Earthquakes have the potential to substantially affect mining operations, leading to supply chain disruptions that adversely affect the global economy, USGS said, adding that the new study quantifies that risk to copper and rhenium supply by examining the impact of earthquakes on mining, smelting, and refining operations across the globe.
Many of the largest copper mines and processing facilities are concentrated in the highly seismic regions of South America, East Asia, and the Pacific with the resulting potential for cascading effects on the entire copper supply chain. Rhenium is a byproduct produced at some copper mines and therefore has similar risk.
“The potential impacts of earthquake hazards on global mineral commodity supplies have previously not been systemically quantified,” USGS chief of Minerals Intelligence Research Dr. Nedal Nassar said.
“While our study assessed the potential for…
