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Publications

Results from our Program’s research and minerals information activities are published in USGS publications series as well as in outside journals.  To follow Minerals Information Periodicals, subscribe to the Mineral Periodicals RSS feed.

Filter Total Items: 2539

Bauxite and alumina Bauxite and alumina

The article discusses the latest developments in the bauxite and alumina industry, particularly in the U.S., as of June 2011. It claims that the U.S. mainly relies on imports for its bauxite consumption. Several states, including Alabama, Arkansas and Georgia, however, produce small amounts of bauxite and bauxitic clays for nonmetallurgical purposes. The major exporters of alumina to the...
Authors
E.L. Bray

Diatomite Diatomite

The United States continues to be the world's leading producer and consumer of diatomite. Production of diatomite in the United States during 2010 was estimated to be 550 kt (606,000 st), a 4-percent decrease compared with 2009 production.
Authors
R.D. Crangle

Bromine Bromine

All U.S. production of bromine in 2010 came from underground brines in Arkansas. It was the leading mineral commodity produced in the state in terms of value. Albemarle Corp. and Chemtura Corp. recovered bromine.
Authors
Joyce A. Ober

Mineral resource of the month: indium Mineral resource of the month: indium

Geologically, the occurrence of indium minerals is rare. The element most often occurs as a sulfide inclusion or substitutes in other base-metal minerals, including cassiterite, chalcopyrite, sphalerite and stannite. Indium’s abundance in the crust is estimated to be 0.05 parts per million, which makes it more abundant than silver, but it is so widely disseminated that it does not occur...
Authors
Amy C. Tolcin

And last comes XYZ And last comes XYZ

Catesian Coordinates can be used to specify the position of any point in three-dimensional space by measuring its distances from three mutually perpendicular planes.
Authors
Bill Langer

P is for pit P is for pit

A gravel pit that was a source of happy childhood memories showcases the evolution of mining technology.
Authors
W. H. Langer

R is for rocksicle R is for rocksicle

A Front Range perspective on managing and shipping aggregates.
Authors
W. H. Langer

N is for non-metallic N is for non-metallic

Annual non-metallic minerals are typically twice the value of metallic minerals, which takes a little of the sparkle out of gold.
Authors
W. H. Langer

O is for obsidian O is for obsidian

Although a relative youngster in geologic terms, obsidian can change over time from glass to mineral.
Authors
W. H. Langer

Visualizing trace element distribution in quartz using cathodoluminescence, electron microprobe, and laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry Visualizing trace element distribution in quartz using cathodoluminescence, electron microprobe, and laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry

Cathodoluminescent (CL) textures in quartz reveal successive histories of the physical and chemical fluctuations that accompany crystal growth. Such CL textures reflect trace element concentration variations that can be mapped by electron microprobe or laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). Trace element maps in hydrothermal quartz from four different...
Authors
Brian Rusk, Alan Koenig, Heather Lowers

Young (<7 Ma) gold deposits and active geothermal systems of the Great Basin: Enigmas, questions, and exploration potential Young (<7 Ma) gold deposits and active geothermal systems of the Great Basin: Enigmas, questions, and exploration potential

Young gold systems in the Great Basin (£ 7 Ma), though not as well studied as their older counterparts, comprise a rapidly growing and in some ways controversial group. The gold inventory for these systems has more than doubled in the last 5 years from roughly 370 tonnes (12 Moz) to 890 tonnes (29 Moz). Although these deposits are characterized by low grades, tonnages can be high and...
Authors
Mark F. Coolbaugh, Peter G. Vikre, James E. Faulds
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