Selenium
Lisa L. Stillings
Klaus J. Schulz, DeYoung Jr., Robert R. Seal, II, Dwight Bradley, editor(s)
2017, Professional Paper 1802-Q
Selenium (Se) was discovered in 1817 in pyrite from copper mines in Sweden. It is a trace element in Earth’s crust, with an abundance of three to seven orders of magnitude less than the major rock-forming elements. Commercial use of selenium began in the United States in 1910, when it...
Platinum-group elements
Michael L. Zientek, Patricia J. Loferski, Heather L. Parks, Ruth F. Schulte, Robert R. Seal II
Klaus J. Schulz, DeYoung Jr., Robert R. Seal, II, Dwight Bradley, editor(s)
2017, Professional Paper 1802-N
The platinum-group elements (PGEs)—platinum, palladium, rhodium, ruthenium, iridium, and osmium—are metals that have similar physical and chemical properties and tend to occur together in nature. PGEs are indispensable to many industrial applications but are mined in only a few places. The availability and accessibility of PGEs could be disrupted by...
Gallium
Nora K. Foley, Brian W. Jaskula, Bryn E. Kimball, Ruth F. Schulte
Klaus J. Schulz, DeYoung Jr., Robert R. Seal, II, Dwight Bradley, editor(s)
2017, Professional Paper 1802-H
Gallium is a soft, silvery metallic element with an atomic number of 31 and the chemical symbol Ga. Gallium is used in a wide variety of products that have microelectronic components containing either gallium arsenide (GaAs) or gallium nitride (GaN). GaAs is able to change electricity directly into laser light...
Lithium
Dwight Bradley, Lisa L. Stillings, Brian W. Jaskula, LeeAnn Munk, Andrew D. McCauley
Klaus J. Schulz, DeYoung Jr., Robert R. Seal, II, Dwight Bradley, editor(s)
2017, Professional Paper 1802-K
Lithium, the lightest of all metals, is used in air treatment, batteries, ceramics, glass, metallurgy, pharmaceuticals, and polymers. Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries are particularly important in efforts to reduce global warming because they make it possible to power cars and trucks from renewable sources of energy (for example, hydroelectric, solar, or...
Rare-earth elements
Bradley S. Van Gosen, Philip L. Verplanck, Robert R. Seal, II, Keith R. Long, Joseph Gambogi
Klaus J. Schulz, DeYoung Jr., Robert R. Seal, II, Dwight Bradley, editor(s)
2017, Professional Paper 1802-O
The rare-earth elements (REEs) are 15 elements that range in atomic number from 57 (lanthanum) to 71 (lutetium); they are commonly referred to as the “lanthanides.” Yttrium (atomic number 39) is also commonly regarded as an REE because it shares chemical and physical similarities and has affinities with the lanthanides....
Environmental considerations related to mining of nonfuel minerals
Robert R. Seal II, Nadine M. Piatak, Bryn E. Kimball, Jane M. Hammarstrom
Klaus J. Schulz, DeYoung Jr., Robert R. Seal, II, Dwight Bradley, editor(s)
2017, Professional Paper 1802-B
Throughout most of human history, environmental stewardship during mining has not been a priority partly because of the lack of applicable laws and regulations and partly because of ignorance about the effects that mining can have on the environment. In the United States, the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969,...
Critical mineral resources of the United States—An introduction
Klaus J. Schulz, John H. DeYoung Jr., Robert R. Seal II, Dwight Bradley
Klaus J. Schulz, DeYoung Jr., Robert R. Seal, II, Dwight Bradley, editor(s)
2017, Professional Paper 1802-A
Many changes have taken place in the mineral resource sector since the publication by the U.S. Geological Survey of Professional Paper 820, “United States Mineral Resources,” which is a review of the long-term United States resource position for 65 mineral commodities or commodity groups. For example, since 1973, the United...
Tellurium
Richard J. Goldfarb, Byron R. Berger, Micheal W. George, Robert R. Seal, II
Klaus J. Schulz, DeYoung Jr., Robert R. Seal, II, Dwight Bradley, editor(s)
2017, Professional Paper 1802-R
Tellurium (Te) is a very rare element that averages only 3 parts per billion in Earth’s upper crust. It shows a close association with gold and may be present in orebodies of most gold deposit types at levels of tens to hundreds of parts per million. In large-tonnage mineral deposits,...
Antimony
Robert R. Seal II, Klaus J. Schulz, John H. DeYoung, Jr., David M. Sutphin, Lawrence J. Drew, James F. Carlin Jr., Byron R. Berger
Klaus J. Schulz, DeYoung Jr., Robert R. Seal, II, Dwight Bradley, editor(s)
2017, Professional Paper 1802-C
Antimony is an important mineral commodity used widely in modern industrialized societies. The element imparts strength, hardness, and corrosion resistance to alloys that are used in many areas of industry, including in lead-acid storage batteries. Antimony’s leading use is as a fire retardant in safety equipment and in household goods,...
Graphite
Gilpin R. Robinson Jr., Jane M. Hammarstrom, Donald W. Olson
Klaus J. Schulz, DeYoung Jr., Robert R. Seal, II, Dwight Bradley, editor(s)
2017, Professional Paper 1802-J
Graphite is a form of pure carbon that normally occurs as black crystal flakes and masses. It has important properties, such as chemical inertness, thermal stability, high electrical conductivity, and lubricity (slipperiness) that make it suitable for many industrial applications, including electronics, lubricants, metallurgy, and steelmaking. For some of these...
Fluorine
Timothy S. Hayes, M. Michael Miller, Greta J. Orris, Nadine M. Piatak
Klaus J. Schulz, DeYoung Jr., Robert R. Seal, II, Dwight Bradley, editor(s)
2017, Professional Paper 1802-G
Fluorine compounds are essential in numerous chemical and manufacturing processes. Fluorspar is the commercial name for fluorite (isometric CaF2), which is the only fluorine mineral that is mined on a large scale. Fluorspar is used directly as a fluxing material and as an additive in different manufacturing processes. It is...
Zirconium and hafnium
James V. Jones III, Nadine M. Piatak, George M. Bedinger
Klaus J. Schulz, DeYoung Jr., Robert R. Seal II, Dwight Bradley, editor(s)
2017, Professional Paper 1802-V
Zirconium and hafnium are corrosion-resistant metals that are widely used in the chemical and nuclear industries. Most zirconium is consumed in the form of the main ore mineral zircon (ZrSiO4, or as zirconium oxide or other zirconium chemicals. Zirconium and hafnium are both refractory lithophile elements that have nearly identical...
Germanium and indium
W.C. Pat Shanks III, Bryn E. Kimball, Amy C. Tolcin, David E. Guberman
Klaus J. Schulz, DeYoung Jr., Robert R. Seal, II, Dwight Bradley, editor(s)
2017, Professional Paper 1802-I
Germanium and indium are two important elements used in electronics devices, flat-panel display screens, light-emitting diodes, night vision devices, optical fiber, optical lens systems, and solar power arrays. Germanium and indium are treated together in this chapter because they have similar technological uses and because both are recovered as byproducts,...
Niobium and tantalum
Klaus J. Schulz, Nadine M. Piatak, John F. Papp
Klaus J. Schulz, DeYoung Jr., Robert R. Seal, II, Dwight Bradley, editor(s)
2017, Professional Paper 1802-M
Niobium and tantalum are transition metals that are almost always found together in nature because they have very similar physical and chemical properties. Their properties of hardness, conductivity, and resistance to corrosion largely determine their primary uses today. The leading use of niobium (about 75 percent) is in the production...
A field trip guide to the petrology of Quaternary volcanism on the Yellowstone Plateau
Jorge A. Vazquez, Mark E. Stelten, Ilya N. Bindeman, Kari Cooper
2017, Scientific Investigations Report 2017-5022-Q
The Yellowstone Plateau is one of the largest manifestations of silicic volcanism on Earth, and marks the youngest focus of magmatism associated with the Yellowstone Hot Spot. The earliest products of Yellowstone Hot Spot volcanism are from ~17 million years ago, but may be as old as ~32 Ma, and...
The discovery and character of Pleistocene calcrete uranium deposits in the Southern High Plains of west Texas, United States
Bradley S. Van Gosen, Susan M. Hall
2017, Scientific Investigations Report 2017-5134
This report describes the discovery and geology of two near-surface uranium deposits within calcareous lacustrine strata of Pleistocene age in west Texas, United States. Calcrete uranium deposits have not been previously reported in the United States. The west Texas uranium deposits share characteristics with some calcrete uranium deposits in Western...
Laboratory evaluation of the Sequoia Scientific LISST-ABS acoustic backscatter sediment sensor
Teri T. Snazelle
2017, Open-File Report 2017-1154
Sequoia Scientific’s LISST-ABS is an acoustic backscatter sensor designed to measure suspended-sediment concentration at a point source. Three LISST-ABS were evaluated at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Hydrologic Instrumentation Facility (HIF). Serial numbers 6010, 6039, and 6058 were assessed for accuracy in solutions with varying particle-size distributions and for the...
Groundwater levels, geochemistry, and water budget of the Tsala Apopka Lake system, west-central Florida, 2004–12
W. Scott McBride, Patricia A. Metz, Patrick J. Ryan, Mark Fulkerson, Harry C. Downing
2017, Scientific Investigations Report 2017-5132
Tsala Apopka Lake is a complex system of lakes and wetlands, with intervening uplands, located in Citrus County in west-central Florida. It is located within the 2,100 square mile watershed of the Withlacoochee River, which drains north and northwest towards the Gulf of Mexico. The lake system is managed by...
Model-based scenario planning to inform climate change adaptation in the Northern Great Plains—Final report
Amy J. Symstad, Brian W. Miller, Jonathan M. Friedman, Nicholas A. Fisichelli, Andrea J. Ray, Erika Rowland, Gregor W. Schuurman
2017, Open-File Report 2017-1129
Public SummaryWe worked with managers in two focal areas to plan for the uncertain future by integrating quantitative climate change scenarios and simulation modeling into scenario planning exercises.In our central North Dakota focal area, centered on Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site, managers are concerned about how changes in...
Evaluation of the Hydrolab HL4 water-quality sonde and sensors
Teri T. Snazelle
2017, Open-File Report 2017-1153
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Hydrologic Instrumentation Facility evaluated three Hydrolab HL4 multiparameter water-quality sondes by OTT Hydromet. The sondes were equipped with temperature, conductivity, pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), and turbidity sensors. The sensors were evaluated for compliance with the USGS National Field Manual for the Collection of Water-Quality Data...
Forecasting stream habitat and Brook Trout responses to climate change in Catoctin Mountain Park
Nathaniel P. Hitt, Craig D. Snyder, Erin Snook, Zachary Johnson, Matthew Morgan
2017, Report
Anticipating and mitigating the effects of climate change is a fundamental challenge for natural resource conservation. In this report, we respond to research needs identified by Catoctin Mountain Park (CATO) for native Brook Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) conservation and management as part of the US Geological Survey (USGS) Natural Resources Preservation Program in FY15-16. We...
Microsatellite marker development from next-generation sequencing in the New England cottontail (Sylvilagus transitionalis) and cross-amplification in the eastern cottontail (S. floridanus)
Tim L. King, Michael S. Eackles, Aaron W. Aunins, Thomas J. McGreevy, Thomas P. Husband, Anthony Tur, Adrienne I. Kovach
2017, BMC Research Notes
ObjectiveThe New England cottontail (Sylvilagus transitionalis) is a species of high conservation priority in the Northeastern United States, and was a candidate for federal listing under the Endangered Species Act until a recent decision determined that conservation actions were sufficient to preclude listing. The aim of this...
Natural and human-induced variability in barrier-island response to sea level rise
Jennifer L. Miselis, Jorge Lorenzo-Trueba
2017, Geophysical Research Letters (44) 11922-11931
Storm-driven sediment fluxes onto and behind barrier islands help coastal barrier systems keep pace with sea level rise (SLR). Understanding what controls cross-shore sediment flux magnitudes is critical for making accurate forecasts of barrier response to increased SLR rates. Here, using an existing morphodynamic model for barrier island evolution, observations...
Lessons from the past: isotopes of an endangered rail as indicators of underlying change to tidal marsh habitats
Angela M. Merritt, Michael L. Casazza, Cory T. Overton, John Y. Takekawa, Thomas P. Hahn, Joshua M. Hull
2017, Ecosystem Health and Sustainability (3) 1-16
Introduction: Tidal marsh systems along the Pacific coast of the United States have experienced substantial stress and loss of area and ecosystem function, which we examined by using the endangered California Ridgway’s Rail, Rallus obsoletus obsoletus (‘rail’) as an indicator of its tidal marsh habitat in the San Francisco Estuary. We organized a...
Peak discharge, flood frequency, and peak stage of floods on Big Cottonwood Creek at U.S. Highway 50 near Coaldale, Colorado, and Fountain Creek below U.S. Highway 24 in Colorado Springs, Colorado, 2016
Michael S. Kohn, Michael R. Stevens, Amanullah Mommandi, Aziz R. Khan
2017, Scientific Investigations Report 2017-5107
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Colorado Department of Transportation, determined the peak discharge, annual exceedance probability (flood frequency), and peak stage of two floods that took place on Big Cottonwood Creek at U.S. Highway 50 near Coaldale, Colorado (hereafter referred to as “Big Cottonwood Creek site”),...
