New Mineral Deposit Models for Gold, Phosphate Rare Earth Elements, and Placer Rare Earth Element-Titanium Resources
USGS Mineral Deposit Models are "an organized arrangement of information describing the essential characteristics or properties of a class of mineral deposits. Models themselves can be classified according to their essential attributes (for example: descriptive, grade-tonnage models, genetic, geoenvironmental, geophysical, probability of occurrence, and quantitative process models)." (Stoeser and Heran, 2000). They are a tool for assessing areas for undiscovered mineral deposits.
This project focused on updating mineral deposit models for future assessment work within the U.S. The updated models included six gold deposit types (epithermal, orogenic, Carlin-like, alkaline-related, iron oxide copper gold, and Precambrian paleoplacer), sedimentary phosphorus (± rare earth elements) deposits, and titanium-rare earth element placer deposits. These mineral deposit models are designed for assessment use and include components on geoenvironmental impacts, human health, and critical elements. Other activities included investigating modern techniques in the applications of geochemistry and geophysics for all gold models.
Reference: Stoeser, D.B., and W.D. Heran, 2000, USGS mineral deposit models: U.S. Geological Survey Data Series 64, 1 disk, https://doi.org/10.3133/ds64.
Below are publications associated with this project and previous mineral deposit model publications.
Descriptive and grade-tonnage models of volcanogenic manganese deposits in oceanic environments; a modification
Prospects for mineral resource assessments on public lands: Proceedings of the Leesburg workshop
Geologic and grade-tonnage information on Tertiary epithermal precious- and base-metal vein districts associated with volcanic rocks
Mineral deposit models; theory and practice
Characteristics of mineral deposit occurrences: guide book for use as an aid in mineral resource studies
USGS Mineral Deposit Models are "an organized arrangement of information describing the essential characteristics or properties of a class of mineral deposits. Models themselves can be classified according to their essential attributes (for example: descriptive, grade-tonnage models, genetic, geoenvironmental, geophysical, probability of occurrence, and quantitative process models)." (Stoeser and Heran, 2000). They are a tool for assessing areas for undiscovered mineral deposits.
This project focused on updating mineral deposit models for future assessment work within the U.S. The updated models included six gold deposit types (epithermal, orogenic, Carlin-like, alkaline-related, iron oxide copper gold, and Precambrian paleoplacer), sedimentary phosphorus (± rare earth elements) deposits, and titanium-rare earth element placer deposits. These mineral deposit models are designed for assessment use and include components on geoenvironmental impacts, human health, and critical elements. Other activities included investigating modern techniques in the applications of geochemistry and geophysics for all gold models.
Reference: Stoeser, D.B., and W.D. Heran, 2000, USGS mineral deposit models: U.S. Geological Survey Data Series 64, 1 disk, https://doi.org/10.3133/ds64.
Below are publications associated with this project and previous mineral deposit model publications.