USGS Explores Riches of the Andes

You know the breathtaking, unspoiled Andes Mountains of South America? Well take them in while you can folks, because the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) says the Andes may contain vast undiscovered deposits of copper, molybdenum, gold and silver.

USGS estimates the Andes could hold as much as 750 million metric tons of copper, 20 million tons of molybdenum, 13,000 tons of gold and 250,000 tons of silver. So grab your picks and shovels or hydraulic mining systems and come on down.

While USGS notes that not all of this mineral booty is likely to be found and mined, the Andes copper deposits alone represent about 2.5 times the total undiscovered copper thought to be left in the United States. Copper is one of the most in-demand minerals in the U.S. today. And gold and silver, well, they’re gold and silver, dude!