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Peter George Chirico

Pete Chirico is the Associate Director of the U.S. Geological Survey’s Geology and Paleoclimate Science Center in Reston, VA. He also leads the USGS Special Studies project as a research scientist focused on terrain analysis and geomorphological mapping.

Pete Chirico is the Associate Director of the U.S. Geological Survey’s Geology and Paleoclimate Science Center in Reston, VA.  In over 20 years at USGS, he has focused his research on the geography and geomorphology of illicit small-scale mining of diamonds and mineral deposits in conflict zones and during complex emergencies.  He has worked extensively with the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Agency for International Development, the United Nations, and the Kimberley Process to understand how diamonds and other natural resource exploitation contribute to funding conflicts. While his regional expertise is Sub-Saharan Africa, he has led or been a member of more than 30 field expeditions throughout Central America and the Caribbean, the Middle East, and Africa.  He is author or co-author of over 50 peer reviewed scientific reports and journal articles in the fields of geography, geomorphology, remote sensing, and natural resources in conflict zones. Pete also serves as scientific and technical advisor to the Office of Threat Finance Countermeasures in the Department of State's Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs.

 

 

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A collection of diamonds recovered from mines sites along the Birim River in Ghana.

Special Geologic Studies: Artisanal and small-scale mining of conflict minerals

This project focuses on artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) of minerals and gemstones globally and the illegal mining and transport of these natural resources. Project scientists employ field mapping, geomorphological techniques, and remote sensing to map, monitor, and evaluate mineral deposits and ASM activities in conflict zones and during complex emergencies. The research is directly applied...
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Florence Bascom Geoscience Center
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Special Geologic Studies: Artisanal and small-scale mining of conflict minerals

This project focuses on artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) of minerals and gemstones globally and the illegal mining and transport of these natural resources. Project scientists employ field mapping, geomorphological techniques, and remote sensing to map, monitor, and evaluate mineral deposits and ASM activities in conflict zones and during complex emergencies. The research is directly applied...
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Filter Total Items: 17

Database for the Surficial Geologic Map of the Charleston Region, Berkeley, Charleston, Colleton, Dorchester, and Georgetown Counties, South Carolina

This database portrays the surface and shallow subsurface geology of the greater Charleston, S.C. region east of 80 degrees 30' west and south of 33 degrees 15' north. The region covers the entirety of Charleston County and portions of Berkeley, Colleton, Dorchester, and Georgetown Counties. Units locally exposed at the surface range in age from middle Eocene to Holocene, but most of the area is c
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Florence Bascom Geoscience Center

Datasheets associated with borehole sampling of surficial sediments in Northern Virginia and Southern Maryland conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey for the Federal Highways Administration Turner-Fairbanks Research Center In Situ Scour Testing Device

This spreadsheet contains the results of open-bore auger samples collected by the U.S. Geological Survey in Maryland and Virginia for the Federal Highways Administration Turner-Fairbanks Highway Research Center. 19 sites were selected in 14 different locations across northern Virginia and southern Maryland by FBGC scientists to drill boreholes for the development of the TFHRC?s In-situ Scour Testi
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Florence Bascom Geoscience Center

Point locations of brick kilns in Kabul, Afghanistan, derived from 1965, 2004, 2011, and 2018 satellite imagery

This dataset was created as part of the USGS Afghanistan Project investigating artisanal and small-scale mining activity. Clay mining for brick making purposes represents a small but important segment of the mineral extraction industry in Kabul, Afghanistan. Over the past several decades Kabul has grown from a relatively small city, with a 1970 population of less than 500,000 people, to a sprawlin
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Florence Bascom Geoscience Center

Afghanistan Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining (ASM) Areas (ver. 3.0, June 2021)

This data release catalogs currently active ASM operations in Afghanistan in various parts of the country. The dataset was developed through visual interpretation of mining features from the most recently available very high-resolution satellite imagery. The polygon-based shapefiles contains 1 square kilometer gridcells, each of which indicates the presence (and number) of mine sites recorded with
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Florence Bascom Geoscience Center

Data associated with the investigation of suitable habitat for the endangered plant Harperella (Ptilimnium nodosum Rose) in the Potomac River near Hancock Maryland

In lieu of a uniform mapping of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park corridor at very high-resolution using UAS, this study developed a multi-scale workflow, where (1) geospatial modeling methods and (2) historic image analysis were used to constrain the areal extent of (3) detailed field and unmanned aerial systems (UAS) observation. Geospatial Modeling Methods: Harperella habi
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Florence Bascom Geoscience Center

Please Recycle

This data release publishes datasets within and surrounding the Piney Branch watershed located in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan suburb of Vienna, Virginia. This dataset was utilized in studies that investigated the accuracy and application of geospatial modeling techniques, structure-from-motion (SfM) photogrammetric methods, and digital elevation model (DEM) differencing to assess and quantif
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Florence Bascom Geoscience Center

Data release for structure-from-motion DEMs derived from historical aerial photographs and their use in geomorphological mapping

This data release publishes datasets within and surrounding the Piney Branch watershed located in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan suburb of Vienna, Virginia. This dataset was utilized in studies that investigated the accuracy and application of geospatial modeling techniques, structure-from-motion (SfM) photogrammetric methods, and digital elevation model (DEM) differencing to assess and quantif
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Florence Bascom Geoscience Center

Inventory of Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining (ASM) in Doshi-Shibar: Points (2018)

Afghanistan is endowed with a broad range of mineral resources. Currently, the majority of mining throughout the country is comprised of informal and undocumented artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) operations. The exact scope of excavation operations depends largely on the mineral commodity produced. In the case of gemstones, such as emeralds and rubies, small teams of miners use manual equipm
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Florence Bascom Geoscience Center

Inventory of Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining (ASM) in Badahkshan: Points (2017 to 2018)

Afghanistan is endowed with a broad range of mineral resources. Currently, the majority of mining throughout the country is comprised of informal and undocumented artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) operations. The exact scope of excavation operations depends largely on the mineral commodity produced. In the case of gemstones, such as emeralds and rubies, small teams of miners use manual equipm
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Florence Bascom Geoscience Center

Inventory of Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining (ASM) in Nangarhar: Points (2017)

Afghanistan is endowed with a broad range of mineral resources. Currently, the majority of mining throughout the country is comprised of informal and undocumented artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) operations. The exact scope of excavation operations depends largely on the mineral commodity produced. In the case of gemstones, such as emeralds and rubies, small teams of miners use manual equipm
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Florence Bascom Geoscience Center

Inventory of Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining (ASM) in Nuristan: Points (2017 to 2018)

Afghanistan is endowed with a broad range of mineral resources. Currently, the majority of mining throughout the country is comprised of informal and undocumented artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) operations. The exact scope of excavation operations depends largely on the mineral commodity produced. In the case of gemstones, such as emeralds and rubies, small teams of miners use manual equipm
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Florence Bascom Geoscience Center

Inventory of Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining (ASM) in Kabul: Points (2018)

Afghanistan is endowed with a broad range of mineral resources. Currently, the majority of mining throughout the country is comprised of informal and undocumented artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) operations. The exact scope of excavation operations depends largely on the mineral commodity produced. In the case of gemstones, such as emeralds and rubies, small teams of miners use manual equipm
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Florence Bascom Geoscience Center

Quantifying and visualizing 32 years of agricultural land use change in Kabul, Afghanistan

Agriculture is a key element of Afghanistan’s economy and plays an essential role supporting the expanding population and urban development of Kabul, the country’s capital. Over the past decades the urban landscape has changed substantially and agricultural land use has shifted in its extent, location, and density. Identifying trends in the amount of agricultural area, as an indication of food pro
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Florence Bascom Geoscience Center

Geomorphological mapping and anthropogenic landform change in an urbanizing watershed using structure-from-motion photogrammetry and geospatial modeling techniques

Increasing urbanization and suburban growth in cities globally has highlighted the importance of land planning using detailed geomorphologic maps that depict anthropogenic landform changes. Such mapping provides information crucial for land management, hazard identification, and the management of the challenges arising from urbanization. The development and use of quantitative and repeatable metho

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Florence Bascom Geoscience Center, Communications and Publishing
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excavated hole in forest with hydraulic piping equipment and muddy water
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Artisanal miners digging a mining pit using simple tools such as shovels, buckets and water pumps.
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Photograph of an inactive artisanal mining site in Safoule, Guinea, in 2012.
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Photograph of a new, informal mining site in Banyama, Guinea, in 2012.
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Filter Total Items: 65

Detection and monitoring of small-scale diamond and gold mining dredges using synthetic aperture radar on the Kadéï (Sangha) River, Central African Republic

Diamond and gold mining has been practiced by artisanal miners in the Central African Republic (CAR) for decades. The recent introduction of riverine dredges indicates a transition from artisanal/manual digging and sorting techniques to small-scale mining methods. This study implements a remote sensing analysis of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data to map gold and diamond dredges operating on the
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Florence Bascom Geoscience Center

Borehole sampling of surficial sediments in Northern Virginia and Southern Maryland

From 2014 to 2017, the U.S. Geological Survey’s Florence Bascom Geoscience Center (FBGC) entered into an inter-agency agreement with the Federal Highway Administration’s Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center (TFHRC) to assist in field site selection and auger drilling fieldwork. The TFHRC was developing a device to measure the erosional properties of clay-rich sediments to be used for in situ te
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Florence Bascom Geoscience Center

Remote sensing inventory and geospatial analysis of brick kilns and clay quarrying in Kabul, Afghanistan

Reconstruction and urban development in Kabul, Afghanistan, has prompted vast expansion of the clay quarrying and brick making industry. This study identified the extent and distribution of clay quarrying and brick kilns in the greater Kabul area between 1965 and 2018. Very high-resolution satellite imagery was interpreted to quantify and characterize the type, number, and location of brick kilns
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Florence Bascom Geoscience Center

Investigation of suitable habitat for the endangered plant Ptilimnium nodosum (Rose) Mathias (harperella) using remote sensing and field analysis—Documentation of methods and results

Ptilimnium nodosum (Rose) Mathias (harperella) is an endangered plant species found in Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia, as well as in other locations throughout the southeastern United States. The narrow range of habitat characteristics for areas in which harperella has been found makes locating potential occurrence sites difficult and attempts at reintroduction of the plant relatively unsuc
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Florence Bascom Geoscience Center

Evaluating elevation change thresholds between structure-from-motion DEMs derived from historical aerial photos and 3DEP LiDAR data

This study created digital terrain models (DTMs) from historical aerial images using Structure from Motion (SfM) for a variety of image dates, resolutions, and photo scales. Accuracy assessments were performed on the SfM DTMs, and they were compared to the United States Geological Survey’s three-dimensional digital elevation program (3DEP) light detection and ranging (LiDAR) DTMs to evaluate geomo
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Florence Bascom Geoscience Center

Geomorphological mapping and anthropogenic landform change in an urbanizing watershed using structure-from-motion photogrammetry and geospatial modeling techniques

Increasing urbanization and suburban growth in cities globally has highlighted the importance of land planning using detailed geomorphologic maps that depict anthropogenic landform changes. Such mapping provides information crucial for land management, hazard identification, and the management of the challenges arising from urbanization. The development and use of quantitative and repeatable metho

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Florence Bascom Geoscience Center

Mapping the extent and methods of small-scale emerald mining in the Panjshir Valley, Afghanistan

Emerald mining in the Panjshir Valley, Afghanistan, has occurred for thousands of years, yet few records exist documenting the detailed spatial extent, techniques, or productivity of small-scale miners. This study proposes new methods to map and monitor the extent and changes in small-scale mining in remote and inaccessible terrain by integrating multispectral remote sensing analysis with archival
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Florence Bascom Geoscience Center

The Central African Republic Diamond Database—A geodatabase of archival diamond occurrences and areas of recent artisanal and small-scale diamond mining

The alluvial diamond deposits of the Central African Republic (CAR) are mined almost exclusively by way of informal artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) methods. ASM sites range in diameter from a few meters to 30 meters or more, and are typically excavated by crews of diggers using hand tools, sieves, and jigs. CAR’s reported annual production has ranged from 300,000 to 470,000 carats over the
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Florence Bascom Geoscience Center

Multi-scale 46-year remote sensing change detection of diamond mining and land cover in a conflict and post-conflict setting

The town of Tortiya was created in the rural northern region of Côte d′Ivoire in the late 1940s to house workers for a new diamond mine. Nearly three decades later, the closure of the industrial-scale diamond mine in 1975 did not diminish the importance of diamond profits to the region's economy, and resulted in the growth of artisanal and small-scale diamond mining (ASM) within the abandoned indu
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Florence Bascom Geoscience Center

Mapping informal small-scale mining features in a data-sparse tropical environment with a small UAS

This study evaluates the use of a small unmanned aerial system (UAS) to collect imagery over artisanal mining sites in West Africa. The purpose of this study is to consider how very high-resolution imagery and digital surface models (DSMs) derived from structure-from-motion (SfM) photogrammetric techniques from a small UAS can fill the gap in geospatial data collection between satellite imagery an
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Florence Bascom Geoscience Center

Creating high-resolution bare-earth digital elevation models (DEMs) from stereo imagery in an area of densely vegetated deciduous forest using combinations of procedures designed for lidar point cloud filtering

For areas of the world that do not have access to lidar, fine-scale digital elevation models (DEMs) can be photogrammetrically created using globally available high-spatial resolution stereo satellite imagery. The resultant DEM is best termed a digital surface model (DSM) because it includes heights of surface features. In densely vegetated conditions, this inclusion can limit its usefulness in ap
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Florence Bascom Geoscience Center

Topographic and Hydrographic GIS Datasets for the Afghanistan Geological Survey and U.S. Geological Survey 2014 Mineral Areas of Interest

Mineral extraction and associated industries play an important role in the Afghan economy, particularly in the “transitional era” of declining foreign aid and withdrawal of foreign troops post 2014. In addition to providing a substantial source of government revenue, other potential benefits of natural resource development include boosted exports, employment opportunities, and strengthened industr
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Florence Bascom Geoscience Center

Non-USGS Publications**

Chirico, P.G., 1997, GIS--The bedrock of geologic mapping: Geo Info Systems, v. 7, no. 10, p. 26-31.

**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.

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USGS Scientists Help Address Conflict Mining

The USGS has collaborated with several international organizations working to track and monitor illegal mining and armed groups funded by natural...

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