Publications
Publications from the staff of the Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center
Filter Total Items: 2505
Quantitative mineral resource assessment of lithium pegmatite deposits in the southern Appalachian orogen Quantitative mineral resource assessment of lithium pegmatite deposits in the southern Appalachian orogen
The first quantitative mineral resource assessment for undiscovered lithium pegmatite deposits in the southern Appalachian region of the United States was conducted. Permissive tracts for lithium pegmatite deposits were delineated by integrating lithological, tectonic, geochemical, geophysical and mineral occurrence data. Lithium pegmatite prospectivity of the tracts was ranked with...
Authors
Joshua Mark Rosera, Kelsey Elizabeth Crocker, Laura Pianowski, Jacob T. Murchek, Ashton M. Wiens, Margaret M. Sanders, Lucas Leonidus Evart, Jacob DeAngelo, Graham W. Lederer, Joshua A. Coyan
Revisiting the utility of regional-scale, high-quality geophysical data in mineral exploration - A case study featuring the Mammoth Magnetic Anomaly, Pinal County, Arizona Revisiting the utility of regional-scale, high-quality geophysical data in mineral exploration - A case study featuring the Mammoth Magnetic Anomaly, Pinal County, Arizona
Regional aeromagnetic surveys passively measure the total magnetic intensity (TMI) and are a foundational tool used in mineral exploration (Airo, 2015). With the increased global demand and the number of critical mineral resources required for manufacturing high-tech devices, developing high-quality, regional-scale geophysical surveys could aid critical mineral exploration efforts and...
Authors
Callum Andrew Walter
Uranium—Deposits, production and resources, market dynamics, and supply chain risks Uranium—Deposits, production and resources, market dynamics, and supply chain risks
Introduction Interest in nuclear power for the generation of electricity has risen with the increase in the need for more diverse baseload power, enhanced energy security, and the development of new technologies, such as small modular reactors (SMRs), which could provide power for remote areas, industrial applications, and artificial intelligence (AI) data centers. In 2024, the U.S...
Authors
Mark J. Mihalasky
Quantitative mineral resource assessment of lithium pegmatite deposits in the northern Appalachian orogen, USA Quantitative mineral resource assessment of lithium pegmatite deposits in the northern Appalachian orogen, USA
Lithium demand is projected to increase more than 48 times by 2040 due to electric vehicle production and other energy storage needs. Most lithium production is outside of the USA, thereby increasing supply chain vulnerability. The combined end use importance and heightened supply risk of lithium make this lightest metallic element a critical commodity to the USA. To mitigate this supply...
Authors
Niki E. Wintzer, Christopher S. Holm-Denoma, Jacob Evan Poletti, Dalton M. McCaffrey, Stanley Paul Mordensky, Erik Roger Tharalson, Collin Cronkite-Ratcliff
Late Miocene Colorado River arrival in the Bidahochi basin supports spillover origin of Grand Canyon Late Miocene Colorado River arrival in the Bidahochi basin supports spillover origin of Grand Canyon
The timing and mechanism of the integration of the Colorado River and incision of the Grand Canyon remain among geology’s enduring controversies. A key question is the configuration of the upper Colorado River watershed between 11 and 6 million years ago. In this study, we present new evidence from zircon uranium-lead geochronology for the arrival of distinctive Colorado–Green River...
Authors
John J.Y. He, Ryan S. Crow, John R. Douglass, Christopher S. Holm-Denoma, Jorge A. Vazquez, Brian F. Gootee, Marsha I Lidzbarski, Laura Pianowski, Harrison J. Gray, Emma Heitmann, Phil Pearthree, Kyle House, Shannon Dulin
Early Miocene volcanic rocks and associated tectonics, Lava Hills and southern Bristol Mountains, California Early Miocene volcanic rocks and associated tectonics, Lava Hills and southern Bristol Mountains, California
Volcanic rocks of latest Oligocene to early Miocene age form an east-west belt across part of the central eastern Mojave Desert from the Whipple Mountains on the east to the Rosamond Hills on the west. We term this the central belt because it is separated from northern and southern belts by swaths with no volcanic rocks. Limited geochronologic data indicate that much of the belt is...
Authors
David M. Miller, Janet Harvey, David C. Buesch, Phillip B. Gans
Insights into Mountain Pass carbonatite formation from in-situ sulfur isotopes and geochemistry of sulfate and sulfide minerals Insights into Mountain Pass carbonatite formation from in-situ sulfur isotopes and geochemistry of sulfate and sulfide minerals
The Mountain Pass carbonatite stock hosts a world-class rare earth element deposit and may be classified as a carbonate-sulfate igneous rock, as it contains on average > 50 volume percent carbonate minerals and 20 to 30 volume percent sulfate minerals. The sulfates range in composition from barite to celestine and locally occur with sparse sulfide minerals. We investigate the origin of...
Authors
Erin Kay Benson, Kathryn E. Watts, Michael J. Pribil, Jay M. Thompson, Heather A. Lowers
Unprecedented burning in tropical peatlands during the 20th century compared to the previous two millennia Unprecedented burning in tropical peatlands during the 20th century compared to the previous two millennia
Tropical peatland wildfire incidence has risen in recent decades, driven by drainage for land use and intensified by severe droughts with global climate change. These disturbances have altered vegetation structure, disrupted ecosystem functioning, and increased carbon emissions, particularly in Southeast Asia. However, the long-term history and characteristics of wildfires in tropical...
Authors
Yuwan Wang, Ted R. Feldpausch, Graeme T. Swindles, Patrick Moss, Hamish A. McGowan, Thomas G. Sim, Paul J. Morris, Adam Benfield, Colin Courtney-Mustaphi, David Wahl, Encarni Montoya, Esther N. Githumbi, Euridice N. Honorio Coronado, Femke Augustijns, Gert Verstraeten, Jess O'Donnell, John Tibby, Juan C. Benavides, K. Anggi Hapsari, Karsten Schittek, Khairun Nisha Mohamed Ramdzan, Kunshan Bao, Lydia E. Cole, Lysanna Anderson, Mariusz Galka, Orijemie Emuobosa Akpo, Paul Strobel, Prabhakaran Ramya Bala, Rene Dommain, Rob Marchant, Raman Sukumar, Sakonvan Chawchai, Sarath Pullyottum Kavil, Scott Mooney, Thomas J. Kelly, Yang Gao, Apostolos Voulgarakis, Arnoud Boom, Chantelle Burton, Juan Carlos Berrio, Kelly Ribeiro, Liana O. Anderson, Mark Hardiman, Molly Spater, Susan E. Page, Angela Gallego-Sala
Conventional hydrothermal power-producing systems of the Great Basin, USA Conventional hydrothermal power-producing systems of the Great Basin, USA
As part of the update to the electric-grade conventional hydrothermal assessment of the Great Basin, USA, Monte Carlo analyses of identified resources within explored regions will be performed to make estimates of discovered resources and associated uncertainty. Analyses use conditional statistics where estimates are conditioned upon a hydrothermal favorability map, allowing for the...
Authors
Jacob DeAngelo, Erick R. Burns, Stanley Paul Mordensky
Open-source gravity reduction workflows for geothermal resource assessment Open-source gravity reduction workflows for geothermal resource assessment
Potential-field geophysical data such as gravity can enhance understanding of geothermal resources at all stages of the resource life cycle, including assessment, exploration, development, and monitoring, and at multiple scales, from the reservoir scale to regional scale. However, to make gravity data useful for geothermal resource characterization, several processing steps are required...
Authors
Collin Cronkite-Ratcliff
Geologic map of the Sierra Nevada, California and western Nevada Geologic map of the Sierra Nevada, California and western Nevada
THE GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE SIERRA NEVADA is a core component of the Sierra Nevada Earth Science Atlas, which also includes geophysical, neotectonic, economic, and geochronologic data. The map illustrates the distribution of geologic units across the Sierra Nevada and related adjacent areas. Geologic units are grouped by type and age into three categories: Principally Paleozoic and Mesozoic
Authors
Russell Graymer, M. D. O'Neal
Stepovers and beyond: Structural control of The Geysers geothermal system and the broader Clear Lake region Stepovers and beyond: Structural control of The Geysers geothermal system and the broader Clear Lake region
Fault geometry exerts a first-order control on geothermal systems by governing stress localization, fracture development, and permeability, yet in complex fault networks or broader shear zones, the relative influence of individual geometric features is often difficult to resolve. In the northern California Coast Ranges, The Geysers geothermal field is commonly interpreted to occur within...
Authors
Benjamin L. Melosh