Gypsum Cave Mine (Nevada) facts for kids
| Location | |
|---|---|
 Gypsum Cave Mine
|
|
| Location | Clark |
| Nevada | |
| Country | United States of America |
| Coordinates | 36°13′26″N 114°53′58″W / 36.2239°N 114.89940°W |
| Production | |
| Products | Gypsum, anhydrite, uranium |
| Owner | |
| Company | Bureau of Land Management |
The Gypsum Cave Mine is a special place in Clark, Nevada, USA. It's a mine where people dig for useful minerals like gypsum and anhydrite. They also find a small amount of uranium here. This mine is about 12 miles east of North Las Vegas, Nevada. It's also very close to the famous Gypsum Cave, which is a natural limestone cave.
What is the Gypsum Cave Mine?
The Gypsum Cave Mine is located in the city of Clark. This area is part of the Intermontane Plateaus in Nevada. A mine is a place where valuable minerals are dug out from the ground.
This mine is mainly known for digging up gypsum and anhydrite. It also has some uranium, but not enough to be a main product. The mine is looked after by the Bureau of Land Management. This is a government group that manages public lands in the United States.
What Minerals Are Found Here?
The main things found at Gypsum Cave Mine are gypsum and anhydrite. These minerals are very useful in everyday life.
Gypsum and Anhydrite
Gypsum is a soft mineral. It is often white or colorless. You might know it best as the main ingredient in drywall. Drywall is used to build the walls inside houses. Gypsum is also used to make plaster and some types of fertilizer.
Anhydrite is very similar to gypsum. The main difference is that anhydrite does not contain water. Gypsum does. Anhydrite is also used in building materials, like cement. It can also be used in some chemical processes. Both gypsum and anhydrite are important for construction and industry.
Uranium
The Gypsum Cave Mine also has some uranium. Uranium is a special kind of metal. It is known for being radioactive. This means it gives off energy. Uranium is mostly used to create energy in nuclear power plants. It can also be used in some medical treatments.
At Gypsum Cave Mine, the amount of uranium found is very small. It is not enough to be dug up for profit. This means it is not "viable" to mine the uranium here. Only the gypsum and anhydrite are dug up regularly.
