Editing Non-renewable resource (section)

== Earth minerals and metal ores ==
{{Main|Mineral|Ore}}
[[File:GoldOreUSGOV.jpg|thumb|Raw gold ore that is eventually smelted down into gold metal]]
{{Further|Mining}}

Earth minerals and [[metal]] ores are examples of non-renewable resources. The metals themselves are present in vast amounts in Earth's [[crust (geology)|crust]], and their extraction by humans only occurs where they are concentrated by [[Ore genesis|natural geological processes]] (such as heat, pressure, organic activity, weathering and other processes) enough to become economically viable to extract. These processes generally take from tens of thousands to millions of years, through [[plate tectonics]], [[tectonic subsidence]] and [[crustal recycling]].

The localized deposits of metal ores near the surface which can be extracted economically by humans are non-renewable in human time-frames. There are certain [[rare earth mineral]]s and [[rare earth element|elements]] that are more scarce and exhaustible than others. These are in high demand in [[manufacturing]], particularly for the [[electronics industry]].