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Focus Areas for Data Acquisition for Potential Domestic Resources of 13 Critical Minerals in the Conterminous United States and Puerto Rico—Antimony, Barite, Beryllium, Chromium, Fluorspar, Hafnium, Helium, Magnesium, Manganese, Potash, Uranium, Vanadium, and Zirconium

Open-File Report 2019-1023-D
Prepared in cooperation with the Association of American State Geologists
By: , , , , , , , , , , , , and 
https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20191023D

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  • Document: Report (14.8 MB pdf) , HTML , XML
  • Chapters:
    • Open-File Report 2019-1023-A - Focus Areas for Data Acquisition for Potential Domestic Sources of Critical Minerals—Rare Earth Elements
    • Open-File Report 2019-1023-B - Focus Areas for Data Acquisition for Potential Domestic Resources of 11 Critical Minerals in the Conterminous United States, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico—Aluminum, Cobalt, Graphite, Lithium, Niobium, Platinum-Group Elements, Rare Earth Elements, Tantalum, Tin, Titanium, and Tungsten
    • Open-File Report 2019-1023-C - Focus Areas for Data Acquisition for Potential Domestic Resources of 11 Critical Minerals in Alaska—Aluminum, Cobalt, Graphite, Lithium, Niobium, Platinum Group Elements, Rare Earth Elements, Tantalum, Tin, Titanium, and Tungsten
    • Open-File Report 2019-1023-E - Alaska Focus Area Definition for Data Acquisition for Potential Domestic Sources of Critical Minerals in Alaska for Antimony, Barite, Beryllium, Chromium, Fluorspar, Hafnium, Magnesium, Manganese, Uranium, Vanadium, and Zirconium
  • Related Works:
    • USGS data release - GIS and data tables for focus areas for potential domestic nonfuel sources of rare earth elements
    • USGS data release - GIS for focus areas of potential domestic resources of 11 critical minerals—aluminum, cobalt, graphite, lithium, niobium, platinum group elements, rare earth elements, tantalum, tin, titanium, and tungsten (version 2.0, August 2020)
  • Data Releases:
    • USGS data release - GIS, supplemental data table, and references for focus areas of potential domestic resources of 13 critical minerals in the United States and Puerto Rico—antimony, barite, beryllium, chromium, fluorspar, hafnium, helium, magnesium, manganese, potash, uranium, vanadium, and zirconium
    • USGS data release
    • USGS data release
  • Download citation as: RIS | Dublin Core

Abstract

The Earth Mapping Resources Initiative (Earth MRI) is conducted in phases to identify areas for acquiring new geologic framework data to identify potential domestic resources of the 35 mineral materials designated as critical minerals for the United States. This report describes the data sources and summary results for 13 critical minerals evaluated in the conterminous United States and Puerto Rico during phase 3 of the study (antimony, barite, beryllium, chromium, fluorspar, hafnium, helium, magnesium, manganese, potash, uranium, vanadium, and zirconium). Phases 1 and 2 of the Earth MRI addressed aluminum, cobalt, graphite, lithium, niobium, platinum-group elements (PGEs), rare earth elements (REEs), tantalum, tin, titanium, and tungsten. Critical minerals in Alaska are covered in a separate report. No focus areas for phase 3 critical minerals are delineated for Hawaii.

The geologic, geochemical, topographic, and geophysical mapping provided by the Earth MRI documents geologic features that reflect the extent of individual mineral systems and provides information about critical mineral deposits that may not have been previously considered. The mineral-systems approach links critical mineral commodities to deposit types that represent the manifestations of large mineral systems.

Each of the 13 critical mineral commodities for phase 3 of the Earth MRI is discussed in terms of its importance to the Nation’s economy, modes of occurrence, mineral systems, and deposit types, and is accompanied by maps and tables listing examples of focus areas in the conterminous United States and Puerto Rico. Examples of important mineral systems for this group of 13 critical minerals include basin brine path systems for barite and fluorspar, Carlin-type systems and Coeur d’Alene systems for antimony, chemical weathering and volcanogenic seafloor systems for manganese, Climax-type systems for beryllium, mafic magmatic systems for chromium, marine evaporite systems for potash and magnesium, meteoric recharge systems for uranium, petroleum systems for helium, and placer systems for zirconium and hafnium.

Suggested Citation

Hammarstrom, J.M., Dicken, C.L., Woodruff, L.G., Andersen, A.K., Brennan, S., Day, W.C., Drenth, B.J., Foley, N.K., Hall, S., Hofstra, A.H., McCafferty, A.E., Shah, A.K., and Ponce, D.A., 2022, Focus areas for data acquisition for potential domestic resources of 13 critical minerals in the conterminous United States and Puerto Rico—Antimony, barite, beryllium, chromium, fluorspar, hafnium, helium, magnesium, manganese, potash, uranium, vanadium, and zirconium, chap. D of U.S. Geological Survey, Focus areas for data acquisition for potential domestic sources of critical minerals: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2019–1023, 65 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20191023D.

ISSN: 2331-1258 (online)

Study Area

Table of Contents

  • Preface
  • Acknowledgments
  • Abstract
  • Introduction
  • Earth Mapping Resources Initiative Status and Products
  • Methods
  • Data Sources
  • Delineation of Focus Areas
  • Using Focus Area Maps
  • Phase 3 Critical Mineral Commodities and Associated Mineral Systems
  • Discussion
  • Conclusions
  • References Cited
  • Appendix 1. Mineral Systems Framework
Publication type Report
Publication Subtype USGS Numbered Series
Title Focus areas for data acquisition for potential domestic resources of 13 critical minerals in the conterminous United States and Puerto Rico — Antimony, barite, beryllium, chromium, fluorspar, hafnium, helium, magnesium, manganese, potash, uranium, vanadium, and zirconium
Series title Open-File Report
Series number 2019-1023
Chapter D
DOI 10.3133/ofr20191023D
Year Published 2022
Language English
Publisher U.S. Geological Survey
Publisher location Reston, VA
Contributing office(s) Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center
Description Report: xv, 66 p.; Data Release
Country Puerto Rico, United States
Online Only (Y/N) Y
Additional Online Files (Y/N) N
Google Analytic Metrics Metrics page
Additional publication details