USGS - science for a changing world

Mineral Resources On-Line Spatial Data

Mineral Resources Program

Mineral Resources On-Line Spatial Data

Interactive maps and downloadable data for regional and global Geology, Geochemistry, Geophysics, and Mineral Resources

Topical indexes of scientific data
Geographic Area
Select data resources by choosing geographic areas by name from lists of countries, states, and counties; named USGS map quadrangles; and hierarchical hydrologic units (drainage basins).
Scientific Topics
Select data resources by choosing scientific topics such as geologic structure, mine sites, magnetic field, mine drainage, or chemical elements.
Web services providing data for GIS applications
For users of geographic information system software (GIS)
OGC Web Map Services
Image services conforming to the Open Geospatial Consortium specification for web maps
OGC Web Feature Services
Geographic feature services conforming to the Open Geospatial Consortium specification for simple features
Mineral resource occurrences
Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS)
MRDS describes metallic and nonmetallic mineral resources throughout the world. Included are deposit name, location, commodity, deposit description, geologic characteristics, production, reserves, resources, and references. It includes the original MRDS and MAS/MILS data.
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Alaska Resource Data File (ARDF)
Descriptions of mines, prospects, and mineral occurrences in Alaska.
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Mineral deposits of specific types
Volcanogenic massive sulfide deposits
Information on VMS deposits from around the world with new grade and tonnage models for three subtypes of VMS deposits and data allowing locations of all deposits to be plotted using GIS.
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Sediment-hosted zinc-lead deposits
Information on sediment-hosted zinc-lead deposits from around the world with grade and tonnage models, a general classification based on geologic setting, mineralogy, with data allowing locations of these deposits to be plotted using GIS.
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Mississippi Valley-Type and clastic-dominated sediment-hosted lead-zinc deposits
Global compilation of information on the sediment-hosted Pb-Zn deposits traditionally called sedimentary exhalative (SEDEX) and Mississippi Valley Type (MVT) deposits, including updated updated grade and tonnage data.
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Porphyry copper deposits of the world
Global compilation of information on the porphyry copper deposits, including updated updated grade and tonnage data.
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Sediment-hosted copper deposits of the world
Global compilation of information on the world's sediment-hosted copper deposits, including updated updated grade and tonnage data.
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PGE-Ni-Cr deposit and occurrence bibliographic database
A compendium of previously published databases and database records that describe PGE, nickel, and chromium deposits and occurrences.
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Carbonatites of the world, explored deposits of Nb and REE
Information on carbonatite deposits containing niobium and rare earth elements from around the world with grade and tonnage models, geologic setting, mineralogy, with data allowing locations of these deposits to be plotted using GIS.
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Rare earth element mines, deposits, and occurrences
Location, geologic and mineral economic data for world rare earth mines, deposits, and occurrences compiled from published and non-published sources. Geographic coordinates are provided for 577 of the 799 deposits described here.
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Ni-Co laterite deposits of the world
Location, type, mineralogy, name, tonnage and grade, and geological setting for 120 deposits of this type.
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Asbestos mines, prospects, and occurrences in the continental US
Location, mineralogy, name, development status for 913 historic mines, prospects, and occurrences of asbestos and fibrous amphiboles.
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World phosphate mines, deposits, and occurrences
Location, geologic characteristics, and commodities for 1,635 phosphate mines, deposits, or occurrences worldwide
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Podiform chromite deposits
Location and characteristics of 1,124 individual podiform chromite mineral deposits, with grade and tonnage models for chromium as well as several related elements.
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Mining operation and prospecting
Active mines and mineral plants in the US
Mine plants and operations for commodities monitored by the National Minerals Information Center of the USGS. Operations included are those considered active in 2003 and surveyed by the USGS.
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World copper smelters
Locations and characteristics of the copper smelters throughout the world as of 2003.
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Mineral operations outside the United States
Locations and characteristics of active mines and mineral plants
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Value of mineral production by state in the US
The value of mineral production by state in the United States. The data represent commodities covered by the National Minerals Information Center of the U.S. Geological Survey.
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Mining claim activity on Federal land in the contiguous US and Alaska
Number and type of mine claims located on Federal lands and registered with the Bureau of Land Management, by year from 1976 through 2008.
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Federal government mineral exploration-assistance program files
Scanned documents describing applications for Federal assistance in exploring for certain strategic and critical minerals, including where the deposits were examined what minerals were found, and whether mining had occurred. These files span the years 1950 to 1974.
Coal mines and other energy resources
We have no comprehensive database of coal mines, but can provide links to some online resources.
Geological map data
Geologic maps of US states
Digital geologic maps of the US states with consistent lithology, age, GIS database structure, and format
Geology of the conterminous United States
A digital version of the King and Beikman (1974) Geologic Map of the United States, originally published at a scale of 1:2,500,000. It excludes Alaska and Hawaii.
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Geology of Puerto Rico
Geologic units and faults from USGS Open File Report 98-38, concerning assessment of the mineral resources of Puerto Rico
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Geochronological data
National Geochronological Database
Radiometric and fission-track age determinations of geologic materials from the continental US and Alaska
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Radiometric ages of rocks from Alaska
Radiometric ages of rocks or minerals sampled from Alaska. The data were collected from professional publications and/or received from researchers and used by permission.
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Geochemical data
National Geochemical Database: Rock
Geochemical analysis of rock samples collected and analyzed by the USGS. This dataset includes and supersedes rock data formerly released as "Geochemistry of igneous rocks in the US extracted from the PLUTO database".
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Alaska Geochemical Database
Geochemical analysis of rock, sediment, soil, mineral, and heavy mineral concentrate samples in Alaska analyzed from 1962 through 2009.
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National Geochemical Survey database
National-scale geochemical analysis of stream sediments and soils in the US, from existing data, reanalysis of existing samples, and new sampling. Goal for sample density is one per 289 square km.
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Geochemistry of stream sediments in the US from the NURE-HSSR database
National-scale geochemical analysis of stream sediments and soils in the US collected and analyzed under the National Uranium Resource Evaluation program.
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Geochemistry of water samples in the US from the NURE-HSSR database
National-scale geochemical analysis of water samples in the US collected and analyzed under the National Uranium Resource Evaluation program.
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Older geochemical databases
Databases containing chemical analyses of sediments and soils that were conducted many years ago; some remain classical work held in high esteem for their time, but all are superseded by later compilations and more precise analytical methods.
Geophysical data
Magnetic anomaly maps and data for North America
Airborne measurement of the earth's magnetic field over all of North America provides gridded data describing the magnetic anomaly caused by variations in earth materials and structure.
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Bouguer gravity anomaly grid for the conterminous US
Measurements of the gravitational field vary slightly from place to place due to the composition and structure of Earth's crust. This digital grid describes the Bouguer gravity anomaly for the conterminous US.
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Isostatic residual gravity anomaly grid for the conterminous US
Measurements of the gravitational field vary slightly from place to place due to the composition and structure of Earth's crust. This digital grid describes the isostatic residual gravity anomaly for the conterminous US.
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Aeroradiometric surveys of North America
Data generated by aerial sensing of radiation emanating from the earth's surface provides general estimates of the geographic distribution of Uranium, Thorium, and Potassium in surficial and bedrock units. Covers the conterminous US, parts of Canada and parts of Alaska.
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Page Last Modified: Monday, 14-Jan-2013 09:45:54 MST