Tsodilo Resources Limited Initiates Studies for the Preliminary Economic Assessment for the High-Grade Xaudum Iron Project in Botswana
Geotechnical Test-Works
34 samples from the main XIF geological domains that will comprise the majority of the envisioned pit walls have been sent for geotechnical test-work to the Department of Mining and Geological Engineering at BIUST.
Laboratory tests to be conducted:
18 samples will undergo Unconfined Compressive Strength ( UCS ) testing. UCS tests the maximum axial compressive stress that a specimen can bear under zero confining stress. USC testing is a common test to understand the rock strength of a sample, and is widely used in geotechnical design for establishing an overall RMR for pit design;
Following the emergence of Corona Virus pandemic in the country, the Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST) became one of the institutions that worked tirelessly to help the government by producing products that helped with the fight against the pandemic which have ravaged not only Botswana, but also the entire world.
Speaking at the virtual awards ceremony which was held to appreciate BIUST staff and students who took part in the production of the products, in Palapye recently, BIUST Vice Chancellor Professor Otlogetswe Totolo applauded the awardees for working determinedly to produce COVID 19 response products in a concerted effort to assist the Botswana Government combat the spread of Covid-19 pandemic.
These meteorites landed on Earth after a 22-million-year voyage
For the first time, scientists have been able to precisely map the flight path of an asteroid that landed on Earth and trace it back to its point of origin. The boulder-size fragment’s journey to our planet began 22 million years ago, according to new research.
The asteroid, known as 2018 LA, appeared like a fireball in the skies over Botswana on June 2, 2018, before breaking apart and landing in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve.
Prior to breaking up in Earth’s atmosphere, scientists determined that the asteroid was about 5 feet (1.7 meters) in diameter, weighed 12,566 pounds and had been traveling at 37,282 miles per hour.
It took 22 million years for these meteorites to land on Earth Share Updated: 12:04 PM EDT Apr 28, 2021 By Ashley Strickland Share Updated: 12:04 PM EDT Apr 28, 2021
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Show Transcript Uh huh. When a meteorite strikes, earth scientists think it might create an unexpected mineral. At the impact site, scientists found it may alter minerals where it crashed and create an unusual form of silica. A team led by a Carnegie Institute for Science researcher examined the crystal structure of the silicon mineral courts under shock compression. They mimicked a meteorite impact in a lab with a cannon light gas gun to accelerate projectiles into court samples faster than a bullet. They used X ray tools to figure out the crystal structure of material right after impact and found that courts undergoes a transition into a new crystalline structure. However, once the intense pressure subsides, it can t last. This challenges longstanding assumptio