First study to quantify global earthquake risk to mineral supplies
U.S. Geological Survey scientists dig into how potential seismicity could impact the supplies of mineral commodities like copper and rhenium around the world
GOLDEN, Colo. — A new scientific mechanism for assessing the potential risk to worldwide mineral commodity supplies from seismic activity has been developed by USGS scientists. The methodology was developed through studying copper and rhenium but provides a framework for future studies assessing many other mineral commodities around the globe.
Earthquakes have the potential to substantially affect mining operations, leading to supply chain disruptions that adversely affect the global economy. This new study quantifies that risk to copper and rhenium supply by examining the impact of earthquakes on mining, smelting, and refining operations across the globe. Many of the largest copper mines and processing facilities are concentrated in the highly seismic regions of South America, East Asia, and the Pacific with the resultant potential for cascading effects on the entire copper supply chain. Rhenium is a byproduct produced at some copper mines and therefore has similar risk.
“The potential impacts of earthquake hazards on global mineral commodity supplies have previously not been systemically quantified” said Dr. Nedal Nassar, USGS Chief of Minerals Intelligence Research.
“While our study assessed the potential for the disruption to the supplies of copper and rhenium due to earthquake hazards, this published framework will serve as a template for other mineral commodities of interest around the world,” said Dr. Kishor Jaiswal, USGS research structural engineer and lead author of the study.
Results of this study could be incorporated into economic models that would provide insights into the impacts of supply disruptions. Such analyses could be useful to national governments, mining companies, development organizations and insurance companies in making key management and business decisions.
The study may be found here: https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2024/1028/ofr20241028.pdf
# # #
The USGS provides science for a changing world. Learn more at www.usgs.gov or follow us on Facebook @USGeologicalSurvey, YouTube @USGS, Instagram @USGS, or X (formerly Twitter) @USGS.
Get Our News
These items are in the RSS feed format (Really Simple Syndication) based on categories such as topics, locations, and more. You can install and RSS reader browser extension, software, or use a third-party service to receive immediate news updates depending on the feed that you have added. If you click the feed links below, they may look strange because they are simply XML code. An RSS reader can easily read this code and push out a notification to you when something new is posted to our site.