Graphite Creek, namesake of the Graphite Creek deposit

The Graphite Creek Deposit on the Seward Peninsula, Alaska, crops out here at Graphite Creek. Mining in this area previously took place from roughly 1900-1916. Graphite is a critical mineral which the US relies entirely on imports. The importance of graphite in new technologies such as electric car batteries has sparked the interest in the deposit again and the area is currently in active exploration, as evidenced by the drill rig on the upper left. The USGS has been studying the geology of graphite deposits to learn more about how they form and where they are likely to be found, to improve the future domestic supply chain.