most of the world's iron is mined in australia.
where is most of the world's iron mined?
australia
"iron caps" or gossans of siliceous iron oxide typically form as the result of intensive oxidation of sulfide ore deposits. these gossans were used by prospectors as guides to buried ore. in addition the oxidation of those sulfide deposits which contained gold, often resulted in the concentration of gold in the iron oxide and quartz of the gossans. goldbearing limonite gossans were productively mined in the shasta county, california mining district. similar deposits were mined near rio tinto in spain and mount morgan in australia. in the dahlonega gold belt in lumpkin county, georgia gold was mined from limonite-rich lateritic or saprolite soil. the gold of the primary veins was concentrated into the limonites of the deeply weathered rocks. in another example the deeply weathered iron formations of brazil served to concentrate gold with the limonite of the resulting soils.
limonite
after brigham young established salt lake city in northern utah territory, he sent out groups of mormon families to colonize new lands. young envisioned a self-sufficient mormon state, and one important resource required by the mormons was iron. young sent one hundred and sixty-one people led by danish settler jens nielson to start the city of parowan in 1851 to reap the nearby iron deposits. the iron was found in modern-day cedar city, and thirty-five men constructed an iron works there in november 1851. young chartered cedar city a few months later. the iron mined from cedar city was the first west of the mississippi river. following a series of mishaps, including the mountain meadows massacre, young ordered the iron works to shut down in 1858. most cedar city citizens left for other cities, but three hundred and one people stayed behind.
cedar city historic district