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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

Mineral resource of the month: garnet Mineral resource of the month: garnet

Garnet, the birthstone for the month of January, has been used as a gemstone for centuries. Garnet necklaces dating from the Bronze Age have been found in graves, and garnet is found among the ornaments adorning the oldest Egyptian mummies. However, garnet’s characteristics, such as its relatively high hardness and chemical inertness, make it ideal for many industrial applications.
Authors
Donald W. Olson

S is for sunset crater S is for sunset crater

A scenic trek always includes an interesting landmark - a volcanic cinder cone.
Authors
W. H. Langer

Q is for quartz Q is for quartz

This versatile mineral has been used in everything from ceremonial rattles to sonar transducers to quartz watches.
Authors
W. H. Langer

M is for millstone M is for millstone

Among the many European millstones, the geology of the French burrstone was prized for the effect of its quartz grain.
Authors
W. H. Langer

Applying definitions of “asbestos” to environmental and “low-dose” exposure Levels and health effects, particularly malignant mesothelioma Applying definitions of “asbestos” to environmental and “low-dose” exposure Levels and health effects, particularly malignant mesothelioma

Although asbestos research has been ongoing for decades, this increased knowledge has not led to consensus in many areas of the field. Two such areas of controversy include the specific definitions of asbestos, and limitations in understanding exposure-response relationships for various asbestos types and exposure levels and disease. This document reviews the current regulatory and...
Authors
B.W. Case, J.L. Abraham, G. Meeker, F.D. Pooley, K.E. Pinkerton

Impact of mine and natural sources of mercury on water, sediment, and biota in Harley Gulch adjacent to the Abbott-Turkey Run mine, Lake County, California Impact of mine and natural sources of mercury on water, sediment, and biota in Harley Gulch adjacent to the Abbott-Turkey Run mine, Lake County, California

Executive Summary Stable-isotope data indicate that there are three sources of water that effect the composition and Hg concentration of waters in Harley Gulch: (1) meteoric water that dominates water chemistry during the wet season; (2) thermal water effluent from the Turkey Run mine that effects the chemistry at sample site HG1; and (3) cold connate groundwater that dominates water...
Authors
James J. Rytuba, Roger L. Hothem, Brianne E. Brussee, Daniel N. Goldstein

Trace and minor element variations and sulfur isotopes in crystalline and colloform ZnS: Incorporation mechanisms and implications for their genesis Trace and minor element variations and sulfur isotopes in crystalline and colloform ZnS: Incorporation mechanisms and implications for their genesis

Various models have been proposed to explain the formation mechanism of colloform sphalerite, but the origin is still under debate. In order to decipher influences on trace element incorporation and sulfur isotope composition, crystalline and colloform sphalerite from the carbonate-hosted Mississippi-Valley Type (MVT) deposit near Wiesloch, SW Germany, were investigated and compared to...
Authors
Katharina Pfaff, Alan Koenig, Thomas Wenzel, Ian Ridley, Ludwig H. Hildebrandt, David L. Leach, Gregor Markl

Effects of simultaneous climate change and geomorphic evolution on thermal characteristics of a shallow Alaskan lake Effects of simultaneous climate change and geomorphic evolution on thermal characteristics of a shallow Alaskan lake

We used a hydrodynamics model to assess the consequences of climate warming and contemporary geomorphic evolution for thermal conditions in a large, shallow Alaskan lake. We evaluated the effects of both known climate and landscape change, including rapid outlet erosion and migration of the principal inlet stream, over the past 50 yr as well as future scenarios of geomorphic restoration...
Authors
Jennifer R. Griffiths, Daniel E. Schindler, Laurie S. Balistrieri, Gregory T. Ruggerone

Disaster risk assessment case study: Recent drought on the Navajo Nation, USA Disaster risk assessment case study: Recent drought on the Navajo Nation, USA

The Navajo Nation is an ecologically sensitive semi-arid to arid section of the southern Colorado Plateau. In this remote part of the United States, located at the Four Corners (Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Utah), traditional people live a subsistence lifestyle that is inextricably tied to, and dependent upon, landscape conditions and water supplies. Soft bedrock lithologies and...
Authors
Margaret Hiza, Klara B. Kelley, Harris Francis, Debra Block

Geology, geochronology, and paleogeography of the southern Sonoma volcanic field and adjacent areas, northern San Francisco Bay region, California Geology, geochronology, and paleogeography of the southern Sonoma volcanic field and adjacent areas, northern San Francisco Bay region, California

Recent geologic mapping in the northern San Francisco Bay region (California, USA) supported by radiometric dating and tephrochronologic correlations, provides insights into the framework geology, stratigraphy, tectonic evolution, and geologic history of this part of the San Andreas transform plate boundary. There are 25 new and existing radiometric dates that define three temporally...
Authors
David L. Wagner, George J. Saucedo, Kevin B. Clahan, Robert J. Fleck, Victoria E. Langenheim, Robert J. McLaughlin, Andrei M. Sarna-Wojcicki, James R. Allen, Alan L. Deino
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