Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

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: 2584

Tectonic evolution of the Tualatin basin, northwest Oregon, as revealed by inversion of gravity data Tectonic evolution of the Tualatin basin, northwest Oregon, as revealed by inversion of gravity data

The Tualatin basin, west of Portland (Oregon, USA), coincides with a 110 mGal gravity low along the Puget-Willamette lowland. New gravity measurements (n = 3000) reveal a three-dimensional (3-D) subsurface geometry suggesting early development as a fault-bounded pull-apart basin. A strong northwest-trending gravity gradient coincides with the Gales Creek fault, which forms the...
Authors
Darcy McPhee, Victoria E. Langenheim, Ray E. Wells, Richard J. Blakely

Geophysical framework of the Peninsular Ranges batholith—Implications for tectonic evolution and neotectonics Geophysical framework of the Peninsular Ranges batholith—Implications for tectonic evolution and neotectonics

The crustal structure of the Peninsular Ranges batholith can be divided geophysically into two parts: (1) a western mafic part that is dense, magnetic, and characterized by relatively high seismic velocities (>6.25 km/s), low heat flow (
Authors
Victoria E. Langenheim, Robert C. Jachens, Carlos Aiken

Kaolin Kaolin

The article reports on the market performance of kaolin in the U.S. in 2009 and presents an outlook for its 2010 performance. There was a decline in the domestic sales of kaolin from 6.74 measurement ton (Mt) to 5.2 Mt. Companies in the country engaged in kaolin production include Advanced Primary Minerals Corp., Applied Minerals Inc., and Daleco Resources Corp. The decline in world...
Authors
Robert L. Virta

Width and dip of the southern San Andreas Fault at Salt Creek from modeling of geophysical data Width and dip of the southern San Andreas Fault at Salt Creek from modeling of geophysical data

We investigate the geometry and width of the southernmost stretch of the San Andreas Fault zone using new gravity and magnetic data along line 7 of the Salton Seismic Imaging Project. In the Salt Creek area of Durmid Hill, the San Andreas Fault coincides with a complex magnetic signature, with high-amplitude, short-wavelength magnetic anomalies superposed on a broader magnetic anomaly...
Authors
Victoria E. Langenheim, Noah D. Athens, Daniel S. Scheirer, Gary S. Fuis, Michael J. Rymer, Mark R. Goldman

Geochemistry of a marine phosphate deposit: A signpost to phosphogenesis Geochemistry of a marine phosphate deposit: A signpost to phosphogenesis

The Permian age Phosphoria Formation in southeastern Idaho and adjoining states represents possibly the largest marine phosphate deposit in the world. The Meade Peak Member, which contains the highest concentrations and amount of carbonate fluorapatite in the formation, was not significantly altered by mechanical reworking during deposition or subsequently by chemical weathering. Thus...
Authors
David Z. Piper, R.B. Perkins

40Ar/39Ar geochronology, paleomagnetism, and evolution of the Boring volcanic field, Oregon and Washington, USA 40Ar/39Ar geochronology, paleomagnetism, and evolution of the Boring volcanic field, Oregon and Washington, USA

The 40Ar/39Ar investigations of a large suite of fine-grained basaltic rocks of the Boring volcanic field (BVF), Oregon and Washington (USA), yielded two primary results. (1) Using age control from paleomagnetic polarity, stratigraphy, and available plateau ages, 40Ar/39Ar recoil model ages are defined that provide reliable age results in the absence of an age plateau, even in cases of...
Authors
Robert J. Fleck, Jonathan T. Hagstrum, Andrew T. Calvert, Russell C. Evarts, Richard M. Conrey

Magmatism, ash-flow tuffs, and calderas of the ignimbrite flareup in the western Nevada volcanic field, Great Basin, USA Magmatism, ash-flow tuffs, and calderas of the ignimbrite flareup in the western Nevada volcanic field, Great Basin, USA

The western Nevada volcanic field is the western third of a belt of calderas through Nevada and western Utah. Twenty-three calderas and their caldera-forming tuffs are reasonably well identified in the western Nevada volcanic field, and the presence of at least another 14 areally extensive, apparently voluminous ash-flow tuffs whose sources are unknown suggests a similar number of...
Authors
Christopher D. Henry, David A. John

Energy and minerals science at the U.S. Geological Survey Energy and minerals science at the U.S. Geological Survey

The economy, national security, and standard of living of the United States depend on adequate and reliable supplies of energy and mineral resources. Based on population and consumption trends, the Nation’s and World’s use of energy and minerals is expected to grow, driving the demand for scientific understanding of resource formation, location, and availability. The importance of...
Authors
Richard C. Ferrero, Jonathan J. Kolak, Donald J. Bills, Zachary H. Bowen, Daniel J. Cordier, Tanya J. Gallegos, James R. Hein, Karen D. Kelley, Philip H. Nelson, Vito F. Nuccio, Jeanine M. Schmidt, Robert R. Seal

Precise determination of δ88Sr in rocks, minerals, and waters by double-spike TIMS: A powerful tool in the study of chemical, geologic, hydrologic and biologic processes Precise determination of δ88Sr in rocks, minerals, and waters by double-spike TIMS: A powerful tool in the study of chemical, geologic, hydrologic and biologic processes

We present strontium isotopic (88Sr/86Sr and 87Sr/86Sr) results obtained by 87Sr–84Sr double spike thermal ionization mass-spectrometry (DS-TIMS) for several standards as well as natural water samples and mineral samples of abiogenic and biogenic origin. The detailed data reduction algorithm and a user-friendly Sr-specific stand-alone computer program used for the spike calibration and...
Authors
Leonid A. Neymark, Wayne R. Premo, Nikolay N. Mel’nikov, Poul Emsbo

Effect of ultramafic intrusions and associated mineralized rocks on the aqueous geochemistry of the Tangle Lakes Area, Alaska Effect of ultramafic intrusions and associated mineralized rocks on the aqueous geochemistry of the Tangle Lakes Area, Alaska

Stream water was collected at 30 sites within the Tangle Lakes area of the Delta mineral belt in Alaska. Sampling focused on streams near the ultramafic rocks of the Fish Lake intrusive complex south of Eureka Creek and the Tangle Complex area east of Fourteen Mile Lake, as well as on those within the deformed metasedimentary, metavolcanic, and intrusive rocks of the Specimen Creek...
Authors
Bronwen Wang, Larry P. Gough, Richard B. Wanty, Gregory K. Lee, James Vohden, J. Michael O’Neill, L. Jack Kerin

Undiscovered gas resources in the Alum Shale, Denmark, 2013 Undiscovered gas resources in the Alum Shale, Denmark, 2013

Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimates a mean undiscovered volume of 6.9 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in the Alum Shale in Denmark.
Authors
Donald L. Gautier, Ronald R. Charpentier, Stephanie B. Gaswirth, Timothy R. Klett, Janet K. Pitman, Christopher J. Schenk, Marilyn E. Tennyson, Katherine J. Whidden
Was this page helpful?