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At least 343 records · Page 19Linked to original sources

Manganese, iron, and barite deposits of the James River-Roanoke River district, Virginia

During the period 1940-1942 the United States Geological Survey made a geologic study of the manganese deposits of the James River-Roanoke River district, in the general vicinity of Lynchburg, Va. (fig. 1), as part of its program of strategic minerals investigations. This work was done by the writer and supervised by D. F. Hewett. John Rodgers and W. R. Wagner assisted during part of the project. In the course of the investigation, the geology was mapped over an area about 60 miles long and several miles wide, from Altavista on the Roanoke River northeast to Howardsville on the James River (fig. 2); and the mineral deposits-principally manganese, iron, and barite-were studied. After completion of the geologic studies, the writer participated in an exploration project conducted by the United States Bureau of Mines in the early summer of 1942 at five manganese deposits in the district. This preliminary report presents the essential information concerning the mineral deposits of the region in advance of the more comprehensive report on the geology and mineral deposits that will be published as a bulletin of the U.S. Geological Survey.

Virginia↗

Chromite deposits in central part Stillwater Complex, Sweet Grass County, Montana: A digital database for the geologic map of the east slope of Iron Mountain

In 1940, A.L. Howland and J. W. Peoples, assisted by W.R. Jones and M.G. Bennett, mapped the geology of the east slope of Iron Mountain, Montana. The map was revised and extended by Howland in 1942 and published in 1955 as plate 10 of the U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1015-D (Howland, 1955). In 2000, the USGS contracted Optronics Specialty Co., Inc. of Northridge, CA to prepare a scanned digital version of plate 10. Geospatial editing and attributing of the scanned map of the east slope of Iron Mountain was performed by the USGS in order to produce an interim digital product. This digital geospatial database is one of many being created by the U.S. Geological Survey as an ongoing effort to provide geologic information in a geographic information system (GIS) for use in spatial analysis.

Montana↗

A bibliography of terrain modeling (geomorphometry), the quantitative representation of topography: Supplement 4.0

Terrain modeling, the practice of ground-surface quantification, is an amalgam of Earth science, mathematics, engineering, and computer science. The discipline is known variously as geomorphometry (or simply morphometry), terrain analysis, and quantitative geomorphology. It continues to grow through myriad applications to hydrology, geohazards mapping, tectonics, sea-floor and planetary exploration, and other fields. Dating nominally to the co-founders of academic geography, Alexander von Humboldt (1808, 1817) and Carl Ritter (1826, 1828), the field was revolutionized late in the 20th Century by the computer manipulation of spatial arrays of terrain heights, or digital elevation models (DEMs), which can quantify and portray ground-surface form over large areas (Maune, 2001). Morphometric procedures are implemented routinely by commercial geographic information systems (GIS) as well as specialized software (Harvey and Eash, 1996; Köthe and others, 1996; ESRI, 1997; Drzewiecki et al., 1999; Dikau and Saurer, 1999; Djokic and Maidment, 2000; Wilson and Gallant, 2000; Breuer, 2001; Guth, 2001; Eastman, 2002). The new Earth Surface edition of the Journal of Geophysical Research, specializing in surficial processes, is the latest of many publication venues for terrain modeling. This is the fourth update of a bibliography and introduction to terrain modeling (Pike, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1999) designed to collect the diverse, scattered literature on surface measurement as a resource for the research community. The use of DEMs in science and technology continues to accelerate and diversify (Pike, 2000a). New work appears so frequently that a sampling must suffice to represent the vast literature. This report adds 1636 entries to the 4374 in the four earlier publications1. Forty-eight additional entries correct dead Internet links and other errors found in the prior listings. Chronicling the history of terrain modeling, many entries in this report predate the 1999 supplement. Coverage is representative from about 1800 through early–mid 2002. Papers increasingly are published exclusively or in duplicate on the Internet's World Wide Web; the dates given here for Web addresses (URLs) that lack a print publication indicate a Web site's last update or my last access of it. The bibliography is arranged alphabetically and thus is not readily summarized. This introduction cites about 500 entries, a third of them grouped under 24 morphometric topics, as a guide to the listing's contents. Continuing the practice of previous bibliographies in the series to provide more information on a few applications (see summary of past topics in Pike, 2000a), this report elaborates further on topographic data, putative new parameters, tectonic geomorphology/neo-orometry, biogeography, ice-cap morphometry, results from the Mars Global DEM, landslide-hazard mapping, terrain modeling as physics, Hack's law, and broad-scale computer visualization. The literature of some of these subjects is large, and none of the summaries is intended to more than introduce the topic and comment on some of the current contributions of terrain modeling. Closing the essay is a discussion of pre-1900 papers that trace the evolution of ridge-line and watercourse quantification by descriptive geometry, as well as comments on some new books and an on-line bulletin board.

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Sediment-hosted copper deposits of the world: Deposit models and database

Introduction This publication contains four descriptive models and four grade-tonnage models for sediment hosted copper deposits. Descriptive models are useful in exploration planning and resource assessment because they enable the user to identify deposits in the field and to identify areas on geologic and geophysical maps where deposits could occur. Grade and tonnage models are used in resource assessment to predict the likelihood of different combinations of grades and tonnages that could occur in undiscovered deposits in a specific area. They are also useful in exploration in deciding what deposit types meet the economic objectives of the exploration company. The models in this report supersede the sediment-hosted copper models in USGS Bulletin 1693 (Cox, 1986, and Mosier and others, 1986) and are subdivided into a general type and three subtypes. The general model is useful in classifying deposits whose features are obscured by metamorphism or are otherwise poorly described, and for assessing regions in which the geologic environments are poorly understood. The three subtypes are based on differences in deposit form and environments of deposition. These differences are described under subtypes in the general model. Deposit models are based on the descriptions of geologic environments and physical characteristics, and on metal grades and tonnages of many individual deposits. Data used in this study are presented in a database representing 785 deposits in nine continents. This database was derived partly from data published by Kirkham and others (1994) and from new information in recent publications. To facilitate the construction of grade and tonnage models, the information, presented by Kirkham in disaggregated form, was brought together to provide a single grade and a single tonnage for each deposit. Throughout the report individual deposits are defined as being more than 2,000 meters from the nearest adjacent deposit. The deposit models are presented here as a PDF file. The database can be most conveniently read in FileMaker Pro. For those who do not have the FileMaker application, Microsoft-Excel, tab-delimited-ASCII and comma-separated-value files are included. The reader may be interested in a similar publication on porphyry copper deposits (Singer and others, 2005) also available online. The Google Earth image is not intended to be viewed at the highest possible magnification because the resolution of the database is plus or minus two kilometers. At extreme zoom settings, the deposit locations may not coincide with the Google-Earth images of the mine workings.

Open-File Report↗

Compilation of Disruptions to Airports by Volcanic Activity (Version 1.0, 1944-2006)

Volcanic activity has caused significant hazards to numerous airports worldwide, with local to far-ranging effects on travelers and commerce. To more fully characterize the nature and scope of volcanic hazards to airports, we collected data on incidents of airports throughout the world that have been affected by volcanic activity, beginning in 1944 with the first documented instance of damage to modern aircraft and facilities in Naples, Italy, and extending through 2006. Information was gleaned from various sources, including news outlets, volcanological reports (particularly the Smithsonian Institution's Bulletin of the Global Volcanism Network), and previous publications on the topic. This report presents the full compilation of the data collected. For each incident, information about the affected airport and the volcanic source has been compiled as a record in a Microsoft Access database. The database is incomplete in so far as incidents may not have not been reported or documented, but it does present a good sample from diverse parts of the world. Not included are en-route diversions to avoid airborne ash clouds at cruise altitudes. The database has been converted to a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. To make the PDF version of table 1 in this open-file report resemble the spreadsheet, order the PDF pages as 12, 17, 22; 13, 18, 23; 14, 19, 24; 15, 20, 25; and 16, 21, 26. Analysis of the database reveals that, at a minimum, 101 airports in 28 countries were impacted on 171 occasions from 1944 through 2006 by eruptions at 46 volcanoes. The number of affected airports (101) probably is better constrained than the number of incidents (171) because recurring disruptions at a given airport may have been lumped together or not reported by news agencies, whereas the initial disruption likely is noticed and reported and thus the airport correctly counted.

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Topographic Slope as a Proxy for Seismic Site-Conditions (VS30) and Amplification Around the Globe

Executive Summary It is well-known that large global earthquakes can have a dramatic effect on local communities and the built environment. Moreover, ground motions amplified by surficial materials can exacerbate the situation, often making the difference between minor and major damage. For a real-time earthquake impact alert system, such as Prompt Assessment of Global Earthquakes for Response (PAGER) (Wald and others, 2006), we seek to rapidly evaluate potential ground shaking in the source region and subsequently provide an estimate of the population exposure to potentially fatal levels of ground shaking in any region of the world. The contribution of surficial geology (particularly soft sediments) to the amplification of ground shaking is an important component in predicting the levels of ground motion observed at any site. Unfortunately, the availability of information regarding seismic siteconditions is only available at a few sites around the globe. Herein, we describe a methodology for deriving maps of seismic site-conditions anywhere in the world using topographic slope as a proxy. Average shear-velocity down to 30 m (or VS30) measurements are correlated against topographic slope to develop two sets of coefficients for predicting VS30: one for active tectonic regions that possess dynamic topographic relief, and one for stable continental regions where changes in topography are more subdued. These coefficients have been applied to the continental United States, in addition to other regions around the world. They are subsequently compared to existing site-condition maps based on geology and observed VS30 measurements, where available. The application of the topographic slope method in regions with abundant VS30 measurements (for example California, Memphis, and Taiwan) indicates that this method provides site condition-maps of similar quality, or in some cases, maps superior to those developed from more traditional techniques. Having a first-order assessment of seismic site-conditions anywhere in the world provides a valuable tool to rapidly estimate ground motions following any global earthquake, the primary motivation for this research. These VS30 maps will enable us to better quantify possible ground shaking and rapidly deliver these predictions to emergency managers and responders. In addition, the VS30 maps for the globe will also have practical applications for numerous related probabilistic- and scenario-based studies. To date, several researchers have requested maps or have used the approach outlined herein for their own applications (for example Cagnan and Kariptas, written commun., 2007; Harmandar and others, 2007). Given that we anticipate a significant demand for these products, we have developed an internet delivery service so that users can download maps and grids of seismic site-conditions for specified regions. To some extent, these grids can also be customized by the user if they disagree with the predefined correlations derived using the methodologies described within this report. Finally, this report represents a more comprehensive account of this technique and provides a more fully illustrated global description of results than that given in Wald and Allen (2007), which has been accepted for publication in the Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America.

Open-File Report↗

Overview of the Southern San Andreas Fault Model

This appendix summarizes the data and methodology used to generate the source model for the southern San Andreas fault. It is organized into three sections, 1) a section by section review of the geological data in the format of past Working Groups, 2) an overview of the rupture model, and 3) a manuscript by Biasi and Weldon (in review Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America) that describes the correlation methodology that was used to help develop the ?geologic insight? model. The goal of the Biasi and Weldon methodology is to quantify the insight that went into developing all A faults; as such it is in concept consistent with all other A faults but applied in a more quantitative way. The most rapidly slipping fault and the only known source of M~8 earthquakes in southern California is the San Andreas fault. As such it plays a special role in the seismic hazard of California, and has received special attention in the current Working Group. The underlying philosophy of the current Working Group is to model the recurrence behavior of large, rapidly slipping faults like the San Andreas from observed data on the size, distribution and timing of past earthquakes with as few assumptions about underlying recurrence behavior as possible. In addition, we wish to carry the uncertainties in the data and the range of reasonable extrapolations from the data to the final model. To accomplish this for the Southern San Andreas fault we have developed an objective method to combine all of the observations of size, timing, and distribution of past earthquakes into a comprehensive set of earthquake scenarios that each represent a possible history of earthquakes for the past ~1400 years. The scenarios are then ranked according to their overall consistency with the data and then the frequencies of all of the ruptures permitted by the current Working Group?s segmentation model are calculated. We also present 30-yr conditional probabilities by segment and compare to previous results. A distinctive aspect of the current model is that the probability is higher at both ends of the fault and that the ends have a much greater fraction of smaller events. There is a significant difference in the likelihood of large (M 7.7-8.0) earthquakes along the fault from north to south, with large 1857-like events common on the northern half of the southern San Andreas fault but relatively few M 7.7-8.0 expected on the southern half.

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Technical Manual for the Geospatial Stream Flow Model (GeoSFM)

The monitoring of wide-area hydrologic events requires the use of geospatial and time series data available in near-real time. These data sets must be manipulated into information products that speak to the location and magnitude of the event. Scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey Earth Resources Observation and Science (USGS EROS) Center have implemented a hydrologic modeling system which consists of an operational data processing system and the Geospatial Stream Flow Model (GeoSFM). The data processing system generates daily forcing evapotranspiration and precipitation data from various remotely sensed and ground-based data sources. To allow for rapid implementation in data scarce environments, widely available terrain, soil, and land cover data sets are used for model setup and initial parameter estimation. GeoSFM performs geospatial preprocessing and postprocessing tasks as well as hydrologic modeling tasks within an ArcView GIS environment. The integration of GIS routines and time series processing routines is achieved seamlessly through the use of dynamically linked libraries (DLLs) embedded within Avenue scripts. GeoSFM is run operationally to identify and map wide-area streamflow anomalies. Daily model results including daily streamflow and soil water maps are disseminated through Internet map servers, flood hazard bulletins and other media.

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Flood Magnitude and Frequency of the Delaware River in New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania

From September 2004 to June 2006, the Delaware River in New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania experienced three major floods that caused extensive damage. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) needed updated information on the flood magnitude and frequency for the eight active streamflow-gaging stations along the main stem Delaware River in New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania that included the three recent floods in order to update its flood insurance studies. Therefore, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) computed updated flood magnitude and frequency values following the guidelines published by the Interagency Advisory Committee on Water Data in its Bulletin 17B. The updated flood-frequency values indicate that the recurrence interval of the September 2004 flood ranged from 20 to 35 years, the recurrence interval of the April 2005 flood ranged from 40 to 70 years, and the recurrence interval of the June 2006 flood ranged from 70 to greater than 100 years. Examination of trends in flood discharges indicate no statistically significant trends in peak flows during the period of record for any of the eight streamflow-gaging stations.

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Preliminary model of porphyry copper deposits

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Mineral Resources Program develops mineral-deposit models for application in USGS mineral-resource assessments and other mineral resource-related activities within the USGS as well as for nongovernmental applications. Periodic updates of models are published in order to incorporate new concepts and findings on the occurrence, nature, and origin of specific mineral deposit types. This update is a preliminary model of porphyry copper deposits that begins an update process of porphyry copper models published in USGS Bulletin 1693 in 1986. This update includes a greater variety of deposit attributes than were included in the 1986 model as well as more information about each attribute. It also includes an expanded discussion of geophysical and remote sensing attributes and tools useful in resource evaluations, a summary of current theoretical concepts of porphyry copper deposit genesis, and a summary of the environmental attributes of unmined and mined deposits.

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Emergency management response to a warning-level Alaska-source tsunami impacting California: Chapter J in The SAFRR (Science Application for Risk Reduction) Tsunami Scenario

This chapter is directed towards two audiences: Firstly, it targets nonemergency management readers, providing them with insight on the process and challenges facing emergency managers in responding to tsunami Warning, particularly given this “short fuse” scenario. It is called “short fuse” because there is only a 5.5-hour window following the earthquake before arrival of the tsunami within which to evaluate the threat, disseminate alert and warning messages, and respond. This action initiates a period when crisis communication is of paramount importance. An additional dynamic that is important to note is that within 15 minutes of the earthquake, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Weather Service (NWS) will issue alert bulletins for the entire Pacific Coast. This is one-half the time actually presented by recent tsunamis from Japan, Chile, and Samoa. Second, the chapter provides emergency managers at all levels with insights into key considerations they may need to address in order to augment their existing plans and effectively respond to tsunami events. We look at emergency management response to the tsunami threat from three perspectives:“Top Down” (Threat analysis and Alert/Warning information from the Federal agency charged with Alert and Warning) “Bottom Up” (Emergency management’s Incident Command approach to responding to emergencies and disasters based on the needs of impacted local jurisdictions) “Across Time” (From the initiating earthquake event through emergency response) We focus on these questions: What are the government roles, relationships, and products that support Tsunami Alert and Warning dissemination? (Emergency Planning and Preparedness.) What roles, relationships, and products support emergency management response to Tsunami Warning and impact? (Engendering prudent public safety response.) What are the key emergency management activities, considerations, and challenges brought out by the SAFRR tsunami scenario? (Real emergencies) How do these activities, considerations, and challenges play out as the tsunami event unfolds across the “life” of the event? (Lessons)

California↗

A field trip guidebook to the type localities of Marland Billings' 1935 Paleozoic bedrock stratigraphy near Littleton, New Hampshire

Marland Billings' classic paper published in 1937 in the Geological Society of America Bulletin established a succession of six stratigraphic units in rocks of low metamorphic grade near Littleton, New Hampshire. The two youngest units are fossiliferous in the area, with ages established at the time as “middle” Silurian and Early Devonian. Billings and students mapped the same stratigraphic section in adjacent areas of progressively higher regional metamorphic grade. This work laid the foundation upon which a major part of subsequent work in New England has been directly or indirectly built. This guidebook was written for a field trip held in March 2013 to visit roadcuts that are as close as possible in March to the type localities or areas of Billings’ six-fold stratigraphic succession. Ten stops are in rocks of chlorite grade of Acadian(?) metamorphism; the final stop visits amphibolite of the Ammonoosuc Volcanics. Fieldwork by the authors over the past 20 years confirms Billings’ broad conclusions.

New Hampshire↗

The geology and nickel-copper deposits of Yakobi Island, southeastern Alaska

This report briefly describes the nickel-copper deposits of Yakobi Island, southeastern Alaska, as well as the general geology of the island. It also interprets and summarizes the geological data obtained during drilling tests in 1941 and 1942 by the Bureau of Mines and magnetometer exploration in 1943 by the Geological Survey of the nickel-copper deposits. These deposits have been described by Reed and Dorr and much detail has been omitted from this report, as it is available in this bulletin.

Alaska↗

Ground water investigations in Oklahoma

Prior to 1937, ground-water work in Oklahoma consisted of broad scale early-day reconnaissance and a few brief investigations of local areas. The reconnaissance is distinguished by C. N. Gould's "Geology and Water Resources of Oklahoma" (Water-Supply Paper 148, 1905), which covers about half of the present State of Oklahoma. Among the shorter reports are two by Schwennesen for areas near Enid and Oklahoma City, one by Renick for Enid, and one by Thompson on irrigation possibilities near Gage. These reports are now inadequate by modern standards. Cooperative ground-water work in Oklahoma by the United States Geological Survey began in 1937, with the Oklahoma Geological Survey as cooperating agency. With the passage of the new ground-water law by the State Legislature in 1949, the need for more information on available ground waters and the safe yield of the various aquifers became very pressing. Accordingly, the Division of Water Resources of the Oklahoma Planning and Resources Board, to which was delegated the responsibility of administering the Ground-Water Law, entered into a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Geological Survey, providing for an expansion of ground-water investigations. Both cooperators have consistently given full and enthusiastic cooperation, often beyond the requirements of the cooperative program. The first cooperative investigation was an evaluation of ground-water supplies available for irrigation in the Panhandle. In 1937 the Panhandle was still very much in the dust bowl, and it was hoped that irrigation would alleviate the drought. A bulletin on Texas County was published in 1939, and one on Cimarron County in 1943. Ground-water investigations during the World War II were restricted to the demands of Army and Navy installations, and to defense industries. Ground-water investigations since 1945 have included both country-wide and aquifer-type investigations. In Oklahoma it has been the policy for the State cooperator to publish the results of the ground-water investigation.

Oklahoma↗

History of natural flows--Kansas River

Through its Water Resources Division, the United States Geological Survey has become the major water-resources historian for the nation. The Geological Survey's collection of streamflow records in Kansas began on a very small scale in 1895 in response to some early irrigation interest, Since that time the program has grown, and we now have about 21 350 station-years of record accumulated. A station-year of record is defined as a continuous record of flow collected at a fixed point for a period of one year. Volume of data at hand, however, is not in itself an, adequate measure of its usefullness. An important element in historical streamflow data which enhances its value as a tool for the prediction of the future is the length of continuous records available in the area being studied. The records should be of sufficient length that they may be regarded as a reasonable sample of what has gone before and may be expected in the future. Table 1 gives a graphical inventory of the available streamflow records in Kansas. It shows that, in general, there is a fair coverage of stations with records of about thirty-seven years in length, This is not a long period as history goes but it does include considerable experience with floods and droughts. Although a large quantity of data on Kansas streamflow has been accumulated, hydrologists and planning engineers find that stream flow information for many areas of the State is considerably less than adequate. The problem of obtaining adequate coverage has been given careful study by the Kansas Water Resources Board in cooperation with the U. S. Geological Survey and a report entitled "Development of A Balanced Stream-Gaging Program For Kansas", has been published by the Board as Bulletin No. 4, That report presents an analysis of the existing stream-gaging program and recommendations for a program to meet the rapidly expanding needs for more comprehensive basic data. The Kansas River is formed near Junction City, Kansas, by the confluence of the Smoky Hill and Republican Rivers, From that point the river flows eastward about 175 miles to Kansas City where it empties into the Missouri River. The basic history of its natural flow can be depicted in general by the records from three gaging stations. The one at Bonner Springs, about 21 miles upstream from the mouth, may be considered as representing the total outflow from the basin; the one at Ogden, about 8 miles downstream from the confluence of the Smoky Hill and Republican Rivers, may be considered as representing the combined contribution of those streams to the Kansas River flow; and the one at Topeka, being only about 16 river miles nearer to Ogden than to Bonner Springs, may be considered as representing flows at the mid-point along the river.

Kansas↗

Platinum deposits of Alaska

The placer deposits of the Goodnews Bay district in southwestern Alaska have yielded the only significant production of platinum metals in the United States, although small amounts of platinum metals have been produced from other deposits in Alaska and elsewhere in the United States. The Goodnews Bay deposits were described by Mertie in U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 918 (1940). Many new data have been obtained since that time, and in order to make this information available in advance of publication, this report on Platinum deposits of Alaska has been placed on open-file.

Alaska↗

Bibliography of reports resulting from U.S. Geological Survey participation in the United States Technical Assistance Program: Supplement for 1968-1969

U. S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1263, by Jo Ann Heath and Nancy B. Tabacchi lists the reports that resulted from a wide variety of geologic and hydrologic investigations, .and institutional development programs undertaken by the U. S. Geological Survey and counterpart agencies in 51 foreign countries from 1940-67. This supplementary list, for the years 1968 and 1969, includes geologic and earth-science reports of investigations in 17 countries: Reports on hydrology are not included. Only reports written by U. S. Geological Survey personnel or in collaboration with their local counterparts are included.

Open-File Report↗

Preliminary tectonic map of the Arabian Peninsula

In 1963, in response to a request from the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, the Saudi Arabian Government and the U. S. Geological Survey, U. S. Department of the Interior, with the approval of the U. S. Department of State, undertook a joint and cooperative effort to map and evaluate the mineral potential of central and western Saudi Arabia. The results of this program are being released in USGS open files in the United States and are also available in the Library of the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources. Also on open file in that office is a large amount of material, in the form of unpublished manuscripts, maps, field notes, drill logs, annotated aerial photographs, etc., that has resulted from other previous geologic work by Saudi Arabian government agencies. The Government of Saudi Arabia makes this information available to interested persons, and has set up a liberal mining code which is included in "Mineral Resources of Saudi Arabia, a Guide for Investment and Development," published in 1965 as Bulletin 1 of the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Directorate General of Mineral Resources, Jiddah, Saudi Arabia.

Open-File Report↗