Mineral Resources Program
News
News Releases, Technical Announcements, and other items of interest relating to the MR Program. To follow Minerals Information Periodicals, subscribe to the Mineral Periodicals RSS feed. Subscribe to the USGS Minerals News RSS feed to keep up with the latest Program news.
Helicopter Making Low-Level Flights over North-Central Idaho
Residents and visitors should not be alarmed to see a low-flying helicopter over Lemhi and Custer Counties west of Salmon, Idaho from September 6 to October 18, 2021.
The Unexpected Activity of Frozen Soils: New USGS Research Discovers Permafrost and Frozen Winter Soils May Be More Alive than Previously Thought
Newly published research indicates permafrost, or seasonally frozen, soils may be an overlooked source of greenhouse gases (GHG) prior to complete thaw, which could have implications for how thawing of this thick subsurface layer of soil will impact the global carbon budget and how future climate conditions are studied.
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 database of critical mineral concentrations in and around mineral deposits.
Minerals Corner Spring 2021
As Spring 2021 ends, here are a few highlights from the USGS Mineral Resources Program’s recent activities and publications.
Media Alert: Flights Above Custer and Fremont Counties, Colorado, to Map Geology
USGS Low-level Helicopter Surveys Begin Early June
Editor: In the public interest and in accordance with Federal Aviation Administration regulations, the USGS is announcing this low-level airborne project. Your assistance in informing the local communities is appreciated.
Media Alert: Flights Above the Mississippi Alluvial Plain to Continue Aquifer Mapping
Editor: In the public interest and in accordance with Federal Aviation Administration regulations, the USGS is announcing this low-level airborne project. Your assistance informing the local communities is appreciated.
Media Alert: Flights Above Northern Maine to Map Geology
USGS Low-level Airplane Surveys Beginning Soon
Editor: In the public interest and in accordance with Federal Aviation Administration regulations, the USGS is announcing this low-level airborne project. Your assistance in informing the local communities is appreciated.
USGS Updates Mineral Database with Gallium Deposits in the United States
In the latest database update based on the Critical Minerals List, the USGS has added Gallium to USMIN.
USGS Updates Mineral Database with Tantalum Deposits in the United States
The USGS has added the critical mineral commodity tantalum to USMIN.
USGS Updates Mineral Database with Niobium Deposits in the United States
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has updated its USMIN Mineral Deposit Database (USMIN) for the mineral commodity niobium, one of 35 mineral commodities declared critical by the U.S. Department of the Interior. Sites in this dataset occur in Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Nebraska and Texas.
US Mines Produced an Estimated $82.3 Billion in Minerals During 2020
U.S. mines produced approximately $82.3 billion in minerals in 2020— about $1.5 billion lower than the 2019 revised total of $83.7 billion—the U.S. Geological Survey announced February 2.
Flights Above Parts of Virginia and North Carolina to Map Geology
Editor: In the public interest and in accordance with Federal Aviation Administration regulations, the USGS is announcing this low-level airborne project. Your assistance in informing the local communities is appreciated.