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Mission Areas
Energy and Minerals
Mission Areas L2 Landing Page Tabs
Natural thorium resources and recovery: Options and impacts
This paper reviews the front end of the thorium fuel cycle, including the extent and variety of thorium deposits, the potential sources of thorium production, and the physical and chemical technologies required to isolate and purify thorium. Thorium is frequently found within rare earth element–bearing minerals that exist in diverse types of...
Ault, Timothy; Van Gosen, Bradley S.; Krahn, Steven; Croff, Allen Reevaluation of the Crooked Ridge River- Early Pleistocene (ca. 2 Ma) age and origin of the White Mesa Alluvium, northeastern Arizona
Essential features of the previously named and described Miocene Crooked Ridge River in northeastern Arizona (USA) are reexamined using new geologic and geochronologic data. Previously it was proposed that Cenozoic alluvium at Crooked Ridge and southern White Mesa was pre–early Miocene, the product of a large, vigorous late Paleogene river...
Hereford, Richard; Beard, Sue; Dickinson, William R.; Karlstrom, Karl E.; Heizler, Matthew T.; Crossey, Laura J.; Amoroso, Lee; House, P. Kyle; Pecha, Mark Seasonal changes in atmospheric noise levels and the annual variation in pigeon homing performance
Repeated releases of experienced homing pigeons from single sites were conducted between 1972 and 1974 near Cornell University in upstate New York and between 1982 and 1983 near the University of Pittsburgh in western Pennsylvania, USA. No annual variation in homing performance was observed at these sites in eastern North America, in contrast to...
Hagstrum, Jonathan T.; McIsaac, Hugh P.; Drob, Douglas P. The F'derik-Zouerate iron district: Mesoarchean and Paleoproterozoic iron formation of the Tiris Complex, Islamic Republic of Mauritania
High-grade hematitic iron ores (of HIF, containing 60-65 wt%Fe) have been mined in Mauritania since 1952 from Superior-type iron deposits of the F'derik-Zouerate district. Depletion of the high-grade ores in recent years has resulted in new exploration projects focused on lower-grade magnetite ores occurring in Algoma-type banded iron...
Bouabdellah, Mohammed; Slack, John F.; Taylor, Cliff D.; Finn, Carol A.; Anderson, Eric D.; Bradley, Dwight C.; Joud, Mohamed; Taleb Mohamed, Ahmed; Horton, John D.; Johnson, Craig A. Geologic history of the Blackbird Co-Cu district in the Lemhi subbasin of the Belt-Purcell Basin
The Blackbird cobalt-copper (Co-Cu) district in the Salmon River Mountains of east-central Idaho occupies the central part of the Idaho cobalt belt—a northwest-elongate, 55-km-long belt of Co-Cu occurrences, hosted in grayish siliciclastic metasedimentary strata of the Lemhi subbasin (of the Mesoproterozoic Belt-Purcell Basin). The Blackbird...
Bookstrom, Arthur A.; Box, Stephen E.; Cossette, Pamela M.; Frost, Thomas P.; Gillerman, Virginia; King, George; Zirakparvar, N. Alex
Geology of the Greenwater Range, and the dawn of Death Valley, California—Field guide for the Death Valley Natural History Conference, 2013
Much has been written about the age and formation of Death Valley, but that is one—if not the last—chapter in the fascinating geologic history of this area. Igneous and sedimentary rocks in the Greenwater Range, one mountain range east of Death Valley, tell an earlier story that overlaps with the formation of Death Valley proper. This...
Calzia, J.P.; Rämö, O.T.; Jachens, Robert; Smith, Eugene; Knott, Jeffrey Geologic and geochemical insights into the formation of the Taiyangshan porphyry copper–molybdenum deposit, Western Qinling Orogenic Belt, China
Taiyangshan is a poorly studied copper–molybdenum deposit located in the Triassic Western Qinling collisional belt of northwest China. The intrusions exposed in the vicinity of the Taiyangshan deposit record episodic magmatism over 20–30 million years. Pre-mineralization quartz diorite porphyries, which host some of the...
Kun-Feng Qiu; Taylor, Ryan D.; Yao-Hui Song; Hao-Cheng Yu; Kai-Rui Song; Nan Li The Chahnaly low sulfidation epithermal gold deposit, western Makran volcanic arc, southeastern Iran
The Chahnaly low-sulfidation epithermal Au deposit and nearby Au prospects are located northwest of the intermittently active Bazman stratovolcano on the western end of the Makran volcanic arc, which formed as the result of subduction of the remnant Neo-Tethyan oceanic crust beneath the Lut block. The arc hosts the Siah Jangal epithermal and...
Sholeh, Ali; Rastad, Ebrahim; Huston, David L.; Gemmell, J. Bruce; Taylor, Ryan D.
User’s guide for GcClust—An R package for clustering of regional geochemical data
GcClust is a software package developed by the U.S. Geological Survey for statistical clustering of regional geochemical data, and similar data such as regional mineralogical data. Functions within the software package are written in the R statistical programming language. These functions, their documentation, and a copy of the user’s guide are...
Ellefsen, Karl J.; Smith, David B.
Assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources of the Taoudeni Basin Province, Mali and Mauritania, 2015
Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated undiscovered, technically recoverable mean resources of 160 million barrels of conventional oil, 1,880 billion cubic feet of conventional gas, 602 million barrels of shale oil, and 6,395 billion cubic feet of shale gas in the Taoudeni Basin Province in Mali and...
Brownfield, Michael E.; Schenk, Christopher J.; Klett, Timothy R.; Tennyson, Marilyn E.; Pitman, Janet K.; Gaswirth, Stephanie B.; Le, Phuong A.; Leathers-Miller, Heidi M.; Mercier, Tracey J.; Marra, Kristen R.; Hawkins, Sarah J.
A process for reducing rocks and concentrating heavy minerals
To obtain minerals suitable for age-dating and other analyses, it is necessary to first reduce the mineral-bearing rock to a fine, sand-like consistency. Reducing whole rock requires crushing, grinding, and sieving. Ideally, the reduced material should range in size from 80- to 270-mesh (an opening between wires in a sieve). The openings in an 80-...
Strong, Thomas R.; Driscoll, Rhonda L.
Geology and undiscovered resource assessment of the potash-bearing Central Asia Salt Basin, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Afghanistan: Chapter AA in Global mineral resource assessment
Undiscovered potash resources in the Central Asia Salt Basin (CASB) of Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Afghanistan were assessed as part of a global mineral resource assessment led by the U.S. Geological Survey. The term “potash” refers to potassium-bearing, water-soluble salts derived from evaporite basins, where seawater...
Wynn, Jeff; Orris, Greta J.; Dunlap, Pamela; Cocker, Mark D.; Bliss, James D.
Gas Hydrates in Marine Sediments from the Indian Ocean
This image shows gas hydrates (the white material) in marine sediments from a test well drilled in the Indian Ocean in 2006 during the Indian National Gas Hydrate Program (NGHP) Expedition 01.
The NGHP Expedition 01 was designed to study the gas-hydrate occurrences off the Indian Peninsula and along the Andaman convergent margin with special emphasis on
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Gas Hydrates in Marine Sediments from the Indian Ocean
This image shows gas hydrates (the white material) in marine sediments from a test well drilled in the Indian Ocean in 2006 during the Indian National Gas Hydrate Program (NGHP) Expedition 01.
The NGHP Expedition 01 was designed to study the gas-hydrate occurrences off the Indian Peninsula and along the Andaman convergent margin with special emphasis on
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rare earth oxides
These rare-earth oxides are used as tracers to determine which parts of a watershed are eroding. Clockwise from top center: praseodymium, cerium, lanthanum, neodymium, samarium, and gadolinium. Image Number D1115-1. Photo by Peggy Greb, USDA-ARS.
Gas Hydrate Drill Rig at the Mallik Test Site in Canada
A drill rig at the Mallik test site in Canada's Mckenzie Delta. USGS joined the Geological Survey of Canada, JAPEX, and the Japanese National Oil Company to drill test wells for natural gas production from gas hydrate deposits. Read more about the Mallik project
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Gas Hydrates in Marine Sediments off the Oregon Coast
During Ocean Drilling Program Leg 204, nine sites were cored and wireline logged on the Oregon continental margin to determine the distribution and concentration of gas hydrates in an accretionary ridge setting, investigate the mechanisms that transport methane and other gases into the gas hydrate stability zone, and obtain constraints on physical properties of gas
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Inukshuk at the Mallik Gas Hydrate Test Site in Canada
This image shows an inukshuk, a stone cairn used by indigenous peoples in northern latitudes, particularly in places like northern Canada.
This inukshuk is located near the Mallik test site in Canada's Mckenzie Delta. USGS joined the Geological Survey of Canada, JAPEX, and thehe Japanese National Oil Company to drill test wells for natural gas production from gas
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Fortress Mountain Formation, Brooks Range
View southward from Fortress Mountain Formation on Atigun syncline towards Brooks Range. Trans-Alaska Pipeline, haul road, and Galbraith Lake in valley. Location in Brooks Range foothills, about 90 miles southeast of Umiat.
Cook Islands manganese nodules
A bed of manganese nodules from deep offshore of the Cook Islands; photo sourced from Hein et al., 2015, taken during a Japanese research cruise in the year 2000. Nodules range from about 2 to 10 centimeters across.
See a photo of more
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Oil well pumping unit, south area of the La Honda oil field, CA
The south area of the La Honda oil field, California, was discovered during the late 1950s and produced an estimated 595,000 barrels of oil from about 12 wells, including the well in this photo. Most of the oil was produced from an unusual fossiliferous limestone of Miocene age, informally named the Burns sand, that overlies a thick sequence of Oligocene and Miocene
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Mauna Loa Lava Flow, April 2, 1984
A USGS scientist walks along a lava flow from the April 2, 1984 Mauna Loa eruption. The scientist stops to observe a standing wave of lava at the end. The lava flow is moving at 64 km/hr (40 mph) towards Hilo, Hawai'i.
Webinar on Mercury in Reservoirs - February 14th Webinar Flyer
Flyer for webinar on Weds. Feb. 14 – Mercury transport and bioaccumulation in California reservoirs affected by historical gold mining
Plenty of Potash, but Some Regions Lack Low Cost Sources for Crop Production
While the earth contains enough potash to meet the increased global demand for crop production and U.S. supplies are likely secure, some regions lack potash deposits needed for optimal food crop yields. According to a recent USGS global assessment of potash resources, the costs of importing potash long distances can limit its use and imports are subject to supply disruptions.
USGS Identifies Areas with Critical Mineral Resource Potential in North-Central Alaska
ANCHORAGE, Alaska. — New maps highlighting areas with potential for placer gold and five other critical mineral deposit types in the Bureau of Land Management’s Central Yukon Planning Area in central and northern Alaska are being released today.
President’s 2016 Budget Proposes $1.2 Billion for the USGS
The President’s fiscal year 2016 budget request for the U.S. Geological Survey is $1.2 billion, an increase of nearly $150 million above the FY 2015 enacted level.
Value of U.S. Mineral Production Increases Despite Lower Metal Prices
The estimated value of mineral production increased in the United States in 2014, despite the decline in price for most precious metals, the U.S. Geological Survey announced today in its Mineral Commodity Summaries 2015.
Historical Hydraulic Fracturing Trends and Data Unveiled in New USGS Publications
Two new U.S. Geological Survey publications that highlight historical hydraulic fracturing trends and data from 1947 to 2010 are now available.
New Kupferschiefer Copper Assessment Available
SPOKANE, Wash. — In cooperation with the Polish Geological Institute — National Research Institute, U.S. Geological Survey scientists have published a new assessment of copper resources in Poland and Germany. This investigation is part of the U.S. Geological Survey’s Global Mineral Resource Assessment.
USGS Assesses Current Groundwater-Quality Conditions in the Williston Basin Oil Production Area
Energy development in the Williston Basin oil production area of Montana and North Dakota, which includes the Bakken and Three Forks Formations, has not affected shallow groundwater quality, according to a recently published study in the journalGroundwater.
Low-flying Helicopter Surveying Groundwater and Geology in the Poplar River Valley Area, Montana
Citizens should not be alarmed if they see a low-flying helicopter towing a large wire-loop contraption hanging from a cable in the Poplar, Montana area during the next couple of weeks.
Value of U.S. Mineral Production Decreased in 2013
Last year, the estimated value of mineral production in the U.S. was $74.3 billion, a slight decrease from $75.8 billion in 2012. According to the U.S. Geological Survey’s annual Mineral Commodity Summaries 2014 report, the 2013 decrease follows three consecutive years of increases.
Helicopter Survey to Map Potential Mineral Resources in Southeast Missouri
U.S. Geological Survey scientists will conduct a comprehensive, high-resolution airborne survey to study the rock layers under parts of Washington, Franklin and Crawford counties. Instruments on the helicopter will collect information about the underground geology and mineral deposits of the region.
Potential Geothermal Resources for Akutan, Alaska
Akutan Island, in Alaska’s east-central Aleutian Islands, hosts the City of Akutan and is home to the largest seafood production facility in North America. It also hosts Akutan Volcano, one of the most active volcanoes in the U.S.
USGS Oil and Gas Resource Estimates Updated for the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska (NPRA)
The U.S. Geological Survey estimates 896 million barrels of conventional, undiscovered oil and 53 trillion cubic feet of conventional, undiscovered non-associated gas within NPRA and adjacent state waters.
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Locations
Energy and Minerals Mission Area Headquarters
Eastern Energy Resources Science Center
Phone: 703-648-6401
Eastern Mineral & Environmental Resources Science Center
Florence Bascom Geoscience Center
Phone: 703-648-5953
Alaska Science Center
Phone: (907) 786-7000
Fax: (907) 786-7020
