The data collection will be conducted through the USGS Earth Mapping Resources Initiative (Earth MRI), a partnership between the USGS and state geological surveys that is revolutionizing our understanding of the nation’s geology and critical mineral resources that are vital to the U.S. economy, national security, and low-carbon energy technology.  

“The data sets collected through Earth MRI are transforming the way we understand our nation’s geology and potential for critical mineral supply chains, unlocking possibilities for new research and information about resources that can deliver value to regions, states, and local communities," said David Applegate, USGS director. 

The foundational data delivered by Earth MRI have broad applications crucial for identifying potential resources of critical and industrial minerals and for other diverse purposes. 

“This region has never been mapped before at this scale, and we’re enthusiastic about what we can learn from the data and how we can apply the science going forward,” said Eric Anderson, the lead USGS geophysicist for this survey. 

USGS geophysicists collaborated with the Idaho Geological Survey and the Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology in designing the airborne survey footprint. The target area includes a region known as the Idaho-Montana Porphyry Belt, a large geologic feature that stretches northeast from central Idaho into central Montana. 

This geologic feature hosts igneous rocks such as granites and related hydrothermal mineral deposits. These data will offer geoscientists details about the tectonic history of the continent as well as insight into the geologic context of the region and potential geologic hazards like earthquakes. 

“The surveys allow us to see the ‘big picture’ of our region’s landscape and answer scientific questions we have about its foundations, such as the distribution of faults, locations at risk for debris flows, and areas that could be prone to landslides,” said Kyle Eastman, economic geologist and assistant professor at the Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology. 

Claudio Berti, director of the Idaho Geological Survey, described the collaboration between that organization and the USGS as a partnership success story and said that the data produced from these surveys will support local governments in managing natural resources and planning their economic futures.

“This is a fundamental investment that we would not otherwise have the ability to make, and we’ve had incredible support from the Earth MRI program in understanding our regional geology,” said Berti. 

These airborne geophysical surveys will collect a combination of magnetic and radiometric data. These data can be used to map rocks’ properties from just beneath vegetation and shallow sediment cover down to several miles underground. Magnetic data can be used to identify unrecognized faults, igneous intrusions, and ancient lava flows. Radiometric data indicate the relative amounts of potassium, uranium and thorium in shallow rocks and soil.  

Scientists use this information to help map rocks that may contain mineral deposits, faults that may rupture during an earthquake, areas that may be prone to increased radon, and geologic features that affect groundwater- or energy resources. 

The initial airborne geophysical survey is currently being enhanced through numerous ongoing field investigations and may be followed by additional investments, including new geologic maps, topographic surveys, geochemical sampling, and other products and techniques to better understand the region’s geologic framework. 

Since 2021, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has advanced scientific innovation through a \$320 million investment for the USGS to better map the Nation’s mineral resources both still in the ground and in mine wastes and to preserve historical geologic data and samples. Through the end of fiscal year 2024, more than \$160 million has been obligated for Earth MRI initiatives, propelling efforts to make “once-in-a-generation” advancements in the nation’s geologic and geophysical data collections and mapping.