Trona EarthCache
Hidden : 12/12/2007
Difficulty:
1 out of 5
Terrain:
2 out of 5

Size: Size: other (other)

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Geocache Description:


Trona, the raw material from which soda ash (or sodium carbonate) is refined, was discovered in Sweetwater County in 1938. There are few deposits in the world, and the Green River Basin is one of the only areas where trona is commercially mined.

Sodium carbonate is used to make many products which we use in our everyday lives. Glass, paper, detergents, kitty litter, baking soda, and tooth paste are just some of these.

There are several trona mines located about 30 miles to the west. The first mine shafts were excavated in 1946, and commercial production began in 1948. The trona deposit varies in depth from 800 to 3500 feet below the surface and contains 42 layers of trona. Actual mining occurs at a depth of 800 to 1600 feet in beds which are 8 to 10 feet thick. Processing plants built nearby minimize the costs associated with transport of the trona material. The companies involved with the production of soda ash mine over 15 million tons of trona and produce over 8 million tons of soda ash each year.

Using the information given at the site, how many tons of trona are estimated to be in the Green River Basin, and for how long is this supply expected to last?

To log this cache:

1) Send me an email stating how many tons of trona are estimated to be in the Basin, and how long this supply is expected to last.

Please consider posting photos of yourself, or the local geology, when you log this EarthCache. Photos can be an additional rewarding part of your journey, but posting them is not a requirement for logging this EarthCache, and is strictly optional.

The above information was compiled from the following sources:

BLM informational sign at site.

Sweetwater Economic Development Association. (visit link)

Wyoming Trona. (visit link)

Additional Hints (No hints available.)



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