Mineral Resources Program

The Dnieper-Donets Basin of Ukraine could contain an estimated 4.3 billion tons of undiscovered potassium-bearing salt according to a recent U.S. Geological Survey assessment. In addition, previous estimates show that the nearby Pripyat Basin of Belarus could contain 80–200 billion metric tons of undiscovered potash resources.

No, it’s not a title for a new reality-dating TV show, but it is real science! It also describes the ideal mineral deposit.

Slag. Depending on where you’re from, it may be an insult, a term meaning trash, or, in our case, the waste left over from metal smelting or refining. Outside of the construction industry, it might seem that uses for slag are considered limited.

At USGS, although the rocks we study are millions of years old, our scientific methods are cutting edge! Here's just one example of how we use creative problem-solving to help crystalize a solution to a complex issue.

In a newly published study, USGS scientists examine rare earth mineral resource potential within heavy mineral sands in the southeastern United States.

No one wants to have an active volcano in their backyard (just ask Dionisio Pulido), but ancient eroded volcanoes can sometimes be literal goldmines for mineral ores.

Vast mineral wealth has been discovered in the Great Basin since the 1800s. As each new generation of prospectors and geologists brings their cutting-edge tools with them, the arid ridgelines of the desert Southwest have shown more and more potential.

On its 205th anniversary, Louisiana still rocks.

On its 229th birthday, Maryland still rocks.

Whether you pan for gold or rare earths, you’ll get a lot of sand...and this EarthWord!

We've got a library full of spectral signatures, like a police fingerprint library for minerals and other substances!