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Results from our Program’s research and minerals information activities are published in USGS publications series as well as in outside journals. To follow Minerals Information Periodicals, subscribe to the Mineral Periodicals RSS feed.

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Minerals Information Publications

National Mineral Information Center (NMIC) products focus on the worldwide supply of, demand for, and flow of minerals and materials. These products are organized by mineral commodity, geographic area, or monthly/annual statistical compilation.

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July 30, 2015

Indium: bringing liquid-crystal displays into focus

Introduction Indium is rare in the Earth’s crust. The continental crust contains an average of about 50 parts per billion of indium, whereas the oceanic crust contains about 72 parts per billion, which is similar to meteoritic abundances and comparable to the crustal abundance of silver. Indium minerals are rare in nature and only 12 indium minerals are known. In its elemental form, indium is a so

Authors

Celestine N. Mercer

Energy and Minerals Mission Area, Mineral Resources Program, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center

July 30, 2015

Germanium: giving microelectronics an efficiency boost

Introduction Germanium is a rare element but is present in trace quantities in most rock types because of its affinity for iron- and organic-bearing materials. The average germanium content of the Earth is about 14 parts per million, but the majority of germanium resides within the Earth’s core (37 parts per million) while the Earth’s crust contains only about 1.5 parts per million. Germanium does

Authors

Celestine N. Mercer

Mineral Resources Program, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center

July 28, 2015

Assessment of existing and potential landslide hazards resulting from the April 25, 2015 Gorkha, Nepal earthquake sequence

Introduction On April 25, 2015, a large (M7.8) earthquake shook much of central Nepal and was followed by a series of M>6 aftershocks, including a M7.3 event on May 12, 2015. This earthquake and aftershocks, referred to as the “Gorkha earthquake sequence,” caused thousands of fatalities, damaged and destroyed entire villages, and displaced millions of residents. The earthquakes also triggered thou

Authors

Brian D. Collins, Randall W. Jibson

Energy and Minerals Mission Area, Natural Hazards Mission Area, Energy Resources Program, Groundwater and Streamflow Information Program, Landslide Hazards Program, Mineral Resources Program, National Laboratories Program, Science and Decisions Center, Geologic Hazards Science Center, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center

July 24, 2015

Geologic framework of the Alaska Peninsula, southwest Alaska, and the Alaska Peninsula terrane

The Alaska Peninsula is composed of the late Paleozoic to Quaternary sedimentary, igneous, and minor metamorphic rocks that record the history of a number of magmatic arcs. These magmatic arcs include an unnamed Late Triassic(?) and Early Jurassic island arc, the early Cenozoic Meshik arc, and the late Cenozoic Aleutian arc. Also found on the Alaska Peninsula is one of the most complete nonmetamor

Authors

Frederic H. Wilson, Robert L. Detterman, Gregory D. DuBois

Energy and Minerals Mission Area, Ecosystems Mission Area, Mineral Resources Program, Alaska Science Center

July 17, 2015

Phosphate occurrence and potential in the region of Afghanistan, including parts of China, Iran, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan

As part of a larger study, the U.S. Geological Survey undertook a study to identify the potential for phosphate deposits in Afghanistan. As part of this study, a geographic information system was constructed containing a database of phosphate occurrences in Afghanistan and adjacent countries, and a database of potential host lithologies compiled from 1:1,000,000 scale maps. Within Afghanistan, a h

Authors

Greta J. Orris, Pamela Dunlap, John Wallis, Jeff Wynn

Energy and Minerals Mission Area, Energy Resources Program, Groundwater and Streamflow Information Program, Mineral Resources Program, National Laboratories Program, Science and Decisions Center, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center, USGS Projects in Afghanistan

July 1, 2015

Early Holocene Great Salt Lake

Shorelines and surficial deposits (including buried forest-floor mats and organic-rich wetland sediments) show that Great Salt Lake did not rise higher than modern lake levels during the earliest Holocene (11.5–10.2 cal ka BP; 10–9 14C ka BP). During that period, finely laminated, organic-rich muds (sapropel) containing brine-shrimp cysts and pellets and interbedded sodium-sulfate salts were depos

Authors

Charles G. Oviatt, David B. Madsen, David M. Miller, Robert S. Thompson, John P. McGeehin

Energy and Minerals Mission Area, Energy Resources Program, Mineral Resources Program, National Laboratories Program, Science and Decisions Center, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center, Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center

July 1, 2015

Paleodischarge of the Mojave River, southwestern U.S.A, investigated with single-pebble measurements of 10Be

The paleohydrology of ephemeral stream systems is an important constraint on paleoclimatic conditions in arid environments, but remains difficult to constrain quantitatively. For example, sedimentary records of the size and extent of pluvial lakes in the Mojave Desert have been used as a proxy for Quaternary climate variability. Although the delivery mechanisms of this additional water are still b

Authors

Andrew J. Cyr, David M. Miller, Shannon A. Mahan

July 1, 2015

Tectonic and sedimentary linkages between the Belt-Purcell basin and southwestern Laurentia during the Mesoproterozoic ca. 1.60-1.40 Ga

Mesoproterozoic sedimentary basins in western North America provide key constraints on pre-Rodinia craton positions and interactions along the western rifted margin of Laurentia. One such basin, the Belt-Purcell basin, extends from southern Idaho into southern British Columbia and contains a >18-km-thick succession of siliciclastic sediment deposited ca. 1.47–1.40 Ga. The ca. 1.47–1.45 Ga lower pa

Authors

James V. Jones, Christohper G Dainel, Michael F Doe

Groundwater and Streamflow Information Program, Mineral Resources Program, Alaska Science Center

June 24, 2015

Hydrogeochemical exploration: a reconnaissance study on northeastern Seward Peninsula, Alaska

A reconnaissance hydrogeochemical study employing high-resolution/high-sensitivity inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry analysis of stream and seep water samples (n= 171) was conducted in an area of limited bedrock exposure on the northeastern Seward Peninsula, Alaska. Sampling was focused in drainages around four main areas—at the Anugi Pb-Zn-Ag occurrence and in streams upstream of histo

Authors

Garth E. Graham, Ryan D. Taylor, Steve Buckley

Groundwater and Streamflow Information Program, Mineral Resources Program, Alaska Science Center, Central Energy Resources Science Center

June 17, 2015

Sediment-hosted stratabound copper deposit model

This report contains a descriptive model of sediment-hosted stratabound copper (SSC) deposits that supersedes the model of Cox and others (2003). This model is for use in assessments of mineral resource potential. SSC deposits are the second most important sources of copper in the world behind porphyry copper deposits. Around 20 percent of the copper in the world is produced from this class of dep

Authors

Timothy S. Hayes, Dennis P. Cox, James D. Bliss, Nadine M. Piatak, Robert R. Seal

Mineral Resources Program, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center

June 17, 2015

Geochemistry of magnetite from porphyry Cu and skarn deposits in the southwestern United States

A combination of petrographic observations, laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS), and statistical data exploration was used in this study to determine compositional variations in hydrothermal and igneous magnetite from five porphyry Cu–Mo and skarn deposits in the southwestern United States, and igneous magnetite from the unmineralized, granodioritic Inner Zone B

Authors

Patrick Nadoll, Jeffrey L. Mauk, Richard A. LeVeille, Alan E. Koenig

Mineral Resources Program, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center

June 10, 2015

Geologic map of the Julian 7.5' quadrangle, San Diego County, California

The Julian 7.5' quadrangle lies within the Jurassic-Cretaceous Peninsular Ranges batholith of southern California and Baja California. Four granitic plutonic units and one gabbroic unit, most comprising a number of individual plutons, have been mapped in the Julian quadrangle and informal names have been assigned. The formal name Cuyamaca Gabbro has been retained. In addition to these plutonic uni

Authors

Victoria R. Todd

Energy and Minerals Mission Area, Energy Resources Program, Mineral Resources Program, National Laboratories Program, Science and Decisions Center, Groundwater and Streamflow Information Program, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center