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Where is zinc found in Earth’s crust?

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Periodic table — zinc group element Modern version of the periodic table of the elements (printable).

Zinc is found in the Earth’s crust at an average concentration of 65 grams per ton. It is widely distributed globally, with significant deposits occurring in North America and Australia.12

Zinc is rarely found in its native state; instead, it occurs primarily as mineral compounds formed through complex hydrothermal processes, where minerals are dissolved and precipitated as sulfides in porous strata. The most important zinc ore is the sulfide mineral sphalerite (also known as zinc blende), which is often associated with other minerals such as galena, chalcopyrite, calcite, dolomite, and quartz. Other common zinc-bearing minerals include:21

Smithsonite: A zinc carbonate.21
Hemimorphite: An oxidation product of sphalerite.1
Marmatite: A ferrous form of zinc blende.2
Zincite: A mineral consisting of zinc oxide.3

Mined ore typically contains between 3 and 10 percent zinc. Leading producers of the metal in the early 21st century include China, Australia, and Peru.21