Muruntau Gold Mine NASA
The deposit was discovered in 1958, and mining began in 1967. The pit is now kilometers ( miles) wide and 600 meters (2,000 feet) deep. In 2021, the mine produced as much as 3 million ounces (85,000 kilograms) of gold. According to geologists, gold is near the surface in this area due to a chain of events that spanned many millions of years.