406 



UNITED STATES MINERAL RESOURCES 



PRODUCTION, IN FLASKS OF 76 POUNDS 

 20.000 40,000 60,000 80,000 



MAJOR DETERMINANTS 

 OF DEMAND 



Hydraulic gold mining, California 

 Silver mining, Nevada 



Mercury-vapor lamp invented 



World War I 



Postwar depression 

 Mercury boiler invented 



Industrial expansi< 



World depression 



— j Electrolytic cell developed 

 [^ (Chlorine-caustic soda) 



World War II 

 } Mercury dry cell developed 



Korean War 



Atomic power plants started 



Strategic stockpile 



Electrical apparatus, 

 'chlorine-caustic soda 



Chlorine-caustic soda, new plants 

 Pollution regulations 



Figure 47. — Demand and domestic supply of mercury in the United States, 1850-1971. Prom U.S. Bureau of Mines Minerals 



Yearbooks. 



