Geologic Resource Assessments Subactivity USGS Designs Decision Support System to Aid Colorado Front Range Planning Efforts Through the USGS Infrastructure Initiative, the Infrastructure Resources Project Implementation Team prepared descriptive models of sand and gravel deposits along the South Platte River between Denver and Greeley, Colorado, to predict the gravel potential along the Front Range urban corridor. A prototype Decision Support System (DSS) was developed to assist city and county planners in preparing effective planning strategies and demonstrated at a Stakeholders Meeting for city, county, state, and Federal agencies, the aggregate industry, local educators, and the public. The DSS uses widely available software and illustrates how the layers of data prepared by the project can be integrated with other spatial data to devise and test a variety of land use options when there are competing needs for resources. Decisionmakers will be able to understand the effects and consequences of urbanization on resource availability, the effects of resource development on agriculture, and the efficacy of various reclamation approaches. Project scientists conducted a field trip to give Colorado congressional staff the opportunity to observe first-hand the issues surrounding availability of natural aggregate, energy, and water resources in the Denver metro area. Figure G-6 - Materials extracted from the Earth are necessary to produce our most fundamental needs food, clothing, and shelter, Materials are needed to maintain and improve our standard of living. Understanding the whole system of materials flow, from source to ultimate disposition, can help us better manage the use of natural resources and protect the environment. Cyanide Degradation Studies — In cooperation with several mining companies, the USGS is conducting studies of cyanide and its degradation products at cyanide heap-leach gold mining Mineral Resources operations. These operations utilize approximately 140 million pounds of cyanide per year in the Great Basin. Beginning in 1999, EPA Toxic Chemical Release Inventory (TCRI) reporting regulations will require mines to account for all the cyanide that is brought to a mine site. A scientific understanding of the loss and destruction of cyanide is therefore important for TCRI reporting, for minimizing cyanide loss during the life of its use in the extraction of metals (thereby increasing extraction efficiency), and for closure of heap-leach gold mines. As part of the study of the behavior of cyanide in the environment, the project has developed a truckbased mobile analytical laboratory to perform cyanide analyses on-site. Until now, there has been no way to measure the effectiveness of the various recommended methods for collecting and preserving water samples containing cyanide. It has been known for some time that there is significant potential for changes in cyanide chemistry between the time samples are collected in the field and the time the samples are analyzed in the laboratory. The mobile lab has provided important new information on the stability of some metal-cyanide complexes, which will lead to modifications in the way the mining industry and regulators handle samples collected in the field and the way samples are analyzed in the laboratory. One outcome of the mobile-lab testing suggests that even brief exposure to UV radiation can cause significant changes to cobalt-cyanide and iron-cyanide complexes. The resulting recommendation is to shield samples from sunlight by wrapping sample bottles in foil, a much simpler and less expensive approach than existing sample-handling protocols, which require keeping the samples chilled. Hot Springs Contribute Metals and Nutrients to Lakes in Yellowstone National Park During the summer of 1998, an extinct hydrothermal vent was discovered in the Mary Bay volcanic deposits along the bluffs of the Yellowstone Lake shore; study of this vent provides a cross-sectional view into the subsurface feeder zones associated with hot spring systems analogous to those actively venting on the Yellowstone Lake bottom today. These active hot springs, currently a focus of a joint USGS-University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee study using a remotely operated submersible, contribute metals and nutrient elements to the lake, which supports thriving communities of bacteria, zooplankton, and schools of cutthroat trout that feed in the vent waters. Detailed mapping and characterization of the volcanic deposits have provided information about the age and duration of deep hydrothermal systems and a new understanding of the processes by which geothermal systems form mineral deposits, about the potential geologic hazards, and about the characteristics of lake ecosystems in the Park. New Map Shows Locations of Active Mines Across the U.S.-The USGS published a colorful wall map showing more than 4,000 active mines and mineral processing plants in the United States for 74 types of nonfuel minerals, coal, and uranium. The map was produced in cooperation with the National Mining Association (NMA), the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), and the Energy Information Administration (EIA). The poster information is plotted on a rock-type map of the United States at a scale of 1:6,000,000, and the relationship between rock type and mine location is explained. Smaller scale maps, also on the poster, show the location of related mineral commodity groups, such as precious metals mines. Map images and other data on the poster have been made available on the Internet at http://minerals.er.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/mapdata/. Zinc, Copper, Gold, and Silver in Northern Maine — USGS studies in Aroostook County in northern Maine, characterized the geologic and geochemical setting of the Bald Mountain deposit, a large accumulation of zinc and copper sulfide minerals, together with iron sulfide minerals, which are capped by a gold- and silver-bearing weathering zone. Field and laboratory studies identified important structural controls on the localization of the deposit, its volcanologic Geologic Resource Assessments Subactivity setting, and on mineralization that took place both on and beneath the sea floor, approximately 440 million years ago. Results of this study have changed the definition of permissible terrains for this kind of deposit in the northeastern U.S. with the result that industry will alter their exploration criteria and the state will have a better tool to assess the mineral potential of lands slated for exchange or disposal. Robert G. Marvinney, Director and State Geologist of the Maine Geological Survey, has joined USGS scientists in the field each of the last three summers and believes the project is providing important new information to his agency. Figure G-7 - Annual increases in the dissemination of USGS Minerals Customer Use of On-line Minerals Information Reaches New High — More reports and Internet links have been added to USGS statistics and information on the global supply, demand, and flow of minerals and materials essential to the U.S. economy, national security, and environmental protection on the World Wide Web at http://minerals.er.usgs.gov/minerals/. Customer use of USGS mineral commodity and country reports has increased to a new high. During 1998, about 11,000 to 15,000 customers each month downloaded publications from the website on more than 100 minerals and materials as well as the mineral industries of 190 countries; even greater use is projected in FY 1999. These data are used by other Federal agencies for statistical analysis of U.S. trade and production and for making economic forecasts and by industry to estimate market share and evaluate market trends. First Digital Regional Geologic Map in Alaska — The first digital regional geologic map in Alaska is the result of a cooperative effort of the USGS and the Alaska Division of Oil and Gas. The map covers an area of approximately 320,000 square kilometers (205,000 square miles), an area greater in size than the state of California, and brings together many of the geological advances realized by USGS regional studies over the last 25 years. Both agencies benefitted Mineral Resources by leveraging their resources. The Alaska Division of Oil and Gas was interested in attracting the oil and gas industry to explore the interior basins of the state, considered to be the last major on-shore frontier in the United States. The USGS has a major programmatic thrust in the Alaskan interior related to understanding the sustainability of the Nation's mineral resources. As anticipated, this map is of significant use as a tool for evaluating the mineral potential of the area. Arsenic, Mercury, and Water Quality—Water quality in the Sierra Nevada gold belt of California is affected by arsenic released from mine drainage and tailings associated with hard rock gold mines and by mercury used in placer gold mines. USGS studies suggest that seasonal release of arsenic occurs from organic-rich bottom sediments in lakes created by tailings impoundments. These studies provide scientific information for remediation efforts being carried out by the EPA and the California Department of Toxic Substances Control. USGS studies of mercury-contaminated sediments generated during placer gold mining have shown that up to half of the mercury present in impacted creek waters is ionic mercury, a chemical form readily available for methylation. Methyl mercury is the form of mercury especially available to aquatic animals. Mercury-contaminated sediments are localized in abandoned sluices and behind hydraulic mining debris-control dams, some of which are located on U.S. Forest Service (USFS) lands. These studies provide the USFS and California State Regional Water Quality Control Board with the first geochemical evaluation of the potential environmental risk to fisheries in reservoirs downstream from these mercury-contaminated sites. Mapping the Distribution of Metal-Contaminated Sediments, Coeur d'Alene Basin, Northern Idaho — USGS geologists, geochemists, and hydrologists are working with the EPA to determine the nature and distribution of mine waste materials in the Coeur d'Alene basin and the geochemical, hydrologic, and sedimentary processes that mobilize them. The EPA has undertaken a Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study (RI/FS) of the entire basin (beyond the confines of the present Bunker Hill Superfund Site), and the USGS is providing information relevant to the nature and extent of metal-contaminated soils and to the development of remediation strategies. New USGS surficial geologic mapping of the Coeur d'Alene River valley downstream from the mining district allows the EPA to extend the results of their detailed pointsampling program over the valley floor where metal-contaminated sediments have been deposited. The USGS surficial geologic map also serves as a base map for the EPA RI/FS and is helping to delineate the probable geographic footprints of proposed remediation alternatives. Three-dimensional Studies for Land-use Planning in the Southwest-The USGS has integrated new and existing geologic, geophysical, and geochemical data and remotely sensed imagery to provide three-dimensional visualizations of the upper Santa Cruz River and San Pedro River basins, southeastern Arizona. Major land management issues in this region revolve around rapid urbanization, water supply, mineral resources extraction, and protection of a fragile ecosystem. Three-dimensional basin studies are used to assess the effects of water withdrawal or recharge on subbasin aquifers and surface water, the potential for ground-water contamination from porphyry copper and related mineral deposits, and the potential for undiscovered mineral resources. The methods used in this study allow use of the data at both local and regional scales, providing the opportunity to evaluate regional impacts of local decisions and local impacts of regional decisions. Geologic Resource Assessments Subactivity Abandoned Mine Lands, Boulder River Watershed, Montana — As part of the USGS Abandoned Mine Lands Initiative, the USGS provided information used by Federal land managing agencies to make decisions regarding remediation and water quality in the Boulder River watershed, Montana. The information: (1) characterized and ranked the acid-generating potential of and toxic metal solubility in 19 mine-waste dumps with a mass of about 100,000 tons; (2) assessed the chemical and mineralogical characteristics and acid-neutralizing potential of fresh and altered rocks and soils; (3) assessed the acid-neutralizing potential of the minerals in intrusive rocks and suggested that acid-generating mine wastes might safely be placed in igneous-rock repositories near the waste dumps; and (4) assessed the mineralogical characteristics and acid-neutralizing potential of drill core samples from eight sites being considered for metal-mine waste repositories. Findings of this study showed that the acidneutralizing potential of the tested rocks varied 10 fold. In addition, pyrite was identified in several of the core samples; pyrite-bearing rock would not provide an acceptable waste repository because it has the potential to generate more acid. Scientific Framework Data Integration and Delivery —The MRP is developing methodologies for integrating and delivering its extensive holdings of spatially referenced digital data to all users. A requirement for integration of diverse data sets is standard data models and exchange protocols. In a cooperative effort with the NCGM Program, State Geological Surveys through the AASG, the Geological Survey of Canada, and non-governmental users, a standard data model has been designed for the storage of digital geologic maps and preliminary testing of data entry tools is underway. Current versions of the data model and tools, and a discussion forum are available on the Internet at http://geology.usgs.gov/dm/. The spatial data delivery mechanism makes use of world wide web technology so that users with Web access and standard browsers are able to browse MRP's data holdings. MRP's data web site went on line for internal users in FY 1998 with a wide selection of geologic, geochemical, geophysical, and mineral resource data sets varying from local to global in scope. Users can query and search the data holdings, download individual data sets, and create maps on-line from the data sets. Planning is underway for additional data sets, additional capability to download electronic files that can be used to plot full-scale maps, enhanced search and display capabilities, and expanded sever capacity to serve MRP data to all interested users. Over the past two years, the USGS has collaborated with other Federal agencies, state agencies, universities, Native corporations, Alaska libraries, and industry to improve access to mineral information in Alaska. A digital catalog of the 18,000-volume Alaska library has been developed and a Guidebook to Alaska Geologic and Minerals Information has been published. Updating of records describing Alaska mines, prospects, and mineral occurrences is about two-thirds complete, and the updated records are available through the Internet. Geochemical analyses have been updated for about one-third of the state; the revised data are available through the Internet. A $2.0 million funding reduction for this project is being proposed given higher priority needs requested elsewhere in the FY 2000 budget. |