Natural Resources: Essay Example Paragraph

Diavik Diamond Mine: The Treasure under the Lake

Photo: Geological Survey of Canada: http://gsc.nrcan.gc.ca/mindep/synth_prov/slave/images/fig06.jpg

Written by:

Ms. Martinez

November 14, 2007

About 125 miles south of the frigid Arctic Circle, deep beneath the icy waters of Lac de Gras Lake, an incredible discovery was made. Diamonds! The Diavik Diamond Mine is in the North Slave Region of Northwest Territories, Canada, on an island under Lac de Gras Lake, locally known as East Island. In order to get the diamonds the owners had to build large water tight dykes and pump the water out of the lake catching the fish and placing them in the new lake. After pumping out the water there was a small island of about eight square miles. A road called “the road of ice” was built connecting the mine to Yellowknife, the closest town about nine miles south of the mine. The mine produces 8 million carats or about 3,500 pounds of diamonds every year.

References

Rio Tito Diamonds. (2007). Retrieved November 14, 2007 from http://www.riotintodiamonds.com/ENG/ourmines/diavik_diamond_mine.asp.

Wikipedia the Free Encyclopedia. (2007). Retrieved November 14, 2007 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diavik_Diamond_Mine.