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Industrial sand and gravel, often called "silica," "silica sand," and "quartz sand," includes sands and gravels with high silicon dioxide (SiO2) content. These sands are used in glassmaking; for foundry, abrasive, and hydraulic fracturing (frac) applications; and for many other industrial uses. The specifications for each use vary, but silica resources for most uses are abundant. In almost all cases, silica mining uses open pit or dredging mining methods with standard mining equipment. Except for temporarily disturbing the immediate area while mining operations are active, sand and gravel mining usually has limited environmental impact. |
Publications
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Annual Publications
- Quartz Crystal (Industrial)
PDF Format:
| 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | - Sand and Gravel (Industrial)
PDF Format:
| 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | - Appendixes
- Silica (Includes Industrial Sand and Gravel, Quartz Crystal, and Tripoli and Special Silica)
PDF Format:
| 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 |
XLS Format:
| 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | - Industrial Sand and Gravel
PDF Format:
| 1994 | 1995 | - Quartz Crystal
PDF Format:
| 1994 | 1995 | - Tripoli and Special Silica
PDF Format:
| 1994 | 1995 | - Archive
| 1932-1993 |
Special Publications
- Crystalline Silica Primer (PDF)
- Directory of Industrial Sand and Gravel Producers in the United States in 2004 (PDF)
- Historical Statistics for Mineral and Material Commodities in the United States
Data Series 140 - Statistical Compendium
Contact
- USGS Mineral Commodity Specialist
Thomas Dolley
Phone: 703-648-7710
Fax: 703-648-7975
Email: tdolley@usgs.gov