Evening star., 1954-06-30
Big Rore Earth Deposit
Is Found in California
Scientific Uses Indicated
For Ten Unique Metals

known in the world has just been dis
covered in California, according to an
announcement by Geological Survey
explorers.
It is belt about six miles long and
more than q mile wide in which the
chief rock is bastnaeSite. in which the
rare earthS are bound up with fluorine
and carbon. In some of the local con-
centrationS Of baStnaesite, say DR.. j. c.
Olson and his associates of the Geolog-
ical Surveys Denver office, the rare
earths constitute as much as 40 per
cent Of the whole.
These rare" earthS contain a group
Of about ten distinct elements, the
rarest ingredients in the crust Of the
earth. All are metals. None has achieved
much industrial Importance, partly due
to the fact that their properties are
little known and they have been avail
able in such minute quantities that
there has been little opportunity to
experiment with them. With the COM
ing atomic age. however. they have at
tracted much attention because of the
possibility some may be precisely what
is needed for specific purposes. One,
thulium. has been found of value for
creating new type of artificial radium.
Possibly Intrusion Material.
The rare earth rocks in the noun
tain pass district of San Bernardino
County, Calf, according to the report
OF the geologiStS to the American Asso-
citation for the Advancement of Science
here. are between ITO million and 1,10O
million years old and evidently con-
Stitute an intrusion of some sort. 1t is
impossible. DR.. Olson and his colleagues
say, that they could have been built UP
in their present position as sedimentary
rocks. There is high probability that
they originally were volcanic deposits.
About 200 veins rich in the rare
earths have been mapped in the district,
according to the report. In the past,
rare earth deposits have been almost
unknown in the United States. The
majority OF the elements were first re-
ported from Europe.
River Power Measured.
Energy equivalent to 645 million
horsepower is produced by the worlds
river
OF this. only 15.793 900 horsepower
now is being utilized, although water
power usage has increased more than
SEQ per cent since 1920.
his is the United States Geological
Survey estimate of the water power
picture on a worldwide scale today.
Water power developments now in
progress. says the survey report, will
total more than 5 million horsepower
IN the United States and 3 million in
Ca laoa in the next few years. Russia
is reported to have plants under con-
struction which will total more than
million horsepower. Developments
are in progress in Australia which will
total more than l million horsepower.
In China, consideration is being given
to Yangtze River project to have a
capacity of about IS million horse
power.
Biggest Potential in Africa.
The largest potential water power
OF all the continents, according to the
report. is in Africa, where there has
been the least development. Actual
use OF much Of this power. however,
presents almost inSuperable obstacles
owing to its inaccessibility and re-
motenesS from possible points of use.
Much Of Asia's potential power is in
large mountain rivers, remote from any
possible market.
All countries, however, are survey
ing their own potentialities in view of
gloomy predictions that the worlds
supply Of fuels. coal and oil, is ap-
preaching exhaustion and the none
too-bright prospects of economic utili-
zation Of atomic energy in any near
future.
Increase in water power utilization
during the past 80 years has been
about 400 per cent in the United States
compared to 500 per cent for the world
as whole, the Geological Survey re-
port says. The difference largely is
due to the fact that at the beginning
of the period this country was utilizing
its available power more than most
others.