USMIN Mineral Deposit Database
The USMIN Mineral Deposit Database Project develops national-scale geospatial databases that provide authoritative information on the most significant mines, mineral deposits, and mining districts in the United States. These resources advance the understanding of domestic mineral resources and are available through the output of digital data products, journal articles, presentations, and other USGS series publications.
Prospect- and mine-related features on USGS topographic maps
Symbols indicating mining-related features digitized from historical USGS topographic maps in the western part of the conterminous US. Includes prospect pits, mine shafts and adits, quarries, open-pit mines, tailings piles and ponds, gravel and borrow pits, and other features.
USMIN Mineral Deposit Geospatial Data
A developing national-scale geospatial database that will be an authoritative source of information on the most important mines, mineral deposits, and mineral districts of the United States.
USMIN's Role Within the USGS
The USMIN Mineral Deposit Database Project collects, evaluates, and publishes data related to mineral resources, mine sites, and mine waste across the United States. These data support decision-making in land-use planning, hazard evaluation, and resource assessment. USMIN provides expertise in compiling authoritative datasets and making them publicly accessible. The project also contributes to scientific studies and collaborates with researchers and agencies to advance mineral resource research.
Based at the Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center in Denver, Colorado, and part of the Mineral Resources Program, USMIN verifies and improves legacy databases while conducting ongoing research to enhance the understanding of mineral resources.
Recently Completed Work: Prospect- and Mine- Related Features from USGS Topographic Maps
Horton, J.D., and San Juan, C.A., 2016, Prospect- and mine-related features from U.S. Geological Survey 7.5- and 15-minute topographic quadrangle maps of the United States (ver. 10.0, May 2023): U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/F78W3CHG.
USGS topographic maps have been a hallmark product since the 1880s. From the late 1800s through 2006, these maps included symbols representing mine-related features. Over more than a decade, the USMIN team digitized these symbols into a comprehensive database of approximately 600,000 mining-related features. This dataset illustrates the history and geographic trends of mining in the United States and serves as a foundation for research on hazard, evaluation, mineral assessments, and mine waste inventory.
Current Projects
USMIN advances national priorities by improving our understanding of critical mineral resources through databases of critical mineral deposits and non-fuel mine waste, which may contain valuable commodities. USMIN is also creating a national inventory of abandoned mine features to enhance risk assessment and support land management decisions.
Mineral Deposit Database
National Mine Waste Inventory
Abandoned Mine Land Inventory
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
GIS and Information Management - GGGSC
Mineral Resource Online Data Catalog
Earth Mapping Resources Initiative (Earth MRI)
The USMIN Mineral Deposit Database Project develops national-scale geospatial databases that provide authoritative information on the most significant mines, mineral deposits, and mining districts in the United States. These resources advance the understanding of domestic mineral resources and are available through the output of digital data products, journal articles, presentations, and other USGS series publications.
Prospect- and mine-related features on USGS topographic maps
Symbols indicating mining-related features digitized from historical USGS topographic maps in the western part of the conterminous US. Includes prospect pits, mine shafts and adits, quarries, open-pit mines, tailings piles and ponds, gravel and borrow pits, and other features.
USMIN Mineral Deposit Geospatial Data
A developing national-scale geospatial database that will be an authoritative source of information on the most important mines, mineral deposits, and mineral districts of the United States.
USMIN's Role Within the USGS
The USMIN Mineral Deposit Database Project collects, evaluates, and publishes data related to mineral resources, mine sites, and mine waste across the United States. These data support decision-making in land-use planning, hazard evaluation, and resource assessment. USMIN provides expertise in compiling authoritative datasets and making them publicly accessible. The project also contributes to scientific studies and collaborates with researchers and agencies to advance mineral resource research.
Based at the Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center in Denver, Colorado, and part of the Mineral Resources Program, USMIN verifies and improves legacy databases while conducting ongoing research to enhance the understanding of mineral resources.
Recently Completed Work: Prospect- and Mine- Related Features from USGS Topographic Maps
Horton, J.D., and San Juan, C.A., 2016, Prospect- and mine-related features from U.S. Geological Survey 7.5- and 15-minute topographic quadrangle maps of the United States (ver. 10.0, May 2023): U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/F78W3CHG.
USGS topographic maps have been a hallmark product since the 1880s. From the late 1800s through 2006, these maps included symbols representing mine-related features. Over more than a decade, the USMIN team digitized these symbols into a comprehensive database of approximately 600,000 mining-related features. This dataset illustrates the history and geographic trends of mining in the United States and serves as a foundation for research on hazard, evaluation, mineral assessments, and mine waste inventory.
Current Projects
USMIN advances national priorities by improving our understanding of critical mineral resources through databases of critical mineral deposits and non-fuel mine waste, which may contain valuable commodities. USMIN is also creating a national inventory of abandoned mine features to enhance risk assessment and support land management decisions.
Mineral Deposit Database
National Mine Waste Inventory
Abandoned Mine Land Inventory
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
GIS and Information Management - GGGSC
Mineral Resource Online Data Catalog