Poul Emsbo
Poul Emsbo is a Research Geologist with the Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center.
Science and Products
Unconventional Stratabound Critical Mineral Deposits of the Midcontinent: Linkages Between Mineralization in Marine Epicontinental Sedimentary Basin Systems
This project will evaluate and characterize the critical mineral potential of midcontinent stratabound "Bathtub Rim" deposits for rare earth elements, cobalt, lithium, and associated critical mineral prospectivity and to develop and test new ore genesis models.
Global Geochemical Database for Critical Minerals in Archived Mine Samples
The Critical Minerals in Archived Mine Samples Database (CMDB) contains chemistry and geologic information for historic ore and ore-related rock samples from mineral deposits in the United States. In addition, the database contains samples from archetypal deposits from 27 other countries in North America, South America, Asia, Africa and Europe. Samples were obtained from archived ore collections u
GIS and Data Tables for Focus Areas for Potential Domestic Nonfuel Sources of Rare Earth Elements
In response to Executive Order 13817 of December 20, 2017, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) coordinated with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to identify 35 nonfuel minerals or mineral materials considered critical to the economic and national security of the United States (U.S.). Acquiring information on possible domestic sources of these critical minerals is the basis of the USGS Earth Mappi
Filter Total Items: 33
Data-driven prospectivity modelling of sediment-hosted Zn-Pb mineral systems and their critical raw materials
Demand for critical raw materials is expected to accelerate over the next few decades due to continued population growth and the shifting consumption patterns of the global economy. Sedimentary basins are important sources for critical raw materials and new discoveries of sediment–hosted Mississippi Valley–type (MVT) and/or clastic–dominated (CD) Zn–Pb deposits are likely required to mitigate futu
Authors
Christopher J. M. Lawley, Anne E. McCafferty, Garth E. Graham, David L. Huston, Karen D. Kelley, Karol Czarnota, Suzanne Paradis, Jan M. Peter, Nathan Hayward, Mike Barlow, Poul Emsbo, Joshua Aaron Coyan, Carma A. San Juan, Michael G. Gadd
Deposit classification scheme for the Critical Minerals Mapping Initiative Global Geochemical Database
A challenge for the global economy is to meet the growing demand for commodities used in today’s advanced technologies. Critical minerals are commodities (for example, elements, compounds, minerals) deemed vital to the economic and national security of individual countries that are vulnerable to supply disruption. The national geological agencies of Australia, Canada, and the United States recentl
Authors
Albert H. Hofstra, Vladimir Lisitsin, Louise Corriveau, Suzanne Paradis, Jan Peter, Kathleen Lauzière, Christopher Lawley, Michael Gadd, Jean-Luc Pilote, Ian Honsberger, Evgeniy Bastrakov, David Champion, Karol Czarnota, Michael Doublier, David Huston, Oliver Raymond, Simon VanDerWielen, Poul Emsbo, Matthew Granitto, Douglas C. Kreiner
Sedex hydrothermal systems triggered upheavals to marine chemistry and mass extinctions: Applications for ore genesis research and mineral exploration
New USGS research reveals that the discharge of metal-rich brine that formed sedex deposits on ancient seafloors had profound effects on global ocean chemistry and biologic evolution. For example, brine expulsion caused short-duration positive excursions (“spikes”) in the global marine Sr isotope record. While these spikes are unexplained by conventional oceanic models, our chronostratigraphic cor
Authors
Poul Emsbo
Geological Surveys unite to improve critical mineral security
The global economy is unprepared to meet the exploding demand for critical minerals. These materials, many of which were of little economic interest until recently, are required to fuel a proliferation of technologies and industries that have become vital for social and economic well-being the world over. But supplies of critical minerals are at risk because of their natural scarcity and because o
Authors
Poul Emsbo, Christopher Lawley, Karol Czarnota
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 magnets used by clean energy technologies such as th
Authors
Bradley S. Van Gosen, Philip L. Verplanck, Poul Emsbo
Testing the potential role of brine reflux in the formation of sedimentary exhalative (Sedex) ore deposits
Sedimentary exhalative (sedex) ore deposits are the world’s largest Zn-Pb deposits. While the geologic processes that formed these deposits are generally well understood, the fundamental hydrologic processes that drove these massive hydrothermal systems remain an area of debate. We use numerical modeling to test an emerging hypothesis, supported by recent ore genesis research and sedex basin analy
Authors
Andrew H. Manning, Poul Emsbo
Mineral thermometry and fluid inclusion studies of the Pea Ridge iron oxide-apatite–rare earth element deposit, Mesoproterozoic St. Francois Mountains Terrane, southeast Missouri, USA
Mineral thermometry and fluid inclusion studies were conducted on variably altered and mineralized samples from the Mesoproterozoic Pea Ridge iron oxide-apatite (IOA)-rare earth element (REE) deposit in order to constrain P-T conditions, fluid chemistry, and the source of salt and volatiles during early magnetite and later REE mineralization.Scanning electron microscopy (SEM)-cathodoluminescence a
Authors
Albert H. Hofstra, Corey J. Meighan, Xinyu Song, Iain Samson, Erin E. Marsh, Heather A. Lowers, Poul Emsbo, Andrew G. Hunt
Sedimentary exhalative (sedex) zinc-lead-silver deposit model
This report draws on previous syntheses and basic research studies of sedimentary exhalative (sedex) deposits to arrive at the defining criteria, both descriptive and genetic, for sedex-type deposits. Studies of the tectonic, sedimentary, and fluid evolution of modern and ancient sedimentary basins have also been used to select defining criteria. The focus here is on the geologic characteristics o
Authors
Poul Emsbo, Robert R. Seal, George N. Breit, Sharon F. Diehl, Anjana K. Shah
Rare earth elements in sedimentary phosphate deposits: Solution to the global REE crisis?
The critical role of rare earth elements (REEs), particularly heavy REEs (HREEs), in high-tech industries has created a surge in demand that is quickly outstripping known global supply and has triggered a worldwide scramble to discover new sources. The chemical analysis of 23 sedimentary phosphate deposits (phosphorites) in the United States demonstrates that they are significantly enriched in REE
Authors
Poul Emsbo, Patrick I. McLaughlin, George N. Breit, Edward A. du Bray, Alan E. Koenig
Sulfate and sulfide sulfur isotopes (δ34S and δ33S) measured by solution and laser ablation MC-ICP-MS: An enhanced approach using external correction
Isotope ratio measurements using a multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (MC-ICP-MS) commonly use standard-sample bracketing with a single isotope standard for mass bias correction for elements with narrow-range isotope systems measured by MC-ICP-MS, e.g. Cu, Fe, Zn, and Hg. However, sulfur (S) isotopic composition (δ34S) in nature can range from at least − 40 to + 40‰, pote
Authors
Michael Pribil, William I. Ridley, Poul Emsbo
Precise determination of δ88Sr in rocks, minerals, and waters by double-spike TIMS: A powerful tool in the study of chemical, geologic, hydrologic and biologic processes
We present strontium isotopic (88Sr/86Sr and 87Sr/86Sr) results obtained by 87Sr–84Sr double spike thermal ionization mass-spectrometry (DS-TIMS) for several standards as well as natural water samples and mineral samples of abiogenic and biogenic origin. The detailed data reduction algorithm and a user-friendly Sr-specific stand-alone computer program used for the spike calibration and the data re
Authors
Leonid A. Neymark, Wayne R. Premo, Nikolay N. Mel'nikov, Poul Emsbo
In situ quantification of Br and Cl in minerals and fluid inclusions by LA-ICP-MS: a powerful tool to identify fluid sources
Bromine and chlorine are important halogens for fluid source identification in the Earth's crust, but until recently we lacked routine analytical techniques to determine the concentration of these elements in situ on a micrometer scale in minerals and fluid inclusions. In this study, we evaluate the potential of in situ Cl and Br measurements by LA-ICP-MS through analysis of a range of scapolite g
Authors
Johannes Hammerli, Brian Rusk, Carl Spandler, Poul Emsbo, Nicholas H.S. Oliver
Science and Products
Unconventional Stratabound Critical Mineral Deposits of the Midcontinent: Linkages Between Mineralization in Marine Epicontinental Sedimentary Basin Systems
This project will evaluate and characterize the critical mineral potential of midcontinent stratabound "Bathtub Rim" deposits for rare earth elements, cobalt, lithium, and associated critical mineral prospectivity and to develop and test new ore genesis models.
Global Geochemical Database for Critical Minerals in Archived Mine Samples
The Critical Minerals in Archived Mine Samples Database (CMDB) contains chemistry and geologic information for historic ore and ore-related rock samples from mineral deposits in the United States. In addition, the database contains samples from archetypal deposits from 27 other countries in North America, South America, Asia, Africa and Europe. Samples were obtained from archived ore collections u
GIS and Data Tables for Focus Areas for Potential Domestic Nonfuel Sources of Rare Earth Elements
In response to Executive Order 13817 of December 20, 2017, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) coordinated with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to identify 35 nonfuel minerals or mineral materials considered critical to the economic and national security of the United States (U.S.). Acquiring information on possible domestic sources of these critical minerals is the basis of the USGS Earth Mappi
Filter Total Items: 33
Data-driven prospectivity modelling of sediment-hosted Zn-Pb mineral systems and their critical raw materials
Demand for critical raw materials is expected to accelerate over the next few decades due to continued population growth and the shifting consumption patterns of the global economy. Sedimentary basins are important sources for critical raw materials and new discoveries of sediment–hosted Mississippi Valley–type (MVT) and/or clastic–dominated (CD) Zn–Pb deposits are likely required to mitigate futu
Authors
Christopher J. M. Lawley, Anne E. McCafferty, Garth E. Graham, David L. Huston, Karen D. Kelley, Karol Czarnota, Suzanne Paradis, Jan M. Peter, Nathan Hayward, Mike Barlow, Poul Emsbo, Joshua Aaron Coyan, Carma A. San Juan, Michael G. Gadd
Deposit classification scheme for the Critical Minerals Mapping Initiative Global Geochemical Database
A challenge for the global economy is to meet the growing demand for commodities used in today’s advanced technologies. Critical minerals are commodities (for example, elements, compounds, minerals) deemed vital to the economic and national security of individual countries that are vulnerable to supply disruption. The national geological agencies of Australia, Canada, and the United States recentl
Authors
Albert H. Hofstra, Vladimir Lisitsin, Louise Corriveau, Suzanne Paradis, Jan Peter, Kathleen Lauzière, Christopher Lawley, Michael Gadd, Jean-Luc Pilote, Ian Honsberger, Evgeniy Bastrakov, David Champion, Karol Czarnota, Michael Doublier, David Huston, Oliver Raymond, Simon VanDerWielen, Poul Emsbo, Matthew Granitto, Douglas C. Kreiner
Sedex hydrothermal systems triggered upheavals to marine chemistry and mass extinctions: Applications for ore genesis research and mineral exploration
New USGS research reveals that the discharge of metal-rich brine that formed sedex deposits on ancient seafloors had profound effects on global ocean chemistry and biologic evolution. For example, brine expulsion caused short-duration positive excursions (“spikes”) in the global marine Sr isotope record. While these spikes are unexplained by conventional oceanic models, our chronostratigraphic cor
Authors
Poul Emsbo
Geological Surveys unite to improve critical mineral security
The global economy is unprepared to meet the exploding demand for critical minerals. These materials, many of which were of little economic interest until recently, are required to fuel a proliferation of technologies and industries that have become vital for social and economic well-being the world over. But supplies of critical minerals are at risk because of their natural scarcity and because o
Authors
Poul Emsbo, Christopher Lawley, Karol Czarnota
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 magnets used by clean energy technologies such as th
Authors
Bradley S. Van Gosen, Philip L. Verplanck, Poul Emsbo
Testing the potential role of brine reflux in the formation of sedimentary exhalative (Sedex) ore deposits
Sedimentary exhalative (sedex) ore deposits are the world’s largest Zn-Pb deposits. While the geologic processes that formed these deposits are generally well understood, the fundamental hydrologic processes that drove these massive hydrothermal systems remain an area of debate. We use numerical modeling to test an emerging hypothesis, supported by recent ore genesis research and sedex basin analy
Authors
Andrew H. Manning, Poul Emsbo
Mineral thermometry and fluid inclusion studies of the Pea Ridge iron oxide-apatite–rare earth element deposit, Mesoproterozoic St. Francois Mountains Terrane, southeast Missouri, USA
Mineral thermometry and fluid inclusion studies were conducted on variably altered and mineralized samples from the Mesoproterozoic Pea Ridge iron oxide-apatite (IOA)-rare earth element (REE) deposit in order to constrain P-T conditions, fluid chemistry, and the source of salt and volatiles during early magnetite and later REE mineralization.Scanning electron microscopy (SEM)-cathodoluminescence a
Authors
Albert H. Hofstra, Corey J. Meighan, Xinyu Song, Iain Samson, Erin E. Marsh, Heather A. Lowers, Poul Emsbo, Andrew G. Hunt
Sedimentary exhalative (sedex) zinc-lead-silver deposit model
This report draws on previous syntheses and basic research studies of sedimentary exhalative (sedex) deposits to arrive at the defining criteria, both descriptive and genetic, for sedex-type deposits. Studies of the tectonic, sedimentary, and fluid evolution of modern and ancient sedimentary basins have also been used to select defining criteria. The focus here is on the geologic characteristics o
Authors
Poul Emsbo, Robert R. Seal, George N. Breit, Sharon F. Diehl, Anjana K. Shah
Rare earth elements in sedimentary phosphate deposits: Solution to the global REE crisis?
The critical role of rare earth elements (REEs), particularly heavy REEs (HREEs), in high-tech industries has created a surge in demand that is quickly outstripping known global supply and has triggered a worldwide scramble to discover new sources. The chemical analysis of 23 sedimentary phosphate deposits (phosphorites) in the United States demonstrates that they are significantly enriched in REE
Authors
Poul Emsbo, Patrick I. McLaughlin, George N. Breit, Edward A. du Bray, Alan E. Koenig
Sulfate and sulfide sulfur isotopes (δ34S and δ33S) measured by solution and laser ablation MC-ICP-MS: An enhanced approach using external correction
Isotope ratio measurements using a multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (MC-ICP-MS) commonly use standard-sample bracketing with a single isotope standard for mass bias correction for elements with narrow-range isotope systems measured by MC-ICP-MS, e.g. Cu, Fe, Zn, and Hg. However, sulfur (S) isotopic composition (δ34S) in nature can range from at least − 40 to + 40‰, pote
Authors
Michael Pribil, William I. Ridley, Poul Emsbo
Precise determination of δ88Sr in rocks, minerals, and waters by double-spike TIMS: A powerful tool in the study of chemical, geologic, hydrologic and biologic processes
We present strontium isotopic (88Sr/86Sr and 87Sr/86Sr) results obtained by 87Sr–84Sr double spike thermal ionization mass-spectrometry (DS-TIMS) for several standards as well as natural water samples and mineral samples of abiogenic and biogenic origin. The detailed data reduction algorithm and a user-friendly Sr-specific stand-alone computer program used for the spike calibration and the data re
Authors
Leonid A. Neymark, Wayne R. Premo, Nikolay N. Mel'nikov, Poul Emsbo
In situ quantification of Br and Cl in minerals and fluid inclusions by LA-ICP-MS: a powerful tool to identify fluid sources
Bromine and chlorine are important halogens for fluid source identification in the Earth's crust, but until recently we lacked routine analytical techniques to determine the concentration of these elements in situ on a micrometer scale in minerals and fluid inclusions. In this study, we evaluate the potential of in situ Cl and Br measurements by LA-ICP-MS through analysis of a range of scapolite g
Authors
Johannes Hammerli, Brian Rusk, Carl Spandler, Poul Emsbo, Nicholas H.S. Oliver