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==**ining the Moon:** == []

China recently [|blocked the export] of rare earth elements to Japan for use in an array of products; from wind turbines and glass for solar panels to use in hybrid cars, and even guided missiles and other defense-oriented creations. China is increasingly putting the pinch on quotas of such elements out of their country. And as the scarcity of these valuable minerals grows, so too does the concern in other nations regarding the availability of this limited resource. Pieters is also principal investigator for NASA's Moon Mineralogy Mapper, known as M3, which was carried on India's Chandrayaan-1 lunar-orbiting spacecraft. That probe was lofted by the Indian Space Research Organization in October 2008 and operated around the moon until late August 2009. Among other findings, the M3 gear found a whole new range of processes for mineral concentrations on the moon – unappreciated until now. For example, the M3 experiment detected a new lunar rock – a unique mixture of plain-old plagioclase – plentiful in the Earth's crust and the moon's highlands – and pink spinel, an especially beautiful arrangement of magnesium, aluminum and oxygen that, in its purest forms, is prized as a gemstone here on Earth. KREEP is an acronym based on element symbols for the geochemical component in lunar rocks rich in potassium (K), rare-earth elements (REE), phosphorus (P), thorium, and other incompatible elements, Gertsch explained. One popular model for the moon's formation is that it solidified from a global magma ocean formed from material that aggregated after the young Earth impacted a Mars-sized planet, she explained.

==**Rare Earth Metals:** == []

A company called U.S. Rare Earths holds the only known U.S. deposit of heavy rare earths with a concentration worth mining, according to a recent report by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). China has warned that its own industrial demands could compel it to stop exporting rare earths within the next five or 10 years.

"No one [in the U.S.] wants to be first to jump into the market because of the cost of building a separation plant," Hedrick explained.

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rare earth elements with exotic names such as europium and tantalum hold the key to hybrid cars, wind turbines and crystal-clear __ [|TV displays] __ the world's production of rare minerals relies mainly upon China, and the Chinese government warned last year that its own rising demand will soon force it to stop exporting the __ [|precious elements] __.

Deposits of rare earth elements exist in the United States, Canada and other countries. But only China's government supports the mining and refining industries capable of processing the resources from start to finish.


 * Europium:** This extremely rare but critical chemical makes the red color for television monitors and energy-efficient LED light bulbs. China is the only country today that produces europium, dysprosium and terbium, which are necessary for either boosting the efficient operating temperature of magnets or for producing red in color displays. In December, USGS scientists discovered Alaskan deposits of europium, but even the few U.S. companies that mine rare earth elements must send the resources to China for processing.
 * Lanthanum:** A primary component of the nickel-metal hydride battery in Toyota's popular hybrid car,__ [|Prius] __. The Prius also incorporates neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium and terbium.
 * Neodymium:** This represents a main component of the permanent magnets at the heart of the most efficient wind turbines. China's own wind production efforts could consume all the available neodymium production and leave nothing for the rest of the world's booming wind industry,

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