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Energy Resources Program

Addressing the challenge of increasing demand for energy sources by conducting basic and applied research on geologic energy resources

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Mineral Resources Program

Delivering unbiased science and information on mineral resource potential, production, consumption, and how they interact with the environment.

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Science and Decisions Center

An interdisciplinary organization advancing the use of science in natural resource decision making.

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SHRIMP-RG Lab

Supporting scientists and students to analyze specimens for a variety of scientific research objectives.

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TRIGA Reactor

Supporting science by providing information on geologic, plant, and animal specimens to advance methods and techniques unique to nuclear reactors.

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Energy and Minerals Mission Area

The Energy and Mineral Resources Mission Area conducts research and assessments that focus on the location, quantity, and quality of mineral and energy resources, including the economic and environmental effects of resource extraction and use.

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Energy Resources Program

Eocene basin-floor submarine fan deposits exposed on the mountain, Hyrnestabben.

Conducts basic and applied research on geologic energy resources and on the environmental, economic, and human health impacts of their production and use.The program is also involved in studying the impacts of wind and solar energy development.

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Mineral Resources Program

Geologist doing field work in Alaska

Provides scientific information for objective resource assessments and unbiased research results on mineral potential, production, consumption, and environmental effects. The MRP is the sole Federal source for this information.

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News

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Media Alert: Low-Level Flights to Image Geology over parts of Northeastern and Central Florida

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USGS multimillion-dollar science investments strengthen domestic supply chains for critical minerals

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Bipartisan Infrastructure Law helps fund new USGS facility at Colorado School of Mines, focused on energy and minerals research

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Publications

Alaska focus area definition for data acquisition for potential domestic sources of critical minerals in Alaska for antimony, barite, beryllium, chromium, fluorspar, hafnium, magnesium, manganese, uranium, vanadium, and zirconium

Phase 3 of the Earth Mapping Resources Initiative (Earth MRI) focuses on geologic belts that are favorable for hosting mineral systems that could contain the critical minerals antimony, barite, beryllium, chromium, fluorspar, hafnium, magnesium, manganese, uranium, vanadium, and zirconium. Prior phases of the Earth MRI program in Alaska focused only on rare earth elements, aluminum, cobalt, graphi
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Douglas C. Kreiner, James V. Jones, George N. Case
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Energy and Minerals Mission Area, Mineral Resources Program, Alaska Science Center, Earth Mapping Resources Initiative (Earth MRI)

Focus areas for data acquisition for potential domestic resources of 13 critical minerals in the conterminous United States and Puerto Rico — Antimony, barite, beryllium, chromium, fluorspar, hafnium, helium, magnesium, manganese, potash, uranium, vanadiu

The Earth Mapping Resources Initiative (Earth MRI) is conducted in phases to identify areas for acquiring new geologic framework data to identify potential domestic resources of the 35 mineral materials designated as critical minerals for the United States. This report describes the data sources and summary results for 13 critical minerals evaluated in the conterminous United States and Puerto Ric
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Jane M. Hammarstrom, Connie L. Dicken, Laurel G. Woodruff, Allen K. Andersen, Sean T. Brennan, Warren C. Day, Benjamin J. Drenth, Nora K. Foley, Susan Hall, Albert H. Hofstra, Anne E. McCafferty, Anjana K. Shah, David A. Ponce
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Energy and Minerals Mission Area, Mineral Resources Program, Central Energy Resources Science Center, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center, Earth Mapping Resources Initiative (Earth MRI)

Assessing mineral supply concentration from different perspectives through a case study of zinc

Increasing demand for nonfuel mineral commodities has increased concerns regarding the reliability of their supplies. “Criticality” assessments over the past decade have attempted to capture this concern through a set of indicators, the most common of which quantifies the risk associated with market concentration by applying the Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) to the world production of a given c
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Christine L. Thomas, Nedal T. Nassar, John H. DeYoung
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Energy and Minerals Mission Area, Mineral Resources Program, National Minerals Information Center
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Science

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A newly emerged mayfly sits on a researcher's hand.

Increased Mercury, Reduced Insect Diversity, and Food Web impacts from Historical Mercury Mining

U.S. Geological Survey scientists are seeking to understand the impacts of mercury mining on headwater streams, organisms, and food webs, focused on potential effects from historical mining in central Idaho. Mercury associated with mine waste can leave a legacy of contamination that continues to impact stream health in culturally and ecologically important headwater streams after mining activities...
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Energy and Minerals Mission Area, Contaminant Biology, Environmental Health Program, Mineral Resources Program, Toxic Substances Hydrology, Columbia Environmental Research Center
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Increased Mercury, Reduced Insect Diversity, and Food Web impacts from Historical Mercury Mining

U.S. Geological Survey scientists are seeking to understand the impacts of mercury mining on headwater streams, organisms, and food webs, focused on potential effects from historical mining in central Idaho. Mercury associated with mine waste can leave a legacy of contamination that continues to impact stream health in culturally and ecologically important headwater streams after mining activities...
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The U.S. Large-Scale Photovoltaic Database (USPVDB) Official Logo

Solar Energy

The United States Large-Scale Solar Photovoltaic Database (USPVDB) provides the locations and array boundaries of U.S. ground-mounted photovoltaic (PV) facilities with capacity of 1 megawatt or more. It includes corresponding PV facility information, including panel type, site type, and initial year of operation. The creation of this database was jointly funded by the U.S. Department of Energy...
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Energy and Minerals Mission Area, Energy Resources Program, Species Management Research Program, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center
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Solar Energy

The United States Large-Scale Solar Photovoltaic Database (USPVDB) provides the locations and array boundaries of U.S. ground-mounted photovoltaic (PV) facilities with capacity of 1 megawatt or more. It includes corresponding PV facility information, including panel type, site type, and initial year of operation. The creation of this database was jointly funded by the U.S. Department of Energy...
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Image Collage of Landsat, pollinator, and volcanologist

Diseases of Fish and Wildlife

The coronavirus pandemic, Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in white-tailed deer, and white-nose syndrome in bats have spawned great interest in diseases of native fish and wildlife. Many aspects of widely known diseases of wild (as opposed to domestic) animal populations are poorly understood, including their ecology, incidence, distribution, and methods for reducing effects of disease on culturally...
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Core Science Systems Mission Area, Ecosystems Mission Area, Energy and Minerals Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program, Cooperative Research Units
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Diseases of Fish and Wildlife

The coronavirus pandemic, Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in white-tailed deer, and white-nose syndrome in bats have spawned great interest in diseases of native fish and wildlife. Many aspects of widely known diseases of wild (as opposed to domestic) animal populations are poorly understood, including their ecology, incidence, distribution, and methods for reducing effects of disease on culturally...
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