SEARCH · USGS Science

Results for “Elements”

Search indexed USGS publications on groundwater, aquifers, geologic maps, mineral resources and earthquakes. Explore source records by subject and place.

SourceResearch connectionFrom yearThrough year

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 793 records · Page 44Linked to original sources

USGS2007

Release of elements to natural water from sediments of Lake Roosevelt, Washington, USA

Reservoir sediments from Lake Roosevelt (WA, USA) that were contaminated with smelter waste discharged into the Columbia River (BC, Canada) were examined using three measures of elemental release reflecting varying degrees of physical mixing and time scales. Aqueous concentrations of Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn in the interstitial water of reservoir sediments, in the gently stirred overlying waters of incubated sediment cores, and in supernatants of aggressively tumbled slurries of reservoir sediments generally were higher than the concentrations from a reference site. When compared to chronic water-quality criteria, all three measures of release suggest that slag-contaminated sediments near the U.S.-Canadian border are potentially toxic as a result of Cu release and Pb release in two of the three measures. All three measures of Cd release suggest potential toxicity for one site farther down the reservoir, probably contaminated as a result of transport and adsorption of Cd from smelter liquid waste. Releases of Zn and As did not appear to be potentially toxic. Carbonate geochemistry indirectly affects the potential toxicity by increasing water hardness.

Washington↗

USGS2009

Trout density and health in a stream with variable water temperatures and trace element concentrations: does a cold-water source attract trout to increased metal exposure?

A history of hard-rock mining has resulted in elevated concentrations of heavy metals in Prickly Pear Creek (MT. USA). Remediation has improved water quality; however, dissolved zinc and cadmium concentrations still exceed U.S. Environmental Protection Agency water-quality criteria. Physical habitat, salmonid density, fish health, and water quality were assessed, and metal concentrations in fish tissues, biofilm, and macroinvertebrates were determined to evaluate the existing condition in the watershed. Cadmium, zinc, and lead concentrations in fish tissues, biofilm, and invertebrates were significantly greater than those at the upstream reference site and an experimental site farther downstream of the confluence. Fish densities were greatest, and habitat quality for trout was better, downstream of the confluence, where water temperatures were relatively cool (16??C). Measures of fish health (tissue metal residues, histology, metallothionein concentrations, and necropsies), however, indicate that the health of trout at this site was negatively affected. Trout were in colder but more contaminated water and were subjected to increased trace element exposures and associated health effects. Maximum water temperatures in Prickly Pear Creek were significantly lower directly below Spring Creek (16??C) compared to those at an experimental site 10 km downstream (26??C). Trout will avoid dissolved metals at concentrations below those measured in Prickly Pear Creek; however, our results suggest that the preference of trout to use cool water temperatures may supersede behaviors to avoid heavy metals. ?? 2009 SETAC.

Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry↗

USGS2011

Ages and sources of components of Zn-Pb, Cu, precious metal, and platinum group element deposits in the goodsprings district, Clark County, Nevada

The Goodsprings district, Clark County, Nevada, includes zinc-dominant carbonate replacement deposits of probable late Paleozoic age, and lead-dominant carbonate replacement deposits, copper ± precious metal-platinum group element (PGE) deposits, and gold ± silver deposits that are spatially associated with Late Triassic porphyritic intrusions. The district encompasses ~500 km 2 although the distribution of all deposits has been laterally condensed by late Mesozoic crustal contraction. Zinc, Pb, and Cu production from about 90 deposits was ~160,000 metric tons (t) (Zn > Pb >> Cu), 2.1 million ounces (Moz) Ag, 0.09 Moz Au, and small amounts of PGEs—Co, V, Hg, Sb, Ni, Mo, Mn, Ir, and U—were also recovered. Zinc-dominant carbonate replacement deposits (Zn > Pb; Ag ± Cu) resemble Mississippi Valley Type (MVT) Zn-Pb deposits in that they occur in karst and fault breccias in Mississippian limestone where the southern margin of the regional late Paleozoic foreland basin adjoins Proterozoic crystalline rocks of the craton. They consist of calcite, dolomite, sphalerite, and galena with variably positive S isotope compositions ( δ 34 S values range from 2.5–13‰), and highly radiogenic Pb isotope compositions ( 206 Pb/ 204 Pb >19), typical of MVT deposits above crystalline Precambrian basement. These deposits may have formed when southward flow of saline fluids, derived from basinal and older sedimentary rocks, encountered thinner strata and pinch-outs against the craton, forcing fluid mixing and mineral precipitation in karst and fault breccias. Lead-dominant carbonate replacement deposits (Pb > Zn, Ag ± Cu ± Au) occur among other deposit types, often near porphyritic intrusions. They generally contain higher concentrations of precious metals than zinc-dominant deposits and relatively abundant iron oxides after pyrite. They share characteristics with copper ± precious metal-PGE and gold ± silver deposits including fine-grained quartz replacement of carbonate minerals in ore breccias and relatively low S and Pb isotope values ( δ 34 S values vary from 0–~4‰; 206 Pb/ 204 Pb <18.5). Copper ± precious metal-PGE deposits (Cu, Co, Ag, Au, Pd, and Pt) consist of Cu carbonate minerals (after chalcocite and chalcopyrite) and fine-grained quartz that have replaced breccia clasts and margins of fissures in Paleozoic limestones and dolomites near porphyritic intrusions. Gold ± silver deposits occur along contacts and within small-volume stocks and dikes of feldspar porphyry, one textural variety of porphyritic intrusions. Lead isotope compositions of copper ± precious metal-PGE, gold ± silver, and lead-dominant carbonate replacement deposits are similar to those of Mojave crust plutons, indicating derivation of Pb from 1.7 Ga crystalline basement or from Late Proterozoic siliciclastic sedimentary rocks derived from 1.7 Ga crystalline basement. Four texturally and modally distinctive porphyritic intrusions are exposed largely in the central part of the district: feldspar quartz porphyry, plagioclase quartz porphyry, feldspar biotite quartz porphyry, and feldspar porphyry. Intrusions consist of 64 to 70 percent SiO 2 and variable K 2 O/Na 2 O (0.14–5.33) that reflect proportions of K-feldspar and albite phenocrysts and megacrysts as well as partial alteration to K-mica; quartz and biotite phenocrysts are present in several subtypes. Albite may have formed during emplacement of magma in brine-saturated basinal strata, whereas hydrothermal alteration of matrix, phenocrystic, and megacrystic feldspar and biotite to K-mica, pyrite, and other hydrothermal minerals occurred during and after intrusion emplacement. Small volumes of garnet-diopside-quartz and retrograde epidote-mica-amphibole skarn have replaced carbonate rocks adjacent to one intrusion subtype (feldspar-quartz porphyry), but alteration of carbonate rocks at intrusion contacts elsewhere is inconspicuous. Uranium-lead ages of igneous zircons vary inconsistently from ~ 180 to 230 Ma and are too imprecise to distinguish age differences among intrusion subtypes; most ages are 210 to 225 Ma, yielding a mean of 217 ± 1 Ma. K-Ar and 40 Ar/ 39 Ar ages of magmatic (plagioclase, biotite) and hydrothermal (K-mica) minerals span a similar range (183–227 Ma), demonstrating broadly contemporaneous intrusion emplacement and hydrothermal alteration but allowing for multiple Late Triassic magmatic-hydrothermal events. Imprecision and range of isotopic ages may have resulted from burial beneath Mesozoic and Tertiary strata and multiple intrusion of magmas, causing thermal disturbance to Ar systems and Pb loss from zircons in intrusions. Separate late Paleozoic (zinc-dominant carbonate replacement deposits) and Late Triassic (all other deposits) mineralizing events are supported by form, distribution, and host rocks of metal deposits, by hydrothermal mineral assemblages, isotope compositions, metal abundances, and metal diversity, and by small intrusion volumes. These characteristics collectively distinguish the Goodsprings district from larger intrusion related carbonate replacement districts in the western United States. They can be used to evaluate proximity to unexposed porphyritic intrusions associated with PGE and gold ± silver mineralization.

Nevada↗

USGS2015

Book review: Rare earth elements—A new approach to the nexus of supply, demand and use: exemplified along the use of neodymium in permanent magnets

This book is part of the “Springer Theses” published by Springer, a book series designed to highlight and share outstanding Ph.D. research. As explained by Springer (on the second page), this series “brings together a selection of the very best Ph.D. theses from around the world and across the physical sciences.” I admire Springer for this endeavor because a large number of exceptional theses are never published, and thus are difficult to obtain, while most of those that are published are presented only in highly condensed form as journal articles. Review info: Rare Earth Elements—A New Approach to the Nexus of Supply, Demand and Use: Exemplified Along the Use of Neodymium in Permanent Magnets . By Volker Zerf. 2013. ISBN 978-3-642-35457-1. 157 pp.

Economic Geology↗

USGS2016

Regional geologic and petrologic framework for iron oxide ± apatite ± rare earth element and iron oxide copper-gold deposits of the Mesoproterozoic St. Francois Mountains terrane, southeast Missouri, USA

This paper provides an overview on the genesis of Mesoproterozoic igneous rocks and associated iron oxide ± apatite (IOA) ± rare earth element, iron oxide-copper-gold (IOCG), and iron-rich sedimentary deposits in the St. Francois Mountains terrane of southeast Missouri, USA. The St. Francois Mountains terrane lies along the southeastern margin of Laurentia as part of the eastern granite-rhyolite province. The province formed during two major pulses of igneous activity: (1) an older early Mesoproterozoic (ca. 1.50–1.44 Ga) episode of volcanism and granite plutonism, and (2) a younger middle Mesoproterozoic (ca. 1.33–1.30 Ga) episode of bimodal gabbro and granite plutonism. The volcanic rocks are predominantly high-silica rhyolite pyroclastic flows, volcanogenic breccias, and associated volcanogenic sediments with lesser amounts of basaltic to andesitic volcanic and associated subvolcanic intrusive rocks. The iron oxide deposits are all hosted in the early Mesoproterozoic volcanic and volcaniclastic sequences. Previous studies have characterized the St. Francois Mountains terrane as a classic, A-type within-plate granitic terrane. However, our new whole-rock geochemical data indicate that the felsic volcanic rocks are effusive derivatives from multicomponent source types, having compositional similarities to A-type within-plate granites as well as to S- and I-type granites generated in an arc setting. In addition, the volcanic-hosted IOA and IOCG deposits occur within bimodal volcanic sequences, some of which have volcanic arc geochemical affinities, suggesting an extensional tectonic setting during volcanism prior to emplacement of the ore-forming systems.

Missouri↗

USGS2016

Mineral thermometry and fluid inclusion studies of the Pea Ridge iron oxide-apatite–rare earth element deposit, Mesoproterozoic St. Francois Mountains Terrane, southeast Missouri, USA

Mineral thermometry and fluid inclusion studies were conducted on variably altered and mineralized samples from the Mesoproterozoic Pea Ridge iron oxide-apatite (IOA)-rare earth element (REE) deposit in order to constrain P-T conditions, fluid chemistry, and the source of salt and volatiles during early magnetite and later REE mineralization. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM)-cathodoluminescence and SEM-backscatter electron images show that quartz and rutile precipitated before, during, and after magnetite and REE mineral growth. Ti-in-quartz and Zr-in-rutile equilibration temperatures range from ≤350° to 750°C in the amphibole, magnetite, hematite, and silicified zones where T increased during magnetite and quartz growth and dropped precipitously after fracturing and brecciation. Late drusy quartz cements within a REE-rich breccia pipe record the lowest T (≤315°–400°C). Liquid-, vapor-rich, and hypersaline (±hematite, calcite) fluid inclusions are common and liquid CO 2 is present locally. Salinities define three populations: saline (10–27 wt % NaCl equiv), hypersaline (34–>60 wt % NaCl equiv), and dilute (0–10 wt % NaCl equiv ). The wide range of eutectic melting temperatures (−67° to −19°C) suggests that saline inclusions trapped variable proportions of a CaCl-MgCl-FeCl-bearing fluid end member and an NaCl-KCl fluid end member. Homogenization temperatures and pressures of these saline inclusions suggest they were trapped when fluids unmixed into brine and vapor at T <350°C, P <15 MPa, and a depth of ~1.5 km. Hypersaline inclusions were trapped at low T and P (~200°C and ~1 MPa) along the V + L + H curve when the system vented to the paleosurface. Data for dilute inclusions in late drusy quartz from the REE-rich breccia pipe are indicative of a boiling epithermal environment. The Na/Cl, Na/K, and Cl/Br ratios of fluid inclusion extracts provide evidence for mixtures of magmatic hydrothermal fluids and evaporated seawater. Extracts from magnetite, hematite, and pyrite plot in the magmatic-hydrothermal field, indicating that Fe was derived from a magmatic source. Their enrichments in Mg and Ca are consistent with a mafic magmatic source. The positive correlation between Na/Mg and Na/Ca ratios may be due to halite saturation or albitization of igneous rocks. Extracts from barite in the REE-rich breccia pipes are enriched in Na and Br and plot near the seawater evaporation trend. He is highly enriched relative to Ne and Ar in fluid inclusion extracts, which precludes air as a source of He. Although the He is mostly of crustal origin, pyrite with a 3 He/ 4 He (R/R A ) of 0.1 contains up to 12% mantle He. Many extracts have low 20 Ne/ 22 Ne ratios due to nucleogenic production of 22 Ne in high F/O minerals such as fluorapatite or F biotite. The arrays of data for 3 He/ 4 He (R/R A ) and 22 Ne/ 20 Ne suggest that volatiles were derived from two sources, a moderate F mafic magma containing mantle He and a high F silicic magma with crustal He. Together with other evidence cited in this report, these data (1) support a magmatic hydrothermal origin for the Mesoproterozoic magnetite-apatite deposit with ore fluids derived from a concealed mafic to intermediate-composition intrusion, (2) suggest that the REE minerals in breccia pipes were either derived from apatite or precipitated in response to decompression and cooling during breccia pipe formation, (3) provide evidence for the influx of basinal brine, magmatic fluids from granitic intrusions, and meteoric water after breccia pipe formation, and (4) show that Pea Ridge was relatively unaffected by the late Paleozoic Mississippi Valley-type (MVT) Pb-Zn system in overlying Cambrian sedimentary rocks.

Missouri↗

USGS1971

Fractionation of minor elements between galena and sphalerite, Darwin lead-silver-zinc mine, Inyo County, California and its significance in geothermometry

Minor element abundances were determined for galena and sphalerite from the Darwin mine, Inyo County, California. The temperature of deposition was calculated from the distribution coefficients determined experimentally by Bethke and Barton (1971) for cadmium and manganese in coexisting galena and sphalerite. The fractionation of cadmium between coexisting sphalerite and galena indicates a temperature of deposition of 416 degrees C+ or -20 degrees , the fractionation of manganese between the same mineral pair a temperature of 377 degrees C+ or -32 degrees . The fractionation of selenium gave unreasonably high temperatures. Three pairs gave temperatures between 568 degrees and 625 degrees C, the fourth pair a temperature of 889 degrees C. The reason for this descrepancy is not known.

California↗

USGS1975

Geochemical studies in the Park City district; II, Sulfide mineralogy and minor-element chemistry, Mayflower mine

Fissure-filling and replacement Pb-Zn-Cu-Au-Ag ores of the Mayflower mine occur in calcareous sedimentary and intrusive wall rocks over a vertical interval of 3,000 feet. The ores are exceptional in the district for their chalcopyrite and gold content and for the unusual associated gangue minerals anhydrite, chlorite, and hematite. High oxygen fugacities are indicated for many stages of mineralization. Sphalerite compositions are highly variable in the range 0.09 to 5.9 weight percent Fe, an indication of large fluctuations in sulfur fugacity. Silver is carried in tetrahedrite-tennantite (0.2 to 16 wt %), enargite (0.5 to 0.8 wt %), in coupled substitution with Bi + Sb in galena (0.02 to 2.9 wt %), and in the minerals argentite, matildite, chalcocite, and bornite. Content of As, Se, Te, and other minor elements is small. Fractionation of Cd between sphalerite and coexisting galena is relatively consistent whereas the fractionation of Mn between sphalerite and galena is variable; calculated temperatures of formation are high and unreliable.

Economic Geology↗

USGS1986

Platinum-group element geochemistry of zoned ultramafic intrusive suites, Klamath Mountains, California and Oregon

Three postorogenic Alaskan-type ultramafic to mafic intrusive suites in the Klamath Mountains, ranging in age from 142 to 163 m.y. and intruding metavolcanic, metasedimentary, or ophiolitic cumulate ultramafie to gabbroic rocks, were examined for their platinum-group element content. The Lower Coon Mountain pluton consists of layered clinopyroxene-rich lithologies occurring in chronological sequence whereas the intrusive suite at Tincup Peak consists of a cogenetic sequence of wehrlite, clinopyroxenite, magnetite clinopyroxenite, feldspathic hornblende-magnetite clinopyroxenite, dunite-olivine clinopyroxenite, and hornblende gabbro. The ultramarie-mafic intrusive suite at Chanchelulla Peak, part of the Wildwood pluton, consists predominantly of clinopyroxenite, minor interlayered dunite, and wehrlite with minor hypabyssal gabbroic rocks. Clinopyroxene compositions in the three intrusive suites are calcium rich and range from Wo (sub 54.7) -En (sub 45.1) -Fs 19 to Wo (sub 44.9) -En (sub 43.8) -Fs (sub 11.3) and resemble clinopyroxene with alkalic affinities. Olivine ranges from Fo 72 to Fo 83 and plagioclase from An 68 to An 96 . Cyclic units of layered cumulus magnetite + spinel (+ or -ilmenite) and coarse interstitial magnetite occur at Tincup Peak and Lower Coon Mountain. All three intrusive suites contain disseminated pyrrhotite + chalcopyrite + or - pentlandite, but the Chanchelulla Peak intrusive body also contains lenticular zones of disseminated to interstitial sulfides near its contact with sulfide-bearing horn-felsic rocks. Characteristics of rocks from these three Klamath Mountains Alaskan-type intrusive suites are (1) Rh contents of near or less than 1 ppb, (2) Ir and Ru contents less than 100 and 20 ppb, (3) variable Pd contents between rock units within intrusive suites and among suites, and (4) relatively similar Pt contents within intrusive suites and among suites. Concentrations of Pd average 6.3 ppb at Lower Coon Mountain, 13.7 ppb at Chanchelulla Peak, and 36.4 ppb at Tincup Peak. Cohen-corrected abundance data for individual rock units within each intrusive suite yield a Pt/(Pt + Pd) ratio that is greater in olivine-rich rocks than in clinopy-roxenite than in gabbro suggesting chemical fractionation of Pd within intrusive suites.

Economic Geology↗

USGS2026

Complex carbonate ore mineralogy in the Mountain Pass carbonatite rare earth element deposit, USA

Economic concentrations of rare earth element (REE) minerals are uncommon in the Earth’s crust, with most occurring in carbonatites. Unlike most igneous rocks composed of silicate minerals, carbonatites are dominated by carbonate minerals, some of which can incorporate significant light REEs (LREEs; La, Ce, Pr, Nd). Technological applications of REEs are numerous and they have been identified as some of the most critical mineral commodities to the global economy. The Mountain Pass carbonatite stock in the Mojave Desert of California is the most economically significant REE deposit in the USA and contains a few to tens of percent (by volume) of the carbonate REE ore mineral bastnäsite. Despite the economic significance of the Mountain Pass deposit, studies of its ore mineralogy are limited. Here we present new carbonate ore mineralogy data for a compositionally diverse suite of carbonatitic rocks from the Mountain Pass stock and related dikes. Whole-rock geochemical data are integrated with mineral-scale textural and chemical data obtained by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electron probe microanalysis (EPMA), and microRaman spectroscopy. Our results document a complex spectrum of REE-bearing carbonate minerals and intermediate mixed-layer structures. Mineral species include bastnäsite [REE(CO 3 )F], hydroxylbastnäsite [REE(CO 3 )OH], parisite [Ca(REE) 2 (CO 3 ) 3 F 2 ], synchysite [Ca(REE)(CO 3 ) 2 F], röntgenite [Ca 2 (Ce,La) 3 (CO 3 ) 5 F 3 ], and sahamalite [(Mg,Fe 2+ )(REE) 2 (CO 3 ) 4 ]. Carbonate ore mineralogy is heterogeneous within and between samples, including at the intracrystal scale. Complexly zoned crystals exhibit as many as five to six different compositional domains and syntaxial intergrowths, commonly with the more Ca-rich varieties (parisite, synchysite) forming crystal rims that surround relict bastnäsite cores. We attribute the phenocryst variability to changes in the chemistry and temperature of primary carbonatite magmas and evolved/exsolved fluids. Cross-cutting vein textures of calcite, celestine and various REE carbonate minerals, interstitial bastnäsite crystallization, breccia blocks lined by fine-grained bastnäsite, and the presence of hydroxylbastnäsite and partially hydroxylated bastnäsite point to the role of secondary hydrothermal processes in REE mineralization. Fluorcarbonate mineral compositions demonstrate that La and Ce are more structurally abundant in bastnäsite, whereas the more Ca-rich species (parisite, synchysite) contain a greater proportion of REE heavier than Pr (Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd) and Y. Atomic ratios of Pr/(Nd + Pr) are likewise variable, with the highest average value for bastnäsite (0.25) compared to parisite (0.22) and sychysite (0.21). This finding has geometallurgical implications, given that current mining operations are focused on recovery of Nd and Pr for high field strength permanent magnets and the Nd/Pr ratios are a critical factor in ore processing and magnet manufacture.

California↗

USGS2025

Rare earth element-mineralized carbonatite in the Bear Lodge Alkaline Complex, USA—Ore genesis implications from fluid inclusion characterization

Rare earth element (REE) resources of the Bear Lodge Alkaline Complex, Wyoming, are hosted in variably leached carbonatite spatially related to diatreme breccia pipes. We investigated the genesis of REE and lesser-known gold resources through fluid inclusion analysis of carbonatite, fluorite breccia, and smoky quartz vein samples. Physicochemical characteristics of inclusion-trapped fluids were evaluated using petrography, microthermometry, Raman spectroscopy, decrepitate mound analysis, energy-dispersive spectroscopy, laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, and noble gas isotope analysis. Microthermometry results reveal three fluid types that affected carbonatite dikes within deeper zones that escaped near-surface, ore-grade REE enrichment: (1) high-temperature (330–432°C) magmatic fluid captured in fine-grained calcite; (2) REE-enriched alkali bicarbonate-sulfate brine; and (3) low-temperature (117–182°C) diluted magmatic or meteoric water. Multiphase brine-like inclusions contain burbankite, nahcolite, strontianite, celestine and alkali sulfate daughter crystals, linking them to early burbankite mineralization. Peripheral smoky quartz and fluorite occurrences at Smith Ridge, 1.5 km from the central carbonatite dike swarm, contain primary inclusions that are Cl-poor and rich in Na-HCO 3 -SO 4 , similar to secondary and pseudosecondary inclusions in carbonatites. Helium isotopes reveal a MORB-like source for carbonatite samples and an older crust signature at Smith Ridge, consistent with the proximal ridge-top exposures of Archean granite. Results from this fluid inclusion study coupled with previous studies of carbonatite mineral paragenesis, show that light REEs (LREEs) were not mobilized great distances. Instead, burbankite crystallized within carbonatite from alkali bicarbonate fluids. With sodium retained in early burbankite, outward-emanating fluids enriched in potassium relative to sodium (higher K:Na) resulted in potassium–ferric iron metasomatism of silicate host rocks. This alkali fractionation was accompanied by fractionation of LREEs and heavy REEs (HREEs), with LREEs dominating the central carbonatite resources. In contrast, areas of peripheral REE mineralization at Bear Lodge are commonly characterized by higher HREE:LREE ratios. The K:Na ratio of associated fenites or alteration assemblages could be indicative of early crystallized burbankite in carbonatites and REE fractionation processes potentially leading to areas of concentrated HREEs with greater supply vulnerabilities.

South Dakota, Wyoming↗

USGS2012

Origin of an unusual monazite-xenotime gneiss, Hudson Highlands, New York: SHRIMP U-Pb geochronology and trace element geochemistry

A pod of monazite-xenotime gneiss (MXG) occurs within Mesoproterozoic paragneiss, Hudson Highlands, New York. This outcrop also contains granite of the Crystal Lake pluton, which migmatized the paragneiss. Previously, monazite, xenotime, and zircon from MXG, plus detrital zircon from the paragneiss, and igneous zircon from the granite, were dated using multi-grain thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS). New SEM imagery of dated samples reveals that all minerals contain cores and rims. Thus TIMS analyses comprise mixtures of age components and are geologically meaningless. New spot analyses by sensitive high resolution ion microprobe (SHRIMP) of small homogeneous areas on individual grains allows deconvolution of ages within complexly zoned grains. Xenotime cores from MXG formed during two episodes (1034 ± 10 and 1014 ± 3 Ma), whereas three episodes of rim formation are recorded (999 ± 7, 961 ± 11, and 874 ± 11 Ma). Monazite cores from MXG mostly formed at 1004 ± 4 Ma; rims formed at 994 ± 4, 913 ± 7, and 890 ± 7 Ma. Zircon from MXG is composed of oscillatory-zoned detrital cores (2000-1170 Ma), plus metamorphic rims (1008 ± 7, 985 ± 5, and ∼950 Ma). In addition, MXG contains an unusual zircon population composed of irregularly-zoned elongate cores dated at 1036 ± 5 Ma, considered to be the time of formation of MXG. The time of granite emplacement is dated by oscillatory-zoned igneous cores at 1058 ± 4 Ma, which provides a minimum age constraint for the time of deposition of the paragneiss. Selected trace elements, including all REE plus U and Th, provide geochemical evidence for the origin of MXG. MREE-enriched xenotime from MXG are dissimilar from typical HREE-enriched patterns of igneous xenotime. The presence of large negative Eu anomalies and high U and Th in monazite and xenotime are uncharacteristic of typical ore-forming hydrothermal processes. We conclude that MXG is the result of unusual metasomatic processes during high grade metamorphism that was initiated at about 1035 Ma. This rock was then subjected to repeated episodes of dissolution/reprecipitation for about 150 m.y. during regional cooling of the Hudson Highlands.

New York↗

USGS1998

Lead poisoning and trace elements in common eiders Somateria mollissima from Finland

We collected carcasses of 52 common eider Somateria mollissima adults and ducklings and blood samples from 11 nesting eider hens in the Gulf of Finland near Helsinki in 1994, 1995 and 1996. Samples of liver tissue were analysed for arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, iron, lead, magnesium, manganese, mercury, molybdenum, selenium and zinc. Blood was analysed for lead, mercury and selenium. Most of the 21 adults examined at necropsy were emaciated with empty gizzards, and no ingested shotgun pellets or other metal were found in any of the birds. Three adult females had a combination of lesions and tissue lead residues characteristic of lead poisoning. Two of these birds had acid-fast intranuclear inclusion bodies in renal epithelial cells and high concentrations of lead (73.4 and 73.3 ppm; all liver residues reported on dry weight basis) in their livers. The third was emaciated with a liver lead concentration of 47.9 ppm. An adult male had a liver lead concentration of 81.7 ppm, which is consistent with severe clinical poisoning. Two other adults, one male and one female, had liver lead concentrations of 14.2 and 8.03 ppm, respectively. Lead concentrations in the blood of hens ranged from 0.11 to 0.63 ppm wet weight. Selenium residues of A?60 ppm were found in the livers of five adult males. Selenium concentrations in the blood of hens ranged from 1.18 to 3.39 ppm wet weight. Arsenic concentrations of 27.5-38.5 ppm were detected in the livers of four adult females. Detectable concentrations of selenium, mercury and molybdenum were found more frequently in the livers of adult males arriving on the breeding grounds than in incubating females, while the reverse was true for arsenic, lead and chromium. Mean concentrations of selenium, copper and molybdenum were higher in the livers of arriving males than in the livers of incubating hens, but hens had greater concentrations of iron and magnesium. Concentrations of trace elements were lower in the livers of ducklings than in the livers of adults.

Wildlife Biology↗

USGS2000

Lateral ramps in the folded Appalachians and in overthrust belts worldwide— A fundamental element of thrust-belt architecture

Lateral ramps are zones where decollements change stratigraphic level along strike; they differ from frontal ramps, which are zones where decollements change stratigraphic level perpendicular to strike. In the Appalachian Mountains, the surface criteria for recognizing the subsurface presence of lateral ramps include (1) an abrupt change in wavelength or a termination of folds along strike, (2) a conspicuous change in the frequency of mapped faults or disturbed zones (extremely disrupted duplexes) at the surface, (3) long, straight river trends emerging onto the coastal plain or into the Appalachian Plateaus province, (4) major geomorphic discontinuities in the trend of the Blue Ridge province, (5) interruption of Mesozoic basins by cross-strike border faults, and (6) zones of modern and probable ancient seismic activity. Additional features related to lateral ramps include tectonic windows, cross-strike igneous intrusions, areas of giant landslides, and abrupt changes in Paleozoic sedimentation along strike. Proprietary strike-line seismic-reflection profiles cross three of the lateral ramps that were identified by using the surface criteria. The profiles confirm their presence and show their detailed nature in the subsurface. Like frontal ramps, lateral ramps are one of two possible consequences of fold-and-thrust-belt tectonics and are common elements in the Appalachian fold-and-thrust belt. A survey of other thrust belts in the United States and elsewhere strongly suggests that lateral ramps at depth can be identified by their surface effects. Lateral ramps probably are the result of thrust sheet motion caused by continued activation of ancient cratonic fracture systems. Such fractures localized the transform faults along which the continental segments adjusted during episodes of sea-floor spreading.

Pennsylvania↗

USGS1994

Major ions, nutrients, and trace elements in the Mississippi River near Thebes, Illinois, July through September 1993

Extensive flooding in the upper Mississippi River Basin during summer 1993 had a significant effect on the water quality of the Mississippi River. To evaluate the change in temporal distribution and transport of dissolved constituents in the Mississippi River, six water samples were collected by a discharge-weighted method from July through September 1993 near Thebes, Illinois. Sampling at this location provided water-quality information from the upper Mississippi, the Missouri, and the Illinois River Basins. Dissolved major constituents that were analyzed in each of the samples included bicarbonate, calcium (Ca), carbonate (C03), chloride (Cl), dissolved organic carbon, magnesium (Mg), potassium (K), silica NOD, sodium (Na), and sulfate (S04). Dissolved nutrients included ammonium ion (NH4), nitrate (N03), nitrite (N02), and orthophosphate (P04) . Dissolved trace elements included aluminum (Al), arsenic (As), barium (Ba), boron (B), beryllium (Be), bromide (Br), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), cobalt, (Co), copper (Cu), fluoride (F), iron (Fe), lead, lithium (Li), manganese (Mn), mercury (Hg), molybdenum (Mo), nickel (Ni), strontium (Sr), thallium, uranium (U), vanadium (V), and zinc (Zn). Other physical properties of water that were measured included specific conductance, pH and suspended-sediment concentration (particle size, less than 63 micrometers). Results of this study indicated that large quantities of dissolved constituents were transported through the river system. Generally, pH, alkalinity, and specific conductance and the concentrations of B, Br, Ca, Cl, Cr, K, Li, Mg, Mo, Na, S04, Sr, U, and V increased as water discharge decreased, while concentrations of F, Hg, and suspended sediment sharply decreased as water discharge decreased after the crest of the flood. Concentrations of other constituents, such as Al, As, Ba, Be, Co, Cu, Ni, N03, N02, NH4, P04, and Si02, varied with time as discharge decreased after the crest of the flood. For most constituents, the load transported during floods generally is much greater than that transported during low-flow conditions. How ever, for Cd, Cr, Fe, Mn, V, and Zn, loads increased substantially as water discharge decreased after the crest of the flood.

Illinois↗

USGS1997

Trace elements and organic compounds associated with riverbed sediments in the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo basin, Mexico and Texas

In 1991, the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission (TNRCC) was mandated by the Texas Clean Rivers Act (Senate Bill 818) to assess water quality of rivers in Texas. Recent efforts to collect information for the assessment of water quality in the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo Basin have involved Federal agencies on both sides of the 1,248-mile U.S.-Mexico border?U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Secretaria de Desarollo Social (Secretary for Social Development, Mexico), National Water Commission of Mexico, and International Boundary and Water Commission?as well as State and local agencies in a spirit of international cooperation. Substantial efforts have been made to gather data needed to determine the quality of water and ecological status of the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo, especially at sites along the border (fig. 1). The purpose of this report is to assess selected historical data of trace elements and organic compounds in riverbed sediments of the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo, and of the Pecos River and the Arroyo Colorado in Texas.

Fact Sheet↗

USGS2014

Platinum-group elements: So many excellent properties

The platinum-group elements (PGE) include platinum, palladium, rhodium, ruthenium, iridium, and osmium. These metals have similar physical and chemical properties and occur together in nature. The properties of PGE, such as high melting points, corrosion resistance, and catalytic qualities, make them indispensable to many industrial applications. PGE are strategic and critical materials for many nations because they are essential for important industrial applications but are mined in a limited number of places and have no adequate substitutes. Exploration and mining companies have found approximately 104,000 metric tons of PGE (with minor gold) in mineral deposits around the world that could be developed. For PGE, almost all known production and resources are associated with three geologic features: the Bushveld Complex, a layered mafic-to-ultramafic intrusion in South Africa; the Great Dyke, a layered mafic-to-ultramafic intrusion in Zimbabwe; and sill-like intrusions associated with flood basalts in the Noril’sk-Talnakh area, Russia. To help predict where PGE supplies might be located, USGS scientists study how and where PGE resources are concentrated in the Earth's crust and use that knowledge to assess the likelihood that undiscovered PGE deposits may exist. Techniques used for assessing mineral resources were developed by the USGS to support the stewardship of Federal lands and evaluate mineral resource availability in a global context. The USGS also compiles statistics and information on the worldwide supply, demand, and flow of PGE. These data are all used to inform U.S. national policymakers.

Fact Sheet↗

USGS2014

The rare-earth elements: Vital to modern technologies and lifestyles

Until recently, the rare-earth elements (REEs) were familiar to a relatively small number of people, such as chemists, geologists, specialized materials scientists, and engineers. In the 21st century, the REEs have gained visibility through many media outlets because of (1) the public has recognized the critical, specialized properties that REEs contribute to modern technology, as well as (2) China's dominance in production and supply of the REEs and (3) international dependence on China for the majority of the world's REE supply. Since the late 1990s, China has provided 85–95 percent of the world’s REEs. In 2010, China announced their intention to reduce REE exports. During this timeframe, REE use increased substantially. REEs are used as components in high technology devices, including smart phones, digital cameras, computer hard disks, fluorescent and light-emitting-diode (LED) lights, flat screen televisions, computer monitors, and electronic displays. Large quantities of some REEs are used in clean energy and defense technologies. Because of the many important uses of REEs, nations dependent on new technologies, such as Japan, the United States, and members of the European Union, reacted with great concern to China’s intent to reduce its REE exports. Consequently, exploration activities intent on discovering economic deposits of REEs and bringing them into production have increased.

Fact Sheet↗