Michael L. Zientek is a research geologist at the Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center. He received a PhD degree in geology from Stanford and a BS degree in geology from the University of Texas. Since joining the USGS in 1983, Michael has devoted his career to studying economic geology and mineral resource assessments and specializes in magmatic ore deposits.
Mike is an economic geologist who works at the USGS Spokane Office, Spokane, Washington. He provides expertise in economic geology, assessment methods, and analysis of global, national, and regional datasets needed to plan, conduct and direct research on a broad range of land-use and mineral-resource-related issues.
His recent resource assessment work includes the SaMiRA assessment for the BLM and the USGS Global Mineral Resource Assessment project.
Mike's research interests include the origin of magmatic ore deposits enriched in platinum-group elements, chromium, and nickel. As part of that effort, he organized and coordinated International Geological Correlation Programme Project 336 from 1992 to 1996, conducted topical studies on the Stillwater Complex in Montana and the Duluth Complex, Minnesota, and worked on projects in Albania, Russia, and Indonesia. He was the Scientist-in-Charge of the Spokane Field Office from 1994 to 1998.
Education and Certifications
PhD, Stanford University
BS, University of Texas
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 23
Thin section images of drill core from the Crescent Creek area in the Stillwater Complex, Montana
This dataset includes photographic images of thin sections of drill core from the Stillwater Complex, Montana, along with a shapefile representing the location of the drill hole. The core was drilled in order to study contact-type copper and nickel sulfide mineralization in the Stillwater Complex. The images of the entire thin section, both in plane- and cross-polarized light, were taken using a h
Stillwater Complex, Montana: Logs of core drilled by Anaconda in the Benbow area, 1969 to 1973
This dataset includes pdf representations of drill core logs showing associated drill core information, a pdf of the explanation for the lithology and structure sections of the logs, a shapefile of the locations of the drill holes, and eleven individual .csv files of tabular data that was compiled from hand written drill core logs. The drill core is from the Stillwater Complex, Montana and was dri
Stillwater Complex, Montana - Logs of core drilled by AMAX, 1969 to 1977
This dataset includes pdf representations of drill core logs showing associated drill core information, a pdf of the explanation for the lithology and structure sections of the logs, a shapefile of the locations of the drill holes, and sixteen individual .csv files of tabular data that was compiled from hand written drill core logs. The drill core is from the Stillwater Complex, Montana and was dr
Geochronologic data from xenoliths near the Stillwater Complex, Montana
The Archean Stillwater Complex, a layered ultramafic-to-mafic intrusion, is exposed along the northern side of the Beartooth Mountains in Montana. To the north of the Stillwater outcrops, a gravity anomaly is located where Phanerozoic rocks may unconformably overlie the complex. These Phanerozoic rocks are intruded by Cretaceous plutons that have gabbroid inclusions that look like metamorphosed ro
Lithogeochemistry of selected surface and drill core samples from the Chrome and Iron Mountain areas of the Stillwater Complex, Montana
Sulfide- and chromite-bearing samples of the Basal and Ultramafic series of the Stillwater Complex are known to contain elevated concentrations of chromium, nickel, copper, cobalt, gold, and platinum-group elements (PGE). Drill core and surface samples were collected from the Chrome and Iron Mountain areas for whole rock geochemical analysis, with specific interest in PGE, cobalt, and gold concent
Stillwater Complex Strike and Dip Database
This file includes strike and dip information for the area of the Stillwater Complex, located in southwestern Montana. This dataset was created from pre-existing digital strike and dip information and from digitizing strike and dip locations from georeferenced map images. The data includes information about the strike and dip locations; the geologic unit and rock type the measurement was taken on;
TIMA-X Bright Phase Analysis of Platinum-Group Minerals in Selected Samples from the Chrome and Iron Mountain areas of the Stillwater Complex, Montana
Sulfide- and chromite-bearing samples of the Basal and Ultramafic series of the Stillwater Complex are known to contain elevated concentrations of platinum-group elements (PGE). Thin sections were prepared from drill core and surface samples from the Chrome and Iron Mountain areas. Core samples are from exploration drilling programs by AMAX in the 1960s and 1970s and Beartooth Platinum in 2004-200
Titanium-vanadium deposits hosted in mafic-ultramafic layered intrusions and massif anorthosite intrusions from around the world
This data release includes four .csv files and one Esri shapefile which contain data on titanium-vanadium deposits hosted in mafic-ultramafic layered intrusions and massif anorthosite intrusions from around the world. Some of the data was used to create a grade and tonnage model for titanium-vanadium deposits hosted in mafic-ultramafic layered intrusions. Only deposits with reported grade and tonn
Previous mineral resource assessment data compilation for the U.S. Geological Survey Sagebrush Mineral Resource Assessment Project
This data release consists of a compilation of previously published mineral potential maps that were used for the Sagebrush Mineral Resource Assessment (SaMiRA) project. This information was used as guides for assessing mineral potential assessment of approximately 10 million acres in Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming. Specifically, the compilation was used to identify the deposit types to
Locatable Mineral Assessment Tracts for the U.S. Geological Survey Sagebrush Mineral Resource Assessment Project
The polygon (vector) feature class represents locatable mineral resource assessment tracts (tracts of land) associated with the Department of the Interior (DOI) Sagebrush Focal Areas in Montana, Wyoming and Utah, central Idaho, and the Oregon-Nevada-Idaho border area. The mineral resources tracts are geographic areas that were assessed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and were determined to be
Missouri Breaks Project, Montana - Digitized aeromagnetic data
From February 12 to March 8, 1981, EG and G Geometrics conducted an aeromagnetic survey in Montana for Anaconda Copper Company. A Piper Navajo aircraft was used to conducted the survey. The survey was flown along north-south flightlines spaced 660 feet at a nominal height of 450 feet above the terrain. Five uniformly spaced east-west tie-lines were also flown. During processing, the International
Filter Total Items: 63
Spatiotemporal analysis of changes in lode mining claims around the McDermitt Caldera, northern Nevada and southern Oregon
Resource managers and agencies involved with planning for future federal land needs are required to complete an assessment of and forecast for future land use every ten years. Predicting mining activities on federal lands is difficult as current regulations do not require disclosure of exploration results. In these cases, historic mining claims may serve as a useful proxy for determining where min
Undiscovered porphyry copper resources in the Urals—A probabilistic mineral resource assessment
A probabilistic mineral resource assessment of metal resources in undiscovered porphyry copper deposits of the Ural Mountains in Russia and Kazakhstan was done using a quantitative form of mineral resource assessment. Permissive tracts were delineated on the basis of mapped and inferred subsurface distributions of igneous rocks assigned to tectonic zones that include magmatic arcs where the occurr
Geology and mineral resources of the North-Central Montana Sagebrush Focal Area: Chapter D in Mineral resources of the Sagebrush Focal Areas of Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Wyoming
SummaryThe U.S. Department of the Interior has proposed to withdraw approximately 10 million acres of Federal lands from mineral entry (subject to valid existing rights) from 12 million acres of lands defined as Sagebrush Focal Areas (SFAs) in Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Wyoming (for further discussion on the lands involved see Scientific Investigations Report 2016–5089–A). The purpo
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Energy and Minerals Mission Area, Energy Resources Program, Mineral Resources Program, National Laboratories Program, Science and Decisions Center, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center, National Minerals Information Center
Overview with methods and procedures of the U.S. Geological Survey mineral-resource assessment of the Sagebrush Focal Areas of Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Wyoming: Chapter A in Mineral resources of the Sagebrush Focal Areas of Idaho, Mont
This report, chapter A of Scientific Investigations Report 2016–5089, provides an overview of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Sagebrush Mineral-Resource Assessment (SaMiRA). The report also describes the methods, procedures, and voluminous fundamental reference information used throughout the assessment. Data from several major publicly available databases and other published sources were used t
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Energy and Minerals Mission Area, Energy Resources Program, Mineral Resources Program, National Laboratories Program, Science and Decisions Center, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center, National Minerals Information Center
Mineral resources of the Sagebrush Focal Areas of Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Wyoming
Scientific Investigations Report 2016–5089 and accompanying data releases are the products of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Sagebrush Mineral-Resource Assessment (SaMiRA). The assessment was done at the request of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to evaluate the mineral-resource potential of some 10 million acres of Federal and adjacent lands in Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Wyo
By
Energy and Minerals Mission Area, Energy Resources Program, Land Management Research Program, Mineral Resources Program, National Laboratories Program, Science and Decisions Center, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center, National Minerals Information Center
Spatial database for a global assessment of undiscovered copper resources: Chapter Z in Global mineral resource assessment
As part of the first-ever U.S. Geological Survey global assessment of undiscovered copper resources, data common to several regional spatial databases published by the U.S. Geological Survey, including one report from Finland and one from Greenland, were standardized, updated, and compiled into a global copper resource database. This integrated collection of spatial databases provides location, ge
Relationship between porphyry systems, crustal preservation levels, and amount of exploration in magmatic belts of the Central Tethys Region
Tectonic, geologic, geochemical, geochronologic, and ore deposit data from the U.S. Geological Survey-led assessment of 26 porphyry belts identified in the central Tethys region of Turkey, the Caucasus, Iran, western Pakistan, and southern Afghanistan relate porphyry mineralization to the tectonomagmatic evolution of the region and associated subduction and postsubduction processes. However, uplif
Qualitative assessment of selected areas of the world for undiscovered sediment-hosted stratabound copper deposits: Chapter Y in Global mineral resource assessment
A qualitative mineral resource assessment of sediment-hosted stratabound copper mineralized areas for undiscovered copper deposits was performed for 10 selected areas of the world. The areas, in alphabetical order, are (1) Belt-Purcell Basin, United States and Canada; (2) Benguela and Cuanza Basins, Angola; (3) Chuxiong Basin, China; (4) Dongchuan Group rocks, China; (5) Egypt–Israel–Jordan Rift,
Porphyry copper assessment of the Tethys region of western and southern Asia: Chapter V in Global mineral resource assessment
A probabilistic mineral resource assessment of undiscovered resources in porphyry copper deposits in the Tethys region of western and southern Asia was carried out as part of a global mineral resource assessment led by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The purpose of the study was to delineate geographic areas as permissive tracts for the occurrence of porphyry copper deposits at a scale of 1:1,0
Assessment of undiscovered copper resources associated with the Permian Kupferschiefer, Southern Permian Basin, Europe
This study synthesizes available information and estimates the location and quantity of undiscovered copper associated with a late Permian bituminous shale, the Kupferschiefer, of the Southern Permian Basin in Europe. The purpose of this study is to (1) delineate permissive areas (tracts) where undiscovered reduced-facies sediment-hosted stratabound copper deposits could occur within 2.5 kilometer
Porphyry copper assessment of East and Southeast Asia: Philippines, Taiwan (Republic of China), Republic of Korea (South Korea), and Japan
The U.S. Geological Survey collaborated with member countries of the Coordinating Committee for Geoscience Programmes in East and Southeast Asia (CCOP) on an assessment of the porphyry copper resources of East and Southeast Asia as part of a global mineral resource assessment. The assessment covers the Philippines in Southeast Asia, and the Republic of Korea (South Korea), Taiwan (Province of Chin
A geologic and mineral exploration spatial database for the Stillwater Complex, Montana
The Stillwater Complex is a Neoarchean, ultramafic to mafic layered intrusion exposed in the Beartooth Mountains in south-central Montana. This igneous intrusion contains magmatic mineralization that is variably enriched in strategic and critical commodities such as chromium, nickel, and the platinum-group elements. One deposit, the J-M Reef, is the sole source of primary production and reserves f
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Thin section images of drill core from the Crescent Creek area in the Stillwater Complex, Montana
This dataset includes photographic images of thin sections of drill core from the Stillwater Complex, Montana, along with a shapefile representing the location of the drill hole. The core was drilled in order to study contact-type copper and nickel sulfide mineralization in the Stillwater Complex. The images of the entire thin section, both in plane- and cross-polarized light, were taken using a hStillwater Complex, Montana: Logs of core drilled by Anaconda in the Benbow area, 1969 to 1973
This dataset includes pdf representations of drill core logs showing associated drill core information, a pdf of the explanation for the lithology and structure sections of the logs, a shapefile of the locations of the drill holes, and eleven individual .csv files of tabular data that was compiled from hand written drill core logs. The drill core is from the Stillwater Complex, Montana and was driStillwater Complex, Montana - Logs of core drilled by AMAX, 1969 to 1977
This dataset includes pdf representations of drill core logs showing associated drill core information, a pdf of the explanation for the lithology and structure sections of the logs, a shapefile of the locations of the drill holes, and sixteen individual .csv files of tabular data that was compiled from hand written drill core logs. The drill core is from the Stillwater Complex, Montana and was drGeochronologic data from xenoliths near the Stillwater Complex, Montana
The Archean Stillwater Complex, a layered ultramafic-to-mafic intrusion, is exposed along the northern side of the Beartooth Mountains in Montana. To the north of the Stillwater outcrops, a gravity anomaly is located where Phanerozoic rocks may unconformably overlie the complex. These Phanerozoic rocks are intruded by Cretaceous plutons that have gabbroid inclusions that look like metamorphosed roLithogeochemistry of selected surface and drill core samples from the Chrome and Iron Mountain areas of the Stillwater Complex, Montana
Sulfide- and chromite-bearing samples of the Basal and Ultramafic series of the Stillwater Complex are known to contain elevated concentrations of chromium, nickel, copper, cobalt, gold, and platinum-group elements (PGE). Drill core and surface samples were collected from the Chrome and Iron Mountain areas for whole rock geochemical analysis, with specific interest in PGE, cobalt, and gold concentStillwater Complex Strike and Dip Database
This file includes strike and dip information for the area of the Stillwater Complex, located in southwestern Montana. This dataset was created from pre-existing digital strike and dip information and from digitizing strike and dip locations from georeferenced map images. The data includes information about the strike and dip locations; the geologic unit and rock type the measurement was taken on;TIMA-X Bright Phase Analysis of Platinum-Group Minerals in Selected Samples from the Chrome and Iron Mountain areas of the Stillwater Complex, Montana
Sulfide- and chromite-bearing samples of the Basal and Ultramafic series of the Stillwater Complex are known to contain elevated concentrations of platinum-group elements (PGE). Thin sections were prepared from drill core and surface samples from the Chrome and Iron Mountain areas. Core samples are from exploration drilling programs by AMAX in the 1960s and 1970s and Beartooth Platinum in 2004-200Titanium-vanadium deposits hosted in mafic-ultramafic layered intrusions and massif anorthosite intrusions from around the world
This data release includes four .csv files and one Esri shapefile which contain data on titanium-vanadium deposits hosted in mafic-ultramafic layered intrusions and massif anorthosite intrusions from around the world. Some of the data was used to create a grade and tonnage model for titanium-vanadium deposits hosted in mafic-ultramafic layered intrusions. Only deposits with reported grade and tonnPrevious mineral resource assessment data compilation for the U.S. Geological Survey Sagebrush Mineral Resource Assessment Project
This data release consists of a compilation of previously published mineral potential maps that were used for the Sagebrush Mineral Resource Assessment (SaMiRA) project. This information was used as guides for assessing mineral potential assessment of approximately 10 million acres in Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming. Specifically, the compilation was used to identify the deposit types toLocatable Mineral Assessment Tracts for the U.S. Geological Survey Sagebrush Mineral Resource Assessment Project
The polygon (vector) feature class represents locatable mineral resource assessment tracts (tracts of land) associated with the Department of the Interior (DOI) Sagebrush Focal Areas in Montana, Wyoming and Utah, central Idaho, and the Oregon-Nevada-Idaho border area. The mineral resources tracts are geographic areas that were assessed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and were determined to beMissouri Breaks Project, Montana - Digitized aeromagnetic data
From February 12 to March 8, 1981, EG and G Geometrics conducted an aeromagnetic survey in Montana for Anaconda Copper Company. A Piper Navajo aircraft was used to conducted the survey. The survey was flown along north-south flightlines spaced 660 feet at a nominal height of 450 feet above the terrain. Five uniformly spaced east-west tie-lines were also flown. During processing, the International - Publications
Filter Total Items: 63
Spatiotemporal analysis of changes in lode mining claims around the McDermitt Caldera, northern Nevada and southern Oregon
Resource managers and agencies involved with planning for future federal land needs are required to complete an assessment of and forecast for future land use every ten years. Predicting mining activities on federal lands is difficult as current regulations do not require disclosure of exploration results. In these cases, historic mining claims may serve as a useful proxy for determining where minUndiscovered porphyry copper resources in the Urals—A probabilistic mineral resource assessment
A probabilistic mineral resource assessment of metal resources in undiscovered porphyry copper deposits of the Ural Mountains in Russia and Kazakhstan was done using a quantitative form of mineral resource assessment. Permissive tracts were delineated on the basis of mapped and inferred subsurface distributions of igneous rocks assigned to tectonic zones that include magmatic arcs where the occurrGeology and mineral resources of the North-Central Montana Sagebrush Focal Area: Chapter D in Mineral resources of the Sagebrush Focal Areas of Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Wyoming
SummaryThe U.S. Department of the Interior has proposed to withdraw approximately 10 million acres of Federal lands from mineral entry (subject to valid existing rights) from 12 million acres of lands defined as Sagebrush Focal Areas (SFAs) in Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Wyoming (for further discussion on the lands involved see Scientific Investigations Report 2016–5089–A). The purpoByEnergy and Minerals Mission Area, Energy Resources Program, Mineral Resources Program, National Laboratories Program, Science and Decisions Center, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center, National Minerals Information CenterOverview with methods and procedures of the U.S. Geological Survey mineral-resource assessment of the Sagebrush Focal Areas of Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Wyoming: Chapter A in Mineral resources of the Sagebrush Focal Areas of Idaho, Mont
This report, chapter A of Scientific Investigations Report 2016–5089, provides an overview of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Sagebrush Mineral-Resource Assessment (SaMiRA). The report also describes the methods, procedures, and voluminous fundamental reference information used throughout the assessment. Data from several major publicly available databases and other published sources were used tByEnergy and Minerals Mission Area, Energy Resources Program, Mineral Resources Program, National Laboratories Program, Science and Decisions Center, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center, National Minerals Information CenterMineral resources of the Sagebrush Focal Areas of Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Wyoming
Scientific Investigations Report 2016–5089 and accompanying data releases are the products of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Sagebrush Mineral-Resource Assessment (SaMiRA). The assessment was done at the request of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to evaluate the mineral-resource potential of some 10 million acres of Federal and adjacent lands in Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and WyoByEnergy and Minerals Mission Area, Energy Resources Program, Land Management Research Program, Mineral Resources Program, National Laboratories Program, Science and Decisions Center, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center, National Minerals Information CenterSpatial database for a global assessment of undiscovered copper resources: Chapter Z in Global mineral resource assessment
As part of the first-ever U.S. Geological Survey global assessment of undiscovered copper resources, data common to several regional spatial databases published by the U.S. Geological Survey, including one report from Finland and one from Greenland, were standardized, updated, and compiled into a global copper resource database. This integrated collection of spatial databases provides location, geRelationship between porphyry systems, crustal preservation levels, and amount of exploration in magmatic belts of the Central Tethys Region
Tectonic, geologic, geochemical, geochronologic, and ore deposit data from the U.S. Geological Survey-led assessment of 26 porphyry belts identified in the central Tethys region of Turkey, the Caucasus, Iran, western Pakistan, and southern Afghanistan relate porphyry mineralization to the tectonomagmatic evolution of the region and associated subduction and postsubduction processes. However, uplifQualitative assessment of selected areas of the world for undiscovered sediment-hosted stratabound copper deposits: Chapter Y in Global mineral resource assessment
A qualitative mineral resource assessment of sediment-hosted stratabound copper mineralized areas for undiscovered copper deposits was performed for 10 selected areas of the world. The areas, in alphabetical order, are (1) Belt-Purcell Basin, United States and Canada; (2) Benguela and Cuanza Basins, Angola; (3) Chuxiong Basin, China; (4) Dongchuan Group rocks, China; (5) Egypt–Israel–Jordan Rift,Porphyry copper assessment of the Tethys region of western and southern Asia: Chapter V in Global mineral resource assessment
A probabilistic mineral resource assessment of undiscovered resources in porphyry copper deposits in the Tethys region of western and southern Asia was carried out as part of a global mineral resource assessment led by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The purpose of the study was to delineate geographic areas as permissive tracts for the occurrence of porphyry copper deposits at a scale of 1:1,0Assessment of undiscovered copper resources associated with the Permian Kupferschiefer, Southern Permian Basin, Europe
This study synthesizes available information and estimates the location and quantity of undiscovered copper associated with a late Permian bituminous shale, the Kupferschiefer, of the Southern Permian Basin in Europe. The purpose of this study is to (1) delineate permissive areas (tracts) where undiscovered reduced-facies sediment-hosted stratabound copper deposits could occur within 2.5 kilometerPorphyry copper assessment of East and Southeast Asia: Philippines, Taiwan (Republic of China), Republic of Korea (South Korea), and Japan
The U.S. Geological Survey collaborated with member countries of the Coordinating Committee for Geoscience Programmes in East and Southeast Asia (CCOP) on an assessment of the porphyry copper resources of East and Southeast Asia as part of a global mineral resource assessment. The assessment covers the Philippines in Southeast Asia, and the Republic of Korea (South Korea), Taiwan (Province of ChinA geologic and mineral exploration spatial database for the Stillwater Complex, Montana
The Stillwater Complex is a Neoarchean, ultramafic to mafic layered intrusion exposed in the Beartooth Mountains in south-central Montana. This igneous intrusion contains magmatic mineralization that is variably enriched in strategic and critical commodities such as chromium, nickel, and the platinum-group elements. One deposit, the J-M Reef, is the sole source of primary production and reserves f - News