How much gold exists in the world?

About 244,000 metric tons of gold has been discovered to date (187,000 metric tons historically produced plus current underground reserves of 57,000 metric tons). Most of that gold has come from just three countries: China, Australia, and South Africa.

Will we ever run out of gold?

Based on known reserves, estimates suggest that gold mining could reach the point of being economically unsustainable by 2050, though new vein discoveries will likely push that date back somewhat.

How much unmined gold is left?

The USGS reports that about 18,000 tonnes of gold remain undiscovered in the U.S., with another 15,000 tonnes having been identified but not mined.

How much gold is there left in the world to find?

The below-ground stock of gold reserves is currently estimated to be around 50,000 tonnes, according to the US Geological Survey. To put that in perspective, around 190,000 tonnes of gold has been mined in total, although estimates do vary. Based on these rough figures, there is about 20% still to be mined.

How much gold is there in the world 2021?

As of September 2021, there were approximately 31,695 tons of gold reserves in the world.

How Much Gold Is There In The World?

How much gold is in world pools?

Each cubic meter of water is one metric ton. Gold is 19.3 times as dense as water. Therefore an Olympic swimming pool would contain 48,250 metric tons of gold.

How much gold is in the ocean?

One study found there is only about one gram of gold for every 100 million metric tons of ocean water in the Atlantic and north Pacific. There is also (undissolved) gold in/on the seafloor. The ocean, however, is deep, meaning that gold deposits are a mile or two underwater.

Can we make gold?

Yes, gold can be created from other elements. But the process requires nuclear reactions, and is so expensive that you currently cannot make money by selling the gold that you create from other elements.

How deep is gold in the earth?

Other gold mines use underground mining, where the ore is extracted through tunnels or shafts. South Africa has the world's deepest hard rock gold mine up to 3,900 metres (12,800 ft) underground. At such depths, the heat is unbearable for humans, and air conditioning is required for the safety of the workers.

Does Moon have gold?

Golden Opportunity on the Moon

A 2009 NASA mission—in which a rocket slammed into the moon and a second spacecraft studied the blast—revealed that the lunar surface contains an array of compounds, including gold, silver, and mercury, according to PBS.

What's the biggest piece of gold ever found?

Considered by most authorities to be the biggest gold nugget ever found, the Welcome Stranger was found at Moliagul, Victoria, Australia in 1869 by John Deason and Richard Oates. It weighed gross, over 2,520 troy ounces (78 kg; 173 lb) and returned over 2,284 troy ounces (71.0 kg; 156.6 lb) net.

Where is most gold found?

About 244,000 metric tons of gold has been discovered to date (187,000 metric tons historically produced plus current underground reserves of 57,000 metric tons). Most of that gold has come from just three countries: China, Australia, and South Africa. The United States ranked fourth in gold production in 2016.

What is the largest nugget of gold ever found?

Holtermann 'Nugget': 10,229oz. While the Welcome Stranger is the largest gold nugget ever discovered, the single biggest gold specimen ever found is the Holtermann. Dug up in October 1872 by German miner Bernhardt Holtermann at Hill End in New South Wales, it was crushed, and the gold extracted.

What is the richest gold mine in the world?

Richest gold mine measured by gold grade in reserves is Macassa underground gold mine, Ontario, Canada, owned by Kirkland Lake Gold.

What happens if you find gold?

If you discover gold or other minerals or gemstones on land not covered by a mining tenement, and the ground is Crown land (under the Mining Act 1978), then you are free to keep what you have found (as long as you hold a Miner's Right).

How long does gold take to form?

It can typically take between 10 and 20 years after a deposit is discovered before a gold mine is ready to produce material that can be refined into bullion.

Can the earth make gold?

Gold sank to the Earth's core during the planet's formation. It's only accessible today because of asteroid bombardment. Theoretically, it's possible to form gold by the nuclear processes of fusion, fission, and radioactive decay.

Is there gold in all dirt?

By far, the best-known type of soil which may indicate the presence of gold is known as “black sand.” Black sands are certainly not proof of the existence of nearby gold, only that the soil has a lot of minerals and heavy metals, one of which is gold.

Can I dig for gold?

The very first person to discover gold in the United States did so in 1799 in North Carolina. However, North Carolina doesn't break the top five states in gold production. You'll have better luck finding gold by searching in Nevada, Alaska, Colorado, California or Arizona – in that order.

Can gold be eaten?

Gold is a noble metal and for this reason it does not react inside human bodies. This means that it is not absorbed during the digestion process, so it is safe to eat. However, there are no nutritional or health benefits associated with its consumption.

Did gold come from space?

Did you know that gold is extraterrestrial? Instead of arising from our planet's rocky crust, it was actually cooked up in space and is present on Earth because of cataclysmic stellar explosions called supernovae. CERN Scientist David Lunney outlines the incredible journey of gold from space to Earth.

Who discovered gold?

Gold! On January 24, 1848, James W. Marshall discovered gold on the property of Johann A. Sutter near Coloma, California.

Can I buy the ocean?

“Property law states that territorial waters belong to the country and cannot be sold or bought.

Is there gold in the air?

On the other hand, in deposits located at a depth of up to 3 km, the rate climbs to 5%, "which is still very small, because over 95% of gold always escapes into the atmosphere." In fact, although gold escapes extremely easily in volcanic emissions, "it is retained more in shallow deposits where a separation takes place ...

Where is the most unmined gold?

In 2021, the United States was estimated to have some 3,000 metric tons of gold reserves in mines. Thus, the U.S. was one of the leading countries based on mine reserves of gold. Australia is estimated to have the largest gold mine reserves worldwide.