Images

This map shows, in green, areas that are part of Mineral Systems identified by the USGS. These mineral systems are used to create focus areas for mapping through the Earth Mapping Resources Initiative (Earth MRI). 

World map of expected annual disruption of copper refinery production, in metric tons, from potential seismic activity.

This image depicts the magnetic anomaly map of the region covered by the Southwest New Mexico aeromagnetic/aeroradiometric survey. These data allow us to model the subsurface structure and composition of the upper crust.

Infographic on USGS critical mineral supply chain analysis. 

Minerals are essential to power homes and businesses and to manufacture products and technologies, from phones to vehicles. 

Map of areas with potential for key critical minerals in microchips. 

Map of areas with potential for key critical minerals in high capacity batteries. 

USGS National Innovation Center UAS Research Center Saucer Shark Project, before science flight tests, Aeroshell and payload. Sling configuration and payload orientation verified before science flight deployment. Payload is on and ready to record!

USGS National Innovation Center UAS Research Center Saucer Shark Project, BisonCore displays the path of the sensor live, as it covers transects. Data received from the payload is then displayed within the BisonCore Ecosystem and is accessible for field viewing. The magnetic map is also used to validate payload directed algorithms.

An open pit within the Yellow Pine/Stibnite gold-antimony-tungsten mining area in central Idaho. 

USGS National Innovation Center UAS Research Center Saucer Shark Project, during flight tests, aeroshell. Saucer Shark on landing approach after completed mission. Just above the landing pad.

USGS National Innovation Center UAS Research Center Saucer Shark Project, during flight tests, drop release attached to USGS UAV. Aircraft sits on landing pad in-between test flights.

USGS National Innovation Center UAS Research Center (UASRC) Saucer Shark Project, during flight tests, fully assembled. Sub assemblies from top down: Drop Release, Sling and Sling Brace, Payload Aeroshell and Payload.​

Mineral Resources Program (MRP) Digital Copy of Publications and Websites list USB with USGS VID. 

Photograph of the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon, Arizona, USA. Photo taken on September 8, 2023.

View from the floor of the Continental Mine (Continental Pit) facing an in-pit material dump to the west, Butte, Montana.

Edge of the Yankee Doodle Tailings Pond in Butte, Montana,  where the tailings slurry is piped into the pond. 

A map of the airborne geophysical survey area in the Medicine Mountains region of Wyoming

Maps showing parts of 23 mineral systems that could host critical mineral resources in the United States.  These areas are used to prioritize data collection and analysis by Earth MRI.

A view of the Boulder Mountains from US-12 west of Helena. These mountains lie at the north end of the Boulder Batholith.

NASA and the United States Geological Survey (USGS) welcome the community to a series of Space Economy Workshops intended to coordinate the development of new technologies to detect and assess off-world mineral resources, as well as to discuss the challenges and opportunities for an off-world mineral resource economy. 

A typical survey airplane. The magnetic sensor is placed in an extension on the back of the airplane to reduce the impact of the airplane’s own magnetic field.