The overall objective of our project is to take the abundant geoenvironmental model research that the Mineral Resources Program has supported, and use it to refine the geoenvironmental model concept to make it more useable for our current stakeholders.
Science Issue and Relevance

Geoenvironmental mineral-deposit models have long been the flagship of environmental research in the Mineral Resources Program (MRP), having been initially defined by Plumlee and Nash (1995, Chapter 1 - USGS OFR-95-831). Over the past twenty years, much progress has been made to advance this effort on a deposit type-by-deposit type basis, focusing on abandoned mine issues, and more recently on future mining issues. The geoenvironmental model concept has received widespread appreciation in the global environmental community.
Methodology to Address Issue
We plan to refine and consolidate geoenvironment models, to permit their advancement. The overall objective of our project is to take the abundant geoenvironmental model research that the Mineral Resources Program has supported, and use it to refine the geoenvironmental model concept to make it more useable for our current stakeholders. We plan to refine the models through integration of existing data, making integrated insights more readily available, with a consistent, base level of information across priority deposit types to enhance the usability of geoenvironmental models.
A limited amount of lab or field studies and networking may be required to fill key data gaps in existing data sets. The prioritization of deposit types will begin with the list of deposit types that form the basis of the recent mineral deposit model efforts.
References
du Bray, E.A., Editor, 1995, Preliminary compilation of descriptive geoenvironmental mineral deposit models: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 95-831, 272 pages.
Project Activities
Geoenvironmental model redefinition: We are revisiting and analyzing existing datasets, primarily for massive sulfide deposits, using statistical and mathematical approaches, to improve their predictive capabilities.
Mine waste characterization: We are acquiring mill tailings samples representative of various deposit types for mineralogical and geochemical characterization, analyzing for mineralogy, bulk chemistry, and leachate chemistry. We are starting with critical mineral deposit types — commodities such as rare earths and antimony. Samples that have been acquired include:
- mine waste from Mountain Pass (rare earths), California (mill tailings, flotation reject material, and bastnasite concentrate);
- Nechalacho (rare earths), Northwest Territories, Canada (metallurgical testing tailings);
- Antimony mill tailings (Beaver Brook, Newfoundland, Canada; Pezinok, Slovenia);
- Duluth Complex copper-nickel-platinum group metal deposit, Minnesota (Mesaba metallurgical testing tailings);
- Coles Hill uranium, Virginia (metallurgical testing tailings); and
- carbonate-hosted lead-zinc, high-sulfidation epithermal, and low-sulfidation epithermal tailings (Peru).
Return to Mineral Resources Program
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
New Mineral Deposit Models for Gold, Phosphate Rare Earth Elements, and Placer Rare Earth Element-Titanium Resources
Below are publications associated with this project.
Critical mineral resources of the United States—Economic and environmental geology and prospects for future supply
SummaryMineral commodities are vital for economic growth, improving the quality of life, providing for national defense, and the overall functioning of modern society. Minerals are being used in larger quantities than ever before and in an increasingly diverse range of applications. With the increasing demand for a considerably more diverse suite of mineral commodities has come renewed recognition
Critical mineral resources of the United States—An introduction
Environmental considerations related to mining of nonfuel minerals
Antimony
- Overview
The overall objective of our project is to take the abundant geoenvironmental model research that the Mineral Resources Program has supported, and use it to refine the geoenvironmental model concept to make it more useable for our current stakeholders.
Science Issue and Relevance
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. Visit Media to see details.Two USGS scientists sampling the unmined, natural Napoleon Ridge porphyry copper-molybdenum deposit along Dump Creek near North Fork, Idaho.(Public domain.) Geoenvironmental mineral-deposit models have long been the flagship of environmental research in the Mineral Resources Program (MRP), having been initially defined by Plumlee and Nash (1995, Chapter 1 - USGS OFR-95-831). Over the past twenty years, much progress has been made to advance this effort on a deposit type-by-deposit type basis, focusing on abandoned mine issues, and more recently on future mining issues. The geoenvironmental model concept has received widespread appreciation in the global environmental community.
Methodology to Address Issue
We plan to refine and consolidate geoenvironment models, to permit their advancement. The overall objective of our project is to take the abundant geoenvironmental model research that the Mineral Resources Program has supported, and use it to refine the geoenvironmental model concept to make it more useable for our current stakeholders. We plan to refine the models through integration of existing data, making integrated insights more readily available, with a consistent, base level of information across priority deposit types to enhance the usability of geoenvironmental models.
A limited amount of lab or field studies and networking may be required to fill key data gaps in existing data sets. The prioritization of deposit types will begin with the list of deposit types that form the basis of the recent mineral deposit model efforts.
References
du Bray, E.A., Editor, 1995, Preliminary compilation of descriptive geoenvironmental mineral deposit models: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 95-831, 272 pages.
View of the west side of Red Mountain, Arizona, showing hydrothermally altered volcanic rocks that overlie porphyry copper deposit that lies about 1,000 meters below the top of the mountain.(Public domain.) Project Activities
Geoenvironmental model redefinition: We are revisiting and analyzing existing datasets, primarily for massive sulfide deposits, using statistical and mathematical approaches, to improve their predictive capabilities.
Mine waste characterization: We are acquiring mill tailings samples representative of various deposit types for mineralogical and geochemical characterization, analyzing for mineralogy, bulk chemistry, and leachate chemistry. We are starting with critical mineral deposit types — commodities such as rare earths and antimony. Samples that have been acquired include:
- mine waste from Mountain Pass (rare earths), California (mill tailings, flotation reject material, and bastnasite concentrate);
- Nechalacho (rare earths), Northwest Territories, Canada (metallurgical testing tailings);
- Antimony mill tailings (Beaver Brook, Newfoundland, Canada; Pezinok, Slovenia);
- Duluth Complex copper-nickel-platinum group metal deposit, Minnesota (Mesaba metallurgical testing tailings);
- Coles Hill uranium, Virginia (metallurgical testing tailings); and
- carbonate-hosted lead-zinc, high-sulfidation epithermal, and low-sulfidation epithermal tailings (Peru).
Return to Mineral Resources Program
- Science
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
New Mineral Deposit Models for Gold, Phosphate Rare Earth Elements, and Placer Rare Earth Element-Titanium Resources
USGS Mineral Deposit Models are "an organized arrangement of information describing the essential characteristics or properties of a class of mineral deposits. Models themselves can be classified according to their essential attributes (for example: descriptive, grade-tonnage models, genetic, geoenvironmental, geophysical, probability of occurrence, and quantitative process models)." (Stoeser and... - Publications
Below are publications associated with this project.
Critical mineral resources of the United States—Economic and environmental geology and prospects for future supply
SummaryMineral commodities are vital for economic growth, improving the quality of life, providing for national defense, and the overall functioning of modern society. Minerals are being used in larger quantities than ever before and in an increasingly diverse range of applications. With the increasing demand for a considerably more diverse suite of mineral commodities has come renewed recognition
Critical mineral resources of the United States—An introduction
Many changes have taken place in the mineral resource sector since the publication by the U.S. Geological Survey of Professional Paper 820, “United States Mineral Resources,” which is a review of the long-term United States resource position for 65 mineral commodities or commodity groups. For example, since 1973, the United States has continued to become increasingly dependent on imports to meet iAuthorsKlaus J. Schulz, John H. DeYoung, Robert R. Seal, Dwight C. BradleyEnvironmental considerations related to mining of nonfuel minerals
Throughout most of human history, environmental stewardship during mining has not been a priority partly because of the lack of applicable laws and regulations and partly because of ignorance about the effects that mining can have on the environment. In the United States, the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, in conjunction with related laws, codified a more modern approach to mining, incAuthorsRobert R. Seal, Nadine M. Piatak, Bryn E. Kimball, Jane M. HammarstromAntimony
Antimony is an important mineral commodity used widely in modern industrialized societies. The element imparts strength, hardness, and corrosion resistance to alloys that are used in many areas of industry, including in lead-acid storage batteries. Antimony’s leading use is as a fire retardant in safety equipment and in household goods, such as mattresses. The U.S. Government has considered antimoAuthorsRobert R. Seal, Klaus J. Schulz, John H. DeYoung,, David M. Sutphin, Lawrence J. Drew, James F. Carlin, Byron R. Berger - Partners