Publications
Products (journal articles, reports, fact sheets) authored by current and past scientists are listed below. Please check the USGS Pubs Warehouse for other USGS publications.
Filter Total Items: 1939
Comparing magmatism and hydrothermal alteration using magnetic modelling and stable isotopes at the Clementine porphyry copper prospect, Montana, USA Comparing magmatism and hydrothermal alteration using magnetic modelling and stable isotopes at the Clementine porphyry copper prospect, Montana, USA
Recent mapping of the underexplored Clementine prospect in southwestern Montana has revealed evidence of hydrothermal alteration and mineralized breccia vein gossan interpreted to represent the upper expression of a Cretaceous, sediment-hosted copper porphyry system. The prospect is at the nexus of several Cretaceous granites, including the pre-mineralization Butte Granite and Big Hole...
Authors
Benjamin Patrick Magnin, Julia A. McIntosh, George H. Brimhall
Formation of the Mount Weld rare earth deposit, Western Australia: Geochronology constraints Formation of the Mount Weld rare earth deposit, Western Australia: Geochronology constraints
Constraining the age of protracted chemical weathering in stable cratonic areas that may form thick regoliths and the potential enrichment of various elements is challenging. Economic deposits of aluminium, iron, copper, nickel, cobalt, niobium, and rare earth elements (REEs) form in this manner. Determining the age of formation can provide key information for exploration of similar...
Authors
Philip L. Verplanck, Cameron Mark Mercer, Jay M. Thompson, Martin Danišík, Ganesh Bhat, Heather A. Lowers
Mine waste as a potential source of critical minerals and other commodities: Examples from the Four Corners states, USA Mine waste as a potential source of critical minerals and other commodities: Examples from the Four Corners states, USA
The growing demand for critical minerals and other mineral resources has raised concerns about possible supplies of these essential commodities. Mine waste is a potential source of these essential commodities. We compiled a geospatial database of publicly available data of the largest non-fuel mine waste features (>200,000 m2 in areal extent) in the Four Corners states of the United...
Authors
Jeffrey L. Mauk, Sean Patrick Gaynor, Nick Karl, Andrew Francis Smith
Airborne radiometric data map alteration of porphyry copper systems in the Elkhorn district, MT Airborne radiometric data map alteration of porphyry copper systems in the Elkhorn district, MT
The Elkhorn district in southwestern Montana is known for past production of high-grade base and precious metals from skarn and carbonate replacement deposits. The district also hosts a porphyry Cu-Mo deposit. A radiometric survey flown over the district and surrounds provides maps of surficial concentrations of potassium, thorium, and uranium. Handheld gamma ray spectrometer...
Authors
Eric D. Anderson, Kaleb Scarberry, Kyle Eastman, Jonathan Andrew Funk, Benjamin Patrick Magnin, Joseph Clevenger, John Dilles, Jarred L. Zimmerman, Snir Attia, Michael Cosca
Tracing fluid evolution during batholith and deposit formation: In-situ and bulk rock Mo isotopes from the Questa porphyry Mo deposit, New Mexico, USA Tracing fluid evolution during batholith and deposit formation: In-situ and bulk rock Mo isotopes from the Questa porphyry Mo deposit, New Mexico, USA
The Oligocene Questa porphyry Mo deposit, located in New Mexico, USA, is a well-characterized system that formed over 400 kyr, punctuating the 8 Myr formation of the Questa-Latir batholith. Detailed sampling of the intrusions and minerals associated with magmatichydrothermal mineralization, as well as bookending barren intrusions, allows for examination of the Mo isotope record of the...
Authors
Sean Patrick Gaynor, Nicolas D. Greber, Qasid Ahmad, Pia Künzi, Ingo Horn, Stefan Weyer
From critical minerals to food security, the benefits of data collaboration From critical minerals to food security, the benefits of data collaboration
The volume of data in the public geoscience sphere is rapidly and continually expanding. At Geoscience Australia (GA) we saw an over 500% increase in data points within our relational databases between 2018 and 2024, over the life of the Exploring for the Future (EFTF) program. With the Resourcing Australia’s Prosperity initiative, a continued increase in data quantity will be seen for...
Authors
Steph G. Hawkins, K Waltenberg, Catherine A. Stuart, Evgeniy Bastrakov, George N.D. Case, Jagoda Crawford, Lian Flick, Geoff Fraser, Christoph Gerber, Garth E. Graham, Kristin Guerin, Albert H. Hofstra, Cath Hughes, David L. Huston, Chris J.M. Lawley, Nina Welti, Bronwen Wang, Aaron Sedgmen, Vladimir A. Lisistin, Paul Abhijit, Tim Stobaus, Axel Suckow
Critical mineral inventory of select IOA-IOCG deposits, southwestern USA Critical mineral inventory of select IOA-IOCG deposits, southwestern USA
Critical minerals are necessary for modern technology and strategic purposes. Their increasing importance requires finding new and nontraditional resources. Samples of ore, altered, and unaltered host rock were collected from 26 iron mines and prospects in California, Nevada, and Utah to assess the potential of these deposits to host economic quantities of different critical minerals...
Authors
Ryan D. Taylor, Corey J. Meighan, Albert H. Hofstra
New constraints on location and timing of the Great Lakes tectonic zone, central Upper Peninsula, Michigan, USA New constraints on location and timing of the Great Lakes tectonic zone, central Upper Peninsula, Michigan, USA
The Great Lakes tectonic zone (GLTZ) forms the boundary between the Wawa–Abitibi and Minnesota River Valley subprovinces within the Archean Superior Province. The GLTZ is concealed for all of its 1100 km length, except for a segment in the central Upper Peninsula of Michigan. There, it is exposed as a northwest-striking mylonite zone along a 11 km segment, extending to the onlap of...
Authors
Benjamin J. Drenth, Amanda Souders, William F. Cannon, Jay M. Thompson
Airborne geophysics for geologic mapping of critical mineral systems in the United States southern midcontinent Airborne geophysics for geologic mapping of critical mineral systems in the United States southern midcontinent
The increased demand for clean energy technology and a significant reliance on foreign supply chains have given impetus to understanding critical mineral systems and locating potential resources within the United States. At least thirteen critical mineral-bearing systems have been identified throughout the U.S. southern Midcontinent (Hofstra and Kreiner, 2020) but much of the region’s...
Authors
Chelsea Morgan Amaral, Anne E. McCafferty, Dylan Mark Connell
Estimating the hypothetical endowment of critical minerals and other commodities in porphyry copper mine waste in the Four Corners states, USA Estimating the hypothetical endowment of critical minerals and other commodities in porphyry copper mine waste in the Four Corners states, USA
Society is fundamentally dependent upon commodities that are used in end-use products for the aerospace, defense, energy, telecommunication, and transportation sectors, resulting in centuries of mining to supply these commodities and materials. Waste from these mining operations can remain on the landscape indefinitely, but there is a lack of national understanding of the distribution...
Authors
Sean Patrick Gaynor, Nick Karl, Autumn Lynne Helfrich, Andrew Francis Smith, Jeffrey L. Mauk
Quantitative subsurface characterization illuminates the origin of the Quaternary Mississippi River Valley alluvial aquifer Quantitative subsurface characterization illuminates the origin of the Quaternary Mississippi River Valley alluvial aquifer
The Mississippi River Valley alluvial aquifer (MRVA) is vital to U.S. food security and global agricultural supply. However, quantitative understanding of its Quaternary origin, architecture, and hydrologic function remains incomplete. Here we develop a three-dimensional hydrostratigraphic model to characterize the deposition of clay and silt, fine-medium sands, and graveliferous sands...
Authors
Yuqi Song, Frank T.-C. Tsai, Burke J. Minsley, Chenliang Wu, Essem Heggy
Extracting data from maps: Lessons learned from the artificial intelligence for critical mineral assessment competition Extracting data from maps: Lessons learned from the artificial intelligence for critical mineral assessment competition
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Defense Advanced Projects Research Agency (DARPA), NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), and MITRE ran a 12-week machine learning competition aimed at accelerating development of AI tools for critical mineral assessments. The Artificial Intelligence for Critical Mineral Assessment Competition solicited innovative solutions for two challenges: 1)...
Authors
Margaret A. Goldman, Graham W. Lederer, Joshua Mark Rosera, Garth E. Graham, Asitang Mishra, Alice Yepremyan