Global Mineral Resource Assessments Completed
In response to the growing demand for information on the global mineral-resource base, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) completed assessments for undiscovered resources of porphyry and sediment-hosted copper, platinum-group elements, and potash.
Understanding the global distribution of nonfuel mineral resources
The USGS conducts national and global assessments of renewable and nonrenewable resources to support decision making. Mineral resource assessments provide a synthesis of available information about where mineral deposits are known and suspected in the Earth's crust, what commodities may be present, and amounts of undiscovered resources.
After completing the first quantitative national mineral resource assessment in the 1990s, the USGS conducted a feasibility study to determine whether a global assessment was possible with current knowledge and technology. That study demonstrated that the work would be possible, if conducted in partnership with geological surveys and other interested organizations worldwide. The Global Mineral Resource Assessment Project started in 2002 as a cooperative international effort to assess the world's undiscovered nonfuel mineral resources.
The purposes of the study were to provide
- the first globally consistent and comprehensive analysis of selected types of undiscovered nonfuel mineral resources, and
- all nations with a regional and global context for evaluating their mineral resources, planning for new mineral exploration and anticipating the economic, environmental, and social impacts of mineral development, and making land use decisions.
The results of this global project are reported in the form of
- maps showing regions in which it is likely that there are undiscovered resources of copper, platinum-group elements (PGE), and potash,
- compilations of known deposits of these important commodities,
- descriptions of the characteristics of the known deposits, and
- estimates of the probable amounts of undiscovered copper, PGEs, and potash to depths of 1 to 3 kilometers below the Earth's surface.
The products of this assessment can be used as the foundation for
- potential mineral supply/sustainable mineral supply and development,
- environmental planning/anticipate potential impacts,
- land use planning/biodiversity, land-use conflicts, and
- economic planning/jobs, poverty reduction, economic development.
Below are publications associated with this project.
Global mineral resource assessment
Preliminary publications book 2 from project on mineral resources, metallogenesis, and tectonics of northeast Asia
Sediment-hosted copper deposits of the world: Deposit models and database
Agenda, extended abstracts, and bibliographies for a workshop on Deposit modeling, mineral resources assessment, and their role in sustainable development
Porphyry copper deposits of the world: Database, maps, and preliminary analysis
A Microsoft Windows version of the MARK3 Monte Carlo resource simulator
Mineral deposit density; an update
Below are news stories associated with this project.
Below are partners associated with this project.
- Overview
In response to the growing demand for information on the global mineral-resource base, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) completed assessments for undiscovered resources of porphyry and sediment-hosted copper, platinum-group elements, and potash.
Understanding the global distribution of nonfuel mineral resources
The USGS conducts national and global assessments of renewable and nonrenewable resources to support decision making. Mineral resource assessments provide a synthesis of available information about where mineral deposits are known and suspected in the Earth's crust, what commodities may be present, and amounts of undiscovered resources.
After completing the first quantitative national mineral resource assessment in the 1990s, the USGS conducted a feasibility study to determine whether a global assessment was possible with current knowledge and technology. That study demonstrated that the work would be possible, if conducted in partnership with geological surveys and other interested organizations worldwide. The Global Mineral Resource Assessment Project started in 2002 as a cooperative international effort to assess the world's undiscovered nonfuel mineral resources.
The purposes of the study were to provide
- the first globally consistent and comprehensive analysis of selected types of undiscovered nonfuel mineral resources, and
- all nations with a regional and global context for evaluating their mineral resources, planning for new mineral exploration and anticipating the economic, environmental, and social impacts of mineral development, and making land use decisions.
The results of this global project are reported in the form of
- maps showing regions in which it is likely that there are undiscovered resources of copper, platinum-group elements (PGE), and potash,
- compilations of known deposits of these important commodities,
- descriptions of the characteristics of the known deposits, and
- estimates of the probable amounts of undiscovered copper, PGEs, and potash to depths of 1 to 3 kilometers below the Earth's surface.
The products of this assessment can be used as the foundation for
- potential mineral supply/sustainable mineral supply and development,
- environmental planning/anticipate potential impacts,
- land use planning/biodiversity, land-use conflicts, and
- economic planning/jobs, poverty reduction, economic development.
- Publications
Below are publications associated with this project.
Global mineral resource assessment
Introduction In response to the growing demand for information on the global mineral-resource base, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is conducting the Quantitative Global Mineral Resource Assessment Project (GMRAP), a cooperative international project, begun in 2002, to assess the world's undiscovered nonfuel mineral resources. Primary Objectives The USGS conducts national and global assessmentsFilter Total Items: 54Preliminary publications book 2 from project on mineral resources, metallogenesis, and tectonics of northeast Asia
This is the Web version of a CD-ROM publication. This report consists of summary major compilations and syntheses accomplished in the six-year project through April 2003 for the study on the Mineral Resources, Metallogenesis, and Tectonics of Northeast Asia (Eastern and Southern Siberia, Mongolia, Northeastern China, South Korea, and Japan). The major scientific goals and benefits of the project aAuthorsWarren J. Nokleberg, Robert J. Miller, Vera V. Naumova, Alexander I. Khanchuk, Leonid M. Parfenov, Mikhail I. Kuzmin, Tatiana M. Bounaeva, Alexander A. Obolenskiy, Sergey M. Rodionov, Zhan V. Seminskiy, Michael F. DigglesSediment-hosted copper deposits of the world: Deposit models and database
Introduction This publication contains four descriptive models and four grade-tonnage models for sediment hosted copper deposits. Descriptive models are useful in exploration planning and resource assessment because they enable the user to identify deposits in the field and to identify areas on geologic and geophysical maps where deposits could occur. Grade and tonnage models are used in resourAuthorsDennis P. Cox, David A. Lindsey, Donald A. Singer, Barry C. Moring, Michael F. DigglesAgenda, extended abstracts, and bibliographies for a workshop on Deposit modeling, mineral resources assessment, and their role in sustainable development
Global demand for mineral resources continues to increase because of increasing global population and the desire and efforts to improve living standards worldwide. The ability to meet this growing demand for minerals is affected by the concerns about possible environmental degradation associated with minerals production and by competing land uses. Informed planning and decisions concerning sustainPorphyry copper deposits of the world: Database, maps, and preliminary analysis
Mineral deposit models are important in exploration planning and quantitative resource assessments for two reasons: (1) grades and tonnages among deposit types are significantly different, and (2) many types occur in different geologic settings that can be identified from geologic maps. Mineral deposit models are the keystone in combining the diverse geoscience information on geology, mineral occuAuthorsDonald A. Singer, Vladimir I. Berger, Barry C. MoringA Microsoft Windows version of the MARK3 Monte Carlo resource simulator
This publication includes a version of the MARK3 Monte Carlo resource simulator that will run under Microsoft Windows 98, NT, and 2000. The disc also includes grade and tonnage information and related deposit model files that allow the user to calculate probability curves for mineral resources. A total of 113 deposit models are included on the disc although some of them are subsets of others. In mAuthorsJoseph S. DuvalMineral deposit density; an update
A robust method to estimate the number of undiscovered deposits is a form of mineral deposit model wherein numbers of deposits per unit area from well-explored regions are counted and the resulting frequency distribution is used either directly for an estimate or indirectly as a guideline in some other method. The 27 mineral deposit density estimates reported here for 13 different deposit types reAuthorsW. David Menzie, David M. Sutphin, Dan L. Mosier, James D. Bliss, Klaus J. Schulz - Web Tools
- News
Below are news stories associated with this project.
- Partners
Below are partners associated with this project.