Mining
Visualizing the Abundance of Elements in the Earth’s Crust
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Visualizing the Abundance of Elements in the Earth’s Crust
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Elements in the Earth’s crust provide all the basic building blocks for mankind.
But even though the crust is the source of everything we find, mine, refine, and build, it really is just scratching the surface of our planet.
After all, the innermost layer of the Earth, the core, represents 15% of the planet’s volume, whereas the mantle occupies 84%. Representing the remaining 1% is the crust, a thin layer that ranges in depth from approximately 5-70 km (~3-44 miles).
This infographic takes a look at what elements make up this 1%, based on data from WorldAtlas.
Earth’s Crust Elements
The crust is a rigid surface containing both the oceans and landmasses. Most elements are found in only trace amounts within the Earth’s crust, but several are abundant.
The Earth’s crust comprises about 95% igneous and metamorphic rocks, 4% shale, 0.75% sandstone, and 0.25% limestone.
Oxygen, silicon, aluminum, and iron account for 88.1% of the mass of the Earth’s crust, while another 90 elements make up the remaining 11.9%.
Rank | Element | % of Earth's Crust |
---|---|---|
1 | Oxygen (O) | 46.1% |
2 | Silicon (Si) | 28.2% |
3 | Aluminum (Al) | 8.2% |
4 | Iron (Fe) | 5.6% |
5 | Calcium (Ca) | 4.1% |
6 | Sodium (Na) | 2.3% |
7 | Magnesium (Mg) | 2.3% |
8 | Potassium (K) | 2.0% |
9 | Titanium (Ti) | 0.5% |
10 | Hydrogen (H) | 0.1% |
Other elements | 0.5% | |
Total | 100.0% |
While gold, silver, copper and other base and precious metals are among the most sought after elements, together they make up less than 0.03% of the Earth’s crust by mass.
#1: Oxygen
Oxygen is by far the most abundant element in the Earth’s crust, making up 46% of mass—coming up just short of half of the total.
Oxygen is a highly reactive element that combines with other elements, forming oxides. Some examples of common oxides are minerals such as granite and quartz (oxides of silicon), rust (oxides of iron), and limestone (oxide of calcium and carbon).
#2: Silicon
More than 90% of the Earth’s crust is composed of silicate minerals, making silicon the second most abundant element in the Earth’s crust.
Silicon links up with oxygen to form the most common minerals on Earth. For example, in most places, sand primarily consists of silica (silicon dioxide) usually in the form of quartz. Silicon is an essential semiconductor, used in manufacturing electronics and computer chips.
#3: Aluminum
Aluminum is the third most common element in the Earth’s crust.
Because of its strong affinity for oxygen, aluminum is rarely found in its elemental state. Aluminum oxide (Al2O3), aluminum hydroxide (Al(OH)3) and potassium aluminum sulphate (KAl(SO4)2) are common aluminum compounds.
Aluminum and aluminum alloys have a variety of uses, from kitchen foil to rocket manufacturing.
#4: Iron
The fourth most common element in the Earth’s crust is iron, accounting for over 5% of the mass of the Earth’s crust.
Iron is obtained chiefly from the minerals hematite and magnetite. Of all the metals we mine, over 90% is iron, mainly to make steel, an alloy of carbon and iron. Iron is also an essential nutrient in the human body.
#5: Calcium
Calcium makes up about 4.2% of the planet’s crust by weight.
In its pure elemental state, calcium is a soft, silvery-white alkaline earth metal. It is never found in its isolated state in nature but exists instead in compounds. Calcium compounds can be found in a variety of minerals, including limestone (calcium carbonate), gypsum (calcium sulphate) and fluorite (calcium fluoride).
Calcium compounds are widely used in the food and pharmaceutical industries for supplementation. They are also used as bleaches in the paper industry, as components in cement and electrical insulators, and in manufacturing soaps.
Digging the Earth’s Crust
Despite Jules Verne’s novel, no one has ever journeyed to the center of Earth.
In fact, the deepest hole ever dug by humanity reaches approximately 12 km (7.5 miles) below the Earth’s surface, about one-third of the way to the Earth’s mantle. This incredible depth took about 20 years to reach.
Although mankind is constantly making new discoveries and reaching for the stars, there is still a lot to explore about the Earth we stand on.
Mining
The Biggest Salt Producing Countries in 2023
In this graphic, we break down global salt production in 2023. China is currently the top producer, accounting for almost 20% of output.
The Biggest Salt Producing Countries in 2023
This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.
Humanity has utilized salt for thousands of years, dating back to ancient civilizations. The U.S. alone consumes more than 48 million tonnes of salt per year.
In this graphic, we break down global salt production in 2023, measured in tonnes. These estimates come from the U.S. Geological Survey’s latest commodity report on salt.
Ample Supply
Salt is essential for human life, serving various purposes including food preservation, flavor enhancement, industrial processes, and health maintenance. The good news is that the world’s continental resources of salt are vast, and the salt content in the oceans is nearly unlimited.
China is currently the top producer of salt, with almost 20% of the output, followed by the U.S. (15%) and India (11%).
Country | Production (tonnes) |
---|---|
🇨🇳 China | 53,000,000 |
🇺🇸 United States | 42,000,000 |
🇮🇳 India | 30,000,000 |
🇩🇪 Germany | 15,000,000 |
🇦🇺 Australia | 14,000,000 |
🇨🇦 Canada | 12,000,000 |
🇨🇱 Chile | 9,200,000 |
🇲🇽 Mexico | 9,000,000 |
🇹🇷 Turkey | 9,000,000 |
🇷🇺 Russia | 7,000,000 |
🇧🇷 Brazil | 6,600,000 |
Rest of world | 67,000,000 |
Global total | 273,800,000 |
The global salt market was valued at $32.6 billion in 2022.
It’s projected to grow from $34.1 billion in 2023 to $48.6 billion by 2030, with a CAGR of 5.2% during the forecast period. This suggests a surprising amount of growth for what is one of the world’s oldest and most common commodities.
Facts About the U.S. Salt Industry
In the U.S., salt is produced by 25 companies, which operate 63 plants across 16 states.
The states that produce the most salt are Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Texas, and Utah. Altogether, these states account for 95% of domestic production.
The primary uses of salt in the U.S. are highway de-icing (41%), chemical production (38%), and food processing (10%).
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