gold.

According to geologists, gold is near the surface in this area due to a chain of events that spanned many millions of years. Among them: the closure of an ancient ocean, a period of mountain building, intrusions of granite and water into key rock formations, and the onset of movement along nearby faults.

NASA Earth Observatory image by Joshua Stevens, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey. Story by Adam Voiland.
Date July 22, 2022
Source https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/150159/muruntau-gold-mine
Author NASA Earth Observatory
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(Reusing this file)
Public domain This file is in the public domain in the United States because it was solely created by NASA. NASA copyright policy states that "NASA material is not protected by copyright unless noted". (See Template:PD-USGov, NASA copyright policy page or JPL Image Use Policy.)
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current18:17, 18 August 2022Thumbnail for version as of 18:17, 18 August 2022720 × 480 (137 KB)Tillman (talk | contribs){{Information |Description=Muruntau Gold Mine from space. In satellite images of central Uzbekistan, a large circular cavity stands out amidst fields of sand and dusty plains. It is Muruntau gold mine, one of the world’s largest sources of gold. On July 22, 2022, the Operational Land Imager (OLI) on Landsat 8 acquired this natural-color image of the mine. Hundreds of trucks and a conveyor system are used to transport ore to nearby processing facilities. Workers then use a process called heap...

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