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Scientific Investigations Report 2010–5090

Global Mineral Resource Assessment

Edited by M.L. Zientek, J.M. Hammarstrom, K.M. Johnson, and F.W. Pierce

Introduction

In response to the growing demand for information on the global mineral-resource base, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is conducting the Quantitative Global Mineral Resource Assessment Project (GMRAP), a cooperative international project, begun in 2002, to assess the world's undiscovered nonfuel mineral resources.

Primary Objectives

The USGS conducts national and global assessments of resources (mineral, energy, water, biologic) to provide science in support of decisionmaking.  Mineral resource assessments provide a synthesis of available information about where mineral deposits are known and suspected in the Earth’s crust, what commodities may be present, and estimates of amounts of resources that may be present in undiscovered deposits.  The Global Mineral Resource Assessment Project started in 2002 as a cooperative international effort to assess the world’s undiscovered nonfuel mineral resources.  Primary objectives are to:

  • Outline the regional locations and estimate the probable amounts of the world’s undiscovered resources of copper, platinum-group elements (PGE), and potash in selected types of mineral deposits to depths of 1 to 3 kilometers below the Earth’s surface.
  • Provide the first globally consistent and comprehensive analysis of undiscovered nonfuel mineral resources to provide all nations with a regional and global context for evaluating their mineral resources, planning for new mineral exploration and anticipating the economic, environmental, and social impacts of mineral development, and making land use decisions.

The project emphasizes the most important types of mineral deposits for world supply of copper, platinum-group elements (PGE) and nickel, and potash.

Go to the Quantitative Global Mineral-Resource Assessments home page for more information.


Reports

Scientific Investigations Report 2010–5090–A: Porphyry Copper Assessment of Mexico, by Jane M. Hammarstrom, Gilpin R. Robinson, Jr., Steve Ludington, Floyd Gray, Benjamin J. Drenth, Francisco Cendejas-Cruz, Enrique Espinosa, Efrén Pérez-Segura, Martín Valencia-Moreno, José Luis Rodríguez-Castañeda, Rigoberto Vásquez-Mendoza, and Lukas Zürcher

Scientific Investigations Report 2010–5090–B: Aggregation of Estimated Numbers of Undiscovered Deposits—an R-script with an Example from the Chu Sarysu Basin, Kazakhtan, by John H. Schuenemeyer, Michael L. Zientek, and Stephen E. Box

Scientific Investigations Report 2010–5090–C, v. 1.1: Porphyry Copper Assessment of British Columbia and Yukon Territory, Canada, by Mark J. Mihalasky, Arthur A. Bookstrom, Thomas P. Frost, and Steve Ludington, with contributions from James M. Logan, Andre Panteleyev, and Grant Abbott

Scientific Investigations Report 2010–5090–D: Porphyry Copper Assessment of Southeast Asia and Melanesia, by Jane M. Hammarstrom, Arthur A. Bookstrom, Connie L. Dicken, Benjamin J. Drenth, Steve Ludington, Gilpin R. Robinson, Jr., Bambang Tjahjono Setiabudi, Wudhikarn Sukserm, Dwi Nugroho Sunuhadi, Alexander Yan Sze Wah, and Michael L. Zientek, with contributions from Dennis P. Cox, Pairatt Jarnyaharn, Gwaibo Kopi, Nguyen Thi Minh Ngoc, Pichai Otarawanna, Chen Shick Pei, Ung Phany, Nguyen Vay Quy, Takehiro Sakimoto, Dulcie Saroa, Norberta Soares da Costa, Sieng Sotham, I.M. Sim, Nguyen Nhu Trung, Somob Wongsomasak, Boonsong Yokarti, and Khin Zaw

Scientific Investigations Report 2010–5090–E: Sandstone Copper Assessment of the Chu-Sarysu Basin, Central Kazakhstan, by Stephen E. Box, Boris Syusyura, Timothy S. Hayes, Cliff D. Taylor, Michael L. Zientek, Murray W. Hitzman, Reimar Seltmann, Vladimir Chechetkin, Alla Dolgopolova, Pamela M. Cossette, and John C. Wallis

Scientific Investigations Report 2010–5090–F: Porphyry Copper Assessment of the Tibetan Plateau, China, by Steve Ludington, Jane M. Hammarstrom, Gilpin R. Robinson, Jr., John C. Mars, and Robert J. Miller, based on contributions of Yan Guangsheng, Peng Qiuming, Lian Changyun, Mao Jingwen, Li Jinyi, Xiao Keyan, Qiu Ruizhao, Shao Jianbao, Shai Gangyi, and Du Yuliang, and Dennis Cox

Scientific Investigations Report 2010–5090–G: Porphyry Copper Assessment of the Mesozoic of East Asia—China, Vietnam, North Korea, Mongolia, and Russia, by Steve Ludington, Mark J. Mihalasky, Jane M. Hammarstrom, Gilpin R. Robinson, Jr., Thomas P. Frost, Kathleen D. Gans, Thomas D. Light, Robert J. Miller, and Dmitriy Alexeiev; based on contributions of Yan Guangsheng, Lian Changyun, Mao Jingwen, Li Jinyi, Xiao Keyan, Qiu Ruizhao, Shao Jianbao, Zhai Gangyi, Du Yuliang, Arthur A. Bookstrom, and Andre Panteleyev

Scientific Investigations Report 2010–5090–H, v. 1.2: Economic Filters for Evaluating Porphyry Copper Deposit Resource Assessments Using Grade-Tonnage Deposit Models, with Examples from the U.S. Geological Survey Global Mineral Resource Assessment, by Gilpin R. Robinson, Jr., and W. David Menzie

Scientific Investigations Report 2010–5090–I: Porphyry Copper Assessment of Central America and the Caribbean Basin, by Floyd Gray, Jane M. Hammarstrom, Steve Ludington, Lukas Zürcher, Carl E. Nelson, Gilpin R. Robinson, Jr., Robert J. Miller, and Barry C. Moring

Scientific Investigations Report 2010–5090–J: Descriptive Models, Grade-Tonnage Relations, and Databases for the Assessment of Sediment-Hosted Copper Deposits—With Emphasis on Deposits in the Central African Copperbelt, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zambia, by Cliff D. Taylor, J. Douglas Causey, Paul D. Denning, Jane M. Hammarstrom, Timothy S. Hayes, John D. Horton, Michael J. Kirschbaum, Heather L. Parks, Anna B. Wilson, Niki E. Wintzer, and Michael L. Zientek

Scientific Investigations Report 2010–5090–K: Porphyry Copper Assessment of Europe, Exclusive of the Fennoscandian Shield, by David M. Sutphin, Jane M. Hammarstrom, Lawrence J. Drew, Duncan E. Large, Byron R. Berger, Connie L. Dicken, and Michael W. DeMarr with contributions from Mario Billa, Joseph A. Briskey, Daniel Cassard, Andor Lips, Zdeněk Pertold, and Emilian Roşu

Scientific Investigations Report 2010–5090–L: Porphyry Copper Assessment of Eastern Australia, by Arthur A. Bookstrom, Richard A. Glen, Jane M. Hammarstrom, Gilpin R. Robinson, Jr., Michael L. Zientek, Benjamin J. Drenth, Subhash Jaireth, Pamela M. Cossette, and John C. Wallis

Scientific Investigations Report 2010–5090–M: Assessment of Undiscovered Sandstone Copper Deposits of the Kodar-Udokan Area, Russia, by Michael L. Zientek, Vladimir S. Chechetkin, Heather L. Parks, Stephen E. Box, Deborah A. Briggs, Pamela M. Cossette, Alla Dolgopolova, Timothy S. Hayes, Reimar Seltmann, Boris Syusyura, Cliff D. Taylor, and Niki E. Wintzer

Scientific Investigations Report 20105090N: Porphyry Copper Assessment of Western Central Asia, by Byron R. Berger, John C. Mars, Paul D. Denning, Jeffrey D. Phillips, Jane M. Hammarstrom, Michael L. Zientek, Connie L. Dicken, and Lawrence J. Drew with contributions from Dmitriy Alexeiev, Reimar Seltmann, and Richard J. Herrington

Scientific Investigations Report 20105090O: Regional mapping of hydrothermally altered igneous rocks along the Urumieh-Dokhtar, Chagai, and Alborz Belts of western Asia using Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) data and Interactive Data Language (IDL) logical operators—A tool for porphyry copper exploration and assessment, by John C. Mars

Scientific Investigations Report 2010–5090–P: Porphyry Copper Assessment of East and Southeast Asia—Philippines, Taiwan (Republic of China), Republic of Korea (South Korea), and Japan, by Jane M. Hammarstrom, Arthur A. Bookstrom, Michael W. DeMarr, Connie L. Dicken, Steve Ludington, Gilpin R. Robinson, Jr., and Michael L. Zientek with contributions from Dennis P. Cox, Claro Jose C. Manipon, Lilian A. Rollan, Takehiro Sakimoto, Tetsuichi Takagi, and Yasushi Watanabe

Scientific Investigations Report 2010–5090–Q: Platinum-Group Elements in Southern Africa—Mineral Inventory and an Assessment of Undiscovered Mineral Resources, by Michael L. Zientek, J. Douglas Causey, Heather L. Parks, and Robert J. Miller

Scientific Investigations Report 2010–5090–R: Sandstone Copper Assessment of the Teniz Basin, Kazakhstan, By Pamela M. Cossette, Arthur A. Bookstrom, Timothy S. Hayes, Gilpin R. Robinson, Jr., John C. Wallis, and Michael L. Zientek

Scientific Investigations Report 20105090S: Potash—A Global Overview of Evaporite-Related Potash Resources, Including Spatial Databases of Deposits, Occurrences, and Permissive Tracts, By Greta J. Orris, Mark D. Cocker, Pamela Dunlap, Jeff Wynn, Gregory T. Spanski, Deborah A. Briggs, and Leila Gass with contributions from James D. Bliss, Karen S. Bolm, Chao Yang, Bruce R. Lipin, Steve Ludington, Robert J. Miller, and Miroslaw Slowakiewicz

Scientific Investigations Report 2010–5090–T: Sediment-Hosted Stratabound Copper Assessment of the Neoproterozoic Roan Group, Central African Copperbelt, Katanga Basin, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zambia, By Michael L. Zientek, James D. Bliss, David W. Broughton, Michael Christie, Paul D. Denning, Timothy S. Hayes, Murray W. Hitzman, John D. Horton, Susan Frost-Killian, Douglas J. Jack, Sharad Master, Heather L. Parks, Cliff D. Taylor, Anna B. Wilson, Niki E. Wintzer, and Jon Woodhead

Scientific Investigations Report 2010–5090–U: Assessment of Undiscovered Copper Resources Associated with the Permian Kupferschiefer, Southern Permian Basin, Europe, By Michael L. Zientek, Sławomir Oszczepalski, Heather L. Parks, James D. Bliss, Gregor Borg, Stephen E. Box, Paul D. Denning, Timothy S. Hayes, Volker Spieth, and Cliff D. Taylor

Scientific Investgations Report 2010–5090–W: Porphyry Copper Assessment of Northeast Asia—Far East Russia and Northeasternmost China, by Mark J. Mihalasky, Steve Ludington, Dmitriy V. Alexeiev, Thomas P. Frost, Thomas D. Light, Deborah A. Briggs, Jane M. Hammarstrom, and John C. Wallis, with contributions by Arthur A. Bookstrom and Andre Panteleyev

Scientific Investigations Report 2010–5090–X: Porphyry Copper Assessment of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt and Eastern Tethysides—China, Mongolia, Russia, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and India, by Mark J. Mihalasky, Steve Ludington, Jane M. Hammarstrom, Dmitriy V. Alexeiev, Thomas P. Frost, Thomas D. Light, Gilpin R. Robinson, Jr., Deborah A. Briggs, John Wallis, and Robert J. Miller, with contributions from Arthur A. Bookstrom, Andre Panteleyev, Andre Chitalin, Reimar Seltmann, Yan Guangsheng, Lian Changyun, Mao Jingwen, Li Jinyi, Xiao Keyan, Qiu Ruizhao, Shao Jianbao, Shai Gangyi, and Du Yuliang

First posted September 29, 2010
Last modified March 24, 2015

  • SIR 2010–5090–A, Porphyry Copper Assessment of Mexico
  • SIR 2010–5090–B, Aggregation of Estimated Numbers of Undiscovered Mineral Deposits—An R-Script with an Example from the Chu Sarysu Basin, Kazakhstan
  • SIR 2010–5090–C, v. 1.1, Porphyry Copper Assessment of British Columbia and Yukon Territory, Canada
  • SIR 2010–5090–D, Porphyry Copper Assessment of Southeast Asia and Melanesia
  • SIR 2010–5090–E, Sandstone Copper Assessment of the Chu-Sarysu Basin, Central Kazakhstan
  • SIR 2010–5090–F, Porphyry Copper Assessment of the Tibetan Plateau, China
  • SIR 2010–5090–G, Porphyry Copper Assessment of the Mesozoic of East Asia—China, Vietnam, North Korea, Mongolia, and Russia
  • SIR 2010–5090–H, Economic Filters for Evaluating Porphyry Copper Deposit Resource Assessments Using Grade-Tonnage Deposit Models, with Examples from the U.S. Geological Survey Global Mineral Resource Assessment
  • SIR 2010–5090–I, Porphyry Copper Assessment of Central America and the Caribbean Basin
  • SIR 2010–5090–J, Descriptive Models, Grade-Tonnage Relations, and Databases for the Assessment of Sediment-Hosted Copper Deposits--With Emphasis on Deposits in the Central African Copperbelt, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zambia
  • SIR 2010–5090–K, Porphyry Copper Assessment of Europe, Exclusive of the Fennoscandian Shield
  • SIR 2010–5090–L, Porphyry Copper Assessment of Eastern Australia
  • SIR 2010–5090–M, Assessment of Undiscovered Sandstone Copper Deposits of the Kodar-Udokan Area, Russia
  • SIR 20105090N, Porphyry Copper Assessment of Western Central Asia
  • SIR 20105090O, Regional mapping of hydrothermally altered igneous rocks along the Urumieh-Dokhtar, Chagai, and Alborz Belts of western Asia using Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) data and Interactive Data Language (IDL) logical operators—A tool for porphyry copper exploration and assessment
  • SIR 2010–5090–P: Porphyry Copper Assessment of East and Southeast Asia—Philippines, Taiwan (Republic of China), Republic of Korea (South Korea), and Japan
  • SIR 2010–5090–Q, Platinum-Group Elements in Southern Africa—Mineral Inventory and an Assessment of Undiscovered Mineral Resources
  • SIR 2010–5090–R, Sandstone Copper Assessment of the Teniz Basin, Kazakhstan
  • SIR 2010–5090–S, Potash—A Global Overview of Evaporite-Related Potash Resources, Including Spatial Databases of Deposits, Occurrences, and Permissive Tracts
  • SIR 2010–5090–T, Sediment-Hosted Stratabound Copper Assessment of the Neoproterozoic Roan Group, Central African Copperbelt, Katanga Basin, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zambia
  • SIR 2010–5090–U, Assessment of Undiscovered Copper Resources Associated with the Permian Kupferschiefer, Southern Permian Basin, Europe
  • SIR 2010–5090–W, Porphyry Copper Assessment of Northeast Asia—Far East Russia and Northeasternmost China
  • SIR 2010–5090–X, Porphyry Copper Assessment of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt and Eastern Tethysides—China, Mongolia, Russia, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and India
  • SIR 2010–5090–Z, Spatial Database for a Global Assessment of Undiscovered Copper Resources: Chapter Z in Global Mineral Resource Assessment
  • These reports are available only on the Web.

For additional information:
Contact Information, Mineral Resources Program
U.S. Geological Survey
12201 Sunrise Valley Drive
913 National Center
Reston, VA 20192
http://minerals.usgs.gov/

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