Preliminary information about the concentration, spatial distribution and mineral hosting of metals and other elements in solid materials at the Elizabeth copper mine after 50 years (or more) of weathering and oxidation.

Electron microprobe analyses of sphalerite and hemimorphite from sampled historical waste piles were conducted with a specific focus on germanium (Ge). Data are provided in CSV format.

Elemental concentrations for bulk and size-fractionated mine waste from sampled historical waste piles from this area. Data are provided in CSV format.

An environmental impact study is done for the abandoned Ely copper mine. The extent of contamination is studyed along with the type and chemical composition of the mine waste piles.

Sampling procedures, analytical methodologies, and results to assess the potential for mine waste and drainage to have an adverse impact on aquatic ecosystems, on drinking- water supplies, and to human health

Concentration, mineral hosts, and speciation of germanium in mine wastes from this site. Data are provided in CSV format.

A geochemical database for a regional subset of IOA ore and mine waste products, created because the apatite in these mineral deposits may also host rare earth elements. Data are provided in CSV format.

Mineral abundances within bulk and size-fractionated mine waste from sampled historical waste piles from this area. Data are provided in CSV format.

Oxidation state and bonding environment of Ge in minerals within mine waste from sampled historical waste piles from this area. Data are provided in CSV format.

Study of selenium in sample materials from these abandoned mines with mineralogical analysis as well.

Results from sequential extraction experiments and the quantitative mineralogy for samples of stream sediments and mine wastes collected from metal mines.

Geochemical data for stream water, sediments, and mine tailings in this area

Results of mineral abundance estimates based on Rietveld refinement of X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses of mill tailings and other ore processing materials from worldwide localities. Data are provided in CSV format.

Mine tailings here have high levels of arsenic. Experiments conducted on these sediments indicate that the arsenic can be released into the environment and become hazardous through chemical processes that occur when fine sediment is ingested by animals.

Detailed study of mine waste material and sediments from streams passing through it. Arsenic is the main contaminant of interest here.

Data from field sampling of mine tailings, wasterock, sediment, water, and biota at the mine in 2010. Results permit a preliminary assessment of the mining sources of Hg and associated chemicals that could produce elevated levels of monomethylmercury.

Chemical analyses for 31 samples collected from various phosphate mine sites in southeastern Idaho (25), northern Utah (2), and western Wyoming (4)

This report examines potential sources of lanthanide elements [rare earth elements (REE)] with the objective of providing up-to-date geologic information regarding mineral commodities likely to have increased demand in the near term.

Total mercury and methylmercury measured in sediments, tailings, and water in an area where historical gold mining has occurred; proposed habitat restoration work may release some of the mercury that is currently buried there.

Hazard mitigation field experiment using the growth of native plants to stabilize mining wastes and potentially toxic elements in them (phytostabilization). Lab analysis of the materials for geochemistry and other pertinent characteristics of the soil and plants. Data are provided in CSV format.

The site, on the Wind River Indian Reservation, has Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapahoe tribes concerned about groundwater and soil contamination. This effort studies geochemical soil variation and compares concentrations with levels established by EPA

Geochemical analyses of solid mill tailings and other ore processing materials from worldwide localities, and leachates from those samples. Data are provided in CSV format.

Laboratory reflectance measurements of sandstone, tuffaceous mudstone and claystone rocks and sediment known to host roll front Uranium deposits, in support of efforts to map the distribution and morphology of mine waste features in this area. Data are provided in CSV format. Locations in shapefile format.

Multi-element geochemical analysis of host rock, ore, mine waste, flotation-mill tailings, slag, stream sediments, creek and adit waters, and leachates of mine waste and mill tailings.

Report containing tables of geochemical data

A multidisciplinary mapping and data integration project focused on long-term resource planning by the mapping and characterization of exposed surface mineralogy, including that related to hydrothermal alteration and supergene weathering of pyritic rocks.

Spatial database that delineates mining-related features in areas of historic and active phosphate mining.

Multispectral remote sensing data acquired by Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager (OLI) sensor were analyzed using an automated technique to generate surficial mineralogy and vegetation maps of the conterminous western United States. Data are provided in ERDAS Imagine format.

Data from field sampling of tailings, waste rock, sediment, and water at the mines, along with water, sediment, and biota in a pond and tributaries that drain from the mine area, to help assess the chemical hazards due to historic mining.

Geochemical data for all solid sample media, along with mineralogical data, and results of weathering experiments on Valzinco tailings and field experiments on sediment accumulation in Knights Branch.

Phytostabilization reduces the mobility of inorganic contaminants by establishing or enhancing plant growth. For small, remote, or abandoned mines, phytostabilization may reduce potential environmental hazards, provided plants can establish and grow. We grew a widespread perennial grass in mining wastes with and without soil and microbial amendments to determine whether we could improve plant establishment and growth. Data are provided in CSV format.

Summary of data obtained from field sampling of mine tailings and waste rock and water and sediment in regional springs and tributaries that drain from the mine area into Bear Creek. Ground-water springs are also potential sources of mercury here.

This report is a compilation of water and sediment chemical data generated by the USGS study of indigenous, arsenic-sequestering microbial communities. A total of 9 synoptic sampling efforts conducted at specific sites are described.

Antimony’s leading use is as a fire retardant in safety equipment and in household goods such as mattresses. The U.S. Government has considered antimony to be a critical mineral mainly because of its use in military applications.

Barite (barium sulfate, BaSO4) is vital to the oil and gas industry because it is a key constituent of the mud used to drill oil and gas wells. Elemental barium is an additive in optical glass, ceramic glazes, and other products.

Beryllium is a mineral commodity that is used in a variety of industries to make products that are essential for the smooth functioning of a modern society.

Cobalt is a silvery gray metal that has diverse uses due to its ferromagnetism, hardness and wear-resistance when alloyed with other metals, low thermal and electrical conductivity, high melting point, multiple valences, and color effects with silica.

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.

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).

This report presents chemical characteristics of transient unsaturated-zone water collected by lysimeter from the Manning Canyon repository site in Utah. Data collected by U.S. Geological Survey and U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Manageme

Chemical analyses of water and sediment samples, images depicting resistivity.

Germanium and indium are used in electronics devices, flat-panel display screens, light-emitting diodes, night vision devices, optical fiber, optical lens systems, and solar power arrays.

Steelmaking and refractory applications in metallurgy use the largest amount of produced graphite; however, emerging technology uses in large-scale fuel cell, battery, and lightweight high-strength composites promise more uses.

Geochemical analysis of mine dumps, mill tailings, mine drainage, and surface waters indicate contamination from these historic mines is generally less than that asserted or suggested by some geochemical models

Major assessment of the environmental effects of historical mining in the Animas River watershed with GIS data files, tables, and plates.

Geological, geochemical, hydrologic, and biological observations combined with geographic framework data, supporting a multidisciplinary assessment of the impact of historic mining in this area.

Tables containing locations and lead concentrations of 998 surface-sediment geochemical sample sites

Approximately 400 young children have died and thousands more are affected. This study clarifies lead sources and exposure pathways, identifies other toxicants of concern and people at risk, and examines potential for similar lead poisoning globally.

Lithium, the lightest of all metals, is used in air treatment, batteries, ceramics, glass, metallurgy, pharmaceuticals, and polymers.

Manganese is used to make steel, where it serves as a purifying agent in iron-ore refining and as an alloy.

This report releases data for waters in which naturally occurring acid-rock drainage occurs but acid-mine drainage from historical mining continues to contribute dissolved metals further degrading preexisting water quality.

Niobium and tantalum are found together in nature because they have similar physical and chemical properties. Niobium is used in high-strength steel alloys, while tantalum is used in electronic capacitors.

One hundred years of historical mining has resulted in substantial ongoing input of cadmium, lead, and zinc into the environment. This surficial-soil sampling and coring study provides information needed to support remediation efforts.

A collection of photographs of mine sites, mining operations, and tailings taken prior to 1980 at a variety of sites throughout Colorado and Utah.

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.

Explains the occurrence of rare earth elements in coal and coal fly ash, with notes on the potential for recovery of these elements as resources.

Because of their unusual physical and chemical properties, the REEs have diverse defense, energy, industrial, and military technology applications including glass, petroleum refining, automobiles, and magnets.

Rhenium is a rare metal that has an extremely high melting point and a heat-stable crystalline structure. It is used in high-temperature superalloys, to make turbine blades for jet aircraft engines and is a catalyst for petroleum refining.

Selenium is a trace element in Earth's crust. Modern uses for selenium include energy-efficient windows that limit heat transfer and thin-film photovoltaic cells that convert solar energy into electricity.

Tellurium is a rare element obtained as a byproduct of mining for other commodities whose main uses are in photovoltaic solar cells and as an additive to copper, lead, and steel alloys in various types of machinery.

Tin (Sn) is one of the first metals to be used by humans. Almost without exception, tin is used as an alloy. Its major uses today are for cans and containers, construction materials, transportation materials, and solder.

Titanium colors paint, paper, plastic, rubber, and wallboard. Because of its strength and corrosion resistance, titanium metal and its alloys are used in the aerospace industry as well as for welding rod coatings, biological implants, and consumer goods.

Vanadium is used primarily in the production of steel alloys; as a catalyst for the chemical industry; in the making of ceramics, glasses, and pigments; and in vanadium redox-flow batteries (VRBs) for large-scale storage of electricity.

Data collected to determine geologic background concentrations of trace metals in water and stream sediment, and to quantify the increase in dissolved constituents in streams attributable to historical mining activity in this area. Data are provided in CSV format.

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 or as zirconium oxide or other zirconium chemicals.