Earth's resources
Part of Hall of Planet Earth.
![Earth Resources](/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/exhibitions/permanent-exhibitions/rose-center-for-earth-and-space/hall-of-planet-earth2/earth-resources/859386-1-eng-US/earth-resources_wideexact_2460.jpg 2460w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/exhibitions/permanent-exhibitions/rose-center-for-earth-and-space/hall-of-planet-earth2/earth-resources/859386-1-eng-US/earth-resources_wideexact_1230.jpg 1230w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/exhibitions/permanent-exhibitions/rose-center-for-earth-and-space/hall-of-planet-earth2/earth-resources/859386-1-eng-US/earth-resources_wideexact_800.jpg 800w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/exhibitions/permanent-exhibitions/rose-center-for-earth-and-space/hall-of-planet-earth2/earth-resources/859386-1-eng-US/earth-resources_wideexact_400.jpg 400w)
The Earth’s resources are many and varied. Some are illustrated by the samples shown here. Coal has long been an important and abundant source of energy, salt is a nutrient necessary for life, and gold has been considered precious throughout human history because of its rarity, malleability, and color.
AMNH/R.Mickens
AMNH/R.Mickens
AMNH/R.Mickens
AMNH/R.Mickens
AMNH/R.Mickens
AMNH/R.Mickens
AMNH/R.Mickens
AMNH/R.Mickens
In This Section
Exhibit
Gold in conglomerate
Since their discovery in 1886, the Witwatersrand deposits have yielded more than 40,000 tons of gold.
Exhibit
Coal
Coal is the most abundant fossil fuel. It forms when dead and decaying plants are buried in swamps and marshes.
Exhibit
Salt
Salt beds form in sedimentary basins where water collects and evaporates.
Exhibit
What is an ore?
Ore is defined as an economic concentration of minerals. The richness of ores can be vastly different.
Exhibit
Dwindling resources
Many natural resources renew themselves, but often do so much more slowly than they are extracted and used.