Do We Take Minerals for Granted?
Minerals in the environment and products manufactured from mineral materials are all around us and we use and encounter them every day. They impact our way of life and the health of all that lives. Minerals are critical to the Nation’s economy and knowing where future mineral resources will come from is important for sustaining the Nation’s economy and national security. The USGS Mineral Resources Program (MRP) supports science used to understand: |
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Why is it important to understand the science of mineral resources and materials? Because we are increasingly dependent on mineral materials to create products that support our way of life, our health, and the global economy. Minerals Everywhere and Everyday |
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Our homes and office buildings contain many mineral materials:
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The USGS MRP studies these and many more commodities to provide the critical mineral resource information required by policy makers, industry and the public to make informed decisions regarding minerals issues important to the Nation. The range of MRP research is described in USGS Circular 1289. The MRP also compiles information on known mineral resources and makes these data and information available to the public. To find out where various mineral materials occur in the U.S. and around the world, visit the MRP Spatial Data site. We use minerals every day to grow, prepare, and eat our food. Much of our food is grown using fertilizers made from phosphate and potash. Meat and poultry come from animals that eat fodder grown with mineral-based fertilizers that may be supplemented with selenium, phosphorus, or zinc. Modern tools for safe food storage and preparation (such as, refrigerators and stoves) are made from many mineral commodities and rely on copper wires for electric power or copper pipe for natural gas. At the table, salt is used for seasoning, cutlery is made from stainless steel or may be silver plated, plates are made from clays, and glassware is made from silica (or perhaps on special occasions it is lead crystal). |
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Minerals and the EnvironmentMany of the minerals that our bodies require for good health, such as calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, and zinc, we get from food. And while we need an adequate supply of many different minerals, there are negative health consequences resulting from exposure to some mineral materials or elevated levels of otherwise good minerals. Some of these minerals come from our everyday contact with the air, water, and ground in our surroundings. Some of them we are exposed to by man-made disturbances to the natural environment or as a result of a wide range of natural disasters. |
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Whether it is research on
MRP science helps local, State, and Federal agencies develop land management plans to minimize effects of mineral-borne contaminants on human and ecosystem health. |
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The MRP supports research to better understand the environmental impact of abandoned mines, which reduces the cost of cleanup. For example, studies of old mining areas in the Animas River watershed in southwestern Colorado helped other agencies plan and carry out effective reclamation activities. The USGS MRP is a leader in the investigation and analysis of: |
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Future Mineral SuppliesAs standards of living rise around the world, there is greater demand for durable goods and products manufactured from mineral materials. As large emerging economies, such as China and India, increase their participation in the global economy, demand for critical mineral resources is increasing at a rapid rate. That means that we are depleting our known mineral deposits at an increasing rate, requiring that new deposits be found and put into production.
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MRP is currently preparing for a new national assessment of mineral resources of the United States. Assessments of undiscovered resources require state-of-the-art methodologies and up-to-date background information. In preparation for the new assessment MRP is currently:
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MRP expertise in mineral resource and mineral environmental assessments is recognized by the international community and by U.S. governmental agencies that provide assistance to developing countries. Mineral resource assessments of Afghanistan and Madagascar are examples of USGS mineral resource science aiding economic development of countries around the world. The MRP has also provided expertise to assist with the identification of possible mine-related environmental issues in the Philippines. |
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Minerals and the EconomyA recent study by the National Research Council (NRC) of the National Academies highlights the importance of minerals to the U.S. economy and provides a means to characterize how critical a mineral commodity might be by asking:
Commodities identified as being among the most critical included platinum-group metals and rare-earths. Platinum-group metals are essential components of pollution control systems (catalytic converters) in both gasoline- and diesel-powered vehicles, where they facilitate reduction in carbon monoxide, hydrocarbon, and nitrogen oxide emissions. Rare-earths are used in the manufacture of high-strength magnets, lasers, high-temperature metal alloys, and refractory ceramics which are strategic to the defense industry. The USGS MRP conducts research on these commodities to better understand how they occur and to decrease uncertainty in estimates of future resources both in the U.S. and around the globe. As with petroleum resources, the U.S. increasingly relies on foreign sources for many mineral commodities that are important to the economy. The NRC report concludes that "decision makers in both the public and private sectors need continuous, unbiased, and thorough mineral information provided through a federally funded system of information collection and dissemination" and recommends that "Federal agencies, …including the USGS…should develop and fund activities, including basic science,… to encourage U.S innovation in the areas of critical minerals and materials and to enhance understanding of global mineral availability." |
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As the global economy grows and evolves in the 21st century, emerging technologies will require mineral commodities on a greater scale and in a larger number of applications than ever before. Advances in alternative energy technologies, nanotechnology, telecommunications, and in the aerospace and defense industries have all been made possible by incorporating new applications of mineral materials. Some mineral commodities used in emerging technologies are rare and their known resources limited. The USGS MRP is conducting research to better understand the character of known resources for these rare and scarce commodities and is developing criteria to assess the possibility of undiscovered resources required to sustain emerging technology industries. Minerals—Want to Learn More?
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