Isotope and Chemical Methods for Mineral and Geoenvironmental Assessments and Support of USGS Science Strategy Active
This Project integrates several geochemical tools—stable isotope geochemistry, noble gas geochemistry, active gas geochemistry, single fluid inclusion chemistry, and fluid inclusion solute chemistry—in studies of the processes that form mineral deposits and the processes that disrupt them during mining or natural weathering. Research is directed toward fundamental scientific questions or, in collaboration with other Mineral Resources Projects, toward case studies of individual deposits, deposit types, or districts. The ultimate objective is to improve the scientific basis for mineral deposit models, and thereby improve the accuracy of assessments of the Nation’s mineral wealth.
Science Issue and Relevance
The core mandate of the Mineral Resources Program is to inform decision-makers on matters related to mineral resources on the Nation’s lands, including the consequences of mining and consequences natural weathering. To fulfill this mandate, genetic and geoenvironmental models must be developed for the various types of mineral deposits based on the best-available scientific understanding. This Project integrates several geochemical tools—stable isotope geochemistry, noble gas geochemistry, active gas geochemistry, single fluid inclusion chemistry, and fluid inclusion solute chemistry—in studies of the processes that form mineral deposits and the processes that destroy them during mining or natural weathering. Research is directed toward fundamental scientific questions or, in collaboration with other Mineral Resources Projects, toward case studies of individual deposits, deposit types, or districts. The ultimate objective is to improve the scientific basis for mineral deposit models, and thereby improve the accuracy of assessments of the Nation’s mineral wealth. The tools supported by this Project are applicable over a broad spectrum of Earth science research, so the Project also performs reimbursable work for other Programs consistent with the mandate of the USGS Science Strategy to leverage USGS skills in integrated studies that examine the Earth as a whole. This Project succeeds a similar Project that was summarized in U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1343.
Methods to Address Issue
Several labortories support the project objectives:
Stable Isotope Laboratory: Stable isotope geochemistry involves isotopic analysis of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, and sulfur. These elements are abundant in common minerals and rocks, and they are the building blocks of most geologic fluids (surface waters, magmatic waters, hydrocarbon fluids, and others) and most biological compounds. Geologic metal deposits are in most cases precipitates from hot fluids. Stable isotope measurements can help to determine the source of the fluids, the sources of dissolved constituents, physicochemical parameters of ore formation such as temperature, and the trigger for metal precipitation. Stable isotope analysis can also reveal the broader geologic environment of ore formation, an essential part of any mineral deposit model.
Noble Gas Laboratory: Helium, neon, argon, krypton, xenon, and radon are inert "gases" that have multiple isotopes. The relative abundances of the isotopes can reveal whether rock or water constituents came from the mantle, the deep crust, the shallow crust, or the atmosphere. In studies of mineral deposits, noble gas analyses are complementary to other types of chemical or isotopic analyses because they reveal how ore-forming systems fit into larger frameworks of crustal evolution and magma generation.
Active gases contained in hydrothermal minerals also give insights on ore formation. Active gases that are routinely measured include N2, CO2, CH2, H2, H2S, SO2, HCl, HF, H2O, and the light hydrocarbons. The data can reveal volatile evolution in hydrothermal systems, magma degassing histories, and fluid-rock chemical buffering.
Single Fluid Inclusion & Melt Inclusion Laboratory: Inclusions trapped in hydrothermal minerals can contain remnants of the waters from which the minerals precipitated. Chemical and isotopic analysis of these miniscule inclusions provides a wealth of information on ancient hydrothermal systems and their role in the formation of mineral deposits. A variety of important parameters can be determined, including the mass of fluid required to produce the deposit, the chemical species that carried the metals, and the trigger that led to metal precipitation.
Fluid Inclusion Solute Laboratory: Certain cations and anions in fluid inclusions within hydrothermal minerals can be diagnostic of the source and history of the mineral-forming fluid. Particularly insightful are the abundances of the alkali metals lithium, sodium, and potassium, and the halides fluoride, chloride, bromide, and iodide. Analyses of these ions can reveal periods of evaporation, water-rock reactions within aquifers, and mixing of multiple fluids, all important inputs for mineral deposit models.
Return to Mineral Resources Program | Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
Below are data or web applications associated with this project.
Below are publications associated with this project.
Depositional conditions for the Kuna Formation, Red Dog Zn-PB-Ag-Barite District, Alaska, inferred from isotopic and chemical proxies
The fate of cyanide in leach wastes at gold mines: an environmental perspective
Pre-eruptive conditions of the Hideaway Park topaz rhyolite: Insights into metal source and evolution of magma parental to the Henderson porphyry molybdenum deposit, Colorado
Improved arrival-date estimates of Arctic-breeding Dunlin (Calidris alpina arcticola)
Magmatic gas emissions at Holocene volcanic features near Mono Lake, California, and their relation to regional magmatism
Quality and age of shallow groundwater in the Bakken Formation production area, Williston Basin, Montana and North Dakota
Carbonate margin, slope, and basin facies of the Lisburne Group (Carboniferous-Permian) in northern Alaska
Metamorphosis alters contaminants and chemical tracers in insects: implications for food webs
Mercury cycling in agricultural and managed wetlands, Yolo Bypass, California: Spatial and seasonal variations in water quality
Noble gas isotopes in mineral springs within the Cascadia Forearc, Washington and Oregon
Prodigious degassing of a billion years of accumulated radiogenic helium at Yellowstone
Noble gas geochemistry investigation of high CO2 natural gas at the LaBarge Platform, Wyoming, USA
Below are partners associated with this project.
- Overview
This Project integrates several geochemical tools—stable isotope geochemistry, noble gas geochemistry, active gas geochemistry, single fluid inclusion chemistry, and fluid inclusion solute chemistry—in studies of the processes that form mineral deposits and the processes that disrupt them during mining or natural weathering. Research is directed toward fundamental scientific questions or, in collaboration with other Mineral Resources Projects, toward case studies of individual deposits, deposit types, or districts. The ultimate objective is to improve the scientific basis for mineral deposit models, and thereby improve the accuracy of assessments of the Nation’s mineral wealth.
Science Issue and Relevance
The core mandate of the Mineral Resources Program is to inform decision-makers on matters related to mineral resources on the Nation’s lands, including the consequences of mining and consequences natural weathering. To fulfill this mandate, genetic and geoenvironmental models must be developed for the various types of mineral deposits based on the best-available scientific understanding. This Project integrates several geochemical tools—stable isotope geochemistry, noble gas geochemistry, active gas geochemistry, single fluid inclusion chemistry, and fluid inclusion solute chemistry—in studies of the processes that form mineral deposits and the processes that destroy them during mining or natural weathering. Research is directed toward fundamental scientific questions or, in collaboration with other Mineral Resources Projects, toward case studies of individual deposits, deposit types, or districts. The ultimate objective is to improve the scientific basis for mineral deposit models, and thereby improve the accuracy of assessments of the Nation’s mineral wealth. The tools supported by this Project are applicable over a broad spectrum of Earth science research, so the Project also performs reimbursable work for other Programs consistent with the mandate of the USGS Science Strategy to leverage USGS skills in integrated studies that examine the Earth as a whole. This Project succeeds a similar Project that was summarized in U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1343.
Methods to Address Issue
Several labortories support the project objectives:
Stable Isotope Laboratory: Stable isotope geochemistry involves isotopic analysis of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, and sulfur. These elements are abundant in common minerals and rocks, and they are the building blocks of most geologic fluids (surface waters, magmatic waters, hydrocarbon fluids, and others) and most biological compounds. Geologic metal deposits are in most cases precipitates from hot fluids. Stable isotope measurements can help to determine the source of the fluids, the sources of dissolved constituents, physicochemical parameters of ore formation such as temperature, and the trigger for metal precipitation. Stable isotope analysis can also reveal the broader geologic environment of ore formation, an essential part of any mineral deposit model.
Noble Gas Laboratory: Helium, neon, argon, krypton, xenon, and radon are inert "gases" that have multiple isotopes. The relative abundances of the isotopes can reveal whether rock or water constituents came from the mantle, the deep crust, the shallow crust, or the atmosphere. In studies of mineral deposits, noble gas analyses are complementary to other types of chemical or isotopic analyses because they reveal how ore-forming systems fit into larger frameworks of crustal evolution and magma generation.
Active gases contained in hydrothermal minerals also give insights on ore formation. Active gases that are routinely measured include N2, CO2, CH2, H2, H2S, SO2, HCl, HF, H2O, and the light hydrocarbons. The data can reveal volatile evolution in hydrothermal systems, magma degassing histories, and fluid-rock chemical buffering.
Single Fluid Inclusion & Melt Inclusion Laboratory: Inclusions trapped in hydrothermal minerals can contain remnants of the waters from which the minerals precipitated. Chemical and isotopic analysis of these miniscule inclusions provides a wealth of information on ancient hydrothermal systems and their role in the formation of mineral deposits. A variety of important parameters can be determined, including the mass of fluid required to produce the deposit, the chemical species that carried the metals, and the trigger that led to metal precipitation.
Fluid Inclusion Solute Laboratory: Certain cations and anions in fluid inclusions within hydrothermal minerals can be diagnostic of the source and history of the mineral-forming fluid. Particularly insightful are the abundances of the alkali metals lithium, sodium, and potassium, and the halides fluoride, chloride, bromide, and iodide. Analyses of these ions can reveal periods of evaporation, water-rock reactions within aquifers, and mixing of multiple fluids, all important inputs for mineral deposit models.
Return to Mineral Resources Program | Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center
- Science
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
- Data
Below are data or web applications associated with this project.
- Publications
Below are publications associated with this project.
Filter Total Items: 73Depositional conditions for the Kuna Formation, Red Dog Zn-PB-Ag-Barite District, Alaska, inferred from isotopic and chemical proxies
Water column redox conditions, degree of restriction of the depositional basin, and other paleoenvironmental parameters have been determined for the Mississippian Kuna Formation of northwestern Alaska from stratigraphic profiles of Mo, Fe/Al, and S isotopes in pyrite, C isotopes in organic matter, and N isotopes in bulk rock. This unit is important because it hosts the Red Dog and Anarraaq Zn-Pb-AAuthorsCraig A. Johnson, Julie A. Dumoulin, Robert A. Burruss, John F. SlackThe fate of cyanide in leach wastes at gold mines: an environmental perspective
This paper reviews the basic chemistry of cyanide, methods by which cyanide can be analyzed, and aspects of cyanide behavior that are most relevant to environmental considerations at mineral processing operations associated with gold mines. The emphasis is on research results reported since 1999 and on data gathered for a series of U.S. Geological Survey studies that began in the late 1990s. CyaniAuthorsCraig A. JohnsonPre-eruptive conditions of the Hideaway Park topaz rhyolite: Insights into metal source and evolution of magma parental to the Henderson porphyry molybdenum deposit, Colorado
The Hideaway Park tuff is the only preserved extrusive volcanic unit related to the Red Mountain intrusive complex, which produced the world-class Henderson porphyry Mo deposit. Located within the Colorado Mineral Belt, USA, Henderson is the second largest Climax-type Mo deposit in the world, and is therefore an excellent location to investigate magmatic processes leading to Climax-type Mo mineralAuthorsCelestine N. Mercer, Albert H. Hofstra, Todor I. Todorov, Julie Roberge, Alain Burgisser, David T. Adams, Michael A. CoscaImproved arrival-date estimates of Arctic-breeding Dunlin (Calidris alpina arcticola)
The use of stable isotopes in animal ecology depends on accurate descriptions of isotope dynamics within individuals. The prevailing assumption that laboratory-derived isotopic parameters apply to free-living animals is largely untested. We used stable carbon isotopes (δ13C) in whole blood from migratory Dunlin (Calidris alpina arcticola) to estimate an in situ turnover rate and individual diet-swAuthorsAndrew C. Doll, Richard B. Lanctot, Craig A. Stricker, Stephen M. Yezerinac, Michael B. WunderMagmatic gas emissions at Holocene volcanic features near Mono Lake, California, and their relation to regional magmatism
Silicic lavas have erupted repeatedly in the Mono Basin over the past few thousand years, forming the massive domes and coulees of the Mono Craters chain and the smaller island vents in Mono Lake. We report here on the first systematic study of magmatic CO2 emissions from these features, conducted during 2007–2010. Most notably, a known locus of weak steam venting on the summit of North Coulee isAuthorsD. Bergfeld, William C. Evans, James F. Howle, Andrew G. HuntQuality and age of shallow groundwater in the Bakken Formation production area, Williston Basin, Montana and North Dakota
The quality and age of shallow groundwater in the Bakken Formation production area were characterized using data from 30 randomly distributed domestic wells screened in the upper Fort Union Formation. Comparison of inorganic and organic chemical concentrations to health based drinking-water standards, correlation analysis of concentrations with oil and gas well locations, and isotopic data give noAuthorsPeter B. McMahon, Rodney R. Caldwell, Joel M. Galloway, Joshua F. Valder, Andrew G. HuntCarbonate margin, slope, and basin facies of the Lisburne Group (Carboniferous-Permian) in northern Alaska
The Lisburne Group (Carboniferous-Permian) consists of a carbonate platform that extends for >1000 km across northern Alaska, and diverse margin, slope, and basin facies that contain world-class deposits of Zn and Ba, notable phosphorites, and petroleum source rocks. Lithologic, paleontologic, isotopic, geochemical, and seismic data gathered from outcrop and subsurface studies during the past 20 yAuthorsJulie A. Dumoulin, Craig A. Johnson, John F. Slack, Kenneth J. Bird, Michael T. Whalen, Thomas E. Moore, Anita G. Harris, Paul B. O'SullivanMetamorphosis alters contaminants and chemical tracers in insects: implications for food webs
Insects are integral to most freshwater and terrestrial food webs, but due to their accumulation of environmental pollutants they are also contaminant vectors that threaten reproduction, development, and survival of consumers. Metamorphosis from larvae to adult can cause large chemical changes in insects, altering contaminant concentrations and fractionation of chemical tracers used to establish cAuthorsJohanna M. Kraus, David M. Walters, Jeff S. Wesner, Craig A. Stricker, Travis S. Schmidt, Robert E. ZuelligMercury cycling in agricultural and managed wetlands, Yolo Bypass, California: Spatial and seasonal variations in water quality
The seasonal and spatial variability of water quality, including mercury species, was evaluated in agricultural and managed, non-agricultural wetlands in the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area, an area managed for multiple beneficial uses including bird habitat and rice farming. The study was conducted during an 11-month period (June 2007 to April 2008) that included a summer growing season and flooded conAuthorsCharles N. Alpers, Jacob A. Fleck, Mark C. Marvin-DiPasquale, Craig A. Stricker, Mark Stephenson, Howard E. TaylorNoble gas isotopes in mineral springs within the Cascadia Forearc, Washington and Oregon
This U.S. Geological Survey report presents laboratory analyses along with field notes for a pilot study to document the relative abundance of noble gases in mineral springs within the Cascadia forearc of Washington and Oregon. Estimates of the depth to the underlying Juan de Fuca oceanic plate beneath the sample sites are derived from the McCrory and others (2012) slab model. Some of these springAuthorsPatricia A. McCrory, James E. Constantz, Andrew G. HuntProdigious degassing of a billion years of accumulated radiogenic helium at Yellowstone
Helium is used as a critical tracer throughout the Earth sciences, where its relatively simple isotopic systematics is used to trace degassing from the mantle, to date groundwater and to time the rise of continents1. The hydrothermal system at Yellowstone National Park is famous for its high helium-3/helium-4 isotope ratio, commonly cited as evidence for a deep mantle source for the Yellowstone hoAuthorsJacob B. Lowenstern, William C. Evans, D. Bergfeld, Andrew G. HuntNoble gas geochemistry investigation of high CO2 natural gas at the LaBarge Platform, Wyoming, USA
A regional sampling of gases from thermal springs near the LaBarge Field, Wyoming, USA to determine the extent of the total carbon dioxide system (TCDS) indicates that the system may extend up to 70 km to the northwest of the field. Geochemical evidence from noble gas isotopes, stable element isotopes, and gas composition provide the foundation for these conclusions. Samples from Soda Springs to tAuthorsMatthew D. Merrill, Andrew G. Hunt, Celeste D. Lohr - Partners
Below are partners associated with this project.