USGS EARTH MAPPING RESOURCES INITIATIVE­­: SUPPORT FOR DATA ACQUISITION THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS WITH STATE GEOLOGICAL SURVEYS

The U.S. Geological Survey, in partnership with the Association of American State Geologists, is implementing the Earth Mapping Resources Initiative (Earth MRI; https://usgs.gov/earthmri). The goal of Earth MRI is to help improve the Nation’s understanding of its domestic critical mineral resources by acquiring and making publicly available fundamental geoscience data, such as detailed geologic mapping, airborne geophysical surveys, and lidar data over areas with potential for hosting critical mineral resources. In addition to helping evaluate areas for critical mineral potential, these data also address a broad set of national issues, such as geothermal energy resources, groundwater availability, hazard mitigation, and identification of materials needed for infrastructure renewal. Earth MRI is using a mineral systems approach to efficiently define focus areas for new data acquisition. This approach provides an evaluation of geologic terranes for different principal commodities and byproducts, some of which may be critical minerals, at a scale much larger than individual ore deposits.

Earth MRI is supporting State geological surveys’ geologic mapping efforts in the southeastern US focused on regolith-hosted REE deposits (AL, MD); paleoplacer deposits hosting Ti-Zr-REEs (FL, NC, SC, and VA), phosphate-rich sedimentary rocks hosting REEs (KY, IN, IL, MO), high-alumina underclay deposits enriched in REEs and Li (KY, MD, W VA), natural graphite deposits (AL), and Cu-Co resources in the Piedmont (MD). In addition, new high-quality geophysical surveys are being collected in SC, NC, and VA. These efforts will result in new detailed geologic maps that will help define areas with potential for hosting critical mineral commodities essential to the Nation’s economic sustainability, infrastructure, and defense. This talk will review the objectives and initial results of the Earth MRI effort and provide context to several companion presentations at the meeting.