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Updated National Mineral Resource Assessment - Planning Phase

Project Objectives

The principal objective of the Project is to lay the groundwork for conducting the first quantitative mineral resource
assessment of the 21st Century for the United States of America. The Nation’s mineral wealth was first addressed in
the Paley Commission Report of 1952 (President’s Materials Policy Commission, 1952). Subsequently, the USGS
published Professional Paper 820 (Brobst and Pratt, 1973) in response to the Mining and Minerals Policy Act of 1970.
The need for developing a systematic and uniform approach to national mineral resource assessments was recognized
within the USGS and the next assessment effort, begun in 1995, focused on applying quantitative methodologies to the
analysis of mineral resources. The importance of conducting quantitative national assessments on a recurring basis to
ensure adequate mineral supplies and effective stewardship of resources in the future was a critical conclusion of the
National Mineral Resource Assessment of 1995 (United States Geological Circular 1178, 1998).
The following activities must be completed before beginning the national assessment update (in three to four years): 1)
identify critical commodities to be assessed and define the scope of the assessment process; 2) update mineral deposit
models; 3) identify and obtain new knowledge critical to the assessment; 4) ensure that the analytical
methodology/software critical to conducting the assessment is updated; 5) develop economic sensitivity measures to filter and refine numerical assessment data; 6) develop measures of assessment uncertainty; 7) engage the user community
and solicit input concerning how best to communicate the results of the assessment; 8) conduct historical trend analysis
pertaining to exploration and discovery; 9) digitally systemize national-scale earth science data; 10) initiate discourse to
determine how our earth science colleagues can be marshaled in support of this effort; 11) develop a conceptual
framework for placing the updated national mineral resource assessment in the context of the Global Mineral Resource
assessment; 12) determine how large scale structural events have influenced ore forming processes 13) compile data for
known, large scale mineralizing systems. Completion of these objectives will place staff associated with the Mineral
Resources Program in a favorable position to conduct an updated quantitative national mineral resource assessment.

Relevance & Impact

Given the objectives of the Project described here, namely laying the groundwork for conducting a systematic and
comprehensive quantitative assessment of the nation’s mineral resource potential, few investigations within the purview
of the MRP are apt to be of greater significance. The assessment will be conducted in the context of a world dominated
by uncertainty, globalization, and a complex array of free and controlled markets that result in rapid fluctuations in prices
of materials and goods that dramatically impact domestic markets. Resource information transmitted to the Departments
of Commerce and State potentially has tremendous impact on the nature of our nation’s political alliances and economic
interactions. The requirements for developing systematic, rigorous, comprehensive, and quantitative mineral resource
assessments of metal and non-metal resources of the Nation are a essential component of the USGS mission. The
importance of conducting national assessments on a recurring basis to ensure adequate mineral supplies and effective
stewardship of resources in the future is a critical action to meet current and future goals of the USGS.