USMIN Mineral Deposit Database Active
Our objective is to develop a national-scale, geospatial database that is the authoritative source of the most important mines, mineral deposits, and mineral districts of the United States.
Prospect- and mine-related features on USGS topographic maps
Symbols indicating mining-related features digitized from historical USGS topographic maps in the western part of the conterminous US. Includes prospect pits, mine shafts and adits, quarries, open-pit mines, tailings piles and ponds, gravel and borrow pits, and other features.
Science Issue and Relevance
One of the key missions of the USGS Mineral Resources Program is the collection and dissemination of mineral resources information. This information is used by the USGS, other government agencies (State and Federal), private industry and the general public. An accurate, up-to-date mineral deposit database utilizing current geospatial technologies is needed to meet the needs of USGS research, state and federal land management agencies, private industry, and the general public.
In the 1960's, the USGS and the U.S. Bureau of Mines developed national-scale mine and mineral deposit databases. After the Bureau of Mine's 1996 closure, the USGS acquired custody of their Minerals Availability System (MAS) and Minerals Industry Location System (MILS) databases. In 2000, the MAS/MILS was merged with the USGS Mineral Resource Data System (MRDS) to form a single database. Much of the data initially captured in the Mineral Resource Data System was recorded prior to the development and widespread use of modern geospatial technologies. Additionally, differing data entry procedures of both Bureau of Mines and USGS resulted in different outcomes. Due to these issues, it was decided that the mineral resources database of the U.S. needed to be modernized.
An updated mineral deposit database will provide a high-quality, consistent mine and deposit inventory to support U.S. actions and policies on mineral resources and land management.
Methodology to Address the Issue
Our goal is to develop a national-scale, geospatial database that is the authoritative source of the most important mines, mineral deposits, and mineral districts of the United States. The initial focus was on the western states, with plans to collect data for all of the U.S. Our major tasks are:
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Compile comprehensive mineral deposit data; focus since May 2017 has been critical minerals
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Capture mine symbol data from USGS historic topographic maps at 3 scales and multiple versions
Return to Mineral Resources Program | Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
Below are data releases associated with this project.
Cobalt Deposits in the United States
Tungsten Deposits in the United States
Tellurium Deposits in the United States
Lithium Deposits in the United States
Rare Earth Element Occurrences in the United States
Reported historic asbestos mines, historic asbestos prospects, and other natural occurrences of asbestos in the conterminous United States
Rhenium Occurrences in the United States
Database of significant deposits of gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc in Alaska
Mines, Mineral Occurrences, and Mining Districts in the Carlin Area, Nevada
Digital maps of hydrothermal alteration type, key mineral groups, and green vegetation of the western United States derived from automated analysis of ASTER satellite data
USMIN Mineral Resource Data for the U.S. Geological Survey Sagebrush Mineral-Resource Assessment Project
Below are publications associated with this project.
Below are news stories associated with this project.
Below are partners associated with this project.
- Overview
Our objective is to develop a national-scale, geospatial database that is the authoritative source of the most important mines, mineral deposits, and mineral districts of the United States.
Prospect- and mine-related features on USGS topographic mapsSymbols indicating mining-related features digitized from historical USGS topographic maps in the western part of the conterminous US. Includes prospect pits, mine shafts and adits, quarries, open-pit mines, tailings piles and ponds, gravel and borrow pits, and other features.
Science Issue and Relevance
One of the key missions of the USGS Mineral Resources Program is the collection and dissemination of mineral resources information. This information is used by the USGS, other government agencies (State and Federal), private industry and the general public. An accurate, up-to-date mineral deposit database utilizing current geospatial technologies is needed to meet the needs of USGS research, state and federal land management agencies, private industry, and the general public.
In the 1960's, the USGS and the U.S. Bureau of Mines developed national-scale mine and mineral deposit databases. After the Bureau of Mine's 1996 closure, the USGS acquired custody of their Minerals Availability System (MAS) and Minerals Industry Location System (MILS) databases. In 2000, the MAS/MILS was merged with the USGS Mineral Resource Data System (MRDS) to form a single database. Much of the data initially captured in the Mineral Resource Data System was recorded prior to the development and widespread use of modern geospatial technologies. Additionally, differing data entry procedures of both Bureau of Mines and USGS resulted in different outcomes. Due to these issues, it was decided that the mineral resources database of the U.S. needed to be modernized.
An updated mineral deposit database will provide a high-quality, consistent mine and deposit inventory to support U.S. actions and policies on mineral resources and land management.
Methodology to Address the Issue
Our goal is to develop a national-scale, geospatial database that is the authoritative source of the most important mines, mineral deposits, and mineral districts of the United States. The initial focus was on the western states, with plans to collect data for all of the U.S. Our major tasks are:
-
Compile comprehensive mineral deposit data; focus since May 2017 has been critical minerals
-
Capture mine symbol data from USGS historic topographic maps at 3 scales and multiple versions
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 releases associated with this project.
Filter Total Items: 23Cobalt Deposits in the United States
This data release provides descriptions of more than 60 mineral regions, mines, and mineral deposits within the United States and its territories that are reported to contain enrichments of cobalt (Co). To focus the scope of this data release, we report only mined deposits and exploration prospects with past production, or resource and reserve estimates of 1,000 metric tons or more of cobalt. CobaTungsten Deposits in the United States
This database has been versioned where the new version supersedes the original database. Version 2.0 of Tungsten Deposits in the United States is available at https://doi.org/10.5066/P97NJLI4. Tungsten deposits have been mined in the United States since the late 19th century, but there has been minimal production of tungsten from mines in the United States since price crashes in the 1980's. TungstTellurium Deposits in the United States
This dataset is part of an ongoing effort by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to understand the attributes and geologic distribution of critical mineral resources, both globally, and in particular, within the United States. The United States continues to become more dependent on imports to meet the domestic demands for an increasing number of mineral commodities. Many mineral commodities are nowLithium Deposits in the United States
This data release provides the descriptions of approximately 20 U.S. sites that include mineral regions, mines, and mineral occurrences (deposits and prospects) that contain enrichments of lithium (Li). This release includes sites that have a contained resource and (or) past production of lithium metal greater than 15,000 metric tons. Sites in this database occur in Arkansas, California, Nevada, NRare Earth Element Occurrences in the United States
This data release provides descriptions of more than 200 mineral districts, mines, and mineral occurrences (deposits, prospects, and showings) within the United States that are reported to contain substantial enrichments of the rare earth elements (REEs). These mineral occurrences include mined deposits, exploration prospects, and other occurrences with notable concentrations of the REEs. The inclReported historic asbestos mines, historic asbestos prospects, and other natural occurrences of asbestos in the conterminous United States
This data release is a compilation of six earlier reports on natural occurrences of asbestos in the conterminous United States, which were published separately; these are Van Gosen (2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010) and Van Gosen and Clinkenbeard (2011). The earlier reports were compilations divided by regions of the United States; in each report the data were provided in spreadsheet format. This dataRhenium Occurrences in the United States
This data release provides descriptions of more than 100 mining districts, mines, and mineral occurrences (deposits and prospects) within the United States that are reported to contain enrichments of rhenium (Re). These mineral occurrences include mined deposits, exploration prospects, and other occurrences with notable concentrations of rhenium. The inclusion of a particular mineral occurrence inDatabase of significant deposits of gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc in Alaska
This data release provides descriptions and locations of 134 significant deposits in Alaska. Approximately 99 percent of past production and remaining identified resources of gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc in the United States are accounted for by deposits that originally contained at least 2 metric tons (t) of gold, 85 t silver, 50,000 t copper, 30,000 t lead, and 50,000 t zinc. Deposits ofMines, Mineral Occurrences, and Mining Districts in the Carlin Area, Nevada
Sediment hosted gold deposits in Nevada were first mined in the 1960s from open pit mines with large tonnage and low grade resources. Since that time, continuing exploration and discovery have identified extraordinary resources, and together these deposits now form the second-largest gold endowment on Earth, surpassed only by the Witwatersrand Gold Fields of South Africa. The data herein are partDigital maps of hydrothermal alteration type, key mineral groups, and green vegetation of the western United States derived from automated analysis of ASTER satellite data
Mineral groups identified through automated analysis of remote sensing data acquired by the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) were used to generate a map showing the type and spatial distribution of hydrothermal alteration, other exposed mineral groups, and green vegetation across the northwestern conterminous United States. Boolean algebra was used to combineUSMIN Mineral Resource Data for the U.S. Geological Survey Sagebrush Mineral-Resource Assessment Project
The point and polygon layers within this geodatabase represent locations of mineral occurrences, mines, mining and mineral districts and sites of active mineral exploration within or near the Department of the Interior (DOI) Sagebrush Focal Areas in Montana, Wyoming and Utah, central Idaho, and the Oregon-Nevada-Idaho border area. The data were compiled by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Mineral - Publications
Below are publications associated with this project.
- News
Below are news stories associated with this project.
- Partners
Below are partners associated with this project.