Valuable rare earth elements that are crucial for batteries, touchscreens and other modern technologies may be snuggled right up against fossil fuels, researchers have discovered.
A new study of coal mines in Utah and western Colorado found that rock layers alongside coal seams are rich in elements like scandium, yttrium and neodymium. These and other rare-earth elements are used in ubiquitous modern technologies like smartphones and are also crucial for green energy technologies such as wind turbines and hybrid cars.
