Explore our active and completed projects to learn more about the scientific investigations we conduct. Use keywords and the available filters to narrow your search scope.
Explore Our Projects
Explore Our Projects
Filter Total Items: 126
Beryllium: Economic Geology, Material Flow, and Global Importance of a Key Critical Mineral
Beryllium (Be) is a critical metal mineral commodity with unique chemical properties, making it indispensable to the computer, telecommunication, aerospace, medical, defense, and nuclear industries. We are studying known deposits of beryllium to determine where undiscovered beryllium resources might be found, analyzing how and where beryllium becomes concentrated in Earth’s crust, gathering a...
Sources, Forms, Extractability of Metals in Non-Ore Deposit Sources
This project explored potential recovery and environmental consequences of metals in mining and mineral processing wastes as a function of ore deposit geology, and in debris from demolished or burned buildings.
Macro and Micro Analytical Methods Development
The Macro and Micro Analytical Methods Development Project (MMAMD) provides access to the expertise of highly experienced research scientists and state of the art analytical instrumentation to develop new and unique analytical capabilities to solve complex problems beyond routine analysis.
Life Cycles of Byproduct Critical Minerals
Project objectives are to 1) assess the overall life cycle of selected byproduct critical elements tellurium (Te), indium (In), gallium (Ga), and germanium (Ge), 2) perform an assessment of critical element resources and examine the processes and conditions controlling the concentration of byproduct critical elements by deposit type, and 3) improve understanding of the surficial geochemistry of...
Tellurium in Igneous-related Epithermal Precious Metal Deposits in Colorado and New Mexico
The project aims to improve our understanding of the causes of tellurium enrichment in epithermal precious metal deposits, and strengthen our ability to assess the Nation's tellurium deposits. Tellurium is used in solar panel technologies and is considered a critical mineral. Epithermal deposits of this type represent a prospective future source of tellurium.
Databases and Information Analysis
Our objectives are to: 1) collect and assimilate digital geospatial data in a standardized format for minerals-related research and assessments, 2) develop and improve analytical procedures for using geospatial data in minerals products, 3) provide support for timely, quality, and reproducible mineral assessments, 4) provide easy access to the data, and 5) report results of our work in a digital...
Data Information Management and Technology - Eastern Minerals
The Data Information Management and Technology project provides geographic information systems (GIS) management and technical support to projects of the Geology, Energy & Minerals (GEM) Science Center. The project facilitates geospatial data development, compiling, documentation, visualization, analyses, modeling, and product requirements using the GIS framework. The project provides technical...
Tectonic and Metallogenic Evolution of the Yukon-Tanana Upland, Alaska
The Yukon-Tanana upland in eastern interior Alaska is a geologically complex block containing deposits of base-metal, platinum-group-element, and gold-silver-copper mineralization. It also hosts numerous mineral systems that are known or suspected to contain critical minerals.
Petrology, Tectonic Setting, and Potential for Concentration of Rare Earth Elements (REE) and High Field Strength Elements (HFSE) in the High-K Darby and Kachauik Plutons, Seward Peninsula, Alaska
One of the geologic environments that host rare earth and other critical and strategic element deposits are alkaline intrusive rocks.
Metallogeny and Tectonics of the Lake Clark and Neacola Mountains Region, South-central Alaska
Alaska hosts a well-documented belt of ore deposits that lies roughly parallel to the Alaska Range, beginning at the Alaska Peninsula in the southwest, continuing up through the Fairbanks Mining District in the north, and curving back into the Tintina Gold Belt on its eastern end. Known mineral prospects and occurrences include porphyry copper, intrusion-related gold, volcanogenic massive sulfides...
New Applications of Hyperspectral Imaging to Delineate Critical Minerals Concentrated in Regolith and Mine Waste Materials
Our project will develop new and innovative spectral methods and remote sensing tools for understanding how critical minerals are concentrated by weathering, regolith/soil formation, mining, runoff and ore processing. These tools will help us to use mineralogy derived from spectral measurements (lab, field, and remote sensing) to help delineate vectors towards recoverable resources and to identify...
Continental Scale Geophysics — Integrated Approaches to Delineate Prospective Environments for Critical Metals
Regional geophysical data that are available over continental scales such as magnetic, gravity, and magnetotelluric data can provide a foundation towards identifying and understanding the footprints and deep plumbing systems underlying these important ore systems. Our project will use continental-scale geophysical data to map the locations of deep crustal and mantle structures that may act as...
Development and Validation of Hyperspectral Imager for Field and Lab Scanning
The Mineral Resources Program has advanced methods of imaging spectroscopy (hyperspectral remote sensing) that are now used routinely by the earth science and remote sensing communities for mineral mapping, soil quality mapping, hazard mitigation, and other terrestrial and planetary applications. The USGS is highly qualified to advance this technology based on its world class expertise in mineral...
Denver Microbeam Laboratory: Mineral Resources Research Support
The USGS Denver Microbeam Laboratory provides chemical analysis and characterization of rocks, minerals, and environmental samples in support of a wide variety of USGS projects related to mineral resources, including research projects funded by the USGS Mineral Resources Program. The research applications for these projects range from mineral resource research and assessments, to geologic mapping...
USGS High Resolution Spectral Library
The USGS Spectral Library contains reflectance spectra, including samples of minerals, rocks, soils, physically constructed as well as mathematically computed mixtures, plants, vegetation communities, microorganisms, and man-made materials. The samples and spectra collected were assembled for the purpose of using spectral features for the remote detection of these and similar materials. The latest...
Heavy-Mineral Sand Resources in the Southeastern U.S.
We are assessing the extent of industrial mineral resources hosted by heavy-mineral sands in the coastal plain of the southeastern United States. “Heavy-mineral sands" (HMS) is a term commonly used in industry and geologic literature to describe layered sediments deposited in coastal environments that contain dense (“heavy") minerals of economic value. The heavy minerals extracted from these...
Alaska Technical Data Unit - Field Records Archives
This project is designed to collect, inventory, preserve, and make available the records of USGS geologic and minerals work in Alaska. Materials are organized in two broad categories of records: (1) Project History files, which contain field notes, maps, and fossil reports; and (2) Geologic Subject files, containing unpublished materials, correspondence, and the Economic Minerals files. Access to...
Geoenvironmental Health Models of Mineral Deposits
Our objectives were to: 1) complete bioaccessibility testing on monominerallic samples of important ore and gangue minerals for selected elements of toxicological concern, and 2) create a compendium of mineral deposit geoenvironmental health models.
New Mineral Deposit Models for Gold, Phosphate Rare Earth Elements, and Placer Rare Earth Element-Titanium Resources
USGS Mineral Deposit Models are "an organized arrangement of information describing the essential characteristics or properties of a class of mineral deposits. Models themselves can be classified according to their essential attributes (for example: descriptive, grade-tonnage models, genetic, geoenvironmental, geophysical, probability of occurrence, and quantitative process models)." (Stoeser and...
Western Alaska Range Metallogeny and Tectonics
There are many different types of mineral deposits present in the Western Alaska Range: plutonic gold, porphyry copper-gold (Pebble prospect), epithermal gold, tin-silver skarns, sedimentary barite, mafic hosted nickle-platinum-group elements, uranium-thorium rare earth elements, and even a diamond prospect.
ASTRA: ASTeroid Resource Assessment
The study was conducted to determine if the USGS process for conducting mineral resource assessments on Earth can be applied to asteroids
Explore our active and completed projects to learn more about the scientific investigations we conduct. Use keywords and the available filters to narrow your search scope.
Explore Our Projects
Explore Our Projects
Filter Total Items: 126
Beryllium: Economic Geology, Material Flow, and Global Importance of a Key Critical Mineral
Beryllium (Be) is a critical metal mineral commodity with unique chemical properties, making it indispensable to the computer, telecommunication, aerospace, medical, defense, and nuclear industries. We are studying known deposits of beryllium to determine where undiscovered beryllium resources might be found, analyzing how and where beryllium becomes concentrated in Earth’s crust, gathering a...
Sources, Forms, Extractability of Metals in Non-Ore Deposit Sources
This project explored potential recovery and environmental consequences of metals in mining and mineral processing wastes as a function of ore deposit geology, and in debris from demolished or burned buildings.
Macro and Micro Analytical Methods Development
The Macro and Micro Analytical Methods Development Project (MMAMD) provides access to the expertise of highly experienced research scientists and state of the art analytical instrumentation to develop new and unique analytical capabilities to solve complex problems beyond routine analysis.
Life Cycles of Byproduct Critical Minerals
Project objectives are to 1) assess the overall life cycle of selected byproduct critical elements tellurium (Te), indium (In), gallium (Ga), and germanium (Ge), 2) perform an assessment of critical element resources and examine the processes and conditions controlling the concentration of byproduct critical elements by deposit type, and 3) improve understanding of the surficial geochemistry of...
Tellurium in Igneous-related Epithermal Precious Metal Deposits in Colorado and New Mexico
The project aims to improve our understanding of the causes of tellurium enrichment in epithermal precious metal deposits, and strengthen our ability to assess the Nation's tellurium deposits. Tellurium is used in solar panel technologies and is considered a critical mineral. Epithermal deposits of this type represent a prospective future source of tellurium.
Databases and Information Analysis
Our objectives are to: 1) collect and assimilate digital geospatial data in a standardized format for minerals-related research and assessments, 2) develop and improve analytical procedures for using geospatial data in minerals products, 3) provide support for timely, quality, and reproducible mineral assessments, 4) provide easy access to the data, and 5) report results of our work in a digital...
Data Information Management and Technology - Eastern Minerals
The Data Information Management and Technology project provides geographic information systems (GIS) management and technical support to projects of the Geology, Energy & Minerals (GEM) Science Center. The project facilitates geospatial data development, compiling, documentation, visualization, analyses, modeling, and product requirements using the GIS framework. The project provides technical...
Tectonic and Metallogenic Evolution of the Yukon-Tanana Upland, Alaska
The Yukon-Tanana upland in eastern interior Alaska is a geologically complex block containing deposits of base-metal, platinum-group-element, and gold-silver-copper mineralization. It also hosts numerous mineral systems that are known or suspected to contain critical minerals.
Petrology, Tectonic Setting, and Potential for Concentration of Rare Earth Elements (REE) and High Field Strength Elements (HFSE) in the High-K Darby and Kachauik Plutons, Seward Peninsula, Alaska
One of the geologic environments that host rare earth and other critical and strategic element deposits are alkaline intrusive rocks.
Metallogeny and Tectonics of the Lake Clark and Neacola Mountains Region, South-central Alaska
Alaska hosts a well-documented belt of ore deposits that lies roughly parallel to the Alaska Range, beginning at the Alaska Peninsula in the southwest, continuing up through the Fairbanks Mining District in the north, and curving back into the Tintina Gold Belt on its eastern end. Known mineral prospects and occurrences include porphyry copper, intrusion-related gold, volcanogenic massive sulfides...
New Applications of Hyperspectral Imaging to Delineate Critical Minerals Concentrated in Regolith and Mine Waste Materials
Our project will develop new and innovative spectral methods and remote sensing tools for understanding how critical minerals are concentrated by weathering, regolith/soil formation, mining, runoff and ore processing. These tools will help us to use mineralogy derived from spectral measurements (lab, field, and remote sensing) to help delineate vectors towards recoverable resources and to identify...
Continental Scale Geophysics — Integrated Approaches to Delineate Prospective Environments for Critical Metals
Regional geophysical data that are available over continental scales such as magnetic, gravity, and magnetotelluric data can provide a foundation towards identifying and understanding the footprints and deep plumbing systems underlying these important ore systems. Our project will use continental-scale geophysical data to map the locations of deep crustal and mantle structures that may act as...
Development and Validation of Hyperspectral Imager for Field and Lab Scanning
The Mineral Resources Program has advanced methods of imaging spectroscopy (hyperspectral remote sensing) that are now used routinely by the earth science and remote sensing communities for mineral mapping, soil quality mapping, hazard mitigation, and other terrestrial and planetary applications. The USGS is highly qualified to advance this technology based on its world class expertise in mineral...
Denver Microbeam Laboratory: Mineral Resources Research Support
The USGS Denver Microbeam Laboratory provides chemical analysis and characterization of rocks, minerals, and environmental samples in support of a wide variety of USGS projects related to mineral resources, including research projects funded by the USGS Mineral Resources Program. The research applications for these projects range from mineral resource research and assessments, to geologic mapping...
USGS High Resolution Spectral Library
The USGS Spectral Library contains reflectance spectra, including samples of minerals, rocks, soils, physically constructed as well as mathematically computed mixtures, plants, vegetation communities, microorganisms, and man-made materials. The samples and spectra collected were assembled for the purpose of using spectral features for the remote detection of these and similar materials. The latest...
Heavy-Mineral Sand Resources in the Southeastern U.S.
We are assessing the extent of industrial mineral resources hosted by heavy-mineral sands in the coastal plain of the southeastern United States. “Heavy-mineral sands" (HMS) is a term commonly used in industry and geologic literature to describe layered sediments deposited in coastal environments that contain dense (“heavy") minerals of economic value. The heavy minerals extracted from these...
Alaska Technical Data Unit - Field Records Archives
This project is designed to collect, inventory, preserve, and make available the records of USGS geologic and minerals work in Alaska. Materials are organized in two broad categories of records: (1) Project History files, which contain field notes, maps, and fossil reports; and (2) Geologic Subject files, containing unpublished materials, correspondence, and the Economic Minerals files. Access to...
Geoenvironmental Health Models of Mineral Deposits
Our objectives were to: 1) complete bioaccessibility testing on monominerallic samples of important ore and gangue minerals for selected elements of toxicological concern, and 2) create a compendium of mineral deposit geoenvironmental health models.
New Mineral Deposit Models for Gold, Phosphate Rare Earth Elements, and Placer Rare Earth Element-Titanium Resources
USGS Mineral Deposit Models are "an organized arrangement of information describing the essential characteristics or properties of a class of mineral deposits. Models themselves can be classified according to their essential attributes (for example: descriptive, grade-tonnage models, genetic, geoenvironmental, geophysical, probability of occurrence, and quantitative process models)." (Stoeser and...
Western Alaska Range Metallogeny and Tectonics
There are many different types of mineral deposits present in the Western Alaska Range: plutonic gold, porphyry copper-gold (Pebble prospect), epithermal gold, tin-silver skarns, sedimentary barite, mafic hosted nickle-platinum-group elements, uranium-thorium rare earth elements, and even a diamond prospect.
ASTRA: ASTeroid Resource Assessment
The study was conducted to determine if the USGS process for conducting mineral resource assessments on Earth can be applied to asteroids