Mineral Resources Program

Recently released Quantitative mineral resource assessment of

copper, molybdenum, GOLD , and silver in undiscovered porphyry copper deposits in the Andes Mountains of South America.

The USGS Mineral Resources Program (MRP) delivers unbiased science

and information to understand mineral resource potential, production,

consumption, and how mineral resources interact with the environment.

The MRP funds research to address two major program functions:

Research and assessment—Provides information for land planners and

decision makers about where mineral commodities are known and

suspected in the Earth's crust and about the environmental consequences

of the presence of those commodities. MRP supports an on-going effort to

coordinate the development of national-scale geologic, geochemical,

geophysical, and mineral resource databases and the migration of existing

databases to standard models and formats that are available to both

internal and external users.

Data collection, analysis, and dissemination—Describes current

production and consumption of about 100 mineral commodities, both

domestically and internationally for approximately 180 countries.

The unique expertise developed by MRP over many decades in response to

mineral-resource-related issues is now in demand to support applications

such as public health research and remediation of natural hazards.

USGS MRP in the News 

Review by Lawrence D. Meinert in Science Magazine of the book   Land and Wine:

The French Terroir (9/19/14)

Getting the Dirt on Soil  (5/21/2014)

Global Platinum-Group Resources Estimated at More than 150K Metric

Tons (5/14/14) | pdf version [PDF file, 203 KB]

National soil collection may unlock mysteries, research possibilities 'almost

limitless' (3/29/2014)

Value of U.S. Mineral Production Decreased in 2013  (3/14/2014)

New Maps of Afghanistan Provide "Fingerprint" of Natural Resources  (3/10/2014)

Global Undiscovered Copper Resources Estimated at 3.5 Billion Metric

Tons (3/6/2014)

Helicopter Survey to Map Potential Mineral Resources in Southeast

Missouri (3/5/2014)

What You Will Find on This Site

About the Program — How the Program began, how it is funded and

evaluated, its major components and products.

About Mineral Resources Science — What MRP activities study and

measure, the methodology, and its importance to the USGS.

Mineral Resources Activities — Information about current and past

mineral resources activities throughout the United States.

Mineral Resources Products — Links to MRP-funded data portals and

reports.

About the Program

The responsibility of the USGS for minerals information and research has

evolved considerably since the Organic Act of 1879 established

the USGS and defined its role as classification of the public lands, and

examination of the geological structure, mineral resources, and products of

the national domain.

Today the United States is the world's largest user of mineral commodities.

Every year, about 25,000 lbs. of new non-fuel mineral materials is extracted

from the Earth for every person in the United States just to satisfy the needs

of the growing U.S. economy.

Mineral materials processed domestically accounted for more than $575

billion in the U.S. economy in 2007. U.S.manufacturers and consumers

require increasing amounts of imported mineral materials. Making informed

decisions about supply and development of mineral commodities that are

critical to our economy and security requires current and reliable information

about both mineral resources and the consequences of their development.

In its 2003 review of the USGS Mineral Resources Program (MRP), the

National Research Council identified four Federal roles in mineral science and

engineering: an unbiased national source of science and information, basic

research on mineral resources, advisory, and international (undertaking or

supporting international activities that are in the national interest). The

Program addresses these four roles through work in two functions: a

research and assessment function that provides information for land

planners and decision makers about where mineral commodities are known

and suspected in the Earth's crust, and a minerals information function that

collects, analyzes, and disseminates data that describe current production

and consumption of about 100 mineral commodities, both domestically and

internationally for approximately 180 countries. Together these activities

provide information ranging from that required for land planning decisions on

specific management units to that required for national and international

economic decisions.

For a brief overview of the program, see U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet

2013-3111: Energy and Minerals Science at the U.S. Geological Survey.

Strategic Planning and Funding

MRP is funded annually through the Congressional appropriations process.

Projects supported by MRP provide a balance between basic and applied

research that will provide world-class earth science research and data for a

wide range of customers.

[Learn more about MRP's strategic plan]

Program History

MRP continues a tradition of Federal leadership in the science of mineral

resources that extends back before the beginning of the USGS. The need for

information about metallic mineral resources was part of the justification for

the creation of theUSGS in 1879.

[Learn more about MRP's history]

Evaluation

The MRP is monitored and evaluated regularly by several methods

Evaluation

The MRP is monitored and evaluated regularly by several methods, including:

Monitoring of effectiveness through the Office of Management and

Budget's Program Assessment Rating Tool (PART).

Measurement of performance through the Government Performance and

Results Act (GPRA).

External reviews of MRP by the National Research Council of the National

Academy of Science.

These evaluations are designed to ensure that the mission of the Program is

conducted efficiently and effectively on behalf of the Nation.

CopperStatistics and Information

Copper is usually found in nature in association with sulfur.  Pure copper metal is generally produced from a multistage process, beginning with the mining and concentrating of low-grade ores containing copper sulfide minerals, and followed by smelting and electrolytic refining to produce a pure copper cathode.  An increasing share of copper is produced from acid leaching of oxidized ores.  Copper is one of the oldest metals ever used and has been one of the important materials in the development of civilization.  Because of its properties, singularly or in combination, of high ductility, malleability, and thermal and electrical conductivity, and its resistance to corrosion, copper has become a major industrial metal, ranking third after iron and aluminum in terms of quantities consumed.  Electrical uses of copper, including power transmission and generation, building wiring, telecommunication, and electrical and electronic products, account for about three quarters of total copper use.  Building construction is the single largest market, followed by electronics and electronic products, transportation, industrial machinery, and consumer and general products.  Copper byproducts from manufacturing and obsolete copper products are readily recycled and contribute significantly to copper supply.

http://minerals.usgs.gov/products/index.html

http://www.portal.gsi.gov.in/portal/page?_pageid=108,721665&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL

http://www.portal.gsi.gov.in/pls/gsipub/PKG_PTL_SEARCH_PAGES.pGetImage_PaperMap?inpRecId=1621&inpPaperMapImageId=PUB_PAPER_MAP

http://www.portal.gsi.gov.in/pls/gsipub/PKG_PTL_SEARCH_PAGES.pGetImage_PaperMap?inpRecId=1644&inpPaperMapImageId=PUB_PAPER_MAP

https://www.google.co.in/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=22&ved=0CCIQFjABOBQ&url=http%3A%2F%2Fjohnlberry.com%2Fdownloads%2FMineral_Resources.ppt&ei=SAYPVez1JoKfugSxrIKgAQ&usg=AFQjCNHTRgNAy_r-t2Lf9jyDTGiLpIFPQA

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https://www.google.co.in/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=27&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CD4QFjAGOBQ&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffaculty.clintoncc.suny.edu%2Ffaculty%2FJanice.Padula%2Fppt%2FENV%2520Chapter%252012.ppt&ei=SAYPVez1JoKfugSxrIKgAQ&usg=AFQjCNGuL8pegFcPyT0HZOK_dfrDoUdgFw

http://www.industrialtechnologies2012.eu/sites/default/files/presentations_session/Par_Weihed.ppt

https://www.google.co.in/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=16&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CDIQFjAFOAo&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.unisa.ac.za

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http://www.portal.gsi.gov.in/gsiDoc/pub/peer_reviewed_base_document_com-viii.pdf

http://www.portal.gsi.gov.in/gsiDoc/pub/peer_reviewed_base_document_com-viii.pdf