Images

The Critical Minerals Mapping Initiative (CMMI) Portal interactive map of the Critical Minerals in Ores (CMiO) database that can be viewed at https://portal.ga.gov.au/persona/cmmi.

Several examples of useful legacy maps and reports; a screenshot from a tablet-based data view for aiding data exploration and field work targeting; researcher collecting new handheld geophysical measurements; and tablet-based digital field data collection form.

Outcrop photo with hammer for scale of the Livingston fault zone which is more resistant to erosion because of brecciation and quartz-based mineralization common in the northeastern Colorado Mineral Belt. Location: Walker Ranch, Boulder County Open Space Park, Colorado.

Schematic map of the Colorado Mineral Belt and constituent geologic features. 

Molybdenite mineralization from the Henderson porphyry molybdenum (Mo) deposit associated with quartz and pyrite alteration. The Henderson molybdenum mine is located in Colorado.

Molybdenite mineralization from the Henderson porphyry Mo deposit in Colorado associated with quartz and pyrite alteration.

Maps of the southern Rocky Mountain region hosting the Colorado Mineral Belt (CMB) showing locations of Late Cretaceous to Miocene geochronological samples and simplified geological features.

Sample of "zebra ore" from the Black Cloud Pb-Zn-Ag mine in Leadville, Colorado, originally collected by Cliff Taylor (USGS Emeritus).

Unidirectional solidification textures (UST's) from the Henderson deposit in Colorado, cut by veins of molybdenite, which is the ore mineral for the metal molybdenum. These features form during the solidification of a magma at the physical juncture where it is creating a hydrothermal system.

Gregory fault vein and mine in Central City, Colorado (photos, annotations, and model by Jonathan Caine, USGS. Also see Caine et al., 2006, 2010). A) The Gregory vein and surrounding clay alteration (yellow) cutting layering in the host rock foliation and layering (blue).

View west of now tilted (folded), originally horizontal sedimentary beds of the Early Paleozoic Minturn Formation faulted against Early Proterozoic granitic rocks. Booth Canyon, East Vail, Colorado.

Map of southwest block of Colorado Mineral Belt geophysical data.

Map of Colorado showing topography, major roads, and major cities.

Schematic of the Chino porphyry copper (Cu) mine, New Mexico, showing the outline of the open pit operations, how it is attributed in the USMIN Mineral Deposit Database and how indium extracted from this deposit are used.

Map of the published sites within the USMIN Mineral Deposit Database, shown as yellow points.

Schematic diagram showing how mine waste features were captured and attributed as part of their inclusion in the new National Mine Waste Inventory data release (https://doi.org/10.5066/P148EEUA).

Map of the locations of mine waste features included in the current version of the National Mine Waste Inventory data release (https://doi.org/10.5066/P148EEUA).

USGS Mineral Resources Program color by number for the critical mineral graphite.

USGS Mineral Resources Program coloring page for cassiterite and the critical mineral tin.

The mineral cassiterite, chemical formula SnO₂, is the most important mineral source for the critical mineral tin. Fun facts: tin is one of the earliest metals used by humans! The chemical symbol for tin, Sn, comes from its Latin name, stannum.

Critical Mineral Crossword Puzzle: Manganese

Manganese is listed as a "critical mineral". Learn about where we get manganese and how we use it by solving the crossword puzzle clues!

More information:

USGS Mineral Resources Program coloring page for the mineral galena and the critical mineral lead.