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Critical Minerals Mapping Initiative (CMMI) Active

By Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center August 31, 2023

The USGS, in combination with Geoscience Australia and the Geological Survey of Canada, formed the Critical Minerals Mapping Initiative (CMMI) in 2019 to combine expertise and collaboratively conduct research on critical mineral resources.

Image shows a map and key of the United States with mineral locations marked with colored shapes
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.
Known Mineral Locations in the United States.

Science Issue and Relevance

The United States is heavily dependent on foreign sources for many of the mineral commodities that are deemed critical by the Department of the Interior. Yet our knowledge about many critical minerals is lacking or very poor. Many other countries, including Australia and Canada, have stressed the importance of critical minerals and the need to expand and diversify critical mineral supply chains. 

Methods to Address Issue 

The geoscience organizations of Geoscience Australia (GA), the Geological Survey of Canada (GSC), and the USGS have created the Critical Minerals Mapping Initiative (CMMI), which provides an international structure for collaboration between the three national geoscience surveys. The goals of the CMMI are to develop a better understanding of known critical mineral resources, determine geologic controls on critical mineral distribution for deposits currently producing byproducts, identify new sources of supply through critical mineral potential mapping, and promote critical mineral discovery in all three countries. 

The three major objectives are: 

  1. Develop global database for critical mineral geochemistry; develop mineral deposit/mineral system classification schemes by which to categorize the data
     
  2. Evaluate and analyze critical mineral trends of various mineral system types
     
  3. Develop prospectivity modeling approaches for basin-hosted mineral systems 
  • Determine geologic criteria 
  • Determine mappable criteria 
  • Pull data layers together to conduct prospectivity analysis

Below are other science projects associated with this project.

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Earth MRI data and applications graphic

Earth Mapping Resources Initiative (Earth MRI)

The goal of Earth MRI is to improve our knowledge of the geologic framework in the United States and to identify areas that may have the potential to contain undiscovered critical mineral resources. Enhancement of our domestic mineral supply will decrease the Nation’s reliance on foreign sources of minerals that are fundamental to our security and economy.
By
Mineral Resources Program
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Earth Mapping Resources Initiative (Earth MRI)

The goal of Earth MRI is to improve our knowledge of the geologic framework in the United States and to identify areas that may have the potential to contain undiscovered critical mineral resources. Enhancement of our domestic mineral supply will decrease the Nation’s reliance on foreign sources of minerals that are fundamental to our security and economy.
Learn More
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critical mineral distribution map

Systems Approach to Critical Minerals Inventory, Research, and Assessment

This project supports the Earth Mapping Resources Initiative (EarthMRI) by developing a mineral systems approach for defining focus areas. This project is investigating domestic sources of critical minerals in three sequential stages: inventory, research, and assessment. 1) Inventory the abundance of critical minerals in ore, minerals, and processed materials from major deposits in each system...
By
Mineral Resources Program, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center, Earth Mapping Resources Initiative (Earth MRI)
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Systems Approach to Critical Minerals Inventory, Research, and Assessment

This project supports the Earth Mapping Resources Initiative (EarthMRI) by developing a mineral systems approach for defining focus areas. This project is investigating domestic sources of critical minerals in three sequential stages: inventory, research, and assessment. 1) Inventory the abundance of critical minerals in ore, minerals, and processed materials from major deposits in each system...
Learn More

National-Scale Geophysical, Geologic, and Mineral Resource Data and Grids for the United States, Canada, and Australia: Data in Support of the Tri-National Critical Minerals Mapping Initiative

National-scale geologic, geophysical, and mineral resource raster and vector data covering the United States, Canada, and Australia are provided in this data release.  The data were compiled as part of the tri-national Critical Minerals Mapping Initiative (CMMI). The CMMI, established in 2019, is an international science collaboration between the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Geoscience Australi
By
Mineral Resources Program, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center

Below are publications associated with this project.

Data-driven prospectivity modelling of sediment-hosted Zn-Pb mineral systems and their critical raw materials

Demand for critical raw materials is expected to accelerate over the next few decades due to continued population growth and the shifting consumption patterns of the global economy. Sedimentary basins are important sources for critical raw materials and new discoveries of sediment–hosted Mississippi Valley–type (MVT) and/or clastic–dominated (CD) Zn–Pb deposits are likely required to mitigate futu
Authors
Christopher J. M. Lawley, Anne E. McCafferty, Garth E. Graham, David L. Huston, Karen D. Kelley, Karol Czarnota, Suzanne Paradis, Jan M. Peter, Nathan Hayward, Mike Barlow, Poul Emsbo, Joshua Aaron Coyan, Carma A. San Juan, Michael G. Gadd
By
Mineral Resources Program, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center

Deposit classification scheme for the Critical Minerals Mapping Initiative Global Geochemical Database

A challenge for the global economy is to meet the growing demand for commodities used in today’s advanced technologies. Critical minerals are commodities (for example, elements, compounds, minerals) deemed vital to the economic and national security of individual countries that are vulnerable to supply disruption. The national geological agencies of Australia, Canada, and the United States recentl
Authors
Albert H. Hofstra, Vladimir Lisitsin, Louise Corriveau, Suzanne Paradis, Jan Peter, Kathleen Lauzière, Christopher Lawley, Michael Gadd, Jean-Luc Pilote, Ian Honsberger, Evgeniy Bastrakov, David Champion, Karol Czarnota, Michael Doublier, David Huston, Oliver Raymond, Simon VanDerWielen, Poul Emsbo, Matthew Granitto, Douglas C. Kreiner
By
Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center

Toward an effective global green economy: The Critical Minerals Mapping Initiative (CMMI)

Global population growth, economic development and the accelerating pace of technological innovation are driving increased demand for non-fuel mineral commodities that are vital for emerging and low-carbon technologies. Examples of such commodities include cobalt and graphite for rechargeable batteries, tellurium in thin-film solar photovoltaics and rare earth elements (REE) in permanent magnets,
Authors
Karen D. Kelley, David Huston, Jan Peter
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Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center

Geological Surveys unite to improve critical mineral security

The global economy is unprepared to meet the exploding demand for critical minerals. These materials, many of which were of little economic interest until recently, are required to fuel a proliferation of technologies and industries that have become vital for social and economic well-being the world over. But supplies of critical minerals are at risk because of their natural scarcity and because o
Authors
Poul Emsbo, Christopher Lawley, Karol Czarnota
By
Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center

International geoscience collaboration to support critical mineral discovery

The importance of critical minerals and the need to expand and diversify critical mineral supply chains has been endorsed by the Federal governments of Australia, Canada, and the United States. The geoscience organizations of Geoscience Australia, the Geological Survey of Canada and the U.S. Geological Survey have created the Critical Minerals Mapping Initiative to build a diversified critical min
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Energy and Minerals Mission Area, Mineral Resources Program, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center, Earth Mapping Resources Initiative (Earth MRI)

Below are news stories associated with this project.

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Australia, Canada and US Unify Critical Minerals Data

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has released a compilation of national-scale geological, geophysical and mineral resource datasets from Australia...

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Global Mineral Science Data Portal Unveiled by International Partnership

Geoscience Australia, the Geological Survey of Canada, and the U.S. Geological Survey have released a new online portal and the world’s largest...

Read Article
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Critical Cooperation: How Australia, Canada and the United States are Working Together to Support Critical Mineral Discovery

Just as alloys make steel stronger, research allies make mineral science better. Geoscience Australia, the Geological Survey of Canada, and the USGS...

Read Article

Below are partners associated with this project.

Geological Survey of Canada

Geoscience Australia