Core Insights - The Earth contains approximately 40 trillion tons of gold, but over 99% of it is located in the core, making it inaccessible for mining [3] - The extractable gold is primarily found in the crust, with an estimated reserve of about 200,000 tons, which is a minuscule fraction of the total [3] - The average grade of gold ore is only 0.5 to 5 grams per ton, leading to high extraction costs [5] - Environmental regulations are becoming stricter, complicating gold mining operations [8] - Current gold recovery methods rely significantly on recycling, accounting for about one-third of global gold supply [10] Mining Challenges - Mining costs are exceedingly high due to the low concentration of gold in ores and the need to process large quantities of rock [5] - Extracting gold from seawater is economically unfeasible, as it requires filtering 250 million tons of seawater to obtain one kilogram of gold [6] - The depletion of easily accessible gold deposits and the increasing difficulty of finding new, high-quality mines are significant challenges [8] Future Prospects - Deep-sea mining may offer new opportunities, although the technology is still underdeveloped [11] - Asteroid mining presents a long-term potential solution, with some asteroids containing metals worth trillions, but current costs exceed potential returns [8][11] - Technological advancements in gold recovery and mining methods will be crucial for future supply [10][11] Conclusion - While gold is abundant in theory, the vast majority is inaccessible, maintaining its scarcity and value [13] - The industry faces significant challenges in extraction and environmental compliance, but future technological breakthroughs may change the landscape of gold availability [13]
地球有4000万亿吨黄金,人均约55万吨,为什么黄金还这么贵?
Sou Hu Cai Jing·2025-08-04 04:30