Geospatial Analysis Identifies Critical Mineral-Resource 

Potential in Alaska

• This study devised a new geographic information system (GIS)-based 

method to identify areas that have mineral-resource potential.

• The method identified areas in Alaska that have the potential to contain 

concentrations of critical minerals.

• Our method provides a valuable template for evaluations of mineralresource potential for large, under-explored regions.

• These results will inform land management decisions, and will also help to 

guide future mineral exploration activities and scientific investigations.

Alaska consists of more than 

663,000 square miles (1,717,000 square 

kilometers) of land—more than a sixth of 

the total area of the United States—and 

large tracts of it have not been systematically studied or sampled for mineralresource potential. Many regions of 

the State are known to have significant 

mineral-resource potential, and there 

are currently six operating mines in the 

State along with numerous active mineral 

exploration projects. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Alaska 

Division of Geological & Geophysical 

Surveys (ADGGS) have developed a 

new geospatial tool that integrates and 

analyzes publicly available databases 

of geologic information and estimates 

the mineral-resource potential for critical minerals, which was recently used 

to evaluate Alaska. The results of the 

analyses highlight areas that have known 

mineral deposits and also reveal areas 

that were not previously considered to 

be prospective for these deposit types. 

These results will inform land management decisions by Federal, State, and 

private landholders, and will also help 

guide future exploration activities and 

scientific investigations in Alaska. For a 

detailed discussion of the datasets used in 

the analyses, explanations of the analytical process, and interpreted results of 

the study, see http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/

ofr20161191.

What are Critical Minerals?

Critical minerals, sometimes referred 

to as strategic and critical minerals, are 

those for which the United States imports 

more than half of its total supply, and 

which are largely obtained from nations 

that cannot be considered reliable trading 

partners. They are integral to every part 

of our modern life.

The commodities and mineral deposit 

groups selected for this study (see table 

and maps) were identified in a collaborative process that included Federal, State, 

and academic scientists, as well as State 

and Federal administrators who have 

resource-management responsibilities. 

The deposit groups were selected because 

they are known or suspected to exist in 

Alaska and may contain one or more 

critical minerals.

Examples of Uses of Critical 

Minerals

• Rare earth elements, yttrium:

recyclable batteries, oil refining, 

power generators, jet engines, 

semiconductors, computers, 

smartphones, night-vision 

goggles, and permanent magnets 

such as those used in magnetic 

resonance imaging (MRI) 

machines

• Platinum group elements: catalytic converters, toxic emissions 

scrubbers, electronics, dental 

applications

• Germanium, gallium: solar 

cells, infrared optics, light-emitting diodes (LEDs), semiconductors, smartphones

• Uranium, thorium: nuclear 

power, radio isotopes for medical 

diagnosis and research

• Tin, indium: architectural glass, 

flat screens, solar cells, semiconductors, smartphones, lead-free 

solders, tin-niobium alloys for 

superconductors

• Tungsten, titanium: highstrength metal alloys, and for 

tungsten, thermocouples, thermometers, light bulb filaments

• Gold: radiation protection films 

for spacecraft, dental applications, and jewelry

• Molybdenum, chrome, cobalt, 

nickel, tantalum, vanadium: 

superalloys for resistance to 

wear and corrosion in pipelines, 

seawater desalination plants, 

turbines, missiles, and spacecraft

Scientific instrument on 

the Melozitna pluton, Ruby 

batholith, Alaska. Photograph 

by Susan Karl, USGS.

U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

Fact Sheet 2017–3012

March 2017
How is Mineral-Resource 

Potential Evaluated by this 

Method?

This new geospatial method for 

evaluating mineral-resource potential 

integrates and analyzes publicly available USGS and ADGGS databases 

containing multiple kinds of geologic 

information such as rock type, geochemical composition of rocks and stream 

sediments, minerals found in streams, 

geophysical attributes measured from 

airborne surveys such as magnetic or 

radiometric properties, and the presence 

of known mineral occurrences for the 

specific commodity of interest. Each of 

these parameters is given a statistically 

determined score based on data, such as 

the relative abundance of an appropriate 

rock type or the amount of an element 

in a rock or stream sediment, and is tied 

to a specific subwatershed—the smallest spatial unit defined by the National 

Hydrography Dataset (https://nhd.usgs.

gov/)—by the location where the data 

were collected. The process uses individual subwatersheds because they provide 

natural boundaries for rocks and minerals 

contributed to streams by erosion, and 

thus streams provide the most efficient 

summary of the geologic composition 

of a watershed or drainage basin. Each 

subwatershed is assigned a total score 

from each data parameter; then the 

total scores of all the subwatersheds are 

statistically evaluated Statewide. We use 

color to show estimated mineral-resource 

potential: high potential (red), medium 

potential (yellow), low potential (green), 

or unknown (gray). The colors are 

shaded to indicate the relative certainty 

of the estimate, which is determined by 

the number of datasets that contributed 

to the score within each subwatershed: 

high certainty (dark), medium certainty 

(medium), or low certainty (light). 

What is the Critical MineralResource Potential of Alaska?

Results of this geospatial analysis 

indicate that multiple areas in Alaska 

have mineral-resource potential for each 

of the six selected critical mineral deposit 

groups. For example, the Seward Peninsula, east-central Alaska, the western 

Alaska Range, and southeastern Alaska 

have knots of red-colored subwatersheds 

for most of the critical mineral deposit 

groups addressed in this study (see the 

table and maps). Using this process, we 

have identified the potential for critical 

minerals in new areas such as the northern Brooks Range, and have expanded 

the area with potential for resources 

around known mineralized areas like 

the Seward Peninsula and east-central 

Alaska.

The Road Ahead

This study revealed a significant 

number of previously unidentified areas 

with high mineral resource potential, 

indicating that this method has tremendous value for identifying underexplored 

and understudied areas for any given 

commodity. Important areas identified by 

this process are those that have medium 

to high mineral potential (yellow and 

red colors on maps) and medium to 

low certainty (medium to light shaded 

colors on maps), because additional data 

could reveal significant potential for an 

economic concentration of a commodity. The technique also provides a new 

way to analyze large geospatial datasets 

in combination, potentially leading to 

the discovery of new areas for mineral 

Results of geographic information system analysis of mineral-resource potential for 

selected critical minerals in Alaska.

[Ag, silver; Au, gold; Co, cobalt; Cr, chrome; Cu, copper; Ga, gallium; Ge, germanium; In, indium; Mo, 

molybdenum; Nb, niobium; Ni, nickel; PGE, platinum group elements; REE, rare earth elements; Sn, tin; 

Ta, tantalum; Th, thorium, Ti, titanium; U, uranium; V, vanadium; W, tungsten; Y, yttrium; Zr, zirconium]

Deposit group Critical minerals

Percentage of high potential 

subwatersheds that are newly 

recognized (shaded red on maps)

Alkaline igneous rocks REE-Th-Y-Nb (U-Zr) 89

Placer and paleoplacer gold Au (PGE-Cr-Sn-W-Ag-Ti) 41

Mafic-ultramafic rocks PGE (Co-Cr-Ni-Ti-V) 92

Carbonate-hosted copper Cu (-Co-Ag-Ge-Ga) 68

Sandstone uranium U (V-Cu) 67

Specialized granites Sn-W-Mo-(Ta-In-fluorspar) 62

Potential Alaska resource

Current Alaska production

Past Alaska production

EXPLANATION

Net exporterNet exporter

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Fluorspar

Gallium

Indium

Niobium

Rare earth elements

Tantalum

Thorium

Vanadium

Yttrium

Titanium

Germanium

Tin

Cobalt

Platinum

Silver

Chromium

Zirconium

Palladium

Copper

Tungsten

Nickel

Gold

Molybdenum

2016 United States net import reliance, in percent

Selected mineral commodities

Graph of critical minerals that have been found, or are suspected to be present, in Alaska. 

Net import reliance (imports minus exports) is expressed as a percentage of domestic 

consumption. Although gold and molybdenum are net exported minerals, they are important 

to the economies of the United States and Alaska. Figure prepared by Graham Lederer, 

U.S. Geological Survey National Minerals Information Center.
66°

62°

58°

54°

66°

62°

58°

54°

ARCTIC OCEAN

BERING SEABERING SEA

GULF OF ALASKA OF ALASKA

180° 165° 150° 135° 120°

ARCTIC OCEAN

BERING SEABERING SEA

GULF OF ALASKA OF ALASKA

180° 165° 150° 135° 120°

66°

62°

58°

54°

66°

62°

58°

54°

ARCTIC OCEAN

BERING SEABERING SEA

GULF OF ALASKA OF ALASKA

ARCTIC OCEAN

BERING SEABERING SEA

GULF OF ALASKA OF ALASKA

66°

62°

58°

54°

66°

62°

58°

54°

ARCTIC OCEAN

BERING SEABERING SEA

GULF OF ALASKA OF ALASKA

165° 150° 135°

ARCTIC OCEAN

BERING SEABERING SEA

GULF OF ALASKA OF ALASKA

165° 150° 135°

REE-Th-Y-Nb (-U-Zr) Au (placer and paleoplacer)

PGE (-Co-Cr-Ni-Ti-V) Cu (-Co-Ag-Ge-Ga) 

in carbonate

U (-V-Cu) in sandstone Sn-W-Mo (-Ta-In-fluorspar)

0 500 1,000 MILES

0 500 1,000 KILOMETERS

EXPLANATION

High potential

Medium potential

High certainty

Medium certainty

Low certainty

High certainty

Medium certainty

Low certainty

Low potential

Unknown

High certainty

Medium certainty

Low certainty

Abbreviations:

Ag, silver; Au, gold; Co, cobalt; Cr, chrome; Cu, copper; 

Ga, gallium; Ge, germanium; In, indium; Mo, molybdenum; 

Nb, niobium; Ni, nickel; PGE, platinum group elements; 

REE, rare earth elements; Sn, tin; Ta, tantalum; Th, thorium, 

Ti, titanium; U, uranium; V, vanadium; W, tungsten; 

Y, yttrium; Zr, zirconium

EXPLANATION

High potential

Medium potential

High certainty

Medium certainty

Low certainty

High certainty

Medium certainty

Low certainty

Low potential

Unknown

High certainty

Medium certainty

Low certainty

EXPLANATION

High potential

Medium potential

High certainty

Medium certainty

Low certainty

High certainty

Medium certainty

Low certainty

Low potential

Unknown

High certainty

Medium certainty

Low certainty

EXPLANATION

High potential

Medium potential

High certainty

Medium certainty

Low certainty

High certainty

Medium certainty

Low certainty

Low potential

Unknown

High certainty

Medium certainty

Low certainty

EXPLANATION

High potential

Medium potential

High certainty

Medium certainty

Low certainty

High certainty

Medium certainty

Low certainty

Low potential

Unknown

High certainty

Medium certainty

Low certainty

EXPLANATION

High potential

Medium potential

High certainty

Medium certainty

Low certainty

High certainty

Medium certainty

Low certainty

Low potential

Unknown

High certainty

Medium certainty

Low certainty

Estimated mineral-resource potential and levels of certainty, indicated by shading 

of colors, for six selected deposit groups and their associated critical minerals.
exploration and new insights into the 

geologic settings and ore-forming 

processes of mineral deposits. 

Read the Full Report

Karl, S.M., Jones, J.V., III, and Hayes, 

T.S., eds., 2016, GIS-based identification of areas that have resource potential for critical minerals in six selected 

groups of deposit types in Alaska: 

U.S. Geological Survey Open-File 

Report 2016–1191, 99 p., 5 appendixes, 12 plates, scale 1:10,500,000, 

http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/ofr20161191.

By Susan Karl and Keith Labay 

Edited by Katherine Jacques and 

Claire Landowski 

Layout by Suzanne Roberts

For more information, contact:

Susan Karl 

U.S. Geological Survey 

4210 University Drive 

Anchorage, AK 99508 

https://alaska.usgs.gov/

USGS researchers collecting 

a soil sample for rare earth 

elements at the Roy Creek 

prospect, Alaska. Photograph by 

Susan Karl, USGS.

Drill rig on Dotson veins at 

Bokan Mountain rare earth 

elements deposit. Photograph by 

Susan Karl, USGS.

Gold dredge near Nome, Alaska. 

Photograph by Doug Yager, 

USGS.

Pictured below: Gold dredge tailings on the Chatanika River, 

north of Fairbanks, Alaska. Photograph by Susan Karl, USGS.

ISSN 2327-6916 (print)

ISSN 2327-6932 (online)

https://doi.org/10.3133/fs20173012