A fine-grained volcanic rock (trachyte) that hosts rare earth elements, niobium, and zirconium, all which are considered critical mineral resources. This rock was found on Pennington Mountain in Maine. Image courtesy of Chunzeng Wang, University of Maine-Presque Isle.
What is a critical mineral?
The Energy Act of 2020 defined critical minerals as those that are essential to the economic or national security of the United States; have a supply chain that is vulnerable to disruption; and serve an essential function in the manufacturing of a product, the absence of which would have significant consequences for the economic or national security of the U.S. The act further specified that critical minerals do not include fuel minerals; water, ice, or snow; or common varieties of sand, gravel, stone, pumice, cinders, and clay.
Mineral criticality is not static, but changes over time as supply and demand dynamics evolve, import reliance changes, and new technologies are developed. The 2022 list of critical minerals/elements includes:
| Aluminum | Dysprosium | Indium | Palladium | Terbium |
| Antimony | Erbium | Iridium | Platinum | Thulium |
| Arsenic | Europium | Lanthanum | Praseodymium | Tin |
| Barite | Fluorspar | Lithium | Rhodium | Titanium |
| Beryllium | Gadolinium | Lutetium | Rubidium | Tungsten |
| Bismuth | Gallium | Magnesium | Ruthenium | Vanadium |
| Cerium | Germanium | Manganese | Samarium | Ytterbium |
| Cesium | Graphite | Neodymium | Scandium | Yttrium |
| Chromium | Hafnium | Nickel | Tantalum | Zinc |
| Cobalt | Holmium | Niobium | Tellurium | Zirconium |
Learn More:
Related
Where can I find information about mineral commodities?
For statistical information about mineral commodities, visit the USGS Commodity Statistics and Information website. For locations outside the United States, USGS International Minerals Statistics and Information is the best starting point.
How much gold has been found in the world?
About 244,000 metric tons of gold has been discovered to date (187,000 metric tons historically produced plus current underground reserves of 57,000 metric tons). Most of that gold has come from just three countries: China, Australia, and South Africa. The United States ranked fourth in gold production in 2016. All of the gold discovered thus far would fit in a cube that is 23 meters wide on every...
How much silver has been found in the world?
Of the 1,740,000 metric tons of silver discovered to date, 55% is found in just four countries on earth. All the silver discovered thus far would fit in a cube 55 meters on a side. Learn more: USGS commodity website for silver
How much copper has been found in the world?
To date, roughly 700 million metric tons of copper have been produced around the world. This would fit into a cube measuring about 430 meters on a side. Identified deposits contain an estimated 2.1 billion metric tons of additional copper, which brings the total amount of discovered copper to 2.8 billion metric tons. This would fit into a cube measuring 680 meters on a side. It is also estimated...
How do we extract minerals?
The primary methods used to extract minerals from the ground are: Underground mining Surface (open pit) mining Placer mining The location and shape of the deposit, strength of the rock, ore grade, mining costs, and current market price of the commodity are some of the determining factors for selecting which mining method to use. Higher-grade metallic ores found in veins deep under the Earth’s...
Pennington Mountain Rock with Critical Minerals
A fine-grained volcanic rock (trachyte) that hosts rare earth elements, niobium, and zirconium, all which are considered critical mineral resources. This rock was found on Pennington Mountain in Maine. Image courtesy of Chunzeng Wang, University of Maine-Presque Isle.
Graham Lederer examines tungsten ore from Burnside mine
Northeast Region Photo Contest Winner | Oct. 2019 | Honorable Mention 1
Graham Lederer uses a hand lens to examine tungsten ore from the Burnside mine in Alpine County, California. Scheelite is an important tungsten mineral found in skarn deposits throughout the Sierra Nevada and Great Basin.
Northeast Region Photo Contest Winner | Oct. 2019 | Honorable Mention 1
Graham Lederer uses a hand lens to examine tungsten ore from the Burnside mine in Alpine County, California. Scheelite is an important tungsten mineral found in skarn deposits throughout the Sierra Nevada and Great Basin.
Tungsten
Photo Contest Winner | March 2020 | Honorable Mention 1
Critical mineral - tungsten
Photo Contest Winner | March 2020 | Honorable Mention 1
Critical mineral - tungsten
Bauxite
Mineral: Bauxite
Mineral Origin: Les Baux, France (Sample donated by Gary Kingston)
Primary Commodity: Aluminum and Gallium
Mineral: Bauxite
Mineral Origin: Les Baux, France (Sample donated by Gary Kingston)
Primary Commodity: Aluminum and Gallium
Graphite in Pegmatite Rock
Mineral: Graphite (C) in pegmatite rock
Mineral Origin: Ticonderoga, NY
Primary Mineral Commodity: Graphite
Mineral Commodity Uses: brake linings, foundry operations, heat-resistant lubricants, refractory applications, and steelmaking
Mineral: Graphite (C) in pegmatite rock
Mineral Origin: Ticonderoga, NY
Primary Mineral Commodity: Graphite
Mineral Commodity Uses: brake linings, foundry operations, heat-resistant lubricants, refractory applications, and steelmaking
Lithium Mining in Salar de Atacama, Chile
The Salar de Atacama in Chile is a large, dry salt flat surrounded by mountain ranges and is one of the driest places on Earth. Parts of the Atacama Desert have gone without rain for as long as people have been keeping track, but water rich in dissolved salts lies beneath this flat surface. The Salar is particularly rich in lithium salts.
The Salar de Atacama in Chile is a large, dry salt flat surrounded by mountain ranges and is one of the driest places on Earth. Parts of the Atacama Desert have gone without rain for as long as people have been keeping track, but water rich in dissolved salts lies beneath this flat surface. The Salar is particularly rich in lithium salts.
Related
Where can I find information about mineral commodities?
For statistical information about mineral commodities, visit the USGS Commodity Statistics and Information website. For locations outside the United States, USGS International Minerals Statistics and Information is the best starting point.
How much gold has been found in the world?
About 244,000 metric tons of gold has been discovered to date (187,000 metric tons historically produced plus current underground reserves of 57,000 metric tons). Most of that gold has come from just three countries: China, Australia, and South Africa. The United States ranked fourth in gold production in 2016. All of the gold discovered thus far would fit in a cube that is 23 meters wide on every...
How much silver has been found in the world?
Of the 1,740,000 metric tons of silver discovered to date, 55% is found in just four countries on earth. All the silver discovered thus far would fit in a cube 55 meters on a side. Learn more: USGS commodity website for silver
How much copper has been found in the world?
To date, roughly 700 million metric tons of copper have been produced around the world. This would fit into a cube measuring about 430 meters on a side. Identified deposits contain an estimated 2.1 billion metric tons of additional copper, which brings the total amount of discovered copper to 2.8 billion metric tons. This would fit into a cube measuring 680 meters on a side. It is also estimated...
How do we extract minerals?
The primary methods used to extract minerals from the ground are: Underground mining Surface (open pit) mining Placer mining The location and shape of the deposit, strength of the rock, ore grade, mining costs, and current market price of the commodity are some of the determining factors for selecting which mining method to use. Higher-grade metallic ores found in veins deep under the Earth’s...
Pennington Mountain Rock with Critical Minerals
A fine-grained volcanic rock (trachyte) that hosts rare earth elements, niobium, and zirconium, all which are considered critical mineral resources. This rock was found on Pennington Mountain in Maine. Image courtesy of Chunzeng Wang, University of Maine-Presque Isle.
A fine-grained volcanic rock (trachyte) that hosts rare earth elements, niobium, and zirconium, all which are considered critical mineral resources. This rock was found on Pennington Mountain in Maine. Image courtesy of Chunzeng Wang, University of Maine-Presque Isle.
Graham Lederer examines tungsten ore from Burnside mine
Northeast Region Photo Contest Winner | Oct. 2019 | Honorable Mention 1
Graham Lederer uses a hand lens to examine tungsten ore from the Burnside mine in Alpine County, California. Scheelite is an important tungsten mineral found in skarn deposits throughout the Sierra Nevada and Great Basin.
Northeast Region Photo Contest Winner | Oct. 2019 | Honorable Mention 1
Graham Lederer uses a hand lens to examine tungsten ore from the Burnside mine in Alpine County, California. Scheelite is an important tungsten mineral found in skarn deposits throughout the Sierra Nevada and Great Basin.
Tungsten
Photo Contest Winner | March 2020 | Honorable Mention 1
Critical mineral - tungsten
Photo Contest Winner | March 2020 | Honorable Mention 1
Critical mineral - tungsten
Bauxite
Mineral: Bauxite
Mineral Origin: Les Baux, France (Sample donated by Gary Kingston)
Primary Commodity: Aluminum and Gallium
Mineral: Bauxite
Mineral Origin: Les Baux, France (Sample donated by Gary Kingston)
Primary Commodity: Aluminum and Gallium
Graphite in Pegmatite Rock
Mineral: Graphite (C) in pegmatite rock
Mineral Origin: Ticonderoga, NY
Primary Mineral Commodity: Graphite
Mineral Commodity Uses: brake linings, foundry operations, heat-resistant lubricants, refractory applications, and steelmaking
Mineral: Graphite (C) in pegmatite rock
Mineral Origin: Ticonderoga, NY
Primary Mineral Commodity: Graphite
Mineral Commodity Uses: brake linings, foundry operations, heat-resistant lubricants, refractory applications, and steelmaking
Lithium Mining in Salar de Atacama, Chile
The Salar de Atacama in Chile is a large, dry salt flat surrounded by mountain ranges and is one of the driest places on Earth. Parts of the Atacama Desert have gone without rain for as long as people have been keeping track, but water rich in dissolved salts lies beneath this flat surface. The Salar is particularly rich in lithium salts.
The Salar de Atacama in Chile is a large, dry salt flat surrounded by mountain ranges and is one of the driest places on Earth. Parts of the Atacama Desert have gone without rain for as long as people have been keeping track, but water rich in dissolved salts lies beneath this flat surface. The Salar is particularly rich in lithium salts.
Updated Date: April 2, 2025