The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) announced a $5 million-plus investment in mapping critical minerals and mineral resources. The USGS and Florida Geological Survey will identify potential sources of quartz sand, limestone and gravel to be used in reinforcement of structures to withstand hurricanes or to rebuild afterward.
"These airborne surveys will provide much-needed data about geology just beneath the vegetation and up to several miles deep," said Anji Shah, USGS lead scientist for the effort, about the Sept. 11 announcement in a press release. “There are numerous potential applications: Evaluating mineral resource potential, constraining groundwater models, imaging buried faults that could cause an earthquake and mapping natural radioactivity.”
The USGS and Florida Geological Survey will partner to identify sources of quartz sand, gravel and limestone, and airborne data will be collected from southeast of Birmingham, Ala. to the Florida Gulf Coast, northeastern and central Florida.
“This survey will provide us with important geophysical data that will be used in conjunction with detailed geological mapping to enhance our understanding of critical minerals and other resources in Alabama and the southeastern region of the U.S. This airborne geophysical survey will allow us to better understand the rocks exposed at the Earth’s surface, as well as provide us with essential subsurface data. We have a long history of partnerships with the USGS, and this is a great example of leveraging federal and state resources to address important societal needs,” said Nick Tew, Alabama’s state geologist and director of the Geological Survey of Alabama.
Funding for this exploration comes from the USGS Mineral Resources Program’s Earth Mapping Resources Initiative, which was also funded by investments from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The Earth MRI project is meant to help identify areas with critical mineral resources to improve the domestic mineral supply and reduce reliance on foreign sources.
Individuals interested in learning more about the Earth MRI acquisition areas can do so by visiting the acquisition viewer. From there, you can narrow down the parameters of your search, whether you’re interested in a specific type of mapping like lidar, geochemistry or geological mapping, or you can see all types of searches. This database includes projects in progress as well as completed ones.
“The Florida Geological Survey is ready to work with our colleagues at the U.S. Geological Survey to collect geologic data that will be used to locate critical mineral resources, characterize mine waste and define areas containing industrial minerals necessary to make our state more resilient,” said Guy “Harley” Means, P.G., Florida’s state geologist and director of the Florida Geological Survey.
