Critical Minerals
Critical Minerals in Renewable Energy
Mineral Supply Chain Risk Methodology
Minerals in Medical Devices
Critical Minerals in Landsat 9
Do you like your cell phone? Curious where the lithium for electric vehicle batteries will come from? Our Nation’s technology, economy and national security rely on knowing where to find and get critical minerals.
Earth MRI
Earth MRI’s goal is to improve our knowledge of the U.S. geologic framework and to identify areas that may have the potential to contain undiscovered critical mineral resources.
List of Critical Minerals
The USGS develops and updates the Nation's list of mineral commodities critical to the U.S. economy, infrastructure, national security, and renewable energy development.
International Collaboration
The USGS is collaborating with Australia and Canada to combine expertise and conduct critical mineral resources research.
What is a Critical Mineral?
Critical minerals are necessary for the manufacture of high technology devices, national defense applications, and green energy-related industries. A critical mineral is one that is important for these specialized applications yet is at risk for supply disruption.
Finding Domestic Critical Mineral Deposits
The USGS is working collaboratively with the States to understand where critical mineral deposits and mine waste potential resources are located within the U.S. The Earth Mapping Resource Initiative (Earth MRI) is a multi-faceted initiative that supports the collection of large-scale geologic, geochemical and geophysical data. This effort is helping to identify resources that can be used to build important tools like wind turbines, solar panels, and generators that help us respond to and be prepared for our changing climate.
Earth MRI
Earth MRI Acquisitions Viewer
Earth MRI Focus Areas
Other USGS Critical Mineral Research
Uses of Critical Minerals
Learn more about how critical minerals are used in technology.
Medical Implants
Renewable Energy
Mobile Device
Supply Chain
Science
Critical Minerals Mapping Initiative (CMMI)
Earth Mapping Resources Initiative (Earth MRI)
Critical Minerals Mapping Initiative (CMMI)
Earth Mapping Resources Initiative (Earth MRI)
What is a critical mineral?
The Energy Act of 2020 defined critical minerals as those that are essential to the economic or national security of the United States; have a supply chain that is vulnerable to disruption; and serve an essential function in the manufacturing of a product, the absence of which would have significant consequences for the economic or national security of the U.S. The act further specified that...
Do you like your cell phone? Curious where the lithium for electric vehicle batteries will come from? Our Nation’s technology, economy and national security rely on knowing where to find and get critical minerals.
Earth MRI
Earth MRI’s goal is to improve our knowledge of the U.S. geologic framework and to identify areas that may have the potential to contain undiscovered critical mineral resources.
List of Critical Minerals
The USGS develops and updates the Nation's list of mineral commodities critical to the U.S. economy, infrastructure, national security, and renewable energy development.
International Collaboration
The USGS is collaborating with Australia and Canada to combine expertise and conduct critical mineral resources research.
What is a Critical Mineral?
Critical minerals are necessary for the manufacture of high technology devices, national defense applications, and green energy-related industries. A critical mineral is one that is important for these specialized applications yet is at risk for supply disruption.
Finding Domestic Critical Mineral Deposits
The USGS is working collaboratively with the States to understand where critical mineral deposits and mine waste potential resources are located within the U.S. The Earth Mapping Resource Initiative (Earth MRI) is a multi-faceted initiative that supports the collection of large-scale geologic, geochemical and geophysical data. This effort is helping to identify resources that can be used to build important tools like wind turbines, solar panels, and generators that help us respond to and be prepared for our changing climate.
Earth MRI
Earth MRI Acquisitions Viewer
Earth MRI Focus Areas
Other USGS Critical Mineral Research
Uses of Critical Minerals
Learn more about how critical minerals are used in technology.
Medical Implants
Renewable Energy
Mobile Device
Supply Chain
Science
Critical Minerals Mapping Initiative (CMMI)
Earth Mapping Resources Initiative (Earth MRI)
Critical Minerals Mapping Initiative (CMMI)
Earth Mapping Resources Initiative (Earth MRI)
What is a critical mineral?
The Energy Act of 2020 defined critical minerals as those that are essential to the economic or national security of the United States; have a supply chain that is vulnerable to disruption; and serve an essential function in the manufacturing of a product, the absence of which would have significant consequences for the economic or national security of the U.S. The act further specified that...