32 JANUARY 2023 WorldWide Drilling Resource® completing Mound A. Both mounds were completed around 6000 years ago and are similar in height. The crests of both mounds are aligned along an arc of the horizon about 8.5 degrees east of true north. According to LSU astronomer and study coauthor Geoffrey Clayton, about 6000 years ago, the red giant star Arcturus would rise about 8.5 degrees east of north in the night sky, which means it would have aligned along the crests of both LSU Campus Mounds. Arcturus is one of the brightest stars that can be seen from Earth. So much has been discovered about these archaeological treasures through years of research, but many mysteries remain to be uncovered on LSU’s campus. To learn more, visit https://www.lsu.edu/mounds/index.php Editor’s Note: In between our print issues, the WWDR Team prepares an electronic newsletter called E-News Flash by WorldWide Drilling Resource®. This newsletter is filled with articles not included in our print issue. Based on readership, this was the most popular article of the month. Get in on the action and subscribe today at: worldwidedrillingresource.com Sediment Cont’d from page 30. A team conducted core sampling on one of the mounds in 1985. These samples revealed the mounds to be thousands of years older than previously thought. Heavy equipment is no longer allowed on the mounds, and sampling is conducted with drones and scanning technology. Critical Mineral Resource to be Explored in Utah’s West Desert Adapted from Information by the Utah Geological Survey The Utah Geological Survey (UGS) was awarded a federal grant for critical minerals research on the unique West Desert deposit in western Juab County, the only established resource of indium in the United States. Indium, in the form of indium tin oxide, is an essential material used to create touchscreens on a wide variety of consumer devices, including smartphones and display panels, along with other industrial applications, such as windshields and solar panels. No indium was produced in the United States in 2021. The West Desert deposit is currently estimated to contain enough to supply all of the nation’s demand for nearly ten years. Resources of zinc, an essential component for many metal alloys and considered a critical mineral, and copper, one of the most essential commodities for electric vehicles and efficient energy grids, are also found at West Desert. “We are excited for the opportunity to study the unique geology of this deposit and learn more about why so many important critical mineral resources are concentrated here,” said Dr. Stephanie Mills, senior geologist with the UGS and principal investigator of the study. UGS funding comes from the U.S. Geological Survey EarthMapping Resource Initiative program dedicated to improving geological knowledge about domestic critical mineral resources. The project, which will run over three years, is being conducted in collaboration with American West Metals, which is currently developing the West Desert deposit. American West is a mining company focused on developing low-footprint resources to support the global energy transition. The collaboration will allow UGS unprecedented access to geological materials and data related to West Desert, and support research into how this important deposit formed. Drill core from2022 exploration at West Desert. Sphalerite, shown here, is known for containing zinc, but at West Desert also contains high concentrations of indium. EXB
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