Mountain Pass, California - Publications by USGS Authors

Journal articles 

Benson, E.K., and Watts, K.E. (2024) Apatite and monazite geochemistry record magmatic and metasomatic processes in rare earth element mineralization at Mountain Pass, California. Economic Geology, 119, 1611-1642. https://doi.org/10.5382/econgeo.5108 

Benson, E.K., Watts, K.E., and Hillenbrand, I.W. (2025) Geochemistry and radiogenic isotopes constrain the mantle source region of the Mountain Pass Intrusive Suite, California. Lithos, 508-509, 2025, 108060. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lithos.2025.108060 

Benson, E.K., Watts, K.E., Pribil, M.J., Thompson, J.M., and Lowers, H. (in review) Insights into Mountain Pass carbonatite formation from in-situ sulfur isotopes and geochemistry of sulfate and sulfide minerals. Mineralium Deposita. 

Denton, K.M., Ponce, D.A., Peacock, J.R., and Miller, D.M. (2019) Geophysical characterization of a Proterozoic REE terrane at Mountain Pass, eastern Mojave Desert, California, USA. Geosphere, 16, 456–471. https://doi.org/10.1130/GES02066.1 

Hillenbrand, I.W., Benson, E.K., Watts, K.E., and Thompson, J.M. (in review) Zircon petrochronology as a tool to fingerprint sources of magmatic REE deposits. Geology. 

Hillenbrand, I.W. (in review) Zircon as a pathfinder to REE deposits. Geochemical Perspectives Letters. 

Jaffe, H.W., Meyrowitz, R., and Evans, H.T., Jr. (1953) Sahamalite, a new rare earth carbonate mineral. American Mineralogist, 38, 741–754. 

Mars, J.C. (2018) Mineral and lithologic mapping capability of WorldView 3 data at Mountain Pass, California, using true- and false-color composite images, band ratios, and logical operator algorithms. Economic Geology, 13, 587–1601. https://doi.org/10.5382/econgeo.2018.4604 

Olson, J.C., Shawe, D.R., Pray, L.C., Sharp, W.N., and Hewett, D.F. (1954) Rare-earth mineral deposits of the Mountain Pass District, San Bernardino County, California, with a foreword on history of the discovery at Mountain Pass, California. U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 261. https://doi.org/10.3133/pp261 

Peacock J.R., Denton, K.M., and Ponce, D.A. (2021) Three-dimensional electrical resistivity characterization of Mountain Pass, California and surrounding region. Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, 21, e2021GC010029. https://doi.org/10.1029/2021GC010029 

Poletti, J.E., Cottle, J M., Hagen-Peter, G.A., and Lackey, J.S. (2016) Petrochronological constraints on the origin of the Mountain Pass ultrapotassic and carbonatite intrusive suite, California. Journal of Petrology, 57, 1555–1598. https://doi.org/10.1093/petrology/egw050 

Rowan, L.C., and Mars, J.C. (2003) Lithologic mapping in the Mountain Pass, California area using Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) data. Remote Sensing of Environment, 84, 350-366. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0034-4257(02)00127-X 

Verplanck, P.L., Mariano, A.N., and Mariano, A.N., Jr. (2016) Rare earth element ore geology of carbonatites. Reviews in Economic Geology, 18, 5–32. https://doi.org/10.5382/Rev.18.01 

Watts, K.E., and Andersen, A.K. (2025) Complex carbonate ore mineralogy in the Mountain Pass carbonatite rare earth element deposit, USA. American Mineralogist. https://doi.org/10.2138/am-2025-9822 

Watts, K.E., Haxel, G.B., and Miller, D.M. (2022) Temporal and petrogenetic links between Mesoproterozoic alkaline and carbonatite magmas at Mountain Pass, California. Economic Geology, 117, 1–23. https://doi.org/10.5382/econgeo.4848 

Watts, K.E., Miller, D.M., and Ponce, D.A. (2024) Mafic alkaline magmatism and rare earth element mineralization in the Mojave Desert, California: The Bobcat Hills connection to Mountain Pass, Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, 25, e2023GC011253. https://doi.org/10.1029/2023GC011253 

Reports and maps 

Denton, K.M., and Ponce, D.A. (2016) Gravity and magnetic studies of the eastern Mojave Desert, California and Nevada. U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2016-1070. https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20161070 

Haxel, G. B. (2005) Ultrapotassic mafic dikes and rare earth element- and barium-rich carbonatite at Mountain Pass, Mojave Desert, southern California: Summary and field trip localities. U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2005-1219. https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2005/1219/ 

Olson, J.C. (1952) Preliminary report and geologic map of the Mountain Pass district, San Bernadino County, California. U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 52-109. https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr52109 

Olson, J.C. (1952) Geologic setting of the Mountain Pass rare earth deposits, San Bernadino County, California. U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 52-110. https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr52110 

Ponce, D.A. (2018) Geophysical and geologic maps of Mountain Pass and vicinity, California and Nevada. U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Map 3412. https://doi.org/10.3133/sim3412 

Ponce, D.A., and Denton, K.M. (2018) Isostatic gravity map of Mountain Pass and vicinity, California and Nevada. U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Map 3412–A, scale 1:62,500. https://doi.org/10.3133/sim3412A 

Ponce, D.A., and Denton, K.M. (2018) Aeromagnetic map of Mountain Pass and vicinity, California and Nevada. U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Map 3412–B, scale 1:62,500. https://doi.org/10.3133/sim3412B 

Ponce, D.A., and Denton, K.M. (2019) Airborne radiometric maps of Mountain Pass, California. U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Map 3412–C, scale 1:62,500. https://doi.org/10.3133/sim3412C 

Sharp, W.N., and Olson, J.C. (1951) Geologic map of the baritic carbonate body near Mountain Pass, San Bernadino County, California. U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 51-38. https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr5138 

Shawe, D.R. (1953) Thorium resources of the Mountain Pass district, San Bernadino County, California. U.S. Geological Survey Trace Elements Investigations 251. https://doi.org/10.3133/tei251 

Data releases 

Benson, E.K., and Watts, K.E. (2024) Apatite and monazite geochemistry data at Mountain Pass, California, 2024. U.S. Geological Survey Data Release. https://doi.org/10.5066/P1LGUGBG 

Benson, E.K., Watts, K.E., and Hillenbrand, I.W. (2025) Geochemical and isotopic data for the Mountain Pass Intrusive Suite, California. U.S. Geological Survey Data Release. https://doi.org/10.5066/P14LEGBH 

Peacock, J.R., and Denton, K.M. (2019) Magnetotelluric data from Mountain Pass, CA, 2015. U.S. Geological Survey Data Release. https://doi.org/10.5066/P9JNPLPJ 

Ponce, D.A. (2023) Gravity data in the eastern Mojave Desert, California and Nevada. U.S. Geological Survey Data Release. https://doi.org/10.5066/P9T4AKEJ 

Ponce, D.A., and Drenth, B.J. (2020) Airborne magnetic and radiometric survey of the southeast Mojave Desert, California and Nevada. U.S. Geological Survey Data Release. https://doi.org/10.5066/P9UWYYK9 

Premo, W.R., Moscati, R.J., DeWitt, E., Hillenbrand, I.W., Miller, D.M., Futa, K., and Wooden, J.L. (2025) Data Release of Geochemical, Geochronologic, and Isotopic Data for Proterozoic rocks from the Mountain Pass REE deposit and its host rocks, Arizona, California, and Nevada. U.S. Geological Survey Data Release. https://doi.org/10.5066/P13NIQ3F 

Souders, A.K. (2025) LA-MC-ICP-MS Hf isotopes in zircons from the Mountain Pass Intrusive Suite, California. U.S. Geological Survey Data Release. https://doi.org/10.5066/P184WCCW 

Verplanck, P.L., Van Gosen, B.S., Hoefen, T.M., and Swayze, G.A. (2022) Geochemical data for carbonatite samples from the Mountain Pass rare earth element deposit, southeast California. U.S. Geological Survey Data Release. https://doi.org/10.5066/P91MBCYS 

Watts, K.E., and Andersen, A.K. (2025) Chemistry data for rare earth carbonate minerals from the Mountain Pass rare earth element deposit, California. U.S. Geological Survey Data Release. https://doi.org/10.5066/P1DVJ92S 

Watts, K.E., Haxel, G.B., and Miller, D.M. (2021) Geochemistry, geochronology, and isotope geochemistry data for rocks and zircons from Mountain Pass, California. U.S. Geological Survey Data Release. https://doi.org/10.5066/P9UE4HFE 

Watts, K.E., and Miller, D.M. (2023) Geological mapping coordinates, and zircon geochemistry, geochronology and isotope geochemistry data, Bobcat Hills, California. U.S. Geological Survey Data Release. https://doi.org/10.5066/P95WP6KL