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News

News Releases, Technical Announcements, and other items of interest relating to the MR Program. To follow Minerals Information Periodicals, subscribe to the Mineral Periodicals RSS feed. Subscribe to the USGS Minerals News RSS feed to keep up with the latest Program news.

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Filter Total Items: 264
Risk and Reliance: The U.S. Economy and Mineral Resources

Risk and Reliance: The U.S. Economy and Mineral Resources

The USGS National Minerals Information Center tracks how much the United States relies on other countries for minerals critical to the economy and...

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EarthWord–Hyperspectral

EarthWord–Hyperspectral

It’s not a caffeinated ghost, but this EarthWord is nearly as trippy...

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Cutting-Edge Tools to Explore Alaska’s Mineral Potential

Cutting-Edge Tools to Explore Alaska’s Mineral Potential

Managing 72 million acres of Federal lands in Alaska is not easy, especially when the land’s many uses need to be balanced. There are several...

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The Top 5 U.S. Minerals by Production Value

The Top 5 U.S. Minerals by Production Value

In 2016, the United States mined $74.6 billion worth of minerals, and the following five mineral commodities accounted for 68.5 percent of that value.

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How an Electron Microprobe Helps Find Minerals (and Makes Pretty Pictures!)

How an Electron Microprobe Helps Find Minerals (and Makes Pretty Pictures!)

Today’s high-end electronics increasingly rely on mineral commodities...and research into those mineral commodities is increasingly using high-end...

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EarthWord–Rock vs. Mineral

EarthWord–Rock vs. Mineral

Ever wondered what the difference between a rock and a mineral was? This EarthWord should cover it...

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Tracking Critical Minerals to Ensure National Preparedness

Tracking Critical Minerals to Ensure National Preparedness

On an ordinary Tuesday in 2014, David Pineault, an economist at the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), reviewed his specialized reports and came to a...

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The Golden Rule on April Fools

The Golden Rule on April Fools

Think you know which mineral Fool’s Gold is? You might be fooled...

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US Mines Produced an Estimated $74.6 Billion in Minerals during 2016  

US Mines Produced an Estimated $74.6 Billion in Minerals during 2016  

United States mines in 2016 produced an estimated $74.6 billion of raw mineral materials, a slight increase from 2015, the U.S. Geological Survey...

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Potash Cache: USGS Study Summarizes U.S. Sources of an Essential Nutrient for Agriculture

Potash Cache: USGS Study Summarizes U.S. Sources of an Essential Nutrient for Agriculture

A new USGS report summarizes the primary sources of potash in the United States. Potash is an essential nutrient that, along with phosphorus and...

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Study to Uncover Yellowstone’s Subsurface Mysteries

Study to Uncover Yellowstone’s Subsurface Mysteries

New study investigates groundwater from the air

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When the Whole is Less than the Sum of Its Parts

When the Whole is Less than the Sum of Its Parts

Environmental Ratios of Cadmium and Zinc are less Toxic to Aquatic Insects than Expected

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