[b]Source:[/b] [url=http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2011/09/08/3312344.htm]Linkage[/url]
[quote]A massive meteor bombardment 3.9 billion years ago provided most of the gold and other precious metals found near the Earth's surface today, according to a new study.
The research by scientists led Dr Matthias Willbold from the University of Bristol, explains why these minerals are surprisingly abundant in accessible parts of the planet, rather than sinking to the centre of the Earth during its early years.
[img]http://www.abc.net.au/reslib/201109/r824572_7511409.jpg[/img]
As the Earth formed 4.5 billion years ago it was mostly a giant global magma ocean, which differentiated as it cooled. Precious 'iron-loving' metals, such as gold moved into the planet's iron core, leaving lighter silicates on the surface.
Reporting in the journal Nature, Willbold and colleagues claim the relative abundance of precious metals in the Earth's mantle today probably came from a huge meteor storm which ended about 3.9 billion years ago.
This cataclysmic event, called the late heavy bombardment, added between a half and one per cent of additional material to the Earth's mass, forming a veneer on the surface. It was also responsible for many of the Moon's craters. [/quote]
This is fairly interesting as tits
Presumably some aliens saw it and managed to follow it, arriving here to extract it a century and a half ago.
Maybe someone could make this into yet another argument for mining asteroids. The Space Gold Rush!
I'd like to read more about their observations!
[QUOTE=Blanketspace;32192653]Maybe someone could make this into yet another argument for mining asteroids. The Space Gold Rush![/QUOTE]Avatar :v:
Okay guys new plan
we fly to the nearest solid gold meteor and establish our colony
What are we even going to do with the gold? Buy something?
[QUOTE=Shiftyze;32192662]Avatar :v:[/QUOTE]
I'm very curious as to what you see in my avatar, because I see a toaster, a piece of toast, and some circles, as well as the word "Metallocrustomachinaism". I know what it represents though, and I've always wondered what other people see it as.
[QUOTE=Sobotnik;32192672]What are we even going to do with the gold? Buy something?[/QUOTE]
We're gonna use the gold to pay for more materials to get more gold!
Honestly though gold is very important for use in electronics so we're gonna need more of it as the time goes by, or we'll have to melt down what we have and recycle a lot
[QUOTE=Sobotnik;32192672]What are we even going to do with the gold? Buy something?[/QUOTE]
Still not enough to pay for U.S.'s debt.
[QUOTE=Blanketspace;32192682]I'm very curious as to what you see in my avatar, because I see a toaster, a piece of toast, and some circles, as well as the word "Metallocrustomachinaism". I know what it represents though, and I've always wondered as to what other people see it as.[/QUOTE]Looks like a fat man that is so fat he has tiny arms. He is also so full of acne his face has the texture of gravel rocks from a park. And there are circles around him because he is traveling through space and time very slowly, so slow you can see the ripples of time its self.
I wondor how many millions of unknown minerals there are in only our universe.
[QUOTE=killover;32192811]I wondor how many millions of unknown minerals there are in only our universe.[/QUOTE]
Probably four or five (I don't mean millions) based on our information we have now.
I remember reading how scientists believe it's very unlikely that there's a an element we haven't seen yet.
So there's gold on the moon?
Neat.
[QUOTE=TamTamJam;32192821]So there's gold on the moon?[/QUOTE]
That's cheese you fool
[QUOTE=CjienX;32192851]That's cheese you fool[/QUOTE]
Cheese is worth its weight in gold.
[QUOTE=TamTamJam;32192821]So there's gold on the moon?[/QUOTE]
very little because as you know because gold is a light metal it collects more gravity
so the more gold you have the more gravity your planet has
since the moon has some gravity
there is some gold
i am a scientist i know what i am talking about
[editline]8th September 2011[/editline]
[QUOTE=Sobotnik;32192864]Cheese is worth its weight in gold.[/QUOTE]
Cheese and crackers, Gromit!
This also tells me there's gold on the moon!
Saddle up boys, we going to do some moon gold mining!
I rated late as this is fairly old news in the scientific community. This new study just adds more precision to the findings.
[QUOTE=CakeMaster7;32192820]Probably four or five (I don't mean millions) based on our information we have now.
I remember reading how scientists believe it's very unlikely that there's a an element we haven't seen yet.[/QUOTE]
He said mineral, not element. They're not even remotely the same thing.
[img]http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lp2vx4WUJg1qaod8z.jpg[/img]
SPACE GOLD
[QUOTE=Blanketspace;32192653]Maybe someone could make this into yet another argument for mining asteroids. The Space Gold Rush![/QUOTE]
Veldspar has always been selling good.
It would be really interesting seeing what would happen if we mine out a massive asteroid of gold. It's basically the go-to thing governments use to back up their currency, what would happen if it floods the market?
[QUOTE=Tark;32193079][img]http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lp2vx4WUJg1qaod8z.jpg[/img]
SPACE GOLD[/QUOTE]
THIS GUY
I WAS THINKING ABOUT..
That certainly lowers the chance of finding other technological advanced life in the universe.
Damn.
[QUOTE=Killuah;32193594]That certainly lowers the chance of finding other technological advanced life in the universe.
Damn.[/QUOTE]
Why is that?
"Ah blahme that meteoraah on capitaahleesm"
[QUOTE=FunnyBunny;32193609]Why is that?[/QUOTE]
Because that means planets that weren't as lucky as our earth and didn't travel through a cloud of metal lack metal in the crust. I think it's given that technology needs metal.
[QUOTE=Killuah;32193657]Because that means planets that weren't as lucky as our earth and didn't travel through a cloud of metal lack metal in the crust. I think it's given that technology needs metal.[/QUOTE]
I would imagine this short of bombardment is a fairly common occurrence so early in the formation of the solar system.
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