Northeast Iowa’s hills may hold a wealth of mineral riches, IowaNow reported. University of Iowa geologists are leading an effort to determine the age of an underground formation that encompasses a 10-county region in northeast Iowa to determine if it is similar to a geologic complex beneath Duluth, Minn., that has minerals valued as high as $1 trillion. If the Northeast Iowa Formation is found to be roughly the same age as the Duluth Complex, it could mean the Iowa region harbors similar economically valuable deposits, such as copper, nickel, platinum and other metals. Global demand for these minerals is increasing, straining existing known supplies. In response, the U.S. Geological Survey’s Mineral Resources Program has begun preparing a new national assessment of mineral resources in the United States.