Philip L Verplanck
Science and Products
Non-Traditional Stable Isotopes
Understanding the genesis of ore deposits and their behavior in the environment is a subject of great importance to the Nation. A relatively new tool to aid in these efforts to investigate the origin and environmental effects of ore deposits is the use of "heavy" metal stable isotopes. Our research objectives are to utilize various isotopic systems to advance our understanding of ore genesis...
Critical Elements in Carbonatites: From Exploration Targets to Element Distribution
Critical elements are essential to the modern economy and have potential supply chain disruptions, but compared to most base and precious metals, little work has been done in understanding ore-grade enrichments. Carbonatites are the primary source of the worlds light rare earth elements and niobium, and a potential source for heavy rare earths, scandium, tantalum, and thorium. Project...
Fluids in Rare Earth Element (REE) Ore Genesis
The project objective is to better understand the role fluids play in the formation of ore-grade rare earth element enrichment. In many rare earth element deposits, enrichment of rare earth elements is largely controlled by their transport in fluids (orthomagmatic, hydrothermal, groundwater). The project focuses on carbonatite-related deposits because these deposits are the world's primary...
Geochemical analyses of surface water, groundwater and springs surrounding Mount Emmons near Crested Butte, Colorado
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety (DRMS), and Coal Creek Watershed Coalition (CCWC) working independently, have intermittently collected samples of surface- and groundwater and springs around Mount Emmons, near Crested Butte, Colorado. This data release is a compilation of the comprehensive inorganic chemical analyses co
Rare earth element mineral deposits in the United States
Because of their unique special chemical properties, many of the metals in the group of rare earth elements (REEs) have essential applications in 21st century technologies. Examples of products that use REEs are cell phones, computers, fluorescent and light-emitting-diode lights, flat-screen television and computer monitors, and in high-strength...
Van Gosen, Bradley S.; Verplanck, Philip L.; Emsbo, Poul
The ~1.85 Ga carbonatite in north China and its implications on the evolution of the Columbia supercontinent
Mantle-derived carbonatites provide a unique window in the understanding of mantle characteristics and dynamics, as well as insight into the assembly and breakup of supercontinents. As a petrological indicator of extensional tectonic regimes, Archean/Proterozoic carbonatites provide important constraints on the timing of the breakup of ancient...
Xie, Yuling; Qu, Yunwei; Zhong, Richen; Verplanck, Philip L.; Meffre, Sebastien; Xu, Daoxue Strategic and critical metals in produced geothermal fluids from Nevada and Utah
Herein we summarize the results of an investigation dealing with the concentrations and inventories of strategic, critical and valuable materials (SCVM) in produced fluids from geothermal and hydrocarbon reservoirs (50-250° C) in Nevada and Utah. Water samples were collected from thirty-four production wells across eight geothermal fields, the...
Simmons, Stuart F.; Kirby, Stephe H.; Verplanck, Philip L.; Kelley, Karen Duttweiler Cinnamon gulch revisited: Another look at separating natural and mining-impacted contributions to instream metal load
Baseline, premining data for streams draining abandoned mine lands is virtually non existent, and indirect methods for estimating premining conditions are needed to establish realistic, cost effective cleanup goals. One such indirect method is the proximal analog approach, in which premining conditions are estimated using data from nearby...
Runkel, Robert L.; Verplanck, Philip L.; Kimball, Briant; Walton-Day, Katie
Rare-earth elements
The rare-earth elements (REEs) are 15 elements that range in atomic number from 57 (lanthanum) to 71 (lutetium); they are commonly referred to as the “lanthanides.” Yttrium (atomic number 39) is also commonly regarded as an REE because it shares chemical and physical similarities and has affinities with the lanthanides. Although REEs are not rare...
Schulz, Klaus J.; DeYoung,, John H.; Seal, Robert R.; Bradley, Dwight C.; Van Gosen, Bradley S.; Verplanck, Philip L.; Seal, Robert R.; Long, Keith R.; Gambogi, Joseph Strontium isotopic systematics of mineralized and background water samples, Montezuma Mining District, Colorado
Surface and groundwater samples within the Montezuma mining district were sampled to evaluate the use of strontium isotopic compositions as signatures of different water types. Waters draining Precambrian metamorphic units had distinctly higher 87Sr/ 86Sr values (0.72893 to 0.73833) than waters draining Tertiaryage plutonic rocks (0.71064 and 0....
Verplanck, Philip L.; Runkel, Robert L. Rare earth element ore geology of carbonatites
For nearly 50 years, carbonatites have been the primary source of niobium and rare earth elements (REEs), in particular the light REEs, including La, Ce, Pr, and Nd. Carbonatites are a relatively rare type of igneous rock composed of greater than 50 vol % primary carbonate minerals, primarily calcite and/or dolomite, and contain the highest...
Verplanck, Philip L.; Mariano, Anthony N.; Mariano, Anthony Lithium brines: A global perspective: Chapter 14
Lithium is a critical and technologically important element that has widespread use, particularly in batteries for hybrid cars and portable electronic devices. Global demand for lithium has been on the rise since the mid-1900s and is projected to continue to increase. Lithium is found in three main deposit types: (1) pegmatites, (2) continental...
Verplanck, Philip L.; Hitzman, Murray W.; Munk, LeeAnn; Hynek, Scott; Bradley, Dwight C.; Boutt, David; Labay, Keith A.; Jochens, Hillary The link between volcanism and plutonism in epizonal magma systems; high-precision U–Pb zircon geochronology from the Organ Mountains caldera and batholith, New Mexico
The Organ Mountains caldera and batholith expose the volcanic and epizonal plutonic record of an Eocene caldera complex. The caldera and batholith are well exposed, and extensive previous mapping and geochemical analyses have suggested a clear link between the volcanic and plutonic sections, making this an ideal location to study magmatic...
Rioux, Matthew; Farmer, Lang; Bowring, Samuel; Wooton, Kathleen M.; Amato, Jeffrey M.; Coleman, Drew S.; Verplanck, Philip L. Introduction: Rare Earth and Critical Elements in Ore Deposits
No abstract available.
Verplanck, P.L.; Hitzman, M.W.; Verplanck, Philip L.; Murray W. Hitzman By-products of porphyry copper and molybdenum deposits: Chapter 7
Porphyry Cu and porphyry Mo deposits are large to giant deposits ranging up to >20 and 1.6 Gt of ore, respectively, that supply about 60 and 95% of the world’s copper and molybdenum, as well as significant amounts of gold and silver. These deposits form from hydrothermal systems that affect 10s to >100 km3 of the upper crust and result...
Verplanck, Philip L.; Hitzman, Murray W.; John, David A.; Taylor, Ryan D. From extreme pH to extreme temperature: An issue in honor of the geochemical contributions of Kirk Nordstrom, USGS hydrogeochemist
This special issue of Applied Geochemistry honors Dr. D. Kirk Nordstrom, and his influential career spent primarily at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). This issue does not herald his retirement or other significant career milestone, but serves as a recognition of the impact his work has had on the field of geochemistry in general. This special...
Campbell, Kate M.; Verplanck, Philip L.; McCleskey, R. Blaine; Alpers, Charles N.