Images

This is a sample of rutile, one of the primary mineral sources of titanium. While as a metal, titanium is well known for corrosion resistance and for its high strength-to-weight ratio, approximately 95% of titanium is consumed in the form of titanium dioxide (TiO₂), a white pigment used in paints, paper, and plastics.

A sample of azurite, the blue mineral, and malachite, the green mineral. Both azurite and malachite are copper minerals that were once used as pigments but are now mostly valued as collectors minerals. They do serve as good indicators of copper deposits that can be developed.

This sample is clinozoisite, a calcium aluminum silicate mineral. It is mostly prized as a collectors mineral rather than a source of its industrial mineral commodities.

Sample provided by Carlin Green, USGS. Sample originated from Hachupa, Pakistan, and is 6.0cm in size.

Pyrrhotite is an iron sulfide mineral related to iron pyrite, which is one of the minerals known as Fool's Gold. Pyrrhotite, although not one of the Fool's Gold minerals, is sometimes called magnetic pyrite as it is weakly magnetic. It is most valued as a collectors mineral.

These two minerals are apophyllite and prehnite. Both apophyllite, the clear crystals, and prehnite, the green mineral, are primarily prized as collectors minerals. 

Sample provided by Carlin Green, USGS. Sample originated from Virginia Crushed Stone Quarry, Virginia, and is 4.6cm in size.

A sample of bastnaesite, one of the principal mineral sources of rare-earth elements. Rare-earth elements are essential components in most modern electronics.

Closeup of the Beryllium Tuff member, Spor Mountain, Utah.

USGS scientists Brian Jaskula and Robert Ayuso collecting samples at Spor Mountain, Utah.

Spor Mountain open pit; mineralized tuff in foreground; mine staff and USGS scientists collecting samples.

Cross-polarized light photomicrograph of minerals in drill core samples from the Local Boy deposit, Duluth Complex, Minnesota. The number in the upper right hand corner is the drill core number.

Cross-polarized light photomicrograph of minerals in drill core samples from the Mesaba copper-nickel deposit, Duluth Complex, Minnesota. The number in the upper right hand corner is the drill core number.

Map showing sediment-hosted copper and porphyry copper deposits across the world.

USGS scientist David Fey walking through the Eureka Graben in the Silverton caldera complex.

USGS geologist Niki Wintzer conducting field work at Yellow Pine/Stibnite gold-antimony-tungsten mining area in central Idaho. 

USGS geologist Niki Wintzer conducting field work at Yellow Pine/Stibnite gold-antimony-tungsten mining area in central Idaho. 

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

Intensely altered propylitic rocks (red and yellow) in the Red Mountain mining district, overprinting the regional, propylitically altered igneous rocks (grayish-green), peaks at top of image. View to west.

Layered deposit of unconsolidated heavy mineral sands along the shores of Folly Beach, South Carolina.

Geologist doing field work in Alaska

Sample of eudialyte (pink) within layered vein consisting of quartz, albite, and sodic amphibole, Dora Bay, Alaska. Size of sample is 11 by 9 cm. Sample of coarse-grained, tabular bastnäsite within matrix of ferruginous dolomite, Birthday Claim, Mountain Pass, California. Photographs by Philip Verplanck, U.S. Geological Survey. SIR 2010-5070-J

Aerial view looking into the center of the dome-shaped pluton.