Condensed Consolidated Statements of Changes in Stockholders' Equity (Unaudited) - USD ($)	Haywood Lease Amendment [Member] Common Stock [Member]	Haywood Lease Amendment [Member] Additional Paid-in Capital [Member]	Haywood Lease Amendment [Member] Retained Earnings [Member]	Haywood Lease Amendment [Member] Treasury Stock, Common [Member]	Haywood Lease Amendment [Member] Noncontrolling Interest [Member]	Haywood Lease Amendment [Member]	AST Lease Amendment [Member] Common Stock [Member]	AST Lease Amendment [Member] Additional Paid-in Capital [Member]	AST Lease Amendment [Member] Retained Earnings [Member]	AST Lease Amendment [Member] Treasury Stock, Common [Member]	AST Lease Amendment [Member] Noncontrolling Interest [Member]	AST Lease Amendment [Member]	Common Stock [Member]	Additional Paid-in Capital [Member]	Retained Earnings [Member]	Treasury Stock, Common [Member]	Noncontrolling Interest [Member]	Total
BALANCE (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2022													91,442,018
BALANCE at Dec. 31, 2022													$ 60,660	$ 348,390,556	$ (291,491,432)	$ (3,360,867)	$ 2,764,542	$ 56,363,459
Issuance of common stock (in shares)													6,090,276
Issuance of common stock													$ 4,056	2,145,944	0	0	0	2,150,000
Common stock issuance costs													$ 0	(607,620)	0	0	0	(607,620)
Issuance of common stock for stock issuance costs (in shares)													963,445
Issuance of common stock for stock issuance costs													$ 642	349,358	0	0	0	350,000
Issuance of common stock for conversion of debt and accrued interest (in shares)													4,539,413
Issuance of common stock for conversion of debt and accrued interest													$ 3,023	1,659,700	0	0	0	1,662,723
Employee and director share-based compensation													120	126,168	0	0	0	126,288
LINICO dividends earned by AQMS not distributed													0	0	0	0	(44,703)	(44,703)
Net income (loss)													$ 0	0	(5,668,937)	0	(12,805)	(5,681,742)
BALANCE (in shares) at Mar. 31, 2023													103,035,152
BALANCE at Mar. 31, 2023													$ 68,501	352,064,106	(297,160,369)	(3,360,867)	2,707,034	54,318,405
BALANCE (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2022													91,442,018
BALANCE at Dec. 31, 2022													$ 60,660	348,390,556	(291,491,432)	(3,360,867)	2,764,542	56,363,459
Net income (loss)																		2,554,833
BALANCE (in shares) at Sep. 30, 2023													117,130,225
BALANCE at Sep. 30, 2023													$ 77,888	359,533,078	(290,263,882)	(3,360,867)	3,883,147	69,869,364
BALANCE (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2022													91,442,018
BALANCE at Dec. 31, 2022													$ 60,660	348,390,556	(291,491,432)	(3,360,867)	2,764,542	56,363,459
BALANCE (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2023													117,862,081
BALANCE at Dec. 31, 2023													$ 78,405	363,889,245	(282,329,611)	(3,360,867)	0	78,277,172
BALANCE (in shares) at Mar. 31, 2023													103,035,152
BALANCE at Mar. 31, 2023													$ 68,501	352,064,106	(297,160,369)	(3,360,867)	2,707,034	54,318,405
Issuance of common stock (in shares)													619,352
Issuance of common stock													$ 412	499,588	0	0	0	500,000
Issuance of common stock for conversion of debt and accrued interest (in shares)													1,951,248
Issuance of common stock for conversion of debt and accrued interest													$ 1,300	1,667,632	0	0	0	1,668,932
Employee and director share-based compensation													0	46,328	0	0	0	46,328
LINICO dividends earned by AQMS not distributed													0	0	0	0	(46,092)	(46,092)
Net income (loss)													$ 0	0	(5,468,488)	0	(36,101)	(5,504,589)
Issuance of common stock in lieu of payment of interest (in shares)													270,757
Issuance of common stock in lieu of payment of interest													$ 180	107,327	0	0	0	107,507
BALANCE (in shares) at Jun. 30, 2023													105,876,509
BALANCE at Jun. 30, 2023													$ 70,393	354,384,981	(302,628,857)	(3,360,867)	2,624,841	51,090,491
Issuance of common stock (in shares)													7,397,575
Issuance of common stock													$ 4,927	3,695,073	0	0	0	3,700,000
Issuance of common stock for conversion of debt and accrued interest (in shares)													2,818,714
Issuance of common stock for conversion of debt and accrued interest													$ 1,877	1,166,066	0	0	0	1,167,943
Employee and director share-based compensation													0	(240,221)	0	0	0	(240,221)
LINICO dividends earned by AQMS not distributed													0	0	0	0	(47,528)	(47,528)
Net income (loss)													$ 0	0	12,364,975	0	1,376,189	13,741,164
Issuance of common stock in lieu of payment of interest (in shares)													74,353
Issuance of common stock in lieu of payment of interest													$ 50	45,320	0	0	0	45,370
Payment to Northern Comstock LLC for mineral rights (in shares)													963,074
Payment to Northern Comstock LLC for mineral rights													$ 641	481,859	0	0	0	482,500
LINICO distribution to AQMS													$ 0	0	0	0	(70,355)	(70,355)
BALANCE (in shares) at Sep. 30, 2023													117,130,225
BALANCE at Sep. 30, 2023													$ 77,888	359,533,078	(290,263,882)	(3,360,867)	3,883,147	69,869,364
BALANCE (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2023													117,862,081
BALANCE at Dec. 31, 2023													$ 78,405	363,889,245	(282,329,611)	(3,360,867)	0	78,277,172
Issuance of common stock (in shares)													4,102,697
Issuance of common stock													$ 2,732	1,460,978	0	0	0	1,463,710
Common stock issuance costs													$ 0	(225,120)	0	0	0	(225,120)
Issuance of common stock for stock issuance costs (in shares)													250,000
Issuance of common stock for stock issuance costs													$ 167	84,833	0	0	0	85,000
Issuance of common stock for conversion of debt and accrued interest (in shares)													2,276,944
Issuance of common stock for conversion of debt and accrued interest													$ 1,516	893,257	0	0	0	894,773
Employee and director share-based compensation													120	56,064	0	0	0	56,184
Net income (loss)													$ 0	0	(6,901,412)	0	(16,908)	(6,918,320)
Issuance of common stock in lieu of payment of interest (in shares)													239,609
Issuance of common stock in lieu of payment of interest													$ 160	116,443	0	0	0	116,603
BALANCE (in shares) at Mar. 31, 2024													122,615,150
BALANCE at Mar. 31, 2024													$ 81,691	362,993,642	(289,231,023)	0	155,692	74,000,002
Issuance of common stock for debt issuance costs (in shares)													489,141
Issuance of common stock for debt issuance costs													$ 326	249,674	0	0	0	$ 250,000
Retirement of treasury shares (2,605,322 shares) (in shares)													(2,605,322)					(2,605,322)
Retirement of treasury shares (2,605,322 shares)													$ (1,735)	(3,359,132)	0	3,360,867	0	$ 0
Non-controlling interest vesting of shares in subsidiary													$ 0	(172,600)	0	0	172,600	0
BALANCE (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2023													117,862,081
BALANCE at Dec. 31, 2023													$ 78,405	363,889,245	(282,329,611)	(3,360,867)	0	78,277,172
Net income (loss)																		(30,565,175)
BALANCE (in shares) at Sep. 30, 2024													206,634,788
BALANCE at Sep. 30, 2024													$ 137,649	380,656,890	(312,832,590)	0	110,404	68,072,353
BALANCE (in shares) at Mar. 31, 2024													122,615,150
BALANCE at Mar. 31, 2024													$ 81,691	362,993,642	(289,231,023)	0	155,692	74,000,002
Issuance of common stock (in shares)													15,548,944
Issuance of common stock													$ 10,356	3,739,644	0	0	0	3,750,000
Issuance of common stock for conversion of debt and accrued interest (in shares)													12,244,556
Issuance of common stock for conversion of debt and accrued interest													$ 8,155	3,398,706	0	0	0	3,406,861
Employee and director share-based compensation													0	43,149	0	0	0	43,149
Net income (loss)													$ 0	0	(8,633,552)	0	(18,720)	(8,652,272)
Issuance of common stock in lieu of payment of interest (in shares)													375,412
Issuance of common stock in lieu of payment of interest													$ 250	123,213	0	0	0	123,463
BALANCE (in shares) at Jun. 30, 2024													157,820,072
BALANCE at Jun. 30, 2024													$ 105,138	372,661,466	(297,864,575)	0	136,972	75,039,001
Issuance of common stock for marketing-related costs (in shares)													561,010
Issuance of common stock for marketing-related costs													$ 374	162,319	0	0	0	162,693
Issuance of common stock for lease amendment (in shares)	1,500,000						4,975,000
Issuance of common stock for lease amendment	$ 999	$ 508,851	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 509,850	$ 3,313	$ 1,583,712	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 1,587,025
Warrant modification associated with debt amendment													$ 0	108,230	0	0	0	108,230
Issuance of common stock (in shares)													11,704,146
Issuance of common stock													$ 7,795	1,992,205	0	0	0	2,000,000
Issuance of common stock for conversion of debt and accrued interest (in shares)													32,571,655
Issuance of common stock for conversion of debt and accrued interest													$ 21,693	5,200,543	0	0	0	5,222,236
Employee and director share-based compensation													0	43,149	0	0	0	43,149
Net income (loss)													$ 0	0	(14,968,015)	0	(26,568)	(14,994,583)
Issuance of common stock in lieu of payment of interest (in shares)													773,745
Issuance of common stock in lieu of payment of interest													$ 516	143,659	0	0	0	144,175
Payment to Northern Comstock LLC for mineral rights (in shares)													2,920,702
Payment to Northern Comstock LLC for mineral rights													$ 1,945	480,555	0	0	0	482,500
BALANCE (in shares) at Sep. 30, 2024													206,634,788
BALANCE at Sep. 30, 2024													$ 137,649	380,656,890	(312,832,590)	0	110,404	68,072,353
Issuance of common stock for debt issuance costs (in shares)													844,468
Issuance of common stock for debt issuance costs													$ 562	$ 135,313	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 135,875