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**UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR**

**U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY**

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| **U.S. Geological Survey**                                            |
|                                                                       |
| **Mineral Resources External Research Program**                       |
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**PROGRAM ANNOUNCEMENT No. 04HQPA0007**

**For Fiscal Year 2004**

**ISSUE DATE: March 30, 2004**

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| **CLOSING DATE & TIME:**                                              |
|                                                                       |
| **May 14, 2004 4:00 p.m. EDT**                                        |
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**TABLE OF CONTENTS**

[Page Number]{.underline}

Funding Opportunity Description....................................3

Award Information....................................................3

Eligibility Information................................................4

Application and Submission Information...........................4-5

Application Review Information.....................................6

Award Administration Information..................................6-8

Agency Contacts........................................................8

Attachment I - Mineral Resources Program -- FY 2004 Projects

Attachment II -- Evaluation Criteria

DON'T WAIT!! GET STARTED *NOW*!!!

Begin your application process by visiting the Grants.gov web site and
click on the tab in the upper right side of the screen marked, "Get
Started." Begin working on the six steps [now]{.underline} because it
will take time to complete each step. If you wait until the last minute,
you will not have enough time to complete the steps before the deadline
for receipt of applications. Also, it will take time to become familiar
with filling out the new electronic versions of the SF 424 forms that
must be completed and submitted with your application.

Although no changes to the program announcement are anticipated, check
back periodically at Grants.gov FIND to make certain no modifications
have been issued.

Please remember that this fully electronic system is new for everyone.
We're just learning too!

HELP!

### For all technical questions about applying through Grants.gov, call the Grants.gov Help Desk at: 1-800-518-GRANTS

**For questions concerning this Program Announcement, call Ms. Kathy
Craig, Contracting Officer, at (703) 648-7349.**

Full Text Program Announcement

**Funding Opportunity Description:**

The Mineral Resources Program (MRP) of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)
is offering a grant and/or cooperative agreement opportunity to
universities, state agencies, tribal governments or organizations, and
industry or other private sector organizations that have the ability to
conduct research in topics that meet the goals of the Mineral Resources
Program. The goals of the Mineral Resources Program, as described in the
MRP five-year plan for FY 1999-2004, are as follows:

1.  Understand the geologic setting and genesis of the Nation's mineral
    resources in a global context, in order to ensure a sustainable
    supply of minerals for the Nation's future.

2.  Understand the influence of mineral deposits, mineralizing
    processes, and mineral-resource development on environmental
    integrity, ecosystems, public health, and geologic hazards.

3.  Provide objective information and analysis related to minerals
    issues to support those who make decisions regarding national
    security, land use, resource policy, and environmental or public
    health and safety.

4.  Collect, compile, analyze, and disseminate data and develop and
    maintain national and international databases for timely release of
    information to users.

5.  Apply mineral-resource expertise and technologies to
    non-mineral-resource issues.

The MRP anticipates making awards in Fiscal Year 2004 from four or five
proposals submitted under this program announcement. The ***total***
amount of funding available for all awards is \$200,000. Work
performance under these awards must start before October 1, 2004, and
the proposed work must be completed no later than one year from the
start date. Awards will be made as either grants or cooperative
agreements (for a cooperative agreement, substantial involvement is
expected between the executive agency and the recipient when carrying
out the activity contemplated in the agreement).

**Award Information:**

In order for a proposal to be considered for an award, it must be
research-based and address one or more of the MRP five-year plan
objectives (see section above). Proposals may address, but are not
required to address, the goals or issues identified in current (FY 2004)
MRP projects. For your information, project summaries for 62 current MRP
projects are available in **Attachment I** to this program announcement.

**Eligibility Information (Who May Submit a Proposal):**

Applications will be accepted from: universities, state agencies, tribal
governments or organizations, and industry or other private sector
groups that have the ability to conduct research that will meet one or
more Mineral Resources Program goals identified in the "Funding
Opportunity Description" section.

**Application and Submission Information:**

Applicants are to submit proposals electronically at
*http://www.grants.gov /Apply*, no later than **May 14, 2004 @ 3:00 p.m.
EDT.** A proposal received after the closing date and time will not be
considered for award. If it is determined that an application will not
be considered due to lateness, the applicant will be so notified
immediately. Applicants will be notified of the status of their
application (accepted or not) by June 25, 2004.

Please arrange your application according to the format provided below.
Following this format ensures that every proposal contains all essential
information and is evaluated equitably.

1\. Proposal Forms

Begin by downloading the PureEdge Viewer at http://www.grants.gov under
the "Get Started" tab in the upper right corner of the screen. The
PureEdge Viewer will enable applicants to view and complete the
following required forms:

SF-424 Application for Federal Assistance

SF-424a Budget Information

SF-424b Assurances -- Non-Construction Programs

(The DI-2010 U.S. Department of the Interior Certifications Regarding
Debarment, Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters, Drug-Free
Workplace Requirements and Lobbying is required but is not yet available
through Grants.gov. This form will be completed when the
grant/cooperative agreement is awarded).

2\. Proposal Narrative

a\. **Proposal Summary Sheet**

> The first page of the proposal shall contain the following
> information:

Project Title:

Principal Investigator(s) (person we can contact, if needed):

Name:

Address:

Phone:

FAX:

Email:

Name of university, state agency, or other organization:

Project Deliverable:

Total Funds Requested:
\$\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

b\. **Proposal Technical Text**. The text (a-g below) should be no
longer than 12 pages, with 1-inch margins and a font size no smaller
than font size 12. Please include the following:

a.  [Statement of Problem]{.underline}. Give a brief introduction to the
    research problem.

b.  [Objectives]{.underline}. Clearly define goals of project; relate
    how the proposal addresses MRP goals.

c.  [Relevance and Impact]{.underline}. Explain why the work is
    important, focusing on benefits that society will receive from the
    project.

d.  [Strategy and Approach]{.underline}. This section should include a
    fairly detailed discussion of the work plan and technical approach.
    Please provide justification for any particularly high-cost items in
    the budget.

e.  [Preliminary Results and Prior Work]{.underline}. If you have done
    any work in the area, a brief summary of findings or outcomes is
    useful.

f.  [Planned Product(s)]{.underline}. List product(s) (reports,
    analyses, digital data, etc.) that will be delivered at the end of
    the performance period. When reports are submitted at the end of the
    work period, it is recognized that they may be in review and might
    not yet be in final form.

g.  [References Cited]{.underline}. List all references to which you
    refer in text.

h.  [Project Personnel]{.underline}. Identify the Principal Investigator
    first, followed by the names of other personnel and their role in
    the project (geologist, geochemist, field assistant, etc.). Please
    include a **brief** vita for each person. Emphasize previous
    experience in the field of study that the proposal addresses.

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c.  **Budget Sheets**. This information will provide more details than
    what is required under the SF 424A form. Please include the
    following information:

    a.  [Salaries and Wages]{.underline}. List names, positions, and
        rate of compensation. If contract employees are hired, include
        their total time, rate of compensation, job titles, and roles.

    b.  [Field Expenses]{.underline}. Briefly itemize the estimated
        travel costs (i.e., number of people, number of travel days,
        transportation costs, and other travel costs).

    c.  [Lab Analyses]{.underline}. Briefly itemize cost of all
        analytical work.

    d.  [Other Direct Cost Line Items]{.underline}. (This is not an
        inclusive list; add other categories as appropriate.)

        -   Supplies. Itemize costs for office and laboratory supplies.

        -   Equipment.

        -   Other contract services.

> e\) [Total Direct Charges]{.underline}. Totals for items a - d.
>
> f\) [Indirect Charges (Overhead)]{.underline}. Show proposed rate and
> amount.

**Application Review Information:**

Proposals will be reviewed by a six-member panel. The panel will be
chaired by an MRP representative, with the following members: Four USGS
scientists having expertise in mineral resources, and one reviewer
external to USGS having expertise in mineral resources. The Evaluation
Criteria, the same as those used to evaluate new projects in the MRP,
are in **Attachment II.**

**Award Administration Information:**

Award recipients are responsible for managing the day-to-day operations
of the grant/cooperative agreements and sub-award supported activities
to assure compliance with applicable Federal requirements, and that
performance goals are being achieved. Recipient monitoring must cover
each program, function or activity.

## The following reports will be required from all award recipients:

  ----------------------------------- -----------------------------------
  **Report**                          **Due Dates**

  Performance Report                  On or before 90 working days after
                                      the expiration of the agreement

  Quarterly SF-272 Federal Cash       On or before 15 working days after
  Transactions Report                 the end of each three-month
                                      performance period

  SF-269 Financial Status Report      On or before 90 working days after
                                      the expiration of the agreement
  ----------------------------------- -----------------------------------

## [Performance Report:]{.underline} Recipients of awards under this program are responsible for managing and monitoring the project, program, sub-award, function or activity supported by the award. Performance reports shall generally contain brief information on each of the following:

> \(1\) A comparison of actual accomplishments with the goals and
> objectives established for the period, the findings of the
> investigator, or both.

\(2\) Reasons why established goals were not met, if appropriate.

(3) Other pertinent information including, when appropriate, analysis
    and

> explanation of cost overruns or high unit costs.

[Federal Cash Transactions Report:]{.underline} The award recipient
shall submit the SF-272 Federal Cash Transactions Report in order for
the USGS Contracting Officer and Project Officer to monitor cash
advanced to the award recipient, and to obtain disbursement information
about the grant/cooperative agreement. Copies of the SF-269 form can be
obtained from the following web site:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/grants_forms.html.

## [Method of Payment:]{.underline}

The U. S. Geological Survey (USGS) is using the Department of Health and
Human Services (DHHS) Payment Management System (PMS), Division of
Payment Management of the Financial Management Service, Program Support
Center, to provide electronic invoicing and payment for assistance award
recipients. The Recipient must either have an established account or
will establish an account with PMS at the time of award of the
agreement. With the award of each grant/cooperative agreement, a
sub-account will be set up from which the Recipient can draw down funds.
The DHHS will forward instructions for obtaining payments to the
recipients. Inquiries regarding this payment system should be directed
to:

> Division of Payment Management
>
> Department of Health and Human Services
>
> P.O. Box 6021
>
> Rockville, MD 20852

The Division of Payment Management web address is
[www.dpm.psc.gov](http://www.dpm.psc.gov/).

[Financial Report (SF-269):]{.underline} Each award recipient shall use
the SF-269 or SF-269A to report the status of funds at the end of the
project (projects shall not exceed one year). Copies of the SF-269 form
can be obtained from the following web site:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/grants_forms.html.

Financial information shall be reported on an accrual basis. However, if
the recipient's accounting records are not normally kept on an accrual
basis, the recipient shall not be required to convert its accounting
system, but shall develop such accrual information through best
estimates, based on an analysis of the documentation on hand.

**Agency Contacts:**

Technical questions concerning the application process at Grants.gov:

### Grants.gov Help Desk at: 1-800-518-GRANTS

Questions concerning this Program Announcement:

Ms. Kathy Craig, Contracting Officer

U.S. Geological Survey

Grants Branch

205G National Center

Reston, VA 20192

Phone: (703) 648-7349

E-Mail: <kcraig@usgs.gov>

\--End of Program Announcement No. 04HQPA0007---

**Attachment I**

**Mineral Resources Program -- FY 2004 Projects**

**Table of Contents**

**I. Research and Assessment Projects:**

**[Genetic Models of Ore Deposits and Ore-Forming Systems]{.underline}**

# Regional Fluid Flow and Basin Modeling in Northern Alaska

# Tintina Metallogenic Province Integrated Studies on Geologic Framework, Mineral Resources, and Environmental Signatures

# Porphyry Copper Life Cycles

# Early Tertiary Slab Window in Alaska and Resource Implications

# Metallogenic Evolution of Mesoproterozoic Sedimentary Rocks in Idaho and Montana

# Metallogenesis of Proterozoic Basins and Stratified Rocks

# Hydrothermal Systems, Cascades Volcanoes

# Metals in Basinal Brines and Petroleum

# Metallogeny of the Great Basin: Crustal Evolution, Fluid Flow, and Ore Deposits

# Industrial Minerals -- Eastern, Central, and Western Regions

**[Mineral Resource and Mineral Environmental Assessments]{.underline}**

-   Quantitative Global Mineral Resource Assessment

# Secular Trends in Ore-Forming Processes through Earth History

-   Big Bend National Park

-   Central Colorado Assessment

-   Headwaters Region, Idaho and Montana

-   Modeling of the Magmatic Feeder system to the Nikolai Large Igneous
    Province, Central Alaska

-   Complex Systems Analysis of Basin Margins in Southwestern North
    America

-   Approaches to Using Continental-Scale Geophysics for Assessments

-   Clark County, Nev., Mineral Resource Assessment

**[Assessments of Backgrounds and Baselines]{.underline}**

-   National Maps and Datasets for Research and Land Planning

-   Geochemical Landscapes Project

-   Mineral Dusts and Human Health

-   Regional Geologic and Mineral Deposit Data for Alaskan Economic
    Development

**[Geoenvironmental Models of Ore Deposits and Ore-Forming
Systems]{.underline}**

-   Process Studies of Contaminants Associated with Mineral Deposits

-   Modeling Near-Surface Processes in Mineral Systems

-   Pathways of Metal Transfer from Mineralized Sources to Bioreceptors

-   Geoenvironmental Studies in the Eastern Region

-   Scoping of Tracers of Surficial Processes Affecting Mineral Deposits
    in Humid Environments

-   Mancos Shale Landscapes: Science and Management of Black Shale
    Terrains (a

Regional Partnership Project)

**[Methods Development]{.underline}**

-   Research Chemistry

-   Geophysical Research and Development

-   Remote Sensing -- Research and Applications

-   Advanced Resource Assessment Methods

-   Predictive Environmental Studies of Sulfide Oxidation Processes

-   Aqueous Geochemistry Research and Development

# Processes of World-Class Ore Deposit Formation

-   Isotope Geochemistry/Geochronology Research and
    Development-Multiuser New

Capabilities

-   Geochemical and Stable Isotope Studies of Life Cycle of Ore Deposits
    and Technology Transfer

-   Radiogenic and Stable Isotope Methods

-   Analytical Chemistry Services

-   CR Petrographic and Ore Microscopy Labs

-   Central Region Isotopic/Geochronology Core Operations, Lab Support

**[Information Management and Delivery]{.underline}**

-   Spatial Data Delivery Project

-   National Geochemical Database

-   National Geophysical Database

-   Mineral Resources Data System

-   Geologic Map Data Model

-   Alaska Resource Data File

-   Alaska Data-at-Risk

-   Outreach and Technology Exchange

-   Computer and GIS Support - Eastern Region

-   Central Region GIS and Information Management

-   Western Region Database and Information Analysis

-   Western Region Databases and Information Analysis, Alaska

**II. Minerals Information:**

-   Data Collection and Coordination

-   Statistics and Methods Development

-   Minerals Information Systems and Data Administration

-   Materials Flow

-   Industrial Minerals

-   Metals

-   International Minerals

Minerals Information Publication Services

**Attachment I**

**Mineral Resources Program -- FY 2004 Projects**

**I. Research and Assessment Projects:**

**[Genetic Models of Ore Deposits and Ore-Forming Systems]{.underline}**

# **Regional Fluid Flow and Basin Modeling in Northern Alaska**

**Summary:** The origin, timing, and flux of fluids generated from
Carboniferous to Cretaceous basins in the Brooks Range have outstanding
relevance to the mineral and hydrocarbon resources in northern Alaska.
Fluid-transported metals that migrated through Paleozoic clastic rocks
resulted in enormous mineral deposits, including the largest
accumulation of zinc in the world at Red Dog. The endowment of mineral
and energy resources suggests that the scale of fluid flow and flux of
metals and petroleum in the sedimentary basins was vast. Incomplete
knowledge of the complex sedimentary facies and geologic structures
affecting the Carboniferous to Cretaceous strata in the Brooks Range is
an impediment to mineral and petroleum resource assessment. To improve
our understanding of the role of fluid migration and contribute to more
effective assessments of resources in sedimentary basins of northern
Alaska and throughout the world, MRP scientists are collecting key data
and that will be used to construct quantitative models of the
Carboniferous to Cretaceous basins now found in the deformed rocks of
the Brooks Range. The models will result in an improved knowledge of
long-term sedimentation patterns, thermal maturation, evolution of
fluids generated in the basins, and the migration pathways of the
fluids. This should greatly enhance prediction of the sites of mineral
and petroleum accumulation, and is considered essential for mineral and
energy resource assessments of northern Alaska. Project end date:
September 30, 2006. Contact: Karen Duttweiler Kelley,
<kdkelley@usgs.gov>, Denver Federal Center, P.O. Box 25046-0046, MS 973,
Denver, CO, 303-236-2467.

[Additional Information](http://web-services.gov/PDFs/89280dn.pdf)

# **Tintina Metallogenic Province Integrated Studies on Geologic Framework, Mineral Resources, and Environmental Signatures**

**Summary:** The Tintina gold province (TGP) is a broad arc
(200-km-wide, 1,200-km-long) extending from northern British Columbia to
southwest Alaska, bound on the north and south by the Tintina-Kaltag and
Denali-Fairwell fault systems, respectively. The region is experiencing
active growth and development, and there is need for scientific
information to support those who make decisions regarding land use,
resource policy, environmental safety, and national security. Within the
past four years, the region has experienced accelerated gold
exploration, development, and mining activity at the Fort Knox, True
North, and Pogo mines. In addition, the State of Alaska and industry are
considering plans for the construction of a gas pipeline, railroad
corridor, and associated infrastructure in the eastern segment of the
region, and construction of a U.S. Missile Defense System began at Fort
Greeley in 2002. In the southwestern extent of the province, the BLM,
Native Corporations (Bering Sea, Calista, and Doyon), and industry have
initiated exploration and characterization of the Aniak Mining District.
In anticipation of mineral resource development, the Alaska Division of
Geological and Geophysical Surveys has recently started work to create
detailed quadrangle specific geological and geophysical maps in the
eastern region. The major emphasis of this watershed-based project is
the integration of regional hydrologic, geologic, geochemical, and
geophysical studies. Regional framework studies include improving the
understanding of the structural geology of mineralized and unmineralized
terrane, metallogeny of plutonic rocks, hydrologic pathways, and
volcanogenic massive sulfide and gold-depositing hydrothermal systems.
Site-specific process-oriented studies are focused on topics such as
water-rock geochemical processes; uptake, transport, and bioavailability
of metals; and fluid sources responsible for ore-body genesis. Goals
include characterizing the tectonic setting and metallogeny of the
Yukon-Tanana Upland and Bonnifield VMS deposits in addition to
characterizing the drainage from both developed and undeveloped
mineralized areas. A focus of the project is on areas downstream from
mercury-, antimony-, and arsenic-rich gold deposits. Project end date:
September 30, 2006. Contact: Larry Gough, <lgough@usgs.gov>, National
Center, MS 954, Reston, VA, 20192, 703/648-4404.

[Additional Information](http://web-services.gov/PDFs/90630E1.pdf)

**Porphyry Copper Life Cycles**

**Summary:** Arizona and adjacent areas of New Mexico and Sonora account
for about 10% of world copper production. Within this copper-rich
province, issues of urbanization, habitat preservation, and mining are
becoming increasingly important. Studies of porphyry copper deposits,
their regional geologic and geochemical context, and economic and
production history will have a significant positive impact on land-use
planning, mineral development, and environmental issues. The commodity
life cycle starts with the formation of deposits, which may subsequently
be eroded or mined. The cycle continues through refining, utilization,
and natural and anthropogenic recycling. All these aspects can be viewed
conceptually in terms of identifying cycles and determining their
associated fluxes (Figure 1, available at \<http://www.geo.Arizona.edu/
cmr/PCLCPfigs.html\>). With a few notable exceptions (e.g. Titley, 2001;
Lang and Titley, 1998), past studies of porphyry copper systems in
Arizona and adjacent parts of New Mexico and Sonora have focused on
individual deposits or districts at map and temporal scales appropriate
only to the deposit in question. In this project, we propose to work
simultaneously at three principal map scales: province, regions
(clusters of mining districts), and deposits, with an emphasis on the
provincial and regional scales. The provincial and regional components
of investigation are necessary to resolve many scientific questions and
to provide the societal context. Indeed, many of the collaborating
groups (e.g., other USGS projects, Arizona Geological Survey)
fundamentally employ a regional approach. The provincial and regional
components should yield a better understanding of the context in which
the deposits occur, as well as expand the scope of scientific and
societal problems to which the project can contribute. All cycles have
implicit temporal scales. Wilson cycles and the crustal evolution of a
porphyry copper province operate on time scales of tens of millions to
billions of years, and orogenic events persist for millions to tens of
millions of years. Individual mining districts typically have cycles of
discovery, development, mining, and closure of a few years to hundreds
of years. Metallurgical processing cycles and meteorological events that
significantly affect mines operate on time scales that range from a few
hours to a few months. Hence, the choice of appropriate time scales is
as important as the choice of map scales when approaching life cycle
problems. An integrated approach that employs a range of spatial and
temporal scales is most likely to yield breakthroughs in understanding
problems of porphyry copper life cycles. Project end date: September 30,
2006. Contact: Bob Kamilli, <bkamilli@usgs.gov>, 520 N. Park Avenue,
Tucson, #355, AZ, 85719-5035, 520-670-5576.

[Additional Information](http://web-services.gov/PDFs/99350H9.pdf)

**Early Tertiary Slab Window in Alaska and Resource Implications**

**Summary:** This project tests the hypothesis that a gap between two
subducting plates is responsible for a wide array of geologic features
across an enormous area in Alaska: plutons, volcanic fields, sedimentary
basins, ore deposits, and hydrocarbon systems. The gap, or \"slab
window\", was analogous to a moving blowtorch heating the Earth\'s crust
from below. A few previous studies have found links between a slab
window and particular examples of mineral deposits, but never has a
systematic study sought to understand slab window tectonics on a
regional scale, incorporate key findings into ore deposit models, or
test the applicability of this concept to petroleum maturation or
migration\--principles that can be applied worldwide. Between 61 and 50
million years ago, an oceanic spreading center was subducted beneath
Alaska. \"Ridge subduction\" is now recognized as the cause of a
plutonic and metamorphic event that swept from west to east along a
2100-km-long portion of Alaska\'s Pacific margin. This project tests the
hypothesis that an asthenosphere slab window, which opened at depth
between the subducted but still diverging plates, had widespread
geologic effects as far as 1000 km inland. The time of ridge subduction
correlated with the formation of turbidite-hosted gold lodes,
sediment-hosted massive sulfides, volcanic-hosted massive sulfides,
granite-related gold, granite-related Ag-Sn systems, gabbro-hosted
magmatic sulfides, Cu-Mo porphyrys, and perhaps, epithermal mercury.
This same interval correlates with the formation of at least three
basins in interior Alaska, with the accumulation of significant coal
resources in the Cook Inlet forearc basin, and with a major episode of
regional uplift and hydrocarbon migration in the Brooks Range and North
Slope. This interdisciplinary project has the potential to provide a
unifying explanation for disparate geologic features across an area
encompassing most of Alaska and part of British Columbia and the Yukon
Territory. Project end date: September 30, 2004. Contact: Dwight
Bradley, <dbradley@usgs.gov>, 4200 University Drive, Anchorage, AK,
99508, 907-786-7434.

[Additional Information](http://web-services.gov/PDFs/90630GO.pdf)

**Metallogenic Evolution of Mesoproterozoic Sedimentary Rocks in Idaho
and Montana**

**Summary:** The project region is mainly known as the Belt-Purcell
basin (Ross, 1963), best defined in western Montana but extending into
adjacent Idaho and British Columbia. The basin was the depocenter for as
much as 50,000 feet of mostly clastic sedimentary rocks known as the
Belt-Purcell Supergroup. Similar sedimentary rocks in adjacent
east-central Idaho, known mainly as the Lemhi Group (Ruppel, 1975), have
been correlated with the Belt for a number of years, but the actual
correlations are complex and sometimes convoluted (Winston et al.,
1999). Rocks from the Belt and Lemhi Groups maintain their stratigraphic
integrity in western Montana and east-central Idaho, respectively;
however, correlations become exceedingly tenuous across the
Idaho-Montana state line in the vicinity of Salmon, Idaho (eg. Winston
et al., 1999; Tysdal et al., 2003). Correlations have been based mainly
on reconnaissance data, are characteristically speculative, and much
debated. Only recently has an effort been made, supported mostly by the
USGS and state universities, to understand the sedimentology,
stratigraphy, paleogeography, and most recently age of deposition of the
Belt-Purcell Supergroup and Lemhi Group, in an attempt to base
correlations of the two Groups of Mesoproterozoic strata in a more
rigorous fashion. Closely tied to this new study of Mesoproterozoic
geologic framework, is an understanding of the nature of the

basement directly underlying these strata and how this basement
influenced sedimentation and mineralization. The main difficulty in
assessing the influence of the basement on metallogeny is the fact that
thick clastic sequences blanket the crystalline rocks and as such mask
most indications of the character (fabric and composition) of
crystalline basement beneath the northern Cordillera. Consequently, much
of the basement structure must be interpreted from high quality
aeromagnetic data and from geographically limited exposures in the
southwesternmost part of Montana. Project end date: September 30, 2007.
Contact: J. Michael O'Neill, <jmoneill@usgs.gov>, Denver Federal Center
-- MS 905, P.O. Box 25046, Denver, CO, 80225-0046, 303-236-1288.

[Additional Information](http://web-services.gov/PDFs/8928B08.pdf)

**Metallogenesis of Proterozoic Basins and Stratified Rocks**

**Summary:** Sedimentary basins of Middle Proterozoic age host
world-class deposits of sedimentary exhalative Pb-Zn-Ag (e.g. eastern
Australia, British Columbia, Montana), stratabound (diagenetic) Cu-Ag
(Zambia, Michigan, Montana), banded iron formation (Michigan/Minnesota,
Canada), iron-oxide Cu-U-Au-Ag-REE (Olympic Dam, Australia), and
unconformity-type uranium (Canada, Australia). A disproportionately
large share of the world's metallic resources occur in these basinal
strata. Components of epigenetic base and precious metal in Phanerozoic
rocks, and of intrusions associated with some deposit types in
Phanerozoic rocks, have been derived from successions of Late
Proterozoic strata (i.e. Vikre, 2000). The Proterozoic eon (c.2500 to
600 million years ago) encompasses more than 40% of Earth's history, a
time during which fundamental atmospheric and oceanic changes occurred,
biological diversity increased, and

modern-style plate tectonics evolved. This project aims to improve
fundamental understanding of the relationship between the evolution of
the Proterozoic basins and the generation of associated metal deposits.
A systems approach, akin to that developed in the search for petroleum
resources, has been applied to mineralizing systems (e.g. Stanton, 1972;
Hagemann and Cassidy, 2000). This approach views mineralization as only
one process in the overall evolution of a tectonostratigraphic sequence
or terrane. Restatement of fundamental research questions posed by
Skinner (1979) into factors that define a regional-scale mineralizing
system might be: (1) source(s) of driving energy, fluids and ore
components, (2) the architecture, timing, and focusing mechanisms of
fluid pathways, and (3) chemical and/or physical processes leading to
mineral precipitation at the site(s) of deposition. This project will
apply a mineral systems approach to Proterozoic stratified rocks and
associated metal deposits. Mechanisms for sustaining the physical and
chemical gradients required for fluid movement and metal concentration,
the number of generations and volumes of mineralizing fluids, the
sources of metal deposit components, and the roles of tectonism,
magmatism, and epigenesis need to be integrated in the evolution of
Proterozoic basins. Questions to be addressed include the following: (1)
How do sediment sources, environments of deposition, and diagenetic
history influence the initial residence of the deposit components
(metals, sulfur, etc.) ? (2) How do subsidence and burial, aquifer
geometries, tectonism, and thermal evolution bear on the generation and
migration of hydrothermal fluids? (3) How did global changes in the
composition of the atmosphere and oceans, and biologic evolution affect
weathering chemistry, fluid redox, thermal regimes, , and other
important processes that pre-staged metal mineralization. Comparison of
stratified sequences of Proterozoic rocks that contain metal deposits to
those that influenced epigenetic mineralization and to those that bear
no apparent relationship to metal deposits is the critical strategy to
be used in answering these questions. Project end date: September 30,
2007. Contact: Stephen Box, <sbox@usgs.gov>, West 904 Riverside Avenue,
Spokane, WA, 99201, 509-368-3106.

[Additional Information](http://web-services.gov/PDFs/9935B0V.pdf)

**Hydrothermal Systems, Cascades Volcanoes**

**Summary:** Hydrothermally altered rocks are present in many of the
Quaternary Cascades volcanoes, but with the exception of Mt. Rainier,
the distribution, composition, and origin of hydrothermal alteration
products generally are poorly known. Some of the scientific questions to
be addressed in this project include the following: What controls the
distribution and mineralogy of hydrothermally altered rocks? What are
the volumes of hydrothermally altered rocks and why do these vary from
volcano to volcano? How do structure and lithology control hydrothermal
alteration? What is the timing and duration of the hydrothermal systems
and the interaction between volcanism and hydrothermal systems during
volcanic construction and destruction? What are the sources of the
hydrothermal fluids? What are the metal contents and metal sources of
hydrothermally altered rocks? What are the mechanisms and favorable
alteration characteristics for slope failure? Why is there apparent lack
of significant mineral deposits in the Quaternary Cascade arc, whereas
mineral deposits are abundant and significant in many parts of the
Miocene-early Pliocene arc? How do we distinguish barren versus
mineralized volcanoes? Project end date: September 30, 2006. Contact:
Dave John, <djohn@usgs.gov>, MS 901, 345 Middlefield Road, Menlo Park,
CA, 94025, 650-329-5424.

[Additional Information](http://web-services.gov/PDFs/99350GR.pdf)

**Metals in Basinal Brines and Petroleum**

**Summary:**The scale of fluid flow and flux of metals in sedimentary
basins can be enormous. For instance, world class sedex Zn- Pb and Ba
deposits formed by venting about 100 km^3^ of brine with 50 mt of metal
into seawater. Moreover, basin brines are responsible for concentrating
the majority of the world\'s Zn and Pb, nearly all of the barite, and a
large portion of Cu resources. Previous studies focused mainly on Zn-Pb
transport in oxidized brines. New studies, however, indicate that
transport of Au, Ba, Mn, Sn, and P in reduced brines and
Ni-Mo-V-PGE-Au-P in petroleum can also produce economic deposits at sea
floor vents and seeps. Associated toxic metals (Pb, As, Se, Hg) and
nutrients (P, N, C) can pose environmental hazards or stimulate
production of biomass and form petroleum source rocks. The
multidisciplinary study is designed to improve understanding of the life
cycle of metals and nutrients in sedimentary basins as well as improve
assessments of (1) mineral and energy resources, (2) environmental
consequences of mining and oil production, and (3) their biologic and
environmental effects. The objectives of this study are to improve
understanding of the sources of metals and nutrients in sedimentary
basins, the controls on their incorporation into brine and petroleum,
their mechanisms of deposition on the sea floor, their effects on
aquatic life in the basins, and their fate in the environment during
mineral and petroleum resource exploitation. These goals will be
accomplished through the following integrated tasks: (1) studies of
ancient ore deposits, secondary minerals in oil reservoirs, and fluid
inclusions; (2) laboratory experiments on metal partitioning between
rock, oil, water, and gas; (3) chemical modeling; (4) studies of modern
basin brines, petroleum, and sea floor vents; and (5) metals, fluid
flow, petroleum, and microbes in sedimentary basins, including
investigations of modern analogs. Project end date: September 30, 2005.
Contact: Poul Emsbo, <pemsbo@usgs.gov>, Denver Federal Center, P.O. Box
25046, MS 973, Denver, CO, 80225-0046, 303-236-1113.

[Additional Information](http://web-services.gov/PDFs/89280EF.pdf)

**Metallogeny of the Great Basin: Crustal Evolution, Fluid Flow, and Ore
Deposits**

**Summary**: The Great Basin currently is the world\'s second leading
gold producer, contains world-class base metal deposits, a variety of
other metallic and industrial mineral resources, as well as petroleum
and geothermal energy resources. Most gold is produced from Carlin-type
deposits, although important gold resources also are present in
porphyry, epithermal, and syngenetic environments. The Carlin trend
contains about one half of the gold (\~ 125 million ounces), is of world
wide interest, and several aspects of its origin remain enigmatic.
Carlin-type deposits typically occur in linear belts and are now thought
to be underlain by crustal structures produced by Late Proterozoic
rifting. This project addresses the following questions: How did mineral
belts in the Great Basin originate and evolve through time? What role
did the crystalline basement, terrigenous detrital sequence, carbonate
sequence, and magmas play in the genesis of ore fluids? How did older
features in these belts influence later episodes of mineralization? Were
gold and other elements recycled? Planned products include : (1)
high-quality framework information (geologic, geophysical, geochemical,
isotopic, (2) a medium in which to interpret a variety of data sets (GIS
and relational data bases), (3) geologic reconstructions for each of the
major episodes of ore formation on regional and district scales, and (4)
numerical models of fluid flow and mineral precipitation for areas and
districts of interest (e.g. Carlin trend). Project end date: September
30, 2006. Contacts: Al Hofstra, <ahofstra@usgs.gov>, Denver Federal
Center, P.O. Box 25046-0046, MS 973, Denver, CO, 80225-0046,
303-236-5530; Alan Wallace, <alan@usgs.gov>, USGS, MacKay School of
Mines, Reno, NV 89557-0047, 775-784-5789.

[Additional Information](http://web-services.gov/PDFs/89280dT.pdf)

**Industrial Minerals: Eastern, Central, and Western Regions**

**Summary:** Industrial mineral production in the United States is
significant. Seventeen of the top 25 minerals produced in the United
States are industrial minerals. Industrial mineral commodities play key
roles in infrastructure development and maintenance, agriculture, and
mitigation of environmental problems (e.g., clay used as liners in waste
disposal). The need for scientific research of industrial minerals is
unmistakable because industrial minerals will play an ever-expanding
role in these areas and because this diverse set of commodities is being
used increasingly in novel and unconventional applications (e.g., re-use
of drilling muds in reclamation efforts). In addition, many land
management agencies have increasing need for better geologic and
minerals data on industrial minerals, especially in areas adjacent to
growing urban centers.

The project investigates the scientific relationships among the
geologic, economic, and environment-related characteristics of priority
industrial mineral commodities and deposit types. Specific activities
include: developing process-based life-cycle models of deposits that can
be used to characterize and assess industrial resources; geologic and
environmental studies to establish fundamental scientific attributes and
processes related to the formation and exploitation of mineral deposits;
science activities in support of other Bureau activities, and
coordination and communication between industrial minerals activities,
at regional, national, and international scales. Most of the activities
of the project address either specific geologic and (or) environmental
concerns identified by a diverse set of clients (both internal and
external) or broader subject areas identified as high priority for the
Nation. All of the work in this project has important applications for
the study of industrial minerals at both National and Regional levels.
Project end date: September 30, 2006. Contacts: **Eastern Region**: Nora
Foley, <nfoley@usgs.gov>, National Center -- MS 954, Reston, VA,
22091-0002, 703-648-6179; **Central Region**: Bill Langer,
<blanger@usgs.gov>, Denver Federal Center, P.O. Box 25046, MS 973,
Denver, CO, 80225-0046, 303-236-1249; and **Western Region**: Jim Bliss,
<jbliss@usgs.gov>, ENR Bldg, 520 N. Park Ave., #355, Tucson, AZ,
85719-5035, 520-670-5502.

[Additional Information -- Eastern
Region](http://web-services.gov/PDFs/29180f8.pdf)

[Additional Information -- Central
Region](http://web-services.gov/PDFs/89280dp.pdf)

[Additional Information -- Western
Region](http://web-services.gov/PDFs/99350ez.pdf)

**[Mineral Resource and Mineral Environmental Assessments]{.underline}**

**Quantitative Global Mineral Resource Assessment**

**Summary:** The United States continually faces decisions involving the
supply and utilization of raw materials, substitution of one resource
for another, competing land uses, and the environmental consequences of
resource development. Informed planning and decisions concerning
sustainability and resource development require a long-term global
perspective and an integrated approach to land-use, resource, and
environmental management. This approach requires that unbiased
information be available on the global distribution of identified and
especially undiscovered mineral resources, the economic factors
influencing their development, and the environmental consequences of
their exploitation. This 8-year project will provide essential global
mineral-resource information by conducting quantitative assessments and
analysis of the world\'s undiscovered terrestrial nonfuel mineral
resources on a regional, multinational basis with the cooperation of
national geologic organizations. Additional research will address
special topics related to large-region assessment, data analysis, and
product applications. Assessments will be done for selected commodities
including copper, platinum-group metals, zinc, lead, nickel, gold,
potash, and phosphate. Assessment results will assist the Nation to
maintain the availability of essential mineral resources from areas of
Earth most able to sustain the environmental effects of mining. Project
end date: September 30, 2009. Contact: Klaus Schulz, <kschulz@usgs.gov>,
National Center -- MS 954, Reston VA 20192-0002, 703-648-6320.

[Additional Information](http://web-services.gov/PDFs/29180f5.pdf)

**Secular Trends in Ore-Forming Processes through Earth History**

**Summary:** Conventional assessments of undiscovered mineral resources
rely on the distribution of known deposits coupled with generalized
geologic models for the various deposit types. This approach barely
makes use of the fact that, without exception, all types of ore deposits
are time bound. There are times in Earth history when a particular
deposit type is absent, times when these deposits are present but
scarce, times when they are abundant, and still other times for which we
yet lack sufficient data. One reason for the study is to improve mineral
assessment techniques, especially where the huge gaps in knowledge of
Third World geology hinder the ongoing Global Assessment project. The
proposed research will turn geologic age into a key parameter in
resource assessment. Project end date: September 30, 2004. Contact:
David Leach, <dleach@usgs.gov>, Denver Federal Center, P.O. Box 25046,
MS 973, Denver, CO, 80225-0046, 303-236-5522; Dwight Bradley,
<dbradley@usgs.gov>, 4200 University Drive, Anchorage, AK 99508,
907-786-7434; Rich Goldfarb, <goldfarb@usgs.gov>, Denver Federal Center,
P.O. Box 25046, Denver, CO, 80225-0046, 303-236 2441

[Additional Information](http://web-services.gov/PDFs/89280dv.pdf)

**Big Bend National Park**

**Summary:** Big Bend National Park (BBNP), covers 3,236 sq km, and is
the 8th largest National Park in the contiguous United States, serving
about 350,000 visitors each year. BBNP is faced with a broad variety of
geological, geochemical, and environmental issues, ranging from water
supply and ecosystem problems to a lack of a basic understanding of the
volcanic, sedimentary, and surficial geology. Thus, the National Park
Service (NPS) has ranked BBNP as 2nd nationally in need of a new bedrock
and surfical geologic map. The current geologic map of BBNP was
published in the 1960's (Maxwell and others, 1967), and is in need of
revision. NPS is funding the USGS to produce a modern, 1:100,000-scale,
geological map to meet the needs of BBNP. Within the past several years,
significant parts of BBNP have been mapped, mostly by university groups,
but much of this information remains unpublished and needs to be
compiled. The USGS proposes to work in collaboration with partners from
the NPS, universities, and other agencies to provide the surficial and
bedrock of BBNP. The most important geological problems relate to the
volcanic stratigraphy and volcanogenic processes, and this project will
also focus on understanding and resolving these questions. In addition
to preparation of geologic maps, the project will study several
environmental issues that potentially affect human health and wildlife
habitats. For example, (1) located in and around BBNP are several
mineral deposits and abandoned mines containing high concentrations of
Hg, As, Se, Ag, Pb, Zn, Be, U, and F that potentially impact the Rio
Grande River and local BBNP ecosystems, (2) airborne contaminates
originating from several sources in the region may adversely effect
BBNP, and (3) potentially toxic concentrations of heavy metals in
groundwater, springs, and surface water need to be evaluated because
these are water sources for BBNP, surrounding communities, and wildlife.
In FY03, we will evaluate these issues to determine their relative
importance and the feasibility of the study of these issues. Project end
date: September 30, 2007. Contact: John Gray, <jgray@usgs.gov>, Denver
Federal Center - MS 973, P.O. Box 25046, Denver, CO, 80225-0046,
303-236-2446.

[Additional Information](http://web-services.gov/PDFs/89280FJ.pdf)

**Central Colorado Assessment**

**Summary:** The Front Range Urban Corridor in Colorado, one of the
fastest-growing regions in the Western U.S., stretches about 350 km from
Pueblo in the south, through Denver, north to the Colorado-Wyoming
border. The population growth has put tremendous pressure on a variety
of resources and has created many land management issues for local,
state, and federal government agencies. Future land use planning in the
area requires geoscience information that can be obtained though studies
that lie at the core of the Mineral Resource, Energy Resource, National
Cooperative Geologic Mapping, Water Resources, and Landslides Hazards
Programs and supports the process-oriented research objectives of the
USGS. These issues require new and integrated earth science studies of
(1) mineral and energy resources, (2) geologic hazards, such as
landslides and stream flooding, (3) the long-term effects of forest
fires on erosion and sedimentation, (4) the effects of increased
recreational land use, and (5) quantity and quality of both ground- and
surface-water resources. Project end date: September 30, 2007. Contact:
Terry Klein <tklein@usgs.gov>, Denver Federal Center, P.O. Box 25046, MS
905, Denver, CO, 80225-0046, 303-236-5605.

[Additional Information](http://web-services.gov/PDFs/89280DX.pdf)

**Headwaters Region, Idaho and Montana**

**Summary:** The Headwaters Province project will provide geoscience
data and interpretations to the Federal Land Management Agencies (FLMA)
that are basic to sound policy and land-stewardship practices. USFS
National Forest and BLM Resource Area Management Plans for the
Headwaters Province are in revision, with completion dates from 1999 to
2003. USFS Regions 1 and 4 have made National Priority Requests for
Mineral Resources Program (MRP) to provide interim products that help
them meet their planning cycles. MRP is to provide geologic maps and
topical studies to meet longer range goals of integrating geoscience
into decision making. This project will emphasize development of digital
geoscience data, GIS analyses, and interpretations to ensure that
geoscience data are available for GIS-based science integration and
planning. The following interrelated goals of the project are at
complementary scales: (1) provide digital geoscience databases for the
province, at scales appropriate now and in the future, and applicable to
local and regional questions; (2) advance understanding of mineral
resources in a geologic, economic, and environmental context; (3)
establish geologic context for ecosystem structure and function; and (4)
use new understanding of processes and new GIS databases to develop GIS
based approach to forecast types and locations of near future mineral
exploration and development. Project end date: September 30, 2004.
Contacts: Karen Lund, <klund@usgs.gov>, Denver Federal Center, P.O. Box
25046, MS 973, Denver, CO, 80225-0046, 303-236-5600; Mike Zientek,
<mzientek@usgs.gov>, West 904 Riverside Avenue, Spokane, WA, 99201,
509-368-3105.

[Additional Information](http://web-services.gov/PDFs/89280F0.pdf)

**Modeling of the Magmatic Feeder system to the Nikolai Large Igneous
Province, Central Alaska**

**Summary:** This DOI-BLM collaborative project will investigate the
stratigraphic and structural controls on magma dynamics of a mafic large
igneous province (LIP). The LIP under investigation is the Nikolai
Greenstone, which is one of the oldest (Middle to Late Triassic, 230
million year old) flood basalt events preserved in the world. The
Nikolai formed a continental scale mass whose remnants are preserved
along the western North American margin from Idaho to western Alaska.
This project is investigating a small segment of the Nikolai LIP, within
the central Alaska Range, where the presence of layered intrusions
suggests that that area was one of the main vent sites for Nikolai LIP
volcanism. Geologic and geophysical information from rocks immediately
below the Nikolai flood basalt will be used to model possible pathways
of magma from intrusive chambers to the paleosurface. This segment of
the LIP is within the Delta River Mining District, which is the location
of an ongoing BLM Mineral Assessment Project. The Nikolai LIP system is
the most significant host of mineralization within the district. This
scientific collaboration will explore the controls on this potentially
world-class mineralizing system, and will provide valuable geologic and
geophysical data to the BLM that will be used to increase the detail and
quality of their mineral assessment.

Project end date: September 30, 2005. Contacts: Jonathan Glen,
<jglen@usgs.gov>, Menlo Park, CA, 650-329-5282; Jeanine Schmidt
<jschmidt@usgs.gov>, Anchorage, AK, 907-786-7494.

[Additional Information](http://web-services.gov/PDFs/9063B12.pdf)

**Complex Systems Analysis of Basin Margins in Southwestern North
America**

**Summary:** This project uses complex systems modeling as a unifying
concept to undertake a spectrum of geoscience related problems including
geologic factors of non-point source pollution; human and animal
diseases controlled by geologic factors; genesis, life cycle,
environmental, and socio-economic factors of ore deposits; and factors
controlling the distribution of physical and chemical transport
properties. The project goals are to create a general framework for
solving problems that can include political, economic, social, and
ecological factors in addition to traditional factors from the physical
sciences (e.g. temperature, stress field, depth of burial) and to apply
the framework to several geoscience problems. We will attack several
problems using complex systems theory organized into five tasks. The
tasks are: (1) models of an ore deposit system and its interaction with
surrounding economic, social, and climatic change variables; (2)
physical properties of basin marginal zones; (3) transport of chemical
species (some of which are contaminants) in basin marginal zones; (4)
predictive modeling of diseases whose propagation factors depend
strongly on geologic and climatic variables (for example, valley fever -
coccidioidomycosis) and non-point source pollution problems (for
example, selenium contamination from shales); and (5) modeling methods
for complex systems. Scientists from Water Resources and Biological
Resources Divisions will participate in some project tasks. The tasks
cover a diverse suite of subjects but are related to each other in
multiple ways. Geographically, the project will focus on a zone around
the margin of selected basins. This zone includes some bedrock of the
bounding ranges and the shallower parts of the basin (generally, fill
depth of 1 km or less). These areas are termed basin marginal zones
(basin margins for short) and include the lithologies and structures of
interest, as the central part of the basins are generally too deep to be
resolved and the cores of the ranges are usually devoid of deposits. In
most cases the important structures geologically are those associated
with the basin margin. Project end date: September 30, 2006. Contact:
Mark Gettings, <mgetting@usgs.gov>, 520 N. Park Ave., Tucson, AZ,
85719-5035, 520-670-5507.

[Additional Information](http://web-services.gov/PDFs/99350GL.pdf)

**Approaches to Using Continental-Scale Geophysics for Assessments**

**Summary:** Recently compiled and publically available
continental-scale magnetic and, in some cases, gravity, much of the
world, including North America, Australia, Antarctica, Russia, are now
available. In addition, Western Mining Corp., Australia, is allowing
access to their global magnetic and gravity databases that include Asia,
Africa and South America. All of these data sets will provide a means of
seeing through geologic as well as anthropogenic cover, such as
vegetation, soil, desert sands, glacial till, man-made features, and
water to reveal lithologic variations and structural features such as
faults, folds, and dikes in the crystalline basement. In addition, the
data sets can help constrain global plate reconstructions for a variety
of supercontinents including the Neo-Proterozoic continent of Rodinia as
well as earlier ones. The broad objective of this proposed major
research effort is to use this unprecedented array of magnetic and
gravity data sets to map regional geology, in particular, Precambrian
crystalline basement, of selected continents. This regional geologic
mapping can help constrain plate reconstructions, can provide tools to
evaluate ore genesis and settings of mineral deposits.

Project end date: September 30, 2004. Contact: Carol Finn,
<cfinn@usgs.gov>, Denver Federal Center, P.O. Box 25046, MS 964, Denver,
CO, 80225-0046, 303-236-1345.

[Additional Information](http://web-services.gov/PDFs/89320ES.pdf)

**Clark County, Nev., Mineral Resource Assessment**

**Summary:** The Bureau of Land Management needs information about known
and undiscovered mineral resources in Clark County, Nevada, for use in
their long-term planning process. The strategy and approach of this
project is to (1) compile and summarize existing information, including
geology, geophysics, geochemistry, and mineral-deposit information; (2)
conduct field examination of selected areas and mineral occurrences to
determine their geologic setting and metallogenic characteristics; (3)
make predictions about undiscovered mineral resources and their possible
future development; and (4) prepare a report summarizing information
about known and undiscovered mineral resources. The objectives of this
project are to provide the Bureau of Land Management with accurate,
up-to-date information about known and undiscovered mineral deposits in
selected areas of Clark and Nye counties, Nevada. Completion of this
project will provide the Bureau of Land Management with the information
they need to conduct wise and effective land-use planning in southern
Nevada. Because of our work, they will make better-informed decisions.
Project end date: September 30, 2004. Contacts: Steve Ludington,
<slud@usgs.gov>, 345 Middlefield Road, Menlo Park, CA 94025,
650-329-5371; Kimberly Jenkins, <kjenkins@usgs.gov>, West 904 Riverside
Avenue, Spokane, WA 99201, 509-368-3104; Peter Vikre, <pvikre@usgs.gov>,
USGS, MacKay School Of Mines, Reno, NV 89557-0047, 775-784-5597.

[Additional Information](http://web-services.gov/PDFs/9935BBT.pdf)

**[Assessments of Backgrounds and Baselines]{.underline}**

**National Maps and Datasets for Research and Land Planning**

**Summary:** The U.S. Geological Survey provides national leadership in
maintaining earth science data and serves as earth science advisor to
the Executive Branch of the U.S. Government. Recurring requests for
information and earth science forecasting can only be met when
nationwide datasets are easily available and of high quality. To meet
these needs, four regional projects are acquiring and upgrading regional
and national geologic, geochemical, geophysical, and mineral resource
datasets, and providing derivative and interpretive products from these
data. Objectives include integrating, analyzing, and interpreting these
data to assess mineral resources, determining regional background values
for chemical elements with known environmental impact, characterizing
regional mineral districts, defining metallogenic provinces, and
studying the relationship between toxic commodities or mining practices
and human health. These interpretive studies involve contributions from
a wide variety of disciplines and partners. Project end date: September
30, 2007. Contacts: **Eastern Region**: Suzanne Nicholson,
<swnich@usgs.gov>, National Center - MS 954, Reston VA 20192-0002,
703-648-6344; **Central Region**: Douglas Stoeser, <dstoeser@usgs.gov>,
Denver Federal Center -- MS 905, P.O Box 25046, Denver CO 80225-0046,
303-236-9817; **Western Region**: David Piper, <dzpiper@usgs.gov>, 345
Middlefield Road, MS 901, Menlo Park CA 94025, 650-329-5187; and
**Alaska**: Frederic Wilson, <fwilson@usgs.gov>, Anchorage, AK,
907-786-7448.

[Additional Information - Eastern
Region](http://web-services.gov/PDFs/29180ER.pdf)

[Additional Information - Central
Region](http://web-services.gov/PDFs/89280EB.pdf)

[Additional Information - Western
Region](http://web-services.gov/PDFs/99350EW.pdf)

[Additional Information -
Alaska](http://web-services.gov/PDFs/90630HH.pdf)

**Geochemical Landscapes Project**

**Summary:** The geochemistry of the Earth\'s surface has evolved from
the underlying rocks through natural processes such as weathering and
erosion, as well as from human activity such as industrialization,
urbanization, mining, waste disposal, and agriculture. The focus of this
project is on the resulting "geochemical landscape". Objectives are to
(1) continue the ongoing characterization of the spatial distribution of
chemical elements in the surficial materials of the nation, emphasizing
soils, (2) focus on the processes that led to the observed geochemical
abundance and distribution, (3) develop and implement new approaches to
landscape characterization such as a national microbiology database for
soils, and apply geochemical extraction techniques to establish a soil
\"geoavailability/bioavailabilty\" database. Our state of knowledge
regarding the geochemistry of soil in the United States is at an
unacceptably low level. This project is developing a long-term proposal
in cooperation with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS),
other Federal and state agencies, and academia, to develop databases and
study the processes that led to the observed geochemical landscapes.

Project end date: September 30, 2009. Contacts: David Smith,
<dsmith@usgs.gov>, Denver Federal Center - MS 973, P.O. Box 25046,
Denver, CO 80225-0046, 303-236-1849; Martin Goldhaber, <mgold@usgs.gov>,
Denver Federal Center - MS 973, P.O. Box 25046, Denver, CO 80225-0046,
303-236-1521.

[Additional Information](http://web-services.gov/PDFs/89280E3.pdf)

**Mineral Dusts and Human Health**

**Summary:** Mineral dusts generated by both natural and anthropogenic
processes have long been recognized as potential sources of disease in
humans. For example, industrial exposures to asbestos and silica have
been recognized for decades as triggers for disease, as have dusts
containing elevated trace metals or pathogens. In spite of many years of
research, numerous unanswered questions remain about the exact links
between dusts and disease. This project will, in collaboration with
human health experts, develop and apply a variety of earth science
methods to help interpret the geologic links between mineral dusts and
human health problems. The project\'s scientific results will provide a
sound earth science basis for more informed, effective regulatory
policies and remediation strategies. A major focus of the project is to
interpret the geological, mineralogical, and geochemical controls on the
health effects of asbestos. The health effects of asbestos (including
asbestosis, mesothelioma, and lung cancers) have been recognized and
studied for decades. In the past, most medical research and regulatory
focus has been on the health effects of asbestos used industrially or
commercially. However, recent attention increasingly focuses on the
potential health effects of asbestos that occurs as a accessory mineral
in some rocks (ie, tremolite in metamorphosed limestones and chrysotile
in serpentinite rocks), or as an accessory mineral with other industrial
minerals (ie, amphibole asbestos intergrown with vermiculite mined at
Libby, Montana). In the 1970\'s and 80\'s, USGS geologists helped health
scientists recognize that not all forms of asbestos are equally toxic:
chrysotile asbestos is now generally recognized to be less toxic than
amphibole asbestos varieties such as crocidolite, anthophyllite,
amosite, tremolite and actinolite. Many key scientific questions remain
about asbestos health effects. The current project is designed to help
address many of these questions, including: What are the processes by
which mineral fibers trigger disease? Do non-asbestiform but needle-like
minerals and mineral cleavage fragments also cause disease? What are the
numerous geologic environments in which asbestos forms? What is the
distribution and natural background level of asbestiform minerals in
dusts from these various geologic environments? How do the mineralogical
and geochemical properties of asbestos minerals influence their
toxicity? How can new earth science technologies be applied to
understand asbestos health issues? Project end date: September 30, 2004.
Contact: Greg Meeker, <gmeeker@usgs.gov>, Denver Federal Center -- MS
973, P.O. Box 25046, Denver CO 80225-0046, 303-236-1081.

[Additional Information](http://web-services.gov/PDFs/89280GF.pdf)

**Regional Geologic and Mineral Deposit Data for Alaskan Economic
Development**

**Summary:** Much of Alaska's economy is based on the development of
natural resources. The lack of basic geologic, geochemical, and
geophysical information in many areas of Alaska means that any new data
collection has a high probability of stimulating exploration activity,
and hence economic growth. The two initial focus areas of this project
include Federal, State, and Alaska Native lands. New geologic,
geochemical, and geophysical data will be published and available for
public and private users. These new data will be combined with other
regional data in reports that assess the undiscovered mineral resources
and provide information related to deposit formation and environment.
These reports will assist in land planning for both government and
private holdings (including Alaska Native lands) and are expected to
further stimulate exploration activity and provide vital baseline data
for any future development. Further, these activities help satisfy the
requirements of Section 1010 of the Alaska National Interest Lands
Conservation Act (ANILCA), which directs the Secretary of Interior "to
assess the oil, gas, and other mineral potential of all public lands in
Alaska." Based on previous scoping efforts and current user needs, two
areas have been selected for initial study: Seward Peninsula (western
Alaska) and central southwestern Alaska. For the Seward Peninsula, basic
geologic data exist, but geophysical data recently obtained by the State
of Alaska, invites re-evaluation of base-metal resource potential in an
area previously known only for its gold resources. On a more
reconnaissance scale, the central part of southwestern Alaska is largely
a frontier in that much of what is known about the geology comes from
expeditions sixty or more years ago. In this area, collection of the
most basic geologic, geochemical, and geophysical data would open the
door to exploration, assist in land-use planning, and likely encourage
economic development. Beyond issues of economic development, research
conducted in conjunction with the basic data collection is expected to
improve our understanding of the tectonic and stratigraphic setting of
this poorly known part of Alaska. Project end date: September 30, 2008.
Contact: Marti Miller, <mlmiller@usgs.gov>, 4200 University Drive,
Anchorage, AK, 99508, (907)786-7437.

[Additional Information](http://web-services.gov/PDFs/9063B2A.pdf)

**[Geoenvironmental Models of Ore Deposits and Ore-Forming
Systems]{.underline}**

**Process Studies of Contaminants Associated with Mineral Deposits**

**Summary:** This project focuses on identification of processes that
result in significant environmental effects as a result of historical
mining activities. The weathering processes are the natural reaction of
sulfide minerals as they react with water and their effects on the
aquatic and eolian environments surrounding historical mining districts.
Study focused on the understanding of these processes so that
cost-effective and sensible remediation options can be developed by
industry and federal and state land-management agencies. The overarching
theme is to understand, and ultimately, to quantify the behavior and
distribution of environmentally significant elements as they are
dispersed from their sources through the environment. Sources of
elements in mineralized terranes include natural and anthropogenic
entities such as ore deposits, their host rocks, mill tailings, and mine
waste. Characterization of these source materials involves identifying
the mineral phases where the toxic elements reside, the speciation of
the toxic elements (e.g., oxidation state and type of bonding to the
mineral structure), and the rates and mechanisms of release from the
mineral structure. Once released from their sources, physical, chemical,
and biological processes act to re-distribute and transform dissolved
and particulate forms of the elements. Project end date: September 30,
2006. Contact: Stanley E. Church, <schurch@usgs.gov>, Denver Federal
Center - MS 973, P.O. Box 25046, Denver, CO 80225-0046, 303-236-1900.

[Additional Information](http://web-services.gov/PDFs/89280FB.pdf)

**Modeling Near-Surface Processes in Mineral Systems**

**Summary**: Whereas the spatial extent of mineral deposits can be
determined with some certainty by exploration drilling, mining, and
other methods, the extent of the natural and anthropogenic effects of
mineral deposits depends on a number of processes and properties of the
physical system. This 'footprint' of effects varies with climate,
geology, composition of the deposit, and other factors. The primary goal
of this project is to develop geoenvironmental models that can be used
to forecast the extent and characteristics of a mineral deposit's
footprint, including chemical signatures on surrounding water, soils,
and biota. A focus is the integration of empirical data for diverse
deposit types, to produce quantitative models that can be used to
predict environmental mitigation expenses and risks associated with
mineral extraction. This information is needed by Federal, State, and
other land-planners. The delineation of natural background versus the
geochemical effects from mining itself has been of particular interest
to land-planners; the models developed in this project will provide a
more accurate estimate of background levels of important chemical
signatures. The objectives of this project are to (1) develop models for
the effects of selected mineral deposit types on surrounding soils,
water, and biota in differing climatic and geologic settings, (2)
forecast the levels of metals and other weathering products to be
expected before and after mining as a function of deposit type, climate,
and geology of the surrounding land surface, and (3) evaluate the
relative importance of key characteristics on the eventual effects
produced by each deposit type. Project end date: September 30, 2008.
Contacts: Dennis R. Helsel, <dhelsel@usgs.gov>, Denver Federal Center --
MS 964, P.O. Box 25046, Denver CO 80225-0046, 303-236-5340; Karen
Duttweiler Kelley, <kdkelley@usgs.gov>, Denver Federal Center -- MS 973,
P.O. Box 25046, Denver CO 80225-0046, 303-236-2467.

[Additional Information](http://web-services.gov/PDFs/8932B2H.pdf)

**Pathways of Metal Transfer from Mineralized Sources to Bioreceptors**

**Summary:** In chronically impacted systems where total remediation of
environmental problems is not feasible, informed long-term management by
regulatory and land management agencies requires increased understanding
of the critical processes responsible for the distributions, transport,
reactivity, and fate of potentially toxic elements. The Pathways Project
is focused on advancing our understanding of specific processes that
link geoavailability (or biogeochemical mobility and accessibility) of
environmentally significant elements (for example, arsenic, selenium,
mercury, lead, zinc, cadmium) to bioavailability (or uptake by humans
and wildlife) in large-scale systems where mineralized areas pose a long
term and persistent environmental problem. Based on our evaluation of
existing environmental projects in the Western Region during FY01, we
identified major gaps in our knowledge and, thus, direct our current
efforts at several inter-related research themes: (1) speciation of
dissolved and solid phases and effects on geoavailability and
bioavailability; (2) microbial activities and transformations; (3)
processes at physical and geochemical boundaries; (4) precipitation and
transformations of metal oxyhydroxides and metal oxyhydroxysulfates and
associated interactions with toxic elements; (5) physical transport and
dispersion of trace elements; and (6) conceptual and quantitative
modeling of the distributions, transport, reactivity, and fate of
elements in mineralized ecosystems and understanding the impact of
natural and anthropogenic perturbations on physical and biogeochemical
processes that affect element distributions in these systems. Project
end date: September 30, 2007. Project Chief: Laurie S. Balistrieri,
<balistri@usgs.gov>, University of WA, USGS, 98195, 206-543-8966.

[Additional Information](http://web-services.gov/PDFs/99350EY.pdf)

**Geoenvironmental Studies in the Eastern Region**

**Summary**: Heavy metals and related compounds derived from historic
mining and other anthropogenic processes have the potential to adversely
impact human health and surrounding ecosystems. This project emphasizes
the effects of heavy metals on humans and the environment and seeks to
understand the processes whereby such elements are mobilized from
natural or human-made sources, transported, redistributed, and
reconcentrated on or near the surface of the Earth. The six-year project
consists of six tasks which will evaluate geologic information on
fundamental processes occurring in the near-surface environment. The
tasks address goals of the Geological Survey\'s Strategic Plan and the
Division\'s Science Strategy, and goals put forth by cooperators,
collaborators, and clients: (1) arsenic in New England; (2) impact of
acid mine drainage on watersheds of the Appalachian Mountains; (3)
surficial processes controlling mercury distribution in Lake Superior
National Park lands: Isle Royale National Park; (4) mineralogical
studies in support of environmental work; (5) radiogenic isotopic
studies in support of environmental work; and (6) stable isotopic
studies in support of environmental work. The studies will be integrated
with multidisciplinary geologic, ground water, and biologic efforts to
gain information on the intrinsic mechanisms controlling the transfer
and remobilization of toxic metals by natural and human-induced means.
Project end date: September 30, 2003. Contacts: Bob Seal,
<rseal@usgs.gov>, National Center -- MS 954, Reston VA 20192-0002,
703-648-6290; Robert Ayuso, <rayuso@usgs.gov>, National Center -- MS
954, Reston VA 20192-0002, 703-648-6347.

[Additional Information](http://web-services.gov/PDFs/29180f4.pdf)

**Scoping of Tracers of Surficial Processes Affecting Mineral Deposits
in Humid Environments**

**Summary:** The processes affecting mineral deposits vary due to
numerous factors, one of the most important being climate. Humid
climates offer some of the greatest potential for affecting mineral
deposits because of the significant availability of water. This scoping
project seeks to refine approaches for tracing the near-surface
processes that affect mineral deposits in humid environments. The
objective is to investigate potentially fruitful avenues of research on
tracing near-surface processes affecting mineral deposits in humid
environments to serve as the basis for a well conceived, 5-year research
project on the subject to be initiated in FY05. Scoping for the project
will include (1) discussions with potential cooperators and
collaborators, both inside and outside of the USGS; (2) site visits to
assess the feasibility of field studies; (3) preliminary data collection
at field sites to further assess feasibility; and (4) preliminary
laboratory experiments to assess the feasibility of laboratory studies.
Project end date: September 30, 2004. Contacts: Bob Seal,
<rseal@usgs.gov>, National Center -- MS 954, Reston VA 20192-0002,
703-648-6290; Robert Ayuso, <rayuso@usgs.gov>, National Center -- MS
954, Reston VA 20192-0002, 703-648-6347.

[Additional Information](http://web-services.gov/PDFs/2918B2U.pdf)

**Mancos Shale Landscapes: Science and Management of Black Shale
Terrains (a**

**Regional Partnership Project)**

**Summary:** Regions underlain by black shale, especially in arid
terrains such as that of the Mancos Shale in Colorado and Utah, pose
significant problems for land use managers. In many such instances
insufficient data exist for resource and land managers to formulate
scientifically supportable policies for (1) the sustainable development
of mineral and energy resources contained in black shale terrains and
(2) the stewardship of black shale landscapes. In general the major
geologic processes responsible for the evolution of the landscapes and
their associated resources are understood. However, there is a lack of
detailed understanding that is required to quantify the processes or to
create predictive models that can accurately take into account changes
in land use, climate, National resource need, and a variety of other
factors. Mancos Shale Landscapes of the Western United States,
especially in the Upper Colorado River Basin, have become a focal point
for the need for science information supporting sound land-use policies.
This need has risen in prominence primarily because of (1) increased and
changing demands for land use and (2) issues related to the
bioavailability of selenium and the salinity of surface- and
ground-water. Concurrently, there has been an increased awareness within
the scientific community of a need to better understand processes
leading to the concentration and dispersal of both economically
important elements and environmentally sensitive elements (ESE) in black
shale sequences. Project end date: September 30, 2007. Contact: Dick
Grauch, <rgrauch@usgs.gov>, Denver Federal Center - MS 973, P.O. Box
25046, Denver, CO 80225-0046, 303-236-5551.

[Additional Information](http://web-services.gov/PDFs/89280FC.pdf)

**[Methods Development]{.underline}**

**Research Chemistry**

**Summary:** Many projects within the Geologic Discipline use chemical
analyses as a tool in the study of various earth, ecological, and
biological processes and features. Often, the success of these projects
is dependent upon the availability of modern, rapid, multi-element
analytical instruments and techniques that are beyond the scope and
capability of most individual projects. The Research Chemistry Core
Support Project provides access to state-of-the-art chemical analysis
hardware and software, as well as the expertise of highly experienced
research scientists to help solve unusually difficult problems in the
field of analytical geochemistry that cannot be addressed by the routine
methods of even the best commercial laboratories. Techniques currently
supported, or under development, include ultra-trace analyses (sub ppb
concentrations) of both solid and liquid samples for virtually every
element in the periodic chart, as well as the quantitative determination
of specific chemical species (e.g. As(III), As(V), metal cyanide
complexes) and mode of occurrence of elements in minerals. These methods
permit the USGS to participate in a broad spectrum of scientific studies
ranging from petrology and mineralogy to ecology and geo-environmental
issues. Long term efforts of this project include the development of new
standard reference materials that are used by USGS analytical labs and
projects to assure the highest analytical accuracy possible; in
addition, these standards are used by more than 20 countries to monitor
the quality of geochemical data produced by laboratories from around the
globe. The objectives of the Research Chemistry Core Support Project are
fivefold: (1) develop new and emerging geoanalytical techniques that the
Geologic Division will need within the next 5 years, (2) maintain
geochemical analysis instrumentation, laboratories, and techniques for
use by other projects, (3) provide training and oversight to other
scientists in the use of geoanalytical hardware and software, (4)
develop new geological standard reference materials that can are used by
scientists to calibrate analytical instruments and monitor laboratory
performance, and (5) maintain a specialized in-house chemical analysis
capability for use in the characterization of new reference materials,
and for use with OFA projects on difficult-to-analyze sample matrices
that are beyond the capabilities of the contract laboratory. Project end
date: September 30, 2004. Contact: Paul Lamothe, <plamothe@usgs.gov>,
Denver Federal Center, P.O. Box 25046, MS 973, Denver, CO, 80225-0046,
303-236-1923.

[Additional Information](http://web-services.gov/PDFs/89320DW.pdf)

**Geophysical Research and Development**

**Summary:** Many projects within the U.S. Geological Survey use
geophysics as a tool for studying buried or concealed geologic features.
The availability of modern geophysical instrumentation and data
interpretation software is often critical to the success of these
projects. However, most projects using geophysics lack the resources to
evaluate, purchase, maintain, and provide training for geophysical
equipment and software. In addition, the development of any new
geophysical technology is a risky, long-term activity, that is well
beyond the scope of most individual projects. The Geophysical Research
and Development Project provides the geophysical equipment and software
tools Geological Survey projects need today, and anticipates and
develops new geophysical technologies that the Survey will need within
the next five years. Technologies currently supported and under
development fall within the general categories of geoelectrical methods,
potential-field methods, and gamma-ray methods. These methods permit
geophysical investigations at a broad range of scales from national and
regional scales to local and site characterization scales, and at a
range of depths from a few centimeters to tens of kilometers. The
Geophysical Research and Development Project maintains the geophysical
expertise available to the U.S. Geological Survey by (1) anticipating
and developing new and emerging geophysical technologies that the Survey
will need within the next five years; (2) evaluating and recommending
purchase of new geophysical equipment and software; (3) maintaining
geophysical equipment and laboratories for use by other projects; and
(4) providing geophysical training and outreach. Project end date:
September 30, 2004. Contact: Jeffrey Phillips, <jeff@usgs.gov>, Denver
Federal Center, P.O. Box 25046, MS 964, Denver, CO, 80225-0046,
303-236-1206.

[Additional Information](http://web-services.gov/PDFs/89320IN.pdf)

**Remote Sensing -- Research and Applications**

**Summary:** The Remote Sensing Research and Applications Project is a
multidisciplinary project dedicated to developing the applications of
remote sensing technology for addressing geologic, botanic, and
hydrologic issues for the USGS at national, regional, and site-specific
scales. The USGS and the Remote Sensing Research and Applications
Project must address a diverse set of scientific problems. To reach and
maintain the high scientific levels required by USGS investigations, the
Remote Sensing Research and Applications Project must conduct basic
research to provide a firm foundation for remote sensing studies and
must develop and test new methods of applying existing and evolving
remote sensing data to changing USGS issues. Basic research, including
field and the laboratory studies, provides the scientific basis for
remote sensing applications. These studies establish the links between
remote sensing data and geochemical and geophysical data, provide the
rationale for interpreting the results of remote sensing analyses, and
form the basis for designing remote sensing applications. Developing
methodologies for applying remotely sensed data translates into finding
practical solutions to USGS earth science questions at national,
regional, and local scales. These methodologies also provide direction
for the scientific community in general, including other Federal, State,
and local agencies. Integrating the results of remote sensing analyses
with other types of data is a non-trivial task requiring broad knowledge
and experience, as well as an acute appreciation of the complex problems
being addressed. However, data integration expands the utility of remote
sensing data interpretations, and other data types as well, and provides
a powerful tool for addressing complex earth science issues for which
obtaining the best possible answers is critical to decision-making
processes. Project end date: September 30, 2007. Contact: Trude Ridley,
<tking@usgs.gov>, Denver Federal Center, P.O. Box 25046, MS 964, Denver,
CO, 80225-0046, 303-236-1373.

[Additional Information](http://web-services.gov/PDFs/89320EO.pdf)

**Advanced Resource Assessment Methods**

**Summary:** The fundamental reason for the Mineral Resource Program is
to provide useful minerals information to policy makers. Needed
information comes from two situations: estimates of resources, reserves,
or composition of known mineral deposits and estimates of resources in
undiscovered deposits. This project addresses the clear need to improve
undiscovered deposit estimation. The project objective is to improve
methodologies, tools, and models for quantitative mineral-resource and
mineral-environmental assessments. Quantitative methods and models are
required in order to make resource assessments explicit and
reproducible, to allow uncertainty to be presented, and to allow
alternative method comparisons. We need to know the uncertainty of
estimates if we are to reduce it. The project's focus is on being able
to make unbiased quantitative assessments in a format needed in
decision-support systems so that the consequences of alternative courses
of action with respect to minerals can be examined. Project end date:
September 30, 2004. Contact: Don Singer, <singer@usgs.gov>, MS 901, 345
Middlefield Road, Menlo Park, CA, 94025, 650-329-5370.

[Additional Information](http://web-services.gov/PDFs/99350HS.pdf)

**Predictive Environmental Studies of Sulfide Oxidation Processes**

**Summary**: In the Western US, open pit and underground mining is
leaving a legacy of pit lakes and acid mine drainage across the
landscape. In some cases, water-rock interaction between mineralized
wallrock and inflowing lake waters creates lakes with low pH and high
concentrations of trace metals. Quantitative, predictive models for the
evolution of pit water chemistry through time are required for
Environmental Impact Statements (EIS), and are necessary for biological
risk assessments for these lakes. The paucity of kinetic information for
phases other than pyrite leads to inaccurate predictions, as illustrated
in the study of the Getchell pit lake). Here, the authors were forced to
use pyrite dissolution rates as a proxy for dissolution of orpiment and
realgar (As sulfide phases). As a result, their model overpredicted As
concentrations in lake surface water by more than 10X. Data and rate
models produced by this project will begin to fill the gaps in the
database on sulfide oxidation, and lead to more accurate predictions of
pitlake water quality in the future. In addition to mine related
environmental problems in the subaerial environment, it is becoming
increasingly clear that sulfide oxidation in the coastal marine
environment may have important environmental implications. Where mine
workings or mine tailings are exposed to marine waters (Ellamar Deposit,
Prince William Sound, AK; Phillipines, Vancouver Island, B.C.) different
and largely unknown processes can lead to localized acid production and
solubilization of potentially toxic elements. In addition, research on
the ocean floor has shown significant sulfide deposits that are
oxidizing in place. Thus, a small but significant portion of our studies
will focus on reactions of sulfide minerals with oxygenated seawater.
The objective of our work is to understand and ultimately quantify the
behavior and distribution of environmentally significant elements as
they are dispersed from their sources through the environment.

Project end date: September 30, 2005. Contact: W.C. Pat Shanks,
<pshanks@usgs.gov>, Denver Federal Center - MS 973, P.O. Box 25046,
Denver, CO 80225-0046, 303-236-2497.

[Additional Information](http://web-services.gov/PDFs/89280G3.pdf)

**Aqueous Geochemistry Research and Development**

**Summary**: The Aqueous Geochemistry Research and Development Project
provides a means for researchers to pursue potentially fertile research
topics, anticipate and develop new scientific approaches, investigate
modeling applications, and develop new or improve current methodologies
in the field of aqueous geochemistry. These research efforts will lead
to future multi-disciplinary research opportunities and the maintenance
of a state-of-the-art aqueous geochemistry research group within the
Geologic Discipline. Many projects within the USGS and the Mineral
Resources Program rely on low- temperature aqueous geochemistry as an
integral part of their study of earth processes. However, development of
new aqueous geochemistry approaches, modeling applications, or method
development can be a high-risk, long-term activity that is beyond the
scope and resources of most topical projects. The Aqueous Geochemistry
Research and Development Project affords the opportunity for researchers
to develop some of these approaches, applications, and methods, which
can then feed back into research efforts in topical projects. The
Aqueous Geochemistry Research and Development Project also maintains
Mineral Resources Program access to the powerful Geochemist\'s Workbench
suite of computer programs licensed through the University of Illinois.
The overarching theme of the integrated Environmental Geochemistry
projects is to understand, and ultimately to quantify the behavior and
distribution of environmentally significant elements as they are
dispersed from their sources through the environment. Sources of
elements in mineralized terranes include natural and anthropogenic
entities, such as ore deposits, their host rocks, mill tailings, and
mine waste. Characterization of these source materials involves
identifying the mineral phases where the toxic elements reside, the
speciation of the toxic elements (e.g., oxidation state and type of
bonding to the mineral structure), and the rates and mechanisms of
release from the mineral structure. Once released from their sources,
physical, chemical, and biological processes act to redistribute and
transform dissolved and particulate forms of the elements. Project end
date: September 30, 2006. Contact: Kathleen S. Smith, <ksmith@usgs.gov>,
Denver Federal Center- MS 973, P.O. Box 25046, Denver CO, 80225-0046,
303-236-5788.

[Additional Information](http://web-services.gov/PDFs/89320GN.pdf)

**Processes of World-Class Ore Deposit Formation**

**Summary:** A goal of the USGS Minerals Program is to increase
knowledge of world-class (\"giant\") ore deposits. World-class ore
deposits are the largest 10% of deposits as ordered by metal content
(Singer, 1995). The world-class deposits dominate the potential supply
of many metals and are, therefore, of greatest importance (1) in an
assessment of undiscovered mineral resources, (2) to the supply of
minerals in the United States, and (3) to minerals exploration
organizations. Therefore, for the USGS to better forecast at regional,
national, and global scales the likelihood of as-yet undiscovered
world-class deposits, it is necessary to understand how these deposits
formed, why they grew to such a size, and what criteria may be used to
forecast their occurrence. Although the economic geology research
community has recognized the importance of understanding how world-class
deposits form (e.g., Clark, 1995), as summarized by Sillitoe (1997), no
published studies have successfully identified a unique set of criteria
that either allow the a priori discrimination between world-class and
sub-world-class deposits or the forecasting of the location of
undiscovered world-class deposits. The point of view and research
strategy used in this project differ in significant ways from other USGS
and non-USGS investigations. Based on results from previous USGS
investigations by this research team, we contend that ore formation
cannot be understood if (1) fluid flow is not considered as a coupled
phenomenon together with thermal, mechanical, chemical, and hydraulic
processes, (2) processes at the site of ore deposition are not
considered essential to producing supersaturated metal concentrations in
hydrothermal solutions, and (3) if no comparison is made of the
structural, geometric, and thermal-chemical attributes of world-class
and sub-world-class deposits at different spatial scales. Our experience
suggests that this approach can provide the spatial and analytical data
and understanding needed to predict probable locations of world class
hydrothermal ore deposits. The principal goal of this project is to
enhance the ability of USGS scientists to forecast the likelihood of
as-yet undiscovered world-class mineral deposits at different spatial
scales, with particular emphasis on epizonal base- and precious-metal
hydrothermal deposit types typically found in subduction-boundary zones.
Of highest priority are porphyry Cu, polymetallic veins and
replacements, and epithermal Au-Ag-base metal systems.

Project end date: September 30, 2007. Contact: Byron Berger,
<bberger@usgs.gov>, Denver Federal Center, P.O. Box 25046, MS 973,
Denver, CO, 80225-0046, 303-236-5533.

[Additional Information](http://web-services.gov/PDFs/8932AZN.pdf)

**Isotope Geochemistry/Geochronology Research and Development-Multiuser
New**

**Capabilities**

**Summary:** This proposal presents the R & D component of the Core
Operations project. The isotope geochemistry/geochronology laboratories
are critical to the scientific health of Geologic Discipline as well as
Bureau Programs, are a venue for developing future multi-disciplinary
research, and with full scientific participation in projects, is a cost
effective source for projects across virtually all GD programs. In FY03
Core Operations and Maintenance costs will be funded by other means, and
all direct programmatic work including staffing and project specific OE
is requested within approved projects.To maintain a future looking
scientific research and development effort within Isotope and
Geochronologic Geochemistry, periodic new and continuing R/D efforts are
proposed. These R & D tasks all are small efforts, generally not of full
project magnitude, require nominal investment for potentially
significant future returns to Programs, Geologic Discipline and to the
Bureau, expand our capabilities and skills, and enable the Bureau to be
responsive to new and anticipated future opportunities with the
necessary skill base and laboratory infrastructure. Each task is
targeted to one or more Program, and each should be judged independently
on funding merits or priorities. This project is an effective vehicle by
which to request Program(s) R & D funding to develop basic capabilities
and new methods or science applications. This R & D funding is good
business sense; it is necessary to spawn new opportunities and to
prepare for important objectives. Longer term objectives include
expensive repairs or replacement of major instrumentation and investment
in new technologies required to meet Program needs. Costs are
apportioned to Programs on a \"use basis\" determined by documented
historic records in developed business plans. Project end date:
September 30, 2004. Contact: Gary Landis, <g_landis@usgs.gov>, Denver
Federal Center, P.O. Box 25046, MS 963, Denver, CO, 80225-0046,
303-236-5406.

[Additional Information](http://web-services.gov/PDFs/89320GP.pdf)

**Geochemical and Stable Isotope Studies of Life Cycle of Ore Deposits
and Technology Transfer**

**Summary:** Stable isotope, fluid inclusion, active gas chemistry,
noble gas isotope, and solute chemistry techniques are exceptionally
powerful tools in the study of fundamental processes operating during
the evolution of ore deposits. Some of these techniques, particularly
stable isotopes, are also powerful in the study of the processes that
occur during the entire life cycle of ore deposits from genesis to
natural destruction and post mining remediation. In this project the
full potential of each of these techniques is developed and their
combined potential applied in an integrated fashion in multidisciplinary
studies to acquire essential knowledge about fundamental problems of the
genesis of ore deposits. Furthermore, stable isotope techniques are
applied to studies of the entire life cycle of mineral resources. This
life cycle includes assessments, exploration, genesis, natural and
anthropogenic modification, ore processing, remediation and reclamation.
The specific study of fundamental problems is closely integrated with
the development of genetic and environmental models of ore deposits
currently being studied by scientists in other MRP projects. Current
fundamental problems include the role of brittle-ductile transformations
in ore genesis, the evolution of magmatic fluids in the
porphyry-epithermal environment, fluid-rock reactions and the
migrational history of deep crustal fluids, climate and geotectonic
history as an aid in the prediction and location of concealed mineral
deposits, and the weathering history of ore deposits as an aid to
understanding tectonic and climate history relevant to the development
of ore genesis and geoenvironmental models. The knowledge gained in
these studies is not specific to ore deposits and can be applied to
societally relevant issues (such as volcanic landslide hazards, climate
change, public health issues, acid mine drainage and cyanide
degradation) and to the preservation and restoration of ecosystems.
Consequently the project interfaces not only with a large number of
studies with MRP scientists but is increasingly asked to support MRP
funded or reimbursable studies by other GD, WRD and BRD scientists. The
project laboratories provide analytical support and develop techniques
to insure the availability of state-of-the-art facilities for MRP
scientists. The laboratories provide a creative environment for the
mentoring of students and scientist and for the development of
Programmatic and Venture Capital interdisciplinary and Bureau-wide
studies and play a major role in facilitating \"seamlessness\" within
the Bureau. The core maintenance of the stable isotope and noble gas
chemistry laboratories is supported under a separate venue. Project end
date: September 30, 2008. Contacts: Robert Rye, <rrye@usgs.gov>, Denver
Federal Center, P.O. Box 25046, MS 963, Denver, CO, 80225-0046,
303-236-7907; Jackie Williams, <jackie@usgs.gov>, Denver Federal Center,
P.O. Box 25046, MS 964, Denver, CO 80225-0046; 303-236-1203.

[Additional Information](http://web-services.gov/PDFs/8932AYS.pdf)

**Radiogenic and Stable Isotope Methods**

**Summary:** This project is focused on developing radiogenic and stable
isotope techniques for analysis of materials, fluids, and fluid and
solid inclusions from ancient and modern environments. This project will
establish new analytical procedures and data for the MRP, Geologic
Discipline, and other Disciplines; it will contribute to the better
understanding of regional and site-specific metal mobilization,
transport, redistribution processes, and sources of fluids for regional
geologic, ore genesis, life-cycles, and environmental applications.
Funding for this project supports the day-to-day operation of the
radiogenic and stable isotope labs. Collaborating projects fund the cost
of specific work done by these labs in support of their own
activities\--they are not required to pay for the cost of maintenance of
the instruments, hardware repairs/replacements, hardware improvements,
software, general lab maintenance, and emergency support. Continuing
project. Contact: Robert Ayuso, <rayuso@usgs.gov>, National Center -- MS
954, Reston VA 20192-0002, 703-648-6347.

[Additional Information](http://web-services.gov/PDFs/29180IR.pdf)

**Analytical Chemistry Services**

**Summary:** The CRMRT Analytical Chemistry project combines and
coordinates the chemistry functions that are necessary for research and
assessment projects within the Geologic Division. Recurring efforts
include maintaining equipment and methods of anlaysis for in-house
analytical chemistry work; offering a mechanism to prepare samples;
contracting routine chemical requests to an outside laboratory;
providing data quality control for both in-house and contract generated
data; providing INAA, delayed neutron, XRF, and single element analysis.
Long term efforts include continued support to the Geologic Division by
providing these services and the modification of these analytical
methods or administrative procedures to better meet the needs of the
users in the Geologic Division. Contact: Dave Detra, <ddetra@usgs.gov>,
Denver Federal Center - MS 973, P.O. Box 25046, Denver, CO, 80225-0046,
303-236-1804.

[Additional Information](http://web-services.gov/PDFs/89280EE.pdf)

**CR Petrographic and Ore Microscopy Labs**

**Summary:** The Petrographic and Ore Microscopy Laboratories provide
technical and scientific support to Mineral Resources Program team
scientists and other team personnel. The labs are equipped with trained
personnel who will both assist scientists or perform analyses for
scientists. The Petrographic Lab provides rock crushing facilities, rock
saws, lapidary equipment, separatory equipment, X-ray diffraction
instrumentation as well as lab facilites for leaching studies, acid mine
drainage experiments and the like. The Ore Microscopy Lab provides a
facility where scientists can perform methods and procedures commonly
used in ore miscroscopy, prepare polished sections, and examine and
study specimens/samples by optical and x-ray methods. Continuing
project. Contact: Betty Adrian, <badrian@usgs.gov>, Denver Federal
Center, P.O. Box 25046, MS 973, Denver, CO, 80225-0046, 303-236-1806.

[Additional Information](http://web-services.gov/PDFs/89280DF.pdf)

**Central Region Isotopic/Geochronology Core Operations, Lab Support**

**Summary:** Central Region Isotopic/Geochronology Core Operations Lab
Support Project provides a formal accounting and tracking method for
base funding several important isotope and geochronology laboratory
facilities that serve a broad spectrum of Geologic Discipline needs.
These funds provide the \"Keep the Lights On\" sustaining and
maintenance level of support to cover expenses not appropriate for
individual projects. This support is required to assure that the
capabilities represented by these facilities and staff are available to
achieve present and anticipated future objectives of Programs. CR
Isotopic/Geochronology Core Operations Lab Support project is necessary
to guarantee both short term maintenance of expensive laboratories, and
to provide the ability to achieve longer term (5 or more years)
important objectives. Longer term objectives include expensive repairs
or replacement of major instrumentation and investment in new
technologies required to meet Program needs. Costs are apportioned to
Programs on a \"use basis\" determined by documented historic records in
developed business plans.

Project end date: September 30, 2004. Contact: Betty Adrian,
<badrian@usgs.gov>, Denver Federal Center, P.O. Box 25046, MS 973,
Denver, CO, 80225-0046, 303-236-1806.

[Additional Information](http://web-services.gov/PDFs/89280DF.pdf)

**[Information Management and Delivery]{.underline}**

**Spatial Data Delivery Project**

**Summary**: The purpose of this project is to: (1) coordinate the
generation of complete, seamless, digital databases of geologic,
lithologic, geochemical, geophysical, and mineral deposit information in
consistent, standard formats; (2) develop methods and tools for serving
this data to all customers, both internal and external, over the
Internet; (3) develop Internet-based methods and tools for analytical
processing of MRP data; and (4) maintain communications with the rest of
the Division and the Bureau on activities which are related to the
electronic delivery of spatial data. The primary objective of the
project is to develop hardware and software methods and tools for
serving MRP spatial information over the Internet. Immediate objectives
are to coordinate the improvement of MRP\'s national databases, to
coordinate the development of standard data models and formats for the
databases, to serve MRP data to all users by developing Internet-based
access tools, and to investigate the possibility of developing on-line
data analysis tools. Project end date: September 30, 2005. Contact:
Bruce Johnson, <bjohnson@usgs.gov>, National Center - MS 954, Reston,
VA, 20192-0002, 703-648-6051.

[Additional Information](http://web-services.gov/PDFs/29180DK.pdf)

**National Geochemical Database**

**Summary:** Over approximately the past 35 years, the chemical
laboratories of the U.S. Geological Survey\'s Geologic Division have
analyzed more than 1.25 million samples of geologic material such as
soils, stream sediments, and rocks, and continue to analyze several
thousand samples annually. The database of these analyses contains in
excess of 54 million analytical determinations and is growing daily. In
addition, in 1985 the USGS Mineral Resources Program (MRP) inherited
management responsibilities for the geochemical data of more than
500,000 stream sediment, soil, and water samples from the Department of
Energy\'s National Uranium Resource Evaluation (NURE) Hydrogeochemical
and Stream Sediment Reconnaissance (HSSR) Program, which was conducted
during the late 1970s and early 1980s. The problem addressed by this
project is one of preserving all the archival chemical data and all the
newly generated data in perpetuity in an accurate, easily accessible,
user-friendly database. This data can then be distributed both via the
World Wide Web and on CD/DVD. Project end date: September 30, 2007.
Contacts: Steve Smith, <smsmith@usgs.gov>, Denver Federal Center - MS
973, P.O. Box 25046, Denver, CO, 80225-0046, 303-236-1192; David Smith,
<dsmith@usgs.gov>, Denver Federal Center - MS 973, P.O. Box 25046,
Denver, CO, 80225-0046, 303-236-1849.

[Additional Information](http://web-services.gov/PDFs/89280DU.pdf)

**National Geophysical Database**

**Summary:** The main objective of the expiring version of this project
was to archive and catalog existing geophysical data acquired in the
past by the old Branch of Geophysics and other USGS organizations. A new
focus of this version, as well as continuing many of the previous tasks,
is to update databases with newly collected data. In the case of the
magnetics database that involves accessing these airborne surveys and
merging them into the recently created compilation publications for the
states and North America. Project end date: September 30, 2007. Contact:
Bob Kucks, <rkucks@usgs.gov>, Denver Federal Center, P.O. Box 25046, MS
964, Denver, CO, 80225-0046, 303-236-1405.

[Additional Information](http://web-services.gov/PDFs/89320EK.pdf)

**Mineral Resources Data System**

**Summary**: The USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) answers the
question \"Where are the known deposits and what are their attributes?"
MRDS is updated on a continuous basis and contains information related
to location, geology, commodity, production, reserves and resources,
ownership, environmental information, and relevant references. The
database is used by Federal agencies, academia, mining and exploration
companies, environmental groups, consultants, and the general public, in
addition to USGS scientists. Project end date: September 30, 2006.
Contact: Paul Schruben, [pschrube@usgs.gov](mailto:bjohnson@usgs.gov),
National Center - MS 954, Reston, VA, 20192-0002, 703-648-6142.

[Additional Information](http://web-services.gov/PDFs/29180E7.pdf)

**Geologic Map Data Model**

**Summary:** The North American Digital Geologic Map Data Model (NADM)
provides a consistent structure for computer-based organization,
storage, and use of geologic map data and associated scientific
information. The purpose of this project is to support the development
and implementation of NADM by a wide community of geoscientists. This
will be accomplished through two coordinated activities, one geared
towards the conceptual framework of the model and focused on
communication and coordination, the other geared towards implementation
of the model using technology currently available in the marketplace,
modified as needed for this application. The data model formally defines
the grammar of geologic map data independent of the vocabulary by which
those maps are described; the vocabulary must also be standardized as
much as possible along with the grammar. A secondary objective of the
project is to develop as much of the standard vocabulary as possible.
Project end date: September 30, 2005. Contact: Bruce Johnson,
<bjohnson@usgs.gov>, National Center - MS 954, Reston, VA, 20192-0002,
703-648-6051, Peter Schweitzer, <pschweitzer@usgs.gov>, National
Center - MS 954, Reston, VA, 20192-0002, 703-648-6533.

[Additional Information](http://web-services.gov/PDFs/29180DJ.pdf)

**Alaska Resource Data File**

**Summary:** The goal of this project is to update the Alaska Resource
Data File and provide a complete, user-friendly, and user-accessible
information source on metallic and selected non-metallic mineral
occurrences in Alaska and Hawaii. In order to accomplish this, the
information in ARDF is be systematically updated by 1:250,000-scale
quadrangle, largely on a contract basis. Experts in Alaskan mineral
deposits are contracted to provide updates in regions of their
expertise. The results for these updates are systematically released in
an Adobe Acrobat PDF format on the Internet. In addition, as time
allows, the updated information is returned to the MRDS database to
ensure currency of that database. The information collected and
maintained by this project is fundamental to many types of mineral
occurrence related, land use, and or research efforts. The data in this
database is used in resource assessments, mineral deposit modeling,
mineral-environmental studies. In addition, this information is of
critical value for the mineral exploration industry and this project has
received strong support from the industry. Project end date: September
30, 2007. Contact: Frederic Wilson, <fwilson@usgs.gov>, 4200 University
Drive, Anchorage, AK 99508, 907-786-7448.

[Additional Information](http://web-services.gov/PDFs/90630HG.pdf)

**Alaska Data-at-Risk**

**Summary:** On April 14, 1997, a report submitted to the Senate
Interior Appropriations Subcommittee recommended actions on five
minerals information issues in Alaska. Supplemental appropriations were
provided to the USGS and BLM to support activities in response to four
of those issues in FY1998 and FY1999, and to USGS in FY2000-2002.This
project addresses USGS responsibilities on two of the four priority
issues, databases and information systems. The objective of this project
is to locate, clean-up, collate, and make publicly available geologic-
and minerals-related data for Alaska. The USGS is directly responsible
for geochemical, bibliographic, and mineral deposit databases. The USGS
is indirectly responsible, via pass through funding, for library and
archive efforts, fossil databases, and legacy data rescue. Funding
utilized by the USGS is limited to salaries for personnel working on
these efforts, and to a small amount of computer equipment and travel.
The USGS is responsible for geochemical, mineral deposit, and
bibliographic data collection, clean up, collation, and dissemination.

Project end date: September 30, 2004. Contact: Bruce Gamble,
<bgamble@usgs.gov>, 4200 University Drive, Anchorage, AK 99508,
907-786-7479.

[Additional Information](http://web-services.gov/PDFs/90630HD.pdf)

**Outreach and Technology Exchange**

**Summary:** As part of the USGS mission to provide the Nation with
reliable scientific information, Mineral Resources Program Outreach and
Technology Exchange projects promote outreach to our cooperators,
customers, and the general public through presentations, publications,
and digital products. The three regional Outreach and Technology
Exchange projects coordinate mineral-related outreach efforts. Each
regional project focuses on: improving access to mineral- related
information, working to understand the Mineral Resources Program
customer base and its needs, looking for collaborative opportunities for
mineral-related work outside and within the USGS, and coordinating
activities with other USGS regional science and outreach efforts.

Continuing project. Contact: **Eastern Region**: Jane Jenness,
<jjenness@usgs.gov>, National Center -- MS 954, Reston, VA, 20192-0002,
703-648-6341; **Central Region**: Maria Montour <mmontour@usgs.gov>,
Denver Federal Center, P.O. Box 25046, MS 973, Denver, CO, 80225-0046,
303-236-2787; **Western Region**: David Frank, <dfrank@usgs.gov>, West
904 Riverside Avenue, Spokane, WA, 99201, 509-368-3107.

[Additional Information -- Eastern
Region](http://web-services.gov/PDFs/29180DI.pdf)

[Additional Information -- Central
Region](http://web-services.gov/PDFs/89320DL.pdf)

[Additional Information -- Western
Region](http://web-services.gov/PDFs/99350E9.pdf)

**Computer and GIS Support - Eastern Region**

**Summary:** The Computer and GIS Support Project, Eastern Region,
provides support for the computing and GIS infrastructure of the Eastern
Mineral Resources Team (EMRT). This support consists of: expertise,
guidance, and training for GIS production and research activities;
development and maintenance of an Eastern Region Spatial Data Library;
maintenance, upgrades, and training for hardware/software in user rooms;
backup, maintenance, and upgrades of hardware and software for EMRT file
servers; development of digital data outside the scope of an individual
project; and coordination of GIS activities in the Eastern Region.
Continuing project. Contact: Walt Bawiec, <wbawiec@usgs.gov>, National
Center -- MS 954, Reston VA 20192-0002, 703-648-6148.

[Additional Information](http://web-services.gov/PDFs/29180GK.pdf)

**Central Region GIS and Information Management**

**Summary:** The most important aspect of this project is to provide
geographic information systems and information management support to the
Central Region Mineral Resources and Crustal Imaging and
Characterization Teams and to conduct specialized GIS tasks that are not
directly related to other program projects. The project will provide
basic services required by team projects, including GIS support, GIS
Laboratory development and maintenance (software and hardware), and
contracting support. Support also includes helping staff and projects
comply with \"publication requirements for digital map products\" as
defined in GD Policy Memorandum 99-06. The project will also provide
leadership for implementing and supporting NSDI (National Spatial Data
Infrastructure) requirements, especially those related to metadata.
Continuing project. Contact: Greg Lee, <glee@usgs.gov>, Denver Federal
Center - MS 973, P.O. Box 25046, Denver, CO, 80225-0046, 303-236-2491.

[Additional Information](http://web-services.gov/PDFs/89280G0.pdf)

**Western Region Database and Information Analysis**

**Summary:** This project provides for a Database and Information
Analysis (DIA) team in each of the four WR MRP field offices (exclusive
of Alaska) and for their coordination. The DIA staff will fulfill a
continued need for acquisition, creation, analysis, publication and
archiving of digital spatial geoscience datasets for use by MRP staff
and for our other customers (including the BLM and the USFS, who are
requiring that data be provided in an ArcGIS format). In addition, the
DIA staff will assist their MRP colleagues in performing
minerals-related assessments by utilizing the spatial analytical
capabilities inherent in a geographic information system (GIS).
Coordination of GIS activities between the field offices will reduce
duplication of effort and will encourage the creation of GIS centers of
excellence. Standardization of GIS products will ease the merging of
data for regional analysis. GIS products need to be published in a
timely fashion for use by land management agencies and the general
public. Continuing project. Contact: Pamela Derkey, <pderkey@usgs.gov>,
West 904 Riverside Avenue, Spokane, WA, 99201, 509-368-3114.

[Additional Information](http://web-services.gov/PDFs/99350G1.pdf)

# **Western Region Databases and Information Analysis, Alaska** 

# **Summary**: The Western Region Databases and Information Analysis, Alaska project provides geographic information systems (GIS) support for MRP-WR-Alaska Section. GIS support includes creating digital geoscience data sets, providing regional geoscience data sets, and assisting in spatial analyses of geoscience data. In addition, this project helps coordinate and standardize the digital mapping activities of the Alaska Section.

Continuing project. Contact: Nora Shew, <nshew@usgs.gov>, 4200
University Drive, Anchorage, AK 99508, 907-786-7445.

[Additional Information](http://web-services.gov/PDFs/90630G2.pdf)

**II. Minerals Information Projects**

**Data Collection and Coordination**

**Summary:** Project objectives are to (1) collect and provide timely,
accurate minerals data in support of USGS\'s domestic and international
minerals information activities including, but not limited to,
recurring, ad hoc, and special projects; (2) continue activities to
update key mineral statistics and expand coverage of the first edition
of the Statistical Compendium (SC); (3) respond to public inquiries and
requests for minerals information under FOIA; (4) provide for records
management of USGS historical and current minerals data; and (5)
maintain and forward appropriate minerals information to NARA.
Continuing project. Contact: Michelle Simmons, <msimmons@usgs.gov>,
National Center -- MS 985, Reston VA 20192-0002, 703-648-7940.

[Additional Information](http://web-services.gov/PDFs/29230F1.pdf)

**Statistics and Methods Development**

**Summary:** The objectives of this project are to (1) research,
evaluate, develop, and implement statistical methods, practices, and
standards; (2) evaluate and measure the quality and timeliness of USGS
minerals information products; (3) develop, revise, control, and obtain
OMB approval for 140 survey data collection forms; (4) publish monthly
measures of the economic health of the primary metals and nonmetallic
mineral products industries; (5) provide statistical expertise and
training primarily for the Minerals Information Team (MIT). Continuing
project. Contact: Ken Beckman, <kbeckman@usgs.gov>, National Center --
MS 988, Reston, VA 20192-0002, 703-648-4916.

[Additional Information](http://web-services.gov/PDFs/29230F6.pdf)

**Minerals Information Systems and Data Administration**

**Summary:** The USGS collects and disseminates information on
mineral-related economic activities. The collection, processing, and
publication of accurate, timely, and reproducible mineral statistics
require automated information systems and communication networks.
Minerals Information Team (MIT) systems and networks include the AMIS,
the Publications Mailing System (PUBS), the Canvass Mailing System
(CMS), the LAN network as well as the Canvass Respondent Control, U.S.
Import/Export, and the Mine Injury and Employment data bases. Continuing
project. Contact: Ken Beckman, <kbeckman@usgs.gov>, National Center --
MS 988, Reston, VA 20192-0002, 703-648-4916.

[Additional Information](http://web-services.gov/PDFs/29230F7.pdf)

**Materials Flow**

**Summary:** The project provides information and analysis regarding the
flow of materials in the U.S. economy, and the information necessary to
anticipate the Nation\'s mineral-resource needs in a global context to
address the availability of resources for sustainability. This project
consists of 7 tasks which are: (1) analyzing trends in domestic and
international exploration; (2) analyzing and reporting on factors
affecting materials supply and demand; (3) U.S. and world materials
consumption and economic input-output tables; (4) development of
indicators of sustainable development of mineral and energy resources
for the Sustainability Indicators Roundtable and contributing to the
Interagency Working Group; (5) the materials flow of smelting of copper
and zinc; (6) the training of the State Department\'s Resource Reporting
Officers; and (7) miscellaneous, but important outreach or quick
response efforts that do not specifically fit under other tasks. A
series of outreach items in the form of delivered and planned products
have been listed with each task. Continuing project. Contact: Don
Bleiwas, <bleiwas@usgs.gov>, Denver Federal Center -- MS 750, P.O. Box
25046, Denver, CO, 80225-0046, 303-236-8747, x340.

[Additional Information](http://web-services.gov/PDFs/29230FE.pdf)

**Industrial Minerals**

**Summary:** Fifty industrial mineral and mineral materials account for
just over three-quarters of the total \$42 billion nonfuel mineral
mining in the United States. These industrial minerals are commonly
classified into four main end-use categories: agricultural, chemical,
construction, and specialty industrial minerals. Through this project,
the USGS is the Federal Government\'s primary source of information on
the production, consumption, reserves and materials flow for these
minerals and materials. Mineral commodity specialists gather
information, oversee the canvassing of over 14,300 domestic mineral
operations, and maintain intelligence on foreign mineral operations. The
specialists evaluate and analyze the information on industries and
markets of these industrial minerals, and then disseminate their derived
data and findings to Government agencies, industry, and the public.
Continuing project. Contact: Ken Mlynarski, <kmlynars@usgs.gov>,
National Center -- MS 983, Reston VA 20192-0002, 703-648-4919.

[Additional Information](http://web-services.gov/PDFs/29230FH.pdf)

**Metals**

**Summary:** The United States Government constantly needs reliable
information on the supply and demand of metals and their compounds,
which form an important foundation for the Nation\'s economy and
security. This USGS project is the Federal Government\'s primary source
of information on the mining and processing industries of more than 40
key metals, which accounted for \$9 billion in raw materials and more
than an estimated \$100 billion in processed metal materials added to
the U.S. economy in 2001. Since the terrorist attacks in September 2001,
information on these metals industries has become even more important
because the United States relies heavily on foreign supplies of many
metals used to support the Nation\'s industrial base and defense
structure. In response to the increasingly important need for
information on metals supply and demand, mineral commodity specialists
in this project manage USGS surveys covering hundreds of domestic metal
operations and also gather intelligence on metal supply vulnerabilities
abroad. Moreover, these specialists evaluate and forecast metals
industry trends as well as the environmental and economic impacts of
metals industry operations. Reports by the specialists are available to
all Federal Agencies, State Governments, domestic industry, and the
public. Continuing project. Contact: Scott Sibley, <ssibley@usgs.gov>,
National Center -- MS 989, Reston VA 20192-0002, 703-648-4976.

[Additional Information](http://web-services.gov/PDFs/29230GZ.pdf)

**International Minerals**

**Summary:** The international minerals component of the Minerals
Information Team provides information essential to understand the
minerals and fuel status of the United States in reference to other
countries of the world or specific geographic or political region(s).
The objective is to collect, synthesize, analyze, and disseminate
information on production, trade, legislation, and environmental and
economic impact of the mineral industry, by country or region, with
attention to how they affect the economic, public policy, and national
security interests of the United States. This information is collected
individually for more than 170 countries. The information and data cover
the extraction, production, refining of mineral commodities and some of
their products. To complement coverage of mineral production,
information is also collected, analyzed, and disseminated on individual
country mining , environmental, investment, and other laws that affect
the mineral industries; trade, with emphasis on the interactions with
the United States; structure and ownership of the minerals industries;
types of deposits; labor force; official reserve data; and other
pertinent information. The overall strategy is to analyze and publish
useful and timely information on a yearly basis through the Minerals
Yearbook, special publications, the Internet, and other media. Staff of
the project also contribute to outside publications, answer special
requests by telephone, mail, and fax, serve on Government, industry, or
professional committees and groups to share and amplify information
collected. Continuing project. Contact: Dave Menzie, <dmenzie@usgs.gov>,
National Center -- MS 991, Reston VA 20192, 703-648-7732.

[Additional Information](http://web-services.gov/PDFs/29230IQ.pdf)

**Minerals Information Publication Services**

**Summary:** This project provides for rapid editing and formatting of
the USGS minerals information periodical series publications prepared by
the Minerals Information Team (MIT) and the production of graphics,
electronic and paper publications, and State minerals information
products. A significant outcome of this project is that diverse customer
segments are provided with the information they need in the format they
prefer, within acceptable time lines, so that these customers can make
decisions regarding minerals issues or land-use, economic, or other
policies. Continuing project. Contact: Gloria Ruggiero,
<gruggier@usgs.gov>, National Center -- MS 984, Reston VA 20192-0002,
703-648-7790.

[Additional Information](http://web-services.gov/PDFs/29230GB.pdf)

**Attachment II**

**Evaluation Criteria**. All proposals will be evaluated in accordance
with the following criteria:

> 5 *outstanding:* an emphatic YES to all, or nearly all, questions
>
> 4 *excellent:* a strong YES to most questions
>
> 3 *good:* a positive response to most questions
>
> 2 *marginal:* a positive response to some questions, may contain
> insufficient information to address some questions
>
> 1 *inadequate:* little positive response to any questions, or contains
> insufficient information to determine a response.

**1. Scientific quality and impact: (30 points)**

(a) Does this work address the goals of the Mineral Resources Program?

(b) Will this work make fundamental advances in geoscientific research,
    enhance technology development, or provide fundamental minerals
    information?

(c) Will this work (1) advance our understanding of (a) the occurrence,
    quality, quantity, and environmental characteristics of mineral
    resources, (b) the fundamental processes that create and modify
    them, or (c) the life cycle of minerals and mineral materials; (2)
    contribute to developing objective methods for assessing mineral
    resources; or (3) help predict the potential environmental impact of
    mineral development?

(d) Will this work contribute to resolution of issues involving the
    economy, sustainable use, land stewardship, environmental impact, or
    public health? Does the proposed project respond to societal or
    customer needs?

**2. Work plan: (30 points)**

(a) Is the strategy clear and designed for success?

(b) Are the scientific objectives appropriate for proposed time frame?

(c) Are the geographic areas selected for study appropriate?

(d) Are the tools selected for research appropriate?

**3. Deliverables: (20 points)**

(a) Are the products clearly defined?

(b) Are the products appropriate to the work as well as to the expected
    users?

(c) Can these products be produced in the proposed time frame with
    resources requested?

**4. Budget Justification and Clarity: (20 points)**

> \(a\) Is staff sufficient to accomplish the proposed goals?
>
> \(b\) Are field expenses, supplies, lab work, and other expenses
> appropriate?
>
> \(c\) Are expenses adequately itemized?

**5. Comments:**