Alaska

Science Center

Spokane

Office

Reno

Office

Denver

Center Reston

Center Menlo Park

Center

Tucson

Office

U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

Fact Sheet 2007–3035

May 2007 Printed on recycled paper

The MRP provides timely and unbiased analyses of 

minerals and inorganic materials to (1) improve stewardship of public lands and resources; (2) support national 

and international economic and security policy; (3) sustain prosperity and improve our quality of life; and

(4) protect and improve public health, safety, and environmental quality.

The MRP supports about 400 USGS research specialists. Cooperative agreements with universities, industry, and 

other governmental agencies support collaborative research 

and information exchange, and through grants the MRP supports additional mineral research on topics consistent with 

program goals.

U.S. Geological Survey

Mineral Resources Program—

Science Supporting Mineral Resource Stewardship

T he United States is the world’s largest user of mineral resources. We use them to build our homes and cities, fertilize our food crops, and create 

wealth that allows us to buy goods and services. Individuals rarely use nonfuel 

mineral resources in their natural state—we buy light bulbs, not the silica, soda 

ash, lime, coal, salt, tungsten, copper, nickel, molybdenum, iron, manganese, 

aluminum, and zinc used to convert electricity into light. 

The USGS Mineral Resources Program (MRP) is the sole Federal source 

of scientific information and unbiased research on nonfuel mineral potential, 

production, and consumption, as well as on the environmental effects of 

minerals. The MRP also provides baseline geochemical, geophysical, and 

mineral-deposit data used to understand environmental issues related to extraction and use of mineral resources. Understanding how minerals, water, plants, 

and organisms interact contributes to our understanding of the environment, 

which is essential for maintaining human and ecosystem health. To support creation of economic and national security policies in a global context, MRP collects and analyzes data on essential mineral commodities from around the world.

Personnel 

supported by the 

USGS Mineral 

Resources 

Program are 

located in offices 

across the U.S.

Program Mission and Personnel
M i n e r a l R e s o u r c e s P r o g r a m . . . . . . . 

82

Pb

207.2

lead [Xe]6s24f145d106p2

The MRP supports research on how and where mineral 

deposits form and supports development of methods to detect 

potential mineral resources. This research facilitates assessments of undiscovered mineral resources, most of which are not 

easily identified at the Earth’s surface because they are hidden 

by non-mineral bearing rocks or dense vegetation. Geophysical tools and techniques allow us to see geologic units and 

structures beneath the Earth’s surface and build three-dimensional models of an area to understand how mineral resources 

are distributed. Innovative geochemical tools and methods 

are being developed to reduce uncertainty in mineral resource 

assessments.

Natural and Man-Made Chemicals in North American Soils

Soils play a key role in human health and ecosystem integrity, support food production, and contribute to 

natural recycling of carbon and essential nutrients in the 

environment. Limited knowledge of the concentration and 

distribution of naturally occurring and man-made chemicals 

in North American soils makes it difficult to establish standards for soil clean-up, evaluate effects of chronic exposure 

to contaminated soils on human health, and determine the 

impact of new land-use practices on the environment. MRP 

scientists along with colleagues at the Geological Survey of 

Canada and the Servicio Geológico Mexicano are sampling and mapping the spatial distribution of elements and 

selected chemicals in soils throughout North America.

Information on domestic and international supplies and 

uses of minerals and mineral materials is essential to the U.S. 

economy and to national security. Public and private organizations rely on this objective information to make informed 

decisions, to understand the impact of mineral materials on the 

economy, and to forecast future mineral supply and demand. 

The MRP collects data on mineral production, consumption, 

recycling, inventory, and shipments from the U.S. mining and 

mineral processing industry. In addition, production data, trade 

data, and other information on more than 80 commodities from 

about 100 countries are compiled and published. Materials flow 

studies, such as a recent lead wheel-weight study, use available 

data to study life cycles of mineral products. 

Lead Wheel Weights

T he implications of lead deposited along the Nation’s highways when lead weights used to balance tires are dislodged and spread by wind and 

water is one example of a recent materials flow study supported by the MRP. 

Estimates of the amount of lead lost from wheels, such as the 1 ounce clipon wheel weights, shown here both new and abraded by traffic, ranged from 

2,000 to 5,000 tons in 2003. Lead wheel weights have been used on vehicles 

for about 70 years so the cumulative amount of lead dispersed in the environment is significant. The complete study can be found at http://pubs.usgs.

gov/of/2006/1111.

Basic and Applied Mineral Research

Minerals Information
. a N a t i o n a l R e s o u r c e

5–10

Less than 5

10–15

15–20

20–25

25–30

30–35

35–40

40–50

50–60

60–70

70–80

80–100

100–140

140–180

More than 180

EXPLANATION

Average annual precipitation,

1961–90 (in inches)

117° 115° 113° 111° 109°

43°

44°

45°

46°

47°

48°

49° EXPLANATION

Unconsolidated

deposits

Siliciclastic-rich

sedimentary and 

metasedimentary

rocks

Carbonate-rich

sedimentary and 

metasedimentary

rocks

Sedimentary and 

metasedimentary

rocks rich in 

volcanic rock 

fragments

Other sedimentary 

rocks

Igneous and 

metamorphosed

igneous rocks

Other metamorphic 

rocks

Tectonite

0 45 90MILES

0 60 120 KILOMETERS

MONTANA

WASH

IDAHO WYOMING

INDEX MAP

OREGON

80

Hg

200.5

mercury [Xe]6s24f145d10

80

Hg

200.5

mercury

[Xe]6s24f145d10

Decisions that ensure a secure supply of mineral commodities depend on information on the location, quality, 

and quantity of resources. The MRP supports studies that 

produce scientifically accurate and reproducible mineral 

resource assessments. To prepare for an assessment, data 

are collected and compiled. Research studies are conducted 

to understand the geologic history and characteristics of the 

area, define what processes formed the mineral deposits, 

and identify keys to predicting undiscovered deposits. 

Teams of experts analyze available information, identify 

characteristics that suggest the presence of undiscovered 

mineral deposits, and evaluate the quality and quantity of 

potential mineral deposits. 

Assessments at a variety of scales provide valuable 

information to a range of users, including Federal, State, 

and local land-use managers. Assessments currently supported by the MRP range from one in central Colorado 

designed to facilitate land-use planning on and near Federal 

lands to one working with partners from around the world 

to assess select nonfuel minerals on a global scale. 

In addition, MRP supports development of tools and 

techniques designed to understand what happens when 

mineral deposits are weathered or mined. Mineral environmental assessments use understandings of mineral 

deposits to anticipate environmental challenges associated 

with abandoned mines and the effects of developing new 

mineral deposits, providing specific information on the 

potential release of contaminants into the environment, an 

issue of concern to a wide range of land managers. 

Northern Rocky Mountains

T he foundation of any mineral resource or mineral environmental assessment is a geologic map, such as this one 

created from data collected by MRP scientists in the Northern Rocky Mountains. The geologic information helps us 

understand Earth history; assess mineral, energy, and water 

resources; and identify potential hazards related to Earth 

processes. The data shown on this map, combined with other 

information, are used by land managers at the Forest Service 

and Bureau of Land Management who are responsible for

management of Federal lands.

Mercury concentrations in soils along an eastwest transect (blue bars) are shown against a 

color-coded background depicting average annual 

precipitation to compare mercury concentrations 

with climate. The taller the blue bar, the higher 

the mercury concentration in the soil.

Mineral Resource and Mineral Environmental Assessments
25

Mn

54.94

manganese

[Ar]4s23d5

81

Tl

204.4

thallium [Xe]6s24f145d106p1

39

Y

88.91

yttrium

[Kr]5s24d1

81

Tl

204.4

thallium

[Xe]6s24f145d106p1

25

Mn

54.94

manganese

[Ar]4s23d5

Why is it important for the Federal government to study and 

provide information on nonfuel minerals? 

T he U.S. imported 100 percent of these mineralcommodities in 2006:

Arsenic

Asbestos

Bauxite and alumina

Columbium

Fluorspar

Graphite

Indium

Manganese

Rare Earth Elements

Rubidium

Strontium

Thallium

Thorium

Vanadium

Yttrium

Nonfuel minerals are important in many items we use every 

day. Rare metals, such as platinum, ruthenium, and indium, 

play an increasingly important role in new technologies, such 

as fuel cells, electronic vehicles, and in everyday items, such 

as cell phones and video and computer monitors.

Manganese

Used to make dry cell batteries

Imported from Gabon, South Africa, Australia, and 

Brazil

Thallium

Used in cardiovascular imaging 

Imported from Belgium, Russia, the Netherlands, 

and France

Yttrium 

Used to make television and computer monitors 

Imported from China, Japan, France, and Austria

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Ensure availability of up-to-date quantitative assessments 

of potential for undiscovered mineral resources

Objective information on distribution of undiscovered mineral resources underpins informed policy decisions. Quantitative assessments combine estimates of amount, grade, and 

locations permissive for undiscovered mineral resources with 

economic viability and uncertainty. 

Ensure availability of up-to-date geoenvironmental assessments of priority Federal lands

Models describing the environmental geochemistry of mined 

and unmined mineral deposits and mine wastes provide 

powerful tools to anticipate environmental effects and characterize environmental challenges associated with active and 

abandoned mines. 

Ensure availability of reliable geologic, geochemical,

geophysical, and mineral locality data for the United States

Modern geologic maps, recent geochemical and geophysical 

surveys, and up-to-date inventories of known mineral localities 

are essential for land-use decisions, to understand issues related 

to public health, and to ensure a secure and strong economy for 

the Nation.

Ensure availability of long-term data sets describing mineral 

production and consumption for national security needs

A long tradition of voluntary collaboration between the U.S. 

Government, private mineral producers, and governments of 

other countries results in availability of comprehensive data 

on nonfuel minerals for the U.S. and the world.

Ensure availability of scientific facilities and services 

needed to achieve MRP goals

Analytical and geospatial laboratories provide consistent, 

quality-assured analyses and spatial data for mineral resource 

and mineral environmental investigations. Analytical techniques, methods, and standards developed in the labs provide 

the basis for work by other national and international labs.

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For more information contact:

Mineral Resources Program Coordinator

U.S. Geological Survey

MS 913, National Center

Reston, VA 20192

Phone: 703-648-6100 

Fax: 703-648-6057

Email: minerals@usgs.gov

Home page: http://minerals.usgs.gov

http://mrdata.usgs.gov

Internet-based geochemical, geophysical, mineral-deposit, and lithologic data 

for the United States 

Mineral Resources Program Goals, 

2006–2010