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Mississippi Valley-Type Lead-Zinc Deposit Model

October 1, 2009

Mississippi Valley-type (MVT) lead-zinc (Pb+Zn) deposits are found throughout the world, and these deposits are characteristically distributed over hundreds of square kilometers that define individual ore districts. The median size of individual MVT deposits is 7.0 million tonnes with grades of about 7.9 percent Pb+Zn metal. However, MVT deposits usually occur in extensive districts consisting of several to as many as 400 deposits. Nearly one-quarter of the world's sedimentary and volcanic rock-hosted Pb+Zn resources are found in these deposits, with by-product commodities including silver (Ag), copper (Cu), and indium (In) for some deposits. Environmentally, MVT deposits are less of a concern than other types of mineral deposits since the carbonate-host rocks mitigate many environmental concerns.

Publication Year 2009
Title Mississippi Valley-Type Lead-Zinc Deposit Model
DOI 10.3133/ofr20091213
Authors David L. Leach, Ryan D. Taylor
Publication Type Report
Publication Subtype USGS Numbered Series
Series Title Open-File Report
Series Number 2009-1213
Index ID ofr20091213
Record Source USGS Publications Warehouse
USGS Organization U.S. Geological Survey