From Wikipedia: ‘New Caledonian soils contain about 25% of the world’s nickel resources”.

My question regards what makes New Caledonia special when it comes to the deposits of one particular mineral, in this case nickel. Simplistic reasoning might suggest that NC is unusual but is it more the case that these deposits just happen to be at the surface compared with others that might just be out of reach deeper down.

Essentially I’m asking are mineral deposits distributed fairly randomly in the crust after allowing for volcanology and tectonic plate movements?

Witty Rejoinder said:

From Wikipedia: ‘New Caledonian soils contain about 25% of the world’s nickel resources”.

My question regards what makes New Caledonia special when it comes to the deposits of one particular mineral, in this case nickel. Simplistic reasoning might suggest that NC is unusual but is it more the case that these deposits just happen to be at the surface compared with others that might just be out of reach deeper down.

Essentially I’m asking are mineral deposits distributed fairly randomly in the crust after allowing for volcanology and tectonic plate movements?

Geologically NC is one of the most unusual places on earth, consisting largely of a giant ophiolite (a large obducted chunk of the mantle). These are higher in metals than the crust generally and quite good for the formation of ore bodies.

dv said:

Witty Rejoinder said:

From Wikipedia: ‘New Caledonian soils contain about 25% of the world’s nickel resources”.

My question regards what makes New Caledonia special when it comes to the deposits of one particular mineral, in this case nickel. Simplistic reasoning might suggest that NC is unusual but is it more the case that these deposits just happen to be at the surface compared with others that might just be out of reach deeper down.

Essentially I’m asking are mineral deposits distributed fairly randomly in the crust after allowing for volcanology and tectonic plate movements?

Geologically NC is one of the most unusual places on earth, consisting largely of a giant ophiolite (a large obducted chunk of the mantle). These are higher in metals than the crust generally and quite good for the formation of ore bodies.

Interesting. Thanks.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obduction

Witty Rejoinder said:

dv said:

Witty Rejoinder said:

From Wikipedia: ‘New Caledonian soils contain about 25% of the world’s nickel resources”.

My question regards what makes New Caledonia special when it comes to the deposits of one particular mineral, in this case nickel. Simplistic reasoning might suggest that NC is unusual but is it more the case that these deposits just happen to be at the surface compared with others that might just be out of reach deeper down.

Essentially I’m asking are mineral deposits distributed fairly randomly in the crust after allowing for volcanology and tectonic plate movements?

Geologically NC is one of the most unusual places on earth, consisting largely of a giant ophiolite (a large obducted chunk of the mantle). These are higher in metals than the crust generally and quite good for the formation of ore bodies.

Interesting. Thanks.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obduction

TIL