1. Mineral Resources
  2. Online Spatial Data
  3. Earth MRI focus areas

Meteoric recharge

Meteoric recharge systems operate where oxidized meteoric groundwater displaces reduced connate water in sandstone aquifers that often contain volcanic ash or where such groundwater evaporates at the surface. As oxidized water descends through sandstone aquifers it scavenges uranium and other elements from detrital minerals and (or) volcanic glass. Uranium and other elements precipitate at the redox front with reduced connate water, on carbonaceous material in the aquifers, or at the surface in calcrete by evaporation.
Color on map:

Deposit types

Name Commodities Critical minerals
Sandstone uranium U, V U, V, Re, Sc, REE, Mn, Co, PGE
Carbonate uranium U, V U, V, Sc, Re, REE, Co, PGE
Calcrete uranium U, V U, V, Sr
Granite uranium U U
Cryptocrystalline magnesite Mg Mg

References

Source: Hofstra, A.H., and Kreiner, D.C., 2020, Systems-Deposits-Commodities-Critical Minerals Table for the Earth Mapping Resources Initiative: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2020-1042, 24 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20201042.

List of Earth MRI focus areas with mineral system = Meteoric recharge

40 focus areas match these criteria.

Focus area Region States Mineral Systems Deposit types Commodities
Darby-Hogatza SsU-V-Co Alaska Alaska Meteoric recharge Sandstone uranium uranium
Kokrines-Hodzana SsU-V-Co Alaska Alaska Meteoric recharge Sandstone uranium uranium
Kuskokwim-White Mountains SsU-V-Co Alaska Alaska Meteoric recharge Sandstone uranium uranium
Northern Alaska Range SsU-V-Co Alaska Alaska Meteoric recharge Sandstone uranium uranium
Porcupine River SsU-V-Co Alaska Alaska Meteoric recharge Sandstone uranium uranium
Southeastern Alaska SsU-V-Co Alaska Alaska Meteoric recharge Sandstone uranium uranium
Western Alaska Range SsU-V-Co Alaska Alaska Meteoric recharge Sandstone uranium uranium
Yukon-Tanana SsU-V-Co Alaska Alaska Meteoric recharge Sandstone uranium uranium
Crow Butte North Central Nebraska Meteoric recharge Sandstone uranium uranium
Edgemont North Central; Rocky Mountains South Dakota; Wyoming Meteoric recharge Sandstone uranium uranium
State Line district/BMC (Baltimore Mafic Complex) Northeast Delaware; Maryland; New Jersey; Pennsylvania Meteoric recharge Cryptocrystalline magnesite (none)
California Coast Ranges serpentinite magnesite belt Northwest California Meteoric recharge Cryptocrystalline magnesite (none)
California Sierra Nevada peridotite magnesite belt Northwest California Meteoric recharge Cryptocrystalline magnesite (none)
Sherwood Northwest Washington Meteoric recharge Sandstone uranium uranium
Stanley-Challis uranium district Northwest Idaho Meteoric recharge Granite uranium; Sandstone uranium uranium
Copper Mountain Rocky Mountains Wyoming Meteoric recharge Sandstone uranium uranium
Denver Basin Rocky Mountains Colorado Meteoric recharge Sandstone uranium uranium
Entrada Rocky Mountains Colorado Meteoric recharge Sandstone uranium uranium
Gas Hills Rocky Mountains Wyoming Meteoric recharge Sandstone uranium uranium
Great Divide Basin Rocky Mountains Wyoming Meteoric recharge Sandstone uranium uranium
Ketchum Buttes Rocky Mountains Wyoming Meteoric recharge Sandstone uranium uranium
Maybell Rocky Mountains Colorado Meteoric recharge Sandstone uranium uranium
Meeker Rocky Mountains Colorado Meteoric recharge Sandstone uranium uranium
Northwestern Black Hills Uranium District Northwest; Rocky Mountains Montana; Wyoming Meteoric recharge Sandstone uranium uranium
Poison Basin Rocky Mountains Wyoming Meteoric recharge Sandstone uranium molybdenum; pyrite; selenium; uranium
Powder River Basin Rocky Mountains Wyoming Meteoric recharge Sandstone uranium uranium
Pryor Mountains-Little Mountain Northwest; Rocky Mountains Montana; Wyoming Meteoric recharge Carbonate uranium uranium
Shirley Basin Rocky Mountains Wyoming Meteoric recharge Sandstone uranium uranium
Tallahassee Creek Rocky Mountains Colorado Meteoric recharge Sandstone uranium uranium
Turkey Creek Rocky Mountains Colorado Meteoric recharge Sandstone uranium uranium
Southeast Ultramafics Cr-Mg; Blue Ridge belt Southeast Georgia; North Carolina; Virginia Meteoric recharge Cryptocrystalline magnesite (none)
Cameron area uranium Southwest Arizona Meteoric recharge Sandstone uranium uranium
Colorado Plateau sandstone uranium Southwest Arizona; Colorado; New Mexico; Utah Meteoric recharge Sandstone uranium copper; molybdenum; uranium
Diamond Tail (Hagan Basin) Southwest New Mexico Meteoric recharge Sandstone uranium molybdenum; selenium; uranium
Grants Uranium District Southwest New Mexico Meteoric recharge Sandstone uranium molybdenum; uranium
Grants Uranium District-Todilto Southwest New Mexico Meteoric recharge Carbonate uranium crushed stone; high-Ca limestone; uranium
Red Basin-Riley Southwest New Mexico Meteoric recharge Sandstone uranium molybdenum; selenium; uranium
Southern High Plains Calcrete Southwest New Mexico; Texas Meteoric recharge Calcrete uranium caliche; uranium
Texas Coastal Plain uranium Southwest Arkansas; Louisiana; Texas Meteoric recharge Sandstone uranium uranium
Uinta Basin Southwest Utah Meteoric recharge Sandstone uranium copper; molybdenum; uranium