Western United States Mine-Dump Data Retrievals
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Fact Sheet↗
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Search indexed USGS publications on groundwater, aquifers, geologic maps, mineral resources and earthquakes. Explore source records by subject and place.
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Aeromagnetic map of the Creede mining district, southwestern Colorado
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Open-File Report↗
Mines and mineral processing facilities in the vicinity of the March 11, 2011, earthquake in northern Honshu, Japan
U.S. Geological Survey data indicate that the area affected by the March 11, 2011, magnitude 9.0 earthquake and associated tsunami is home to nine cement plants, eight iodine plants, four iron and steel plants, four limestone mines, three copper refineries, two gold refineries, two lead refineries, two zinc refineries, one titanium dioxide plant, and one titanium sponge processing facility. These facilities have the capacity to produce the following percentages of the world's nonfuel mineral production: 25 percent of iodine, 10 percent of titanium sponge (metal), 3 percent of refined zinc, 2.5 percent of refined copper, and 1.4 percent of steel. In addition, the nine cement plants contribute about one-third of Japan's cement annual production. The iodine is a byproduct from production of natural gas at the Miniami Kanto gas field, east of Tokyo in Chiba Prefecture. Japan is the world's second leading (after Chile) producer of iodine, which is processed in seven nearby facilities.
Open-File Report↗
Exploration review
This summary of international mineral exploration activities for the year 2015 draws upon information from industry sources, published literature, the SNL Metals & Mining (SNL) (Charlottesville, VA) data base, and specialists in the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Minerals Information Center. The summary provides data on exploration budgets by region and mineral commodity, identifies significant mineral discoveries and areas of mineral exploration, discusses government programs affecting the mineral exploration industry, and presents analyses of exploration activities performed by the mineral industry.
Mining Engineering↗
Field guide to selected sites along the Idaho Cobalt Belt (ICB) and to the Beartrack Gold Deposit, in the eastern Salmon River Mountains
This field guide provides a road log to and geologic descriptions of selected sites in the Idaho cobalt belt, and at the Beartrack gold mine, in the eastern Salmon River Mountains.
Northwest Geology↗
Effects of metal-mine drainage on water quality in selected areas of Colorado, 1972-73
Colorado is a child of mining. In the past, towns such as Cripple Creek, Leadville, Creede, and many others were the lifeblood of the economy. While metal mining is still economically important to Colorado, another legacy of this past activity is attracting increasing attention—the detrimental effects of drainage from abandoned and active mines and tailings piles (waste rock piles) on streams. Concern with metal-mine drainage is due to the acid resulting from oxidation of pyritic material. The acid itself can be harmful to aquatic organisms, and can make the water unusable for various recreational and industrial needs. Just as importantly, however, the acid dissolves metals from ores and tailings piles and releases them into the streams. Many of the metals are toxic to aquatic organisms, humans, and livestock; and, like excess acidity, the metals can make streams unusable for some types of recreation and industry. In July 1971, a study of the effects of both metal- and coal-mine drainage on surface-water quality in Colorado was undertaken by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Colorado Water Pollution Control Commission. Based on the reconnaissance phase of this project (Wentz, 1974), 17 areas judged to be adversely affected by metal-mine drainage were chosen for further study. One additional area was included because it is the only place found in Colorado that potentially could be affected by coal-mine drainage. The present report summarizes the intensive study of these areas; it is the second product of the mine-drainage study. The first report was published as Colorado Water Resources Circular 21.
Colorado↗
Energy-related rare earth element sources
Energy-related materials such as coal, coal-bearing wastes, and coal combustion products are traditionally thought of as sources or by-products of electric power generation. Increasingly, these materials are considered resources for their content of rare earth elements (REEs) and other useful constituents. In this chapter, we examine the distribution, modes of occurrence, and relative extractability of REEs from coal-derived materials. We also consider economic factors associated with recovery of REEs from these sources. While several coal-derived sources show promise for REE recovery at the pilot scale, in all cases, REE contents are much below those of primary ores, such that extraction and concentrating the REEs require new and innovative approaches that are largely developmental. Among coal-related sources, fly ash is the most REE-enriched, as REEs from coal are strongly retained in these refractory solids remaining after coal combustion. Partitioning of coal-derived elements into fly ash has been known for decades but this has yet to be commercially exploited. A key drawback shown in this chapter is that a significant fraction of REEs in fly ash is contained in highly insoluble aluminosilicate glasses that make up the largest portion of this material. In addition to testing chemical or physical pretreatment approaches to help improve the extractability of REEs from fly ash, current research is applying modern analytical approaches to better understand the distribution of REEs on increasingly smaller scales, in the interest of targeting their recovery. Next-most REE-enriched among coal-related materials are solid waste products of coal mining and wastes from coal preparation, both of which are REE-enriched relative to coal itself. These waste coals concentrate mineralogical constituents that are excluded during mining or removed during coal preparation because they do not contribute to the heating value of coal for power generation. Recovery of REEs from coal waste has shown promise at the pilot scale and has the added benefit of converting a waste into useful constituents. Total REE contents of commercial coals are, on average, much below the 300 parts per million interest level for REE recovery set by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). However, as reviewed in this chapter, certain horizons within coal beds show preferential REE enrichment and could be targeted by selective mining. Beyond this, certain coals are REE-enriched overall due to their unique geologic histories involving derivation from REE-enriched sediment sources, deposition of volcanic ash during coal formation, or interaction of coal with REE-bearing fluids. Acidic drainage from abandoned coal mines is produced by the breakdown of pyrite (FeS 2 ), which is unstable in oxygenated conditions. While these acidic fluids have lower REE contents than any of the coal-based solids described above, they are proportionally enriched in certain heavy rare earths, especially yttrium (Y). Precipitates from coal-based acid-mine drainage concentrate REEs to levels that are of interest for recovery, and these are also promising sources for extraction at the pilot scale.
Book chapter↗
Comprehensive water quality of the Boulder Creek Watershed, Colorado, during high-flow and low-flow conditions, 2000
Executive Summary The Boulder Creek Watershed, Colorado, is 1160 square kilometers in area and ranges in elevation from 1480 to 4120 meters above sea level. Streamflow originates primarily as snowmelt near the Continental Divide, and thus discharge varies seasonally and annually (Chapter 1). Most of the water in Boulder Creek is diverted for domestic, agricultural, and industrial use. Some diverted water is returned to the creek as wastewater effluent and by ditch returns, and additional water enters as groundwater and by transbasin diversions. These diversions and returns lead to complex temporal and spatial variations in discharge. The variations in discharge, along with natural factors such as geology and climate, and anthropogenic factors such as wastewater treatment, agriculture, mining, and urbanization, can affect water chemistry. As with many watersheds in the American West, dependable water quality and sufficient water supply are issues facing local water managers and users. Detailed water-quality and sediment sampling allows the identification of sources and sinks of chemical constituents and an understanding of the processes at work in a river system. This study, the most comprehensive water-quality analysis performed for Boulder Creek to date, was a cooperative effort of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the city of Boulder. Geographic information systems and modeling programs were used to delineate watershed boundaries, land cover, and geology (Chapter 2). During high-flow (June 2000) and low-flow (October 2000) conditions, researchers evaluated 226 water-quality variables, including basic water-quality indicators (Chapter 3), major ions and trace elements (Chapter 4), wastewater-derived organic compounds (Chapter 5), and pesticides (Chapter 6). Discharge (Chapter 1) and bed-sediment particle size and mineralogy (Chapter 7) were also evaluated. This cooperative study was facilitated by the Boulder Area Sustainability Information Network (BASIN), which provides public access to environmental information about the Boulder Creek Watershed on a website, www.basin.org. In addition to the USGS and city of Boulder data, researchers at the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research at the University of Colorado provided water chemistry data for the headwaters of North Boulder Creek, upstream of the reach of the USGS/city of Boulder sampling sites (Chapter 8). Snowmelt produces high flows in Boulder Creek in late spring to early summer (Chapter 1). Because precipitation falling in the headwaters is very dilute (specific conductance about 5 microsiemens per centimeter), most chemical constituents are present in lower concentrations during high flows (Chapters 3, 4, 5, 6, and 8). However, concentrations of some constituents, such as total suspended solids (Chapter 3) and organic carbon (Chapter 5), increase during the spring snowmelt flush. The upper basin, which consists of alpine, subalpine, montane, and foothills regions west of the mouth of Boulder Canyon, is underlain by Precambrian igneous and metamorphic rocks (Chapter 1). Major dissolved inorganic constituents in headwater sites were found to be enriched by factors of 10 to 20 relative to precipitation; this is consistent with minor weathering of the local crystalline bedrock (Chapter 4). Some anthropogenic input is observed in the headwaters; precipitation introduces nitrogen derived from fossil fuel combustion and agricultural activities (Chapter 8). The lower basin, which consists of the plains region east of the mouth of Boulder Canyon, is underlain by Mesozoic sedimentary rock and Quaternary alluvium, and has substantially more anthropogenic sources. Concentrations of most dissolved inorganic constituents increased in the lower basin. Differentiation between natural and anthropogenic sources of some dissolved constituents is difficult because both sources contribute to the water composition in this region. The increase of most major constituents (bicarbonate, calcium, chloride, magnesium, sodium, and sulfate) is consistent with weathering of the underlying sedimentary bedrock (Chapter 4). It is likely that anthropogenic loading of constituents in this reach occurs during storm events. Fecal coliform concentrations were variable and in some cases exceeded state standards, primarily during low-flow conditions (Chapter 3). Effluent from Boulder’s 75th Street Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) has a substantial impact on the water chemistry of lower Boulder Creek. The WWTP increases the concentrations of nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus (Chapter 3), major ions and trace metals (Chapter 4), and organic carbon (Chapter 5) in Boulder Creek. The effluent contained a spike in gadolinium, a rare earth element that is ingested for magnetic resonance imaging as a contrasting agent and then excreted to the urban wastewater system. The effluent also contained trace organic compounds such as surfactants, pharmaceuticals, hormones (Chapter 5), and pesticides (Chapter 6), which also were detected at downstream Boulder Creek sites. Water chemistry of Boulder Creek downstream of the WWTP is largely controlled by the degree of dilution of the wastewater effluent, which varies depending on the baseflow of Boulder Creek, the volume of wastewater effluent, and depletion by agricultural diversions. Coal Creek, a tributary of Boulder Creek, contains wastewater effluent from four additional WWTPs, and increases the load of many constituents in Boulder Creek. In addition to the impact from wastewater effluent, lower Boulder Creek is affected by agricultural land use. Eleven of 84 analyzed pesticides were detected in Boulder Creek or its inflows, primarily in the eastern section of the watershed (Chapter 6). This collaborative study provides an in-depth evaluation of the hydrology, water chemistry, and sediment mineralogy of North Boulder Creek, Middle Boulder Creek, Boulder Creek, and major inflows. The detailed sampling and analysis in this report provide a baseline for future reference, as well as information on the effect of land use and geology on water chemistry.
Colorado↗
Uncertainty quantification of geologic energy storage in depleted gas reservoirs using material balance equations embedded in a hierarchical errors-in-variables model
The storage potential for gas in geologic settings, such as depleted hydrocarbon reservoirs and solution-mined salt caverns, is becoming salient to future energy infrastructure planning. Technologies such as carbon capture, utilization, and storage, carbon dioxide-enhanced oil recovery, and natural gas and hydrogen storage help meet growing energy demands, reduce carbon emissions to meet climate goals, and provide energy security amid geopolitical uncertainties. Therefore, estimates of underground gas storage capacity could be useful for efficiently navigating the energy transitions. Material balance is a fundamental method in reservoir engineering for estimating original gas in place and potential storage capacity at the scale necessary for national assessments of subsurface pore space resources. However, the deterministic method cannot accommodate multiple data sources or quantify uncertainty in predictions. In this study, a method that embeds material balance equations within a hierarchical errors-in-variables model is proposed which allows the estimation of the distributions of reservoir properties needed for assessments. Uncertainties associated with these reservoir properties have traditionally been expert-elicited, whereas the uncertainty estimates from the proposed models are data-driven. Capacity and uncertainty estimates can be used in a probabilistic resource assessment, supplementing information traditionally used by assessors or even replacing this expert elicitation step when data are unavailable. Various regression models are compared in a case study of the Michigan Basin, a large contributor to the United States’ current natural gas storage capacity. In particular, errors-in-variables models help ameliorate regression dilution and can quantify uncertainty in predictions of pressure in addition to storage capacity. Overfitting is addressed by quantifying generalization error and model averaging in simple and stratified cross-validation against reported working gas capacity, representing the varying quality and quantity of available data. Incorporating a statistical framework into existing numerical methods in reservoir engineering can improve the quality of estimation, and in particular, this method brings rigor to uncertainty quantification as part of a larger effort by the U.S. Geological Survey to assess domestic energy gas storage resources in depleted hydrocarbon reservoirs.
Mathematical Geosciences↗
Map of coal-mining features, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
This map is one result of a series of studies sponsored by the Appalachian Regional Commission as part of a larger U.S. Geological Survey program of environmental analysis of a part of southwestern Pennsylvania. The map summarizes surface features resulting from coal mining. The distribution of surface features is largely from 1973, 1:12,000 scale aerial photographs verified by field reconnaissance in 1973 and 1974. Supplementary interpretations relative to surface subsidence were done using 1939 aerial photographs.
Pennsylvania↗
Bald Mountain gold mining district, Nevada: A Jurassic reduced intrusion-related gold system
The Bald Mountain mining district has produced about 2 million ounces (Moz) of An. Geologic mapping, field relationships, geochemical data, petrographic observations, fluid inclusion characteristics, and Pb, S, O, and H isotope data indicate that An mineralization was associated with a reduced Jurassic intrusion. Gold deposits are localized within and surrounding a Jurassic (159 Ma) quartz monzonite porphyry pluton and dike complex that intrudes Cambrian to Mississippian carbonate and clastic rocks. The pluton, associated dikes, and An mineralization were controlled by a crustal-scale northwest-trending structure named the Bida trend. Gold deposits are localized by fracture networks in the pluton and the contact metamorphic aureole, dike margins, high-angle faults, and certain strata or shale-limestone contacts in sedimentary rocks. Gold mineralization was accompanied by silicification and phyllic alteration, ??argillic alteration at shallow levels. Although An is typically present throughout, the system exhibits a classic concentric geochemical zonation pattern with Mo, W, Bi, and Cu near the center, Ag, Pb, and Zn at intermediate distances, and As and Sb peripheral to the intrusion. Near the center of the system, micron-sized native An occurs with base metal sulfides and sulfosalts. In peripheral deposits and in later stages of mineralization, Au is typically submicron in size and resides in pyrite or arsenopyrite. Electron microprobe and laser ablation ICP-MS analyses show that arsenopyrite, pyrite, and Bi sulfide minerals contain 10s to 1,000s of ppm Au. Ore-forming fluids were aqueous and carbonic at deep levels and episodically hypersaline at shallow levels due to boiling. The isotopic compositions of H and O in quartz and sericite and S and Pb in sulfides are indicative of magmatic ore fluids with sedimentary sulfur. Together, the evidence suggests that Au was introduced by reduced S-bearing magmatic fluids derived from a reduced intrusion. The reduced character of the intrusion was caused by assimilation of carbonaceous sedimentary rocks. Tertiary faults dismember the area and drop down the upper part of the mineralizing system to the west. The abundant and widespread kaolinite in oxide ores is relatively disordered (1A polytype) and has ??D and ??18O values suggestive of a supergene origin. The deep weathering and oxidation of the ores associated with exhumation made them amenable to open-pit mining and processing using cyanide heap leach methods. ?? 2007 Society of Economic Geologists, Inc.
Economic Geology↗
Resource Assessment Economic Filter (RAEF)—A graphical user interface supporting implementation of simple engineering mine cost analyses of quantitative mineral resource assessment simulations
Economic evaluations of undiscovered mineral resources provide important context in which to consider the results of quantitative mineral resource assessments. The U.S. Geological Survey economic analysis method uses a simple engineering cost model approach developed by the U.S. Bureau of Mines that applies mine and mill engineering cost equations to simulated undiscovered deposits. The important characteristics of these deposits are derived from Monte Carlo simulations that combine probabilistic estimates of undiscovered deposits that might occur in a study area and a grade-tonnage model defined for a specific deposit type. This report describes the Resource Assessment Economic Filter (RAEF), a graphical user interface (GUI) tool that applies a set of mine cost equations to the deposits under consideration. RAEF, which is written in the open-source statistical programming language R, is an easy-to-use tool to apply user-defined mine, mill, and study area parameters to simulated deposits. For a given deposit type, it estimates the undiscovered resources that might be economic to extract. In addition, RAEF provides a series of graphical, tabular, and statistical summaries that document the results of the economic filter analysis.
Techniques and Methods↗
Streamflow Gain and Loss, Hydrograph Separation, and Water Quality of Abandoned Mine Lands in the Daniel Boone National Forest, Eastern Kentucky, 2015–17
During 2015–17, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service (Forest Service), carried out a study to characterize the hydrology and water chemistry in two study areas within the Daniel Boone National Forest. One study area was within the Rock Creek drainage and the other study area included the Wildcat and Addison Branch drainages. Both study areas historically were mined for coal prior to the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 and contain abandoned coal mine sites that have since been the focus of remediation efforts. Synoptic surveys of streamflow and water-quality properties (water temperature, pH, specific conductance, and dissolved oxygen) of Rock Creek were done during November 2015 and May 2016, and surveys of Wildcat and Addison Branches were done during June 2016 and May 2017. Streamflow measurements were used to quantify contributions from tributaries and to compute streamflow gain and loss in designated reaches. Discrete measurements of water temperature, pH, specific conductance, and dissolved oxygen were used to evaluate conditions during a short timeframe and for comparison between study areas. Study designs for the two study areas differed because there was an operating streamgage on Rock Creek near Yamacraw, Kentucky (station number 03410590) where streamflow and water-quality properties (water temperature, specific conductance, pH, dissolved oxygen, and turbidity) were monitored continuously, while Addison and Wildcat Branches were ungaged. Several hydrograph separation methods were used to estimate base flow and runoff at the Rock Creek gage. These data will be used by the Forest Service to evaluate the current (2018) conditions and plan remediation efforts. The water quality at Rock Creek was less affected by acid mine drainage (AMD) than the Wildcat or Addison Branches. Appreciable losing reaches, where water flowed underground, were identified in both study areas. All losing reaches coincided with karst topography. Streamflow increased in areas with openings to underground mine tunnels, known as portals. Six hydrograph separation methods (Base-flow index [BFI; standard and modified], HYSEP [fixed interval, sliding interval, and local minimum], and PART) were applied to daily mean streamflow collected from August 2015 to August 2017 at station number 03410590. The hydrograph separation methods partition total streamflow into base flow and streamflow that originated from surface runoff. Base flow typically reacts slowly to precipitation infiltration and is largely sustained by groundwater discharge. The estimated daily base flow and runoff made with the different separation methods are not highly different. On average, base flow accounted for more total streamflow than surface runoff during the study period, irrespective of method. Water temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, specific conductance, and turbidity values were measured from July 2016 through July 2017 with a continuous monitor installed at station number 03410590. Nearly neutral pH values that ranged from 6.8 to 7.9 standard units likely limited metal solubility in the surface water. The continuous specific conductance values ranged between 30 and 259 microsiemens per centimeter at 25 degrees Celsius. The previous remediation efforts are likely continuing to improve the effect of AMD in the study area.
Kentucky↗
Coal deposits of the United States
The coal fields of the Unites States can be divided into six major provinces. The Appalachian and Interior Provinces contain dominantly bituminous coal in strata of Pennsylvanian age. The coal seams are relatively thin and are mined both by surface and underground methods. Sulfyur content is low to moderate in the Appalachian Province, generally high in the Interior province. The Gulf Coastal Plain Province, in Texas and neighboring states, contains lignite of Eocene age. The seams are 3–25 ft (0.9–7.5 m) thick and are minded in large open pits. The Northern Great Plains Province has lignite and subbituminous coal of Cretaceous, Paleocene and Eocene age. The coal, largely very low in sulfur, occurs in beds up to 100 ft (30 m) thick and is strip-mined. The Rocky Mountain Province contains a great variety of coal deposits in numerous separate intermontane basins. Most of it is low-sulfur subbituminous to bituminous coal iof Creatceous and early Tertiary age. The seams range from a few feet to over 100 ft (30 m) thick. Strip-mining dominates but underground mines are important in Utah and Colorado. The Pacific Coast Province, which includes Alaska, contains enormous cola resources but has seen little mining. The coal is highly diverse in physical character and geologic setting.
International Journal of Coal Geology↗
Regional geochemical studies in the Patagonia Mountains, Santa Cruz County, Arizona
The Patagonia Mountains in southern Arizona contain the deeply buried porphyry copper system at Red Mountain as well as a number of other base- and precious-metal mines and prospects. The range contains complex Basin and Range geology with units ranging in age from Precambrian to Holocene. Rock types present include igneous intrusive and extrusive units as well as sedimentary and metamorphic units, most of which have been tectonically disturbed. A total of 264 stream-sediment samples were collected and analyzed for 32 elements. Geochemical maps for Sb, Ag, Pb, Te, B, Mn, Au, Zn, Cu (total), Cu (cold-extractable), and Mo, as well as for Cu (cold-extractable)/Cu (total) and Fe/Mn, are presented. Anomaly patterns for these elements generally occur over the Red Mountain deposit and (or) along a north-northwest trend parallel to the major Harshaw Creek Fault. Much of the entire area sampled contains widespread anomalies for Pb, Te, and Cu; the other elements are only locally anomalous. Various plots of ratios of Cu (cold-extractable) to Cu (total) did not produce any new information not readily apparent on either one of the two copper maps. A plot of ratios of Fe to Mn delineated many areas of pyrite mineralization. Several of these areas may represent the pyritic halos around deeply buried porphyry copper systems. The best ore guide for the Red Mountain porphyry system is the coincidence of positive anomalies of Mo, Pb, and Te and a negative anomaly of Mn. Other areas with anomalies of the same suite of elements are present within the Patagonia Mountains. It is concluded that geochemical sampling, even in a highly contaminated area, can be useful in delineating major geologic features, such as porphyry copper belts and major faults. Multielement geochemical surveys on a regional scale can effectively locate large, deeply buried, zoned mineral systems such as that at Red Mountain. Plots of element ratios, where adequately understood, can provide geochemical information not readily discernible from plots of single elements alone.
Arizona↗
Urbanization and water management control stream water quality along a mountain to plains transition
Urbanization can have substantial effects on water quality due to altered hydrology and introduction of constituents to water bodies. In arid and semi-arid environments, streams are further stressed by dewatering as a result of diversions. We conducted a high-resolution synoptic survey of two streams in Colorado, USA that transition abruptly from granitic/metamorphic forested mountains to sedimentary urbanized plains and are both highly managed for water supply, yet differ in degree of urbanization. A synoptic mass balance approach developed for mine drainage applications was adapted to elucidate effects of urbanization, geology, and diversions on stream chemistry during baseflow conditions. Urbanization was a more important driver of stream concentrations than geology. The urban area was a strong source of bromide, calcium, chloride, and manganese, while lanthanum and dissolved organic carbon were primarily sourced from the mountains. A majority of streamflow was removed by diversions near the mountains/plains interface. Groundwater accounted for 31% of the subsequent flow increase to the urbanized stream, and delivered at least 33% of chloride loading. Constituents that were primarily urban-derived (bromide, calcium, chloride, and manganese) were 2–3 times higher in the urban region due to diversions; without diversions, stream water quality would have largely retained characteristics of forested streams through the urban reach. This study provides insights into processes that affect water quality in highly managed streams of the semi-arid western USA.
Colorado↗
Mineral resources of the Boulder-Pioneer wilderness study area, Blaine and Custer Counties, Idaho
No abstract available.
Idaho↗
Mineral resources of the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness, Lincoln and Sanders counties, Montana
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Bulletin↗