Mineral Resources On-Line Spatial Data
Interactive maps || Data download
The MRDS is a large and complex relational database developed over several decades by hundreds of researchers and reporters. This product is a digest in which the fields chosen are those most likely to contain valid information.
U.S. Geological Survey, 2005, Mineral Resources Data System: U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia.Online Links:
This is a Point data set. It contains the following vector data types (SDTS terminology):
Horizontal positions are specified in geographic coordinates, that is, latitude and longitude. Latitudes are given to the nearest 0.0001. Longitudes are given to the nearest 0.0001. Latitude and longitude values are specified in decimal degrees.
The horizontal datum used is North American Datum of 1927.
The ellipsoid used is Clarke 1866.
The semi-major axis of the ellipsoid used is 6378206.4.
The flattening of the ellipsoid used is 1/294.98.
A unique 12-digit system generated sequence number which references records of information pertaining to a mineral property. Textual values of no more than 12 characters.
Identification number used to refer to this entry in the Mineral Resources Data System, if the record appeared in that database. Textual values of no more than 7 characters.
| Value | Definition |
|---|---|
| (no value) | Information not available for this record. 149235 records have no value for MRDS_ID. |
Identification number for this site as it appeared in the Mineral Availability System/Mineral Industry Locator System database,. Textual values of no more than 10 characters.
| Value | Definition |
|---|---|
| (no value) | Information not available for this record. 110652 records have no value for MAS_ID. |
Current (preferred) form of the name of the site, deposit, or operation to which the record refers. Textual values of no more than 70 characters.
Geographic latitude of the site (no specific datum applies; use NAD27 if needed). Real numbers stored in double precision.
| Value | Definition |
|---|---|
| (no value) | Information not available for this record. 4033 records have no value for LATITUDE. |
| Range of values | |
|---|---|
| Minimum: | -76.6667 |
| Maximum: | 80 |
Geographic longitude of the site (no specific datum applies; use NAD27 if needed). Real numbers stored in double precision.
| Value | Definition |
|---|---|
| (no value) | Information not available for this record. 4033 records have no value for LONGITUDE. |
| Range of values | |
|---|---|
| Minimum: | -178.8167 |
| Maximum: | 179.54917 |
Code indicating the geographic region. Textual values of no more than 2 characters.
| Value | Definition |
|---|---|
| (no value) | Information not available for this record. 58555 records have no value for REGION. |
Name of the country in which the site is located. Textual values of no more than 20 characters.
| Value | Definition |
|---|---|
| (no value) | Information not available for this record. 58555 records have no value for COUNTRY. |
Name of the state or province in which the site is located. Textual values of no more than 32 characters.
| Value | Definition |
|---|---|
| (no value) | Information not available for this record. 58762 records have no value for STATE. |
Name of the county in which the site is located. Textual values of no more than 96 characters.
| Value | Definition |
|---|---|
| (no value) | Information not available for this record. 65215 records have no value for COUNTY. |
The most recent name of the mining district, subdistrict, or area. Textual values of no more than 96 characters.
| Value | Definition |
|---|---|
| (no value) | Information not available for this record. 254769 records have no value for DISTRICT. |
Administrative unit area name. The area type is given in the LAND_STAT field. Textual values of no more than 160 characters.
| Value | Definition |
|---|---|
| (no value) | Information not available for this record. 299777 records have no value for ADMIN. |
Type of geographic area named in ADMIN. Textual values of no more than 35 characters.
| Value | Definition |
|---|---|
| (no value) | Information not available for this record. 114367 records have no value for LAND_STAT. |
Type of commodities present: metallic (M), non-metallic (N), or both (B). Textual values of no more than 1 characters.
| Value | Definition |
|---|---|
| (no value) | Information not available for this record. 34 records have no value for COM_TYPE. |
Major commodities present, a comma-separated list. Commodity qualifiers follow each commodity, delimited by a hyphen. Textual values of no more than 128 characters.
| Value | Definition |
|---|---|
| (no value) | Information not available for this record. 22335 records have no value for COM_MAJOR. |
Minor commodities present, a comma-separated list. Commodity qualifiers follow each commodity, delimited by a hyphen. Textual values of no more than 128 characters.
| Value | Definition |
|---|---|
| (no value) | Information not available for this record. 285184 records have no value for COM_MINOR. |
Trace commodities present, a comma-separated list. Commodity qualifiers follow each commodity, delimited by a hyphen. Textual values of no more than 128 characters.
| Value | Definition |
|---|---|
| (no value) | Information not available for this record. 239278 records have no value for COM_TRACE. |
Type of operation existing or proposed at the site. Textual values of no more than 30 characters.
General type of deposit or resource present at the site. Textual values of no more than 40 characters.
| Value | Definition |
|---|---|
| (no value) | Information not available for this record. 269516 records have no value for DEP_TYPE. |
A broad characterization of the magnitude of production at the site. Textual values of no more than 12 characters.
| Value | Definition |
|---|---|
| (no value) | Information not available for this record. 194976 records have no value for PROD_SIZE. |
Status of development of the resource or operation. Textual values of no more than 25 characters.
| Value | Definition |
|---|---|
| Occurrence | Ore mineralization in outcrop, shallow pit or pits, or isolated drill hole. Grade, tonnage, and extent of mineralization essentially unknown. No production has taken place and there has been no or little activity since discovery with the possible exception of routine claim maintenance. |
| Prospect | A deposit that has gone beyond the occurrence stage. That is subsequent work such as surface trenching, adits, or shafts, drill holes, extensive geophysics, geochemistry, and/or geologic mapping has been carried out. Enough work has been done to at least estimate grade and tonnage. The deposits may or may not have undergone feasibility studies that would lead to a decision on going into production. |
| Producer | A mine in production at the time the data was entered. An intermittent producer that produces on demand or seasonally with variable lengths of inactivity is considered a producer. |
| Past Producer | A mine formerly operating that has closed, where the equipment or structures may have been removed or abandoned. |
| Plant | A processing plant (smelter, refiner, beneficiation, etc.) that may or may not be currently producing at the time of data entry. A plant will have no geological information associated with it. |
| Unknown | At the time of data entry, either the development status was unknown or the data source this record came from did not specify this value. |
Name of the ore mineral or material found in this deposit. Textual values of no more than 255 characters.
| Value | Definition |
|---|---|
| (no value) | Information not available for this record. 236479 records have no value for ORE. |
Name of the gangue mineral or material found in this deposit. Textual values of no more than 255 characters.
| Value | Definition |
|---|---|
| (no value) | Information not available for this record. 272740 records have no value for GANGUE. |
Name of other minerals or materials found in this deposit. Textual values of no more than 255 characters.
| Value | Definition |
|---|---|
| (no value) | Information not available for this record. 294207 records have no value for OTHER_MATL. |
Form and shape of the ore body. Textual values of no more than 255 characters.
| Value | Definition |
|---|---|
| (no value) | Information not available for this record. 264927 records have no value for OREBODY_FM. |
General type of workings at the site. Textual values of no more than 64 characters.
| Value | Definition |
|---|---|
| (no value) | Information not available for this record. 238249 records have no value for WORK_TYPE. |
Mineral deposit models that characterize the site. Multiple models are delimited by braces, with a model number for each. Textual values of no more than 80 characters.
| Value | Definition |
|---|---|
| (no value) | Information not available for this record. 292387 records have no value for MODEL. |
Geochemical alteration, if any, believed to have been important in forming or modifying the ore materials of a deposit. Textual values of no more than 255 characters.
| Value | Definition |
|---|---|
| (no value) | Information not available for this record. 289757 records have no value for ALTERATION. |
Geological processes that are believed to have occurred to concentrate ore materials in the deposit. Textual values of no more than 255 characters.
| Value | Definition |
|---|---|
| (no value) | Information not available for this record. 293637 records have no value for CONC_PROC. |
Names by which the site or operation has bee known in the past. Textual values of no more than 255 characters.
| Value | Definition |
|---|---|
| (no value) | Information not available for this record. 241287 records have no value for PREV_NAME. |
Geologic features, typically structural, that exert control over the form, extent, or character of the deposit. Textual values of no more than 255 characters.
| Value | Definition |
|---|---|
| (no value) | Information not available for this record. 279810 records have no value for ORE_CTRL. |
Names of the persons primarily responsible for entering information about the site. Textual values of no more than 224 characters.
| Value | Definition |
|---|---|
| (no value) | Information not available for this record. 36 records have no value for REPORTER. |
Lithologic and stratigraphic information regarding the host rocks for the ore deposit. Textual values of no more than 255 characters.
| Value | Definition |
|---|---|
| (no value) | Information not available for this record. 268180 records have no value for HROCK_UNIT. |
Integer number(s) indicating the type of host rocks. Textual values of no more than 40 characters. (Source: Rock names, their hierarchical relationships, and definitions appear to be derived from Bruce Johnson's simplified classification of lithology for geologic map units, "LithClass 6". However the numerical codes given here are not part of that work.)
| Value | Definition |
|---|---|
| (no value) | Information not available for this record. 236050 records have no value for HROCK_CODE. |
| 1 | Unconsolidated Deposit
Dominantly unsorted and unstratified drift, generally unconsolidated, deposited directly by and underneath a glacier without subsequent reworking by meltwater |
| 2 | Unconsolidated Deposit > Alluvium
A general term for clay, silt, sand, gravel or similar unconsolidated detrital material, deposited during comparatively recent geologic time by a stream or other body of running water, as a sorted or semi-sorted sediment. |
| 3 | Unconsolidated Deposit > Beach Sand
A loose aggregate of unlithified mineral or rock particles of sand size forming a beach (the relatively thick and temporary accumulation of loose water-borne material that is in active transit along, or deposited on, the shore zone between the limits of low water and high water) |
| 4 | Unconsolidated Deposit > Dune Sand
A type of blown sand that has been piled up by the wind into a sand dune, usually consisting of rounded mineral grains, commonly quartz, having diameters ranging from 0.1 to 1 mm |
| 5 | Unconsolidated Deposit > Loess
A widespread, homogeneous, commonly nonstratified, porous, friable, slightly coherent, usually highly calcareous, fine-grained blanket deposit, consisting predominantly of silt with subordinate grain sizes ranging from clay to fine sand. |
| 6 | Unconsolidated Deposit > Volcanic Ash
A fine pyroclastic material (under 2.0 mm in diameter). The term usually refers to the unconsolidated material |
| 7 | Unconsolidated Deposit > Colluvium
A general term applied to any loose, heterogeneous, and incoherent mass of soil material and/or rock fragments deposited by rainwash, sheetwash, or slow, continuous downslope creep, usually collecting at the base of gentle slopes or hillsides. |
| 8 | Unconsolidated Deposit > Till
Dominantly unsorted and unstratified drift, generally unconsolidated, deposited directly by and underneath a glacier without subsequent reworking by meltwater |
| 9 | Unconsolidated Deposit > Glacial Sediment
Stratified glacial drift deposited by, or reworked by running water, or deposited in standing water |
| 10 | Unconsolidated Deposit > Peat
An unconsolidated deposit of semicarbonized plant remains in a water saturated environment, such as a bog or fen, and of persistently high moisture content (at least 75 percent). |
| 11 | Unconsolidated Deposit > Coral
A hard calcareous substance consisting of the continuous skeleton secreted by coral polyps for their support and habitation and found in single specimens growing plant-like on the sea bottom or in extensive, solidified accumulations (coral reefs). |
| 12 | Unconsolidated Deposit > Clay, Mud
A loose, earthy, extremely fine-grained, natural sediment composed primarily of clay-size or colloidal particles and characterized by high plasticity and by a considerable content of clay minerals. |
| 13 | Unconsolidated Deposit > Silt
A loose aggregate of unlithified mineral or rock particles of silt size (1/256 to 1/16 mm); an unconsolidated deposit consisting essentially of fine-grained clastic particles. |
| 14 | Unconsolidated Deposit > Sand
A loose aggregate of unlithified mineral or rock particles of sand size (1/16 to 2 mm); an unconsolidated deposit consisting essentially of medium-grained clastic particles. |
| 15 | Unconsolidated Deposit > Gravel
A loose accumulation of rock fragments composed predominantly of more or less rounded pebbles and small stones. |
| 16 | Unconsolidated Deposit > Sand And Gravel
A loose aggregate of unlithified mineral or rock particles of sand size (1/16 to 2 mm); an unconsolidated deposit consisting essentially of medium-grained clastic particles, plus a loose accumulation of rock fragments composed predominantly of more or less rounded pebbles and small stones. |
| 17 | Unconsolidated Deposit > Brine
Saline waters containing high amounts of Na, Ca, K, Cl, and other soluble elements. |
| 18 | Unconsolidated Deposit > Seafloor
The surface of the rock or sediments at the bottom of the sea. |
| 19 | Sedimentary Rock
A rock resulting from the consolidation of loose sediment that has accumulated in layers |
| 20 | Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock
A composed principally of broken fragments that are derived from preexisting rocks or minerals and that have been transported some distance from their place of origin. |
| 21 | Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Mudstone
A general term that includes claystone, siltstone, shale, and argillite, and that should be used only when the amounts of clay-sized and silt-sized particles are not known or specified, or cannot be precisely identified. |
| 22 | Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Mudstone > Claystone
An indurated rock having more than 67 percent clay-sized minerals. |
| 23 | Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Mudstone > Bentonite
A soft, plastic, porous, light-colored rock composed essentially of clay minerals of the montmorillonite (smectite) group plus colloidal silica, and produced by devitrification and accompanying chemical alteration of a glassy igneous material, usually a tuff or volcanic ash |
| 24 | Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Shale
A laminated, indurated rock having more than 67 percent clay-sized minerals. |
| 25 | Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Shale > Black Shale
A dark, thinly laminated carbonaceous shale, exceptionally rich in organic matter (5 percent or more carbon content) and sulfide (esp. iron sulfide, usually pyrite), and often containing unusual concentrations of certain trace elements (U, V, Cu, Ni). |
| 26 | Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Shale > Oil Shale
A kerogen-bearing, finely laminated brown or black sedimentary rock that will yield liquid or gaseous hydrocarbon on distillation. |
| 27 | Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Argillite
A compact rock derived either from mudstone or shale, that has undergone a somewhat higher degree of induration than mudstone or shale but is less clearly laminated than shale and without its fissility, and that lacks the cleavage distinctive of slate. |
| 28 | Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Siltstone
An indurated silt having the texture and composition of shale but lacking its fine lamination or fissility; a massive mudstone in which silt-sized particles predominate over clay-sized particles. |
| 29 | Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Sandstone
A medium-grained clastic sedimentary rock composed of abundant sand-sized fragments, which may have a finer-grained matrix (silt or clay), and which is more or less indurated by a cementing material |
| 30 | Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Orthoquartzite
A clastic sedimentary rock that is made up almost exclusively of quartz sand (with or without chert), that is relatively free of or lacks a fine-grained matrix; a quartzite of sedimentary origin, or a "pure quartz sandstone". |
| 31 | Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Calcarenite
A clastic sedimentary rock that is made up predominantly of recycled carbonate particles of sand size; a consolidated calcareous sand |
| 32 | Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Arkose
A feldspar-rich sandstone, commonly coarse-grained and pink or reddish, that is typically composed of angular to subangular grains that may be either poorly or moderately well sorted. Quartz is usually the dominant mineral, with feldspars constituting at least 25 percent. |
| 33 | Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Wacke
A "dirty" sandstone that consists of a mixed variety of unsorted or poorly sorted mineral and rock fragments and of an abundant matrix of clay and fine silt; specif. an impure sandstone containing more than 10 percent argillaceous matrix. |
| 34 | Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Graywacke
a dark gray, firmly indurated, coarse-grained sandstone that consists of poorly sorted angular to subangular grains of quartz and feldspar, with a variety of dark rock and mineral fragments embedded in a compact clayey matrix having the general composition of slate and containing an abundance of very fine-grained illite, sericite, and chloritic minerals. |
| 35 | Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Conglomerate
A coarse-grained clastic sedimentary rock, composed of rounded to subangular fragments larger than 2 mm in diameter typically containing fine-grained particles in the interstices, and commonly cemented by calcium carbonate, iron oxide, silica, or hardened clay |
| 36 | Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Sedimentary Breccia
A breccia (coarse-grained clastic rock composed of angular broken rock fragments held together by a mineral cement or a fine-grained matrix) formed by sedimentary processes |
| 37 | Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Olistostrome
A sedimentary deposit consisting of a chaotic mass of intimately mixed heterogeneous materials (such as blocks and muds) that accumulated as a semi-fluid body by submarine gravity sliding or slumping of unconsolidated sediments. |
| 38 | Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Lake Sediments
Sediments laid on the floor of a lake, usually coarse grainde near shore and rapidly changing to fine-grained clay and limesone in deeper water. |
| 39 | Sedimentary Rock > Carbonate
A sedimentary rock composed of more than 50 percent by weight carbonate minerals |
| 40 | Sedimentary Rock > Carbonate > Limestone
A sedimentary rock consisting chiefly (more than 50 percent by weight or by areal percentages under the microscope) of calcium carbonate, primarily in the form of the mineral calcite. |
| 41 | Sedimentary Rock > Carbonate > Dolomite
A carbonate sedimentary rock of which more than 50 percent by weight or by areal percentages under the microscope consists of the mineral dolomite |
| 42 | Sedimentary Rock > Mixed Clastic/Carbonate Rock
An undivided mixture of clastic and carbonate sedimentary rocks. |
| 43 | Sedimentary Rock > Mixed Clastic/Volcanic Rock
An undivided mixture of clastic and carbonate sedimentary rocks. |
| 44 | Sedimentary Rock > Phosphorite
A sedimentary rock with a high enough content of phosphate minerals to be of economic interest. |
| 45 | Sedimentary Rock > Chemical Sediment
A sedimentary rock composed primarily of material formed directly by precipitation from solution or colloidal suspension or by the deposition of insoluble precipitates |
| 46 | Sedimentary Rock > Chemical Sediment > Evaporite
A nonclastic sedimentary rock composed primarily of minerals produced from a saline solution as a result of extensive or total evaporation of the solvent. |
| 47 | Sedimentary Rock > Chemical Sediment > Salt
An evapotite primarily composed of sodium chloride. |
| 48 | Sedimentary Rock > Chemical Sediment > Chert
A hard, extremely dense or compact, dull to semivitreous, microcrystalline or cryptocrystalline sedimentary rock, consisting dominantly of interlocking crystals of quartz less than 30 cm in diameter. |
| 49 | Sedimentary Rock > Chemical Sediment > Iron Formation
A chemical sedimentary rock, typically thin-bedded and/or finely laminated, containing at least 15 percent iron of sedimentary origin, and commonly but not necessarily containing layers of chert |
| 50 | Sedimentary Rock > Chemical Sediment > Exhalite
A chemical sedimentary rock, usually containing oxide, carbonate, or sulfide as anions, and iron, magnesium, base metals, and gold as cations, formed by the issuance of volcanically derived fluids onto the sea floor or into the sea |
| 51 | Sedimentary Rock > Coal
A readily combustible rock containing more than 50 percent by weight and more than 70 percent by volume carbonaceous material, formed by compaction and induration of variously altered plant remains |
| 52 | Sedimentary Rock > Diatomite
A light-colored,soft, friable, siliceous sedimentary rockconsisting chiefly of opaline frustules of the diatom. |
| 53 | Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic)
A generally finely crystalline or glassy igneous rock resulting from volcanic action at or near the Earth's surface, either ejected explosively or extruded as a lava. The term includes near-surface intrusions that form a part of the volcanic structure. |
| 54 | Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Glassy Rock
Extrusive rock having a texture which is similar to that of glass or quartz and developed as a result of rapid cooling of the lava without distinct crystallization. |
| 55 | Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Glassy Rock > Obsidian
A black or dark-colored volcanic glass, usually of rhyolite composition, characterized by conchoidal fracture |
| 56 | Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Glassy Rock > Vitrophyre
Any porphyritic igneous rock having a glassy groundmass. |
| 57 | Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Glassy Rock > Pumice
A light-colored vesicular glassy rock commonly having the composition of rhyolite. |
| 58 | Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Pyroclastic Rock
Clastic rock material formed by volcanic explosion or aerial expulsion from a volcanic vent. |
| 59 | Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Pyroclastic Rock > Tuff
Consolidated or cemented volcanic ash. |
| 60 | Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Pyroclastic Rock > Tuff > Welded Tuff
A glass-rich pyroclastic rock that has been indurated by the welding together of its glass shards under the combined action of the heat retained by particles, the weight of the overlying material, and hot gasses. |
| 61 | Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Pyroclastic Rock > Tuff > Ash-Flow Tuff
A tuff deposited by an ash flow or gaseous cloud; a type of ignimbrite. It is a consolidated, but not necessarily welded deposit. |
| 62 | Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Pyroclastic Rock > Ignimbrite
The deposit of a pyroclastic flow. |
| 63 | Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Pyroclastic Rock > Volcanic Breccia (Agglomerate)
A pyroclastic rock that consists of angular volcanic fragments that are larger than 64 mm in diameter and that may or may not have a matrix |
| 64 | Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Felsic Volcanic Rock
A light-colored, fine-grained or aphanitic extrusive or hypabyssal rock, with or without phenocrysts and composed chiefly of quartz and feldspar. |
| 65 | Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Felsic Volcanic Rock > Alkali Rhyolite
A volcanic rock defined in the QAPF diagram as having Q/(Q+A+P) between 20 and 60 and P/(P+A) less than 10. |
| 66 | Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Felsic Volcanic Rock > Rhyolite
A volcanic rock defined in the QAPF diagram as having Q/(Q+A+P) between 20 and 60 and P/(P+A) between 10 and 35. |
| 67 | Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Felsic Volcanic Rock > Rhyodacite
A volcanic rock defined in the QAPF diagram as having Q/(Q+A+P) between 20 and 60 and P/(P+A) between 35 and 65. |
| 68 | Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Felsic Volcanic Rock > Dacite
A volcanic rock defined in the QAPF diagram as having Q/(Q+A+P) between 20 and 60 and P/(P+A) greater than 65. |
| 69 | Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Felsic Volcanic Rock > Alkali Trachyte
A volcanic rock defined in the QAPF diagram as having Q/(Q+A+P) less than 20 or F/(F+A+P) less than 10, and P/(P+A) less than 10. |
| 70 | Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Felsic Volcanic Rock > Trachyte
A volcanic rock defined in the QAPF diagram as having Q/(Q+A+P) less than 20 or F/(F+A+P) less than 10, and P/(P+A) between 10 and 35. |
| 71 | Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Felsic Volcanic Rock > Quartz Latite
A volcanic rock defined in the QAPF diagram as having Q/(Q+A+P) between 5 and 20 and P/(P+A) between 35 and 65. |
| 72 | Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Felsic Volcanic Rock > Latite
A volcanic rock defined in the QAPF diagram as having Q/(Q+A+P) less than 5 or F/(F+A+P) less than 10, and P/(P+A) between 35 and 65. |
| 73 | Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Intermediate Volcanic Rock
A solidified body of volcanic rock having approximately equal light- and dark-colored minerals in its mode |
| 74 | Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Intermediate Volcanic Rock > Trachyandesite
A volcanic rock defined modally by Q/(Q+A+P) less than 20 or F/(F+A+P) less than 10, P/(A+P) between 65 and 90, and M less than 35. |
| 75 | Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Intermediate Volcanic Rock > Andesite
A volcanic rock defined modally by Q/(Q+A+P) less than 20 or F/(F+A+P) less than 10, P/(A+P) greater than 90, and M less than 35 |
| 76 | Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Mafic Volcanic Rock
A solidified body of volcanic rock having abundant dark-colored minerals in its mode |
| 77 | Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Mafic Volcanic Rock > Trachybasalt
A volcanic rock defined modally by Q/(Q+A+P) less than 20 or F/(F+A+P) less than 10, P/(A+P) between 65 and 90, and M greater than 35. |
| 78 | Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Mafic Volcanic Rock > Basalt
A volcanic rock defined modally by Q/(Q+A+P) less than 20 or F/(F+A+P) less than 10, P/(A+P) greater than 90, and M greater than 35. |
| 79 | Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Mafic Volcanic Rock > Basalt > Tholeiite
A silica-oversaturated basalt, characterized by the presence of low-calcium pyroxenes in addition to clinopyroxene and calcic plagioclase. Olivine may be present in the mode, but neither olivine nor nepheline appear in the norm. |
| 80 | Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Mafic Volcanic Rock > Basalt > Hawaiite
A basalt in which the normative and modal feldspar is andesine, and with soda:potash ratio greater than 2:1. It generally, but not always, lacks normative quartz, and commonly contains normative and modal olivine. |
| 81 | Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Mafic Volcanic Rock > Basalt > Alkaline Basalt
A basalt with nepheline and/or acmite in the CIPW norm. |
| 82 | Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Alkalic Volcanic Rock
A volcanic rock that contains more sodium and/or potassium than is required to form feldspar with the available silica. |
| 83 | Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Alkalic Volcanic Rock > Phonolite
A volcanic rock defined in the QAPF diagram as having F/(F+A+P) between 10 an 60, and P/(P+A) less than 10. |
| 84 | Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Alkalic Volcanic Rock > Tephrite (Basanite)
A volcanic rock defined in the QAPF diagram as having F/(F+A+P) between 10 an 60, and P/(P+A) greater than 90. |
| 85 | Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Komatiite (Ultramafite)
A volcanic rock with color index (M) greater than or equal to 90 |
| 86 | Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Volcanic Carbonatite
A rock of apparent volcanic origin composed of at least 50 percent carbonate minerals |
| 87 | Plutonic Rock
A rock formed at considerable depth by crystallization of magma and/or by chemical alteration. It is characteristically medium- to coarse-grained, of granitoid texture. |
| 88 | Plutonic Rock > Aplite
A light-colored igneous rock characterized by a fine-grained allotriomorphic-granular (i.e. aplitic) texture. |
| 89 | Plutonic Rock > Porphyry
An igneous rock of any composition that contains conspicuous phenocrysts in a fine-grained groundmass |
| 90 | Plutonic Rock > Porphyry > Lamprophyre
A group of porphyritic igneous rocks in which mafic minerals form the phenocrysts; feldspars, if present, are restricted to the groundmass |
| 91 | Plutonic Rock > Pegmatite
An exceptionally coarse-grained igneous rock, with interlocking crystals, usually found as irregular dikes, lenses, or veins, esp. at the margins of batholiths |
| 92 | Plutonic Rock > Granitoid
A general term for all phaneritic igneous rocks dominated by quartz and feldspars |
| 93 | Plutonic Rock > Granitoid > Alkali-Granite (Alaskite)
A plutonic rock defined in the QAPF diagram as having Q between 20 and 60 and P/(A+P) less than 10 |
| 94 | Plutonic Rock > Granitoid > Granite
A plutonic rock defined in the QAPF diagram as having Q between 20 and 60 and P/(A+P) between 10 and 65 |
| 95 | Plutonic Rock > Granitoid > Granite > Peraluminous Granite
A granite with aluminum oxide greater than sodium oxide + potassium oxide + calcium oxide; typical accessories include: muscovite, biotite, corundum, topaz, garnet |
| 96 | Plutonic Rock > Granitoid > Granite > Metaluminous Granite
A granite with aluminum oxide greater than sodium oxide + potassium oxide, but with aluminum oxide less than sodium oxide + potassium oxide + calcium oxide; typical accessories include: hornblende, epidote, melilite, or biotite + pyroxene |
| 97 | Plutonic Rock > Granitoid > Granite > Subaluminous Granite
A granite with aluminum oxide approximately equal to sodium oxide + potassium oxide; typical accessories include: olivine, orthopyroxene, clinopyroxene |
| 98 | Plutonic Rock > Granitoid > Granite > Peralkaline Granite
A granite with aluminum oxide less than sodium oxide + potassium oxide; typical accessories include: soda pyroxene and soda amphibole[ |
| 99 | Plutonic Rock > Granitoid > Granodiorite
A plutonic rock defined in the QAPF diagram as having Q between 20 and 60 and P/(A+P) between 65 and 90 |
| 100 | Plutonic Rock > Granitoid > Tonalite
A plutonic rock defined in the QAPF diagram as having Q between 20 and 60 and P/(A+P) greater than 90 |
| 101 | Plutonic Rock > Granitoid > Tonalite > Trondhjemite
A tonalite with color index (M) less than 15; composed essentially of sodic plagioclase, quartz, sparse biotite, and little or no alkali feldspar |
| 102 | Plutonic Rock > Granitoid > Alkali Syenite
A plutonic rock defined in the QAPF diagram as having Q/(Q+A+P) less than 20 or F/(F+A+P) less than 10, and P/(P+A) less than 10 |
| 103 | Plutonic Rock > Granitoid > Quartz Syenite
A plutonic rock defined in the QAPF diagram as having Q between 5 and 20 and P/(A+P) between 10 and 35 |
| 104 | Plutonic Rock > Granitoid > Syenite
A plutonic rock defined in the QAPF diagram as having Q between 5 and 20 and P/(A+P) between 35 and 65 |
| 105 | Plutonic Rock > Granitoid > Quartz Monzonite
A plutonic rock defined in the QAPF diagram as having Q between 5 and 20 and P/(A+P) between 65 and 90, and plagioclase more sodic than An50 |
| 106 | Plutonic Rock > Granitoid > Monzonite
A plutonic rock defined in the QAPF diagram as having Q less than 5 or F/(F+A+P) less than 10, and P/(A+P) between 35 and 65 |
| 107 | Plutonic Rock > Mafic Intrusive Rock
An igneous rock composed chiefly of one or more dark ferromagnesian minerals. An exception is made for anorthosite, which occurs in association with mafic rocks. |
| 108 | Plutonic Rock > Mafic Intrusive Rock > Quartz Monzodiorite
A plutonic rock defined in the QAPF diagram as having Q between 5 and 20 and P/(A+P) between 65 and 90, and plagioclase more sodic than An50 |
| 109 | Plutonic Rock > Mafic Intrusive Rock > Quartz Monzogabbro
A plutonic rock defined in the QAPF diagram as having Q between 5 and 20 and P/(A+P) between 65 and 90, and plagioclase more calcic than An50 |
| 110 | Plutonic Rock > Mafic Intrusive Rock > Monzodiorite
A plutonic rock defined in the QAPF diagram as having Q less than 5 or F/(F+A+P) less than 10, and P/(A+P) between 65 and 90, and plagioclase more sodic than An50 |
| 111 | Plutonic Rock > Mafic Intrusive Rock > Monzogabbro
A plutonic rock defined in the QAPF diagram as having Q less than 5 or F/(F+A+P) less than 10, and P/(A+P) between 65 and 90, and plagioclase more calcic than An50 |
| 112 | Plutonic Rock > Mafic Intrusive Rock > Quartz Diorite
A plutonic rock defined in the QAPF diagram as having Q between 5 and 20, P/(A+P) greater than 90, and plagioclase more sodic than An50 |
| 113 | Plutonic Rock > Mafic Intrusive Rock > Quartz Gabbro
A plutonic rock defined in the QAPF diagram as having Q between 5 and 20, P/(A+P) greater than 90, and plagioclase more calcic than An50 |
| 114 | Plutonic Rock > Mafic Intrusive Rock > Diorite
A plutonic rock defined in the QAPF diagram as having Q between 0 and 5 or F/(F+A+P) less than 10, P/(A+P) greater than 90 and plagioclase more sodic than An50 |
| 115 | Plutonic Rock > Mafic Intrusive Rock > Diorite > Diabase
A plutonic rock whose main components are labradorite and pyroxene and which is characterized by ophitic texture |
| 116 | Plutonic Rock > Mafic Intrusive Rock > Gabbro
A plutonic rock defined in the QAPF diagram as having Q between 0 and 5 or F/(F+A+P) less than 10, P/(A+P) greater than 90 and plagioclase more calcic than An50 |
| 117 | Plutonic Rock > Mafic Intrusive Rock > Gabbro > Norite
A plutonic rock satisfying the definition of gabbro, in which pl/(pl+px+ol) is between 10 and 90 and opx/(opx+cpx) is greater than 95. |
| 118 | Plutonic Rock > Mafic Intrusive Rock > Gabbro > Troctolite
A plutonic rock satisfying the definition of gabbro, in which pl/(pl+px+ol) is between 10 and 90 and px/(pl+px+ol) is less than 5. |
| 119 | Plutonic Rock > Mafic Intrusive Rock > Anorthosite
A plutonic rock defined in the QAPF diagram as having Q between 0 and 5, P/(A+P) greater than 90, and M less than 10. A group of monomineralogic plutonic igneous rocks composed almost entirely of plagioclase feldspar. |
| 120 | Plutonic Rock > Alkalic Intrusive Rock
A plutonic rock that contains more sodium and/or potassium than is required to form feldspar with the available silica |
| 121 | Plutonic Rock > Alkalic Intrusive Rock > Nepheline Syenite
A plutonic rock defined in the QAPF diagram as having F/(F+A+P) between 10 and 60, and P/(P+A) less than 50; composed essentially of alkali feldspar and nepheline |
| 122 | Plutonic Rock > Ultramafic Intrusive Rock
A general name for plutonic rock with color index (M) greater than or equal to 90 |
| 123 | Plutonic Rock > Ultramafic Intrusive Rock > Peridotite
A plutonic rock with M equal to or greater than 90 and ol/(ol+opx+cpx) greater than 40 |
| 124 | Plutonic Rock > Ultramafic Intrusive Rock > Peridotite > Dunite
A plutonic rock with M equal to or greater than 90 and ol/(ol+opx+cpx) greater than 90 |
| 125 | Plutonic Rock > Ultramafic Intrusive Rock > Peridotite > Harzburgite
A plutonic rock with M equal or greater than 90, ol/(ol+opx+cpx) greater than 40, and cpx/(ol+opx+cpx) less than 5. |
| 126 | Plutonic Rock > Ultramafic Intrusive Rock > Peridotite > Wherlite
A plutonic rock with M equal or greater than 90, ol/(ol+opx+cpx) greater than 40, and opx/(ol+opx+cpx) less than 5. |
| 127 | Plutonic Rock > Ultramafic Intrusive Rock > Peridotite > Lherzolite
A plutonic rock with M equal or greater than 90, ol/(ol+opx+cpx) greater than 40, and opx roughly equal to cpx. |
| 128 | Plutonic Rock > Ultramafic Intrusive Rock > Peridotite > Kimberlite
A porphyritic alkalic peridotite containing abundant phenocrysts of olivine and phlogopite, and possibly geikielite and chromian pyrope, in a fine-grained groundmass of calcite and second-generation olivine and phlogopite. |
| 129 | Plutonic Rock > Ultramafic Intrusive Rock > Pyroxenite
A plutonic rock with M equal to or greater than 90 and pyroxene/(ol+pyroxene) greater than 90. |
| 130 | Plutonic Rock > Ultramafic Intrusive Rock > Pyroxenite > Clinopyroxenite
A plutonic rock with M equal to or greater than 90 and cpx/(ol+opx+cpx) greater than 90. |
| 131 | Plutonic Rock > Ultramafic Intrusive Rock > Pyroxenite > Orthopyroxenite
A plutonic rock with M equal to or greater than 90 and opx/(ol+opx+cpx) greater than 90. |
| 132 | Plutonic Rock > Ultramafic Intrusive Rock > Hornblendite
A plutonic rock with M equal to or greater than 90 and hbl/(hbl+px+ol) greater than 90. |
| 133 | Plutonic Rock > Intrusive Carbonatite
A plutonic rock composed of at least 50% carbonate minerals. |
| 134 | Metamorphic Rock
A rock derived from pre-existing rocks by mineralogical, chemical, and/or structural changes, essentially in the solid state, in response to marked changes in temperature, pressure, shearing stress, and chemical environment, generally at depth in the earth's crust. |
| 135 | Metamorphic Rock > Hornfels
A fine-grained rock composed of a mosaic of equidimensional grains without preferred orientation and typically formed by contact metamorphism. |
| 136 | Metamorphic Rock > Metasedimentary Rock
A sedimentary rock that shows evidence of having been subjected to metamorphism |
| 137 | Metamorphic Rock > Metasedimentary Rock > Meta-Argillite
An argillite that has been metamorphosed. |
| 138 | Metamorphic Rock > Metasedimentary Rock > Slate
A compact, fine-grained metamorphic rock that possesses slaty cleavage and hence can be split into slabs and thin plates |
| 139 | Metamorphic Rock > Metasedimentary Rock > Quartzite
A granoblastic metamorphic rock consisting mainly of quartz and formed by recrystallization of sandstone or chert by either regional or thermal metamorphism. |
| 140 | Metamorphic Rock > Metasedimentary Rock > Marble
A metamorphic rock consisting predominantly of fine- to coarse-grained recrystallized calcite and/or dolomite, usually with a granoblastic, saccharoidal texture |
| 141 | Metamorphic Rock > Metavolcanic Rock
A volcanic rock that shows evidence of having been subjected to metamorphism. |
| 142 | Metamorphic Rock > Metavolcanic Rock > Felsic Metamorphic Rock
A metavolcanic rock having abundant light-colored minerals, typically quartz and feldspar |
| 143 | Metamorphic Rock > Metavolcanic Rock > Felsic Metamorphic Rock > Meta-Rhyolite
A low-grade, felsic metavolcanic rock with preserved evidence of its original rhyolitic character |
| 144 | Metamorphic Rock > Metavolcanic Rock > Felsic Metamorphic Rock > Keratophyre
All salic extrusive and hypabyssal rocks characterized by the presence of albite or albite-oligoclase and chlorite, epidote, and calcite, generally of secondary order. |
| 145 | Metamorphic Rock > Metavolcanic Rock > Mafic Metamorphic Rock
A metavolcanic rock having abundant dark-colored minerals, typically feldspar, amphibole, and/or pyroxene |
| 146 | Metamorphic Rock > Metavolcanic Rock > Mafic Metamorphic Rock > Meta-Basalt
A low-grade, mafic metavolcanic rock with preserved evidence of its original basaltic character |
| 147 | Metamorphic Rock > Metavolcanic Rock > Mafic Metamorphic Rock > Spilite
An altered basalt, characteristically amygdaloidal or vesicular, in which the feldspar has been albitized and is typically accompanied by chlorite, calcite, epidote, chalcedony, prehnite, or other low-temperature hydrous crystallization products characteristic of a greenstone. |
| 148 | Metamorphic Rock > Metavolcanic Rock > Mafic Metamorphic Rock > Greenstone
A field term applied to any compact, dark-green, altered or metamorphosed basic igneous rock (e.g. spilite, basalt, gabbro, diabase) that owes its color to the presence of chlorite, actinolite, or epidote. |
| 149 | Metamorphic Rock > Phyllite
A metamorphosed rock, intermediate in grade between slate and mica schist. Minute crystals of graphite, sericite, or chlorite impart a silky sheen to the surfaces of cleavage (or schistosity). |
| 150 | Metamorphic Rock > Schist
A strongly foliated crystalline rock, formed by dynamic metamorphism, that can be readily split into thin flakes or slabs due to the well developed parallelism of more than 50 percent of the minerals present, particularly those of the lamellar or elongate prismatic habit, e.g. mica and hornblende. |
| 151 | Metamorphic Rock > Schist > Greenschist
A schistose metamorphic rock whose green color is due to the presence of chlorite, epidote, or actinolite; a common product of low-grade regional metamorphism of pelitic or basic igneous rocks |
| 152 | Metamorphic Rock > Schist > Blueschist
A schistose metamorphic rock with a blue color owing to the presence of sodic amphibole, glaucophane, or crossite, and commonly mottled bluish-gray lawsonite; characteristic of metamorphism in areas of unusually low thermal gradient, such as subduction zones |
| 153 | Metamorphic Rock > Schist > Mica Schist
A schist whose essential constituents are mica and quartz, and whose schistosity is mainly due to the parallel arrangement of mica flakes. |
| 154 | Metamorphic Rock > Schist > Pelitic Schist
A schistose metamorphic rock derived by metamorphism of an argillaceous or a fine-grained alluminous sediment. |
| 155 | Metamorphic Rock > Schist > Quartz-Feldspar Schist
A schist whose essential constituents are quartz and feldspar and having lesser amounts of mica and/or hornblende |
| 156 | Metamorphic Rock > Schist > Calc-Silicate Schist
A metamorphosed calcareous rock, commonly derived from argillaceous limestone or calcareous mudstone, containing calcium-bearing silicates such as diopside and wollastonite, with a schistose structure produced by parallelism of platy minerals |
| 157 | Metamorphic Rock > Schist > Amphibole Schist
A schist whose essential constituent is amphibole with lesseramounts of feldspar, quartz, and/or mica |
| 158 | Metamorphic Rock > Granofels
A medium- to coarse-grained granoblastic metamorphic rock with little or no foliation or lineation. |
| 159 | Metamorphic Rock > Gneiss
A foliated rock formed by regional metamorphism, in which bands or lenticles of granular minerals alternate with bands or lenticles in which minerals having flaky or elongate prismatic habits predominate. Generally less than 50 percent of the minerals show preferred orientation. |
| 160 | Metamorphic Rock > Gneiss > Felsic Gneiss
A gneissic rock dominated by light-colored minerals, commonly quartz and feldspar |
| 161 | Metamorphic Rock > Gneiss > Felsic Gneiss > Granitic Gneiss
A gneissic rock with a general granitoid composition |
| 162 | Metamorphic Rock > Gneiss > Felsic Gneiss > Biotite Gneiss
A granitic gneiss in which the dominant mafic mineral is biotite |
| 163 | Metamorphic Rock > Gneiss > Mafic Gneiss
A gneissic rock dominated by dark-colored minerals, commonly biotite and hornblende |
| 164 | Metamorphic Rock > Gneiss > Orthogneiss
A gneissic rock formed from an igneous parent |
| 165 | Metamorphic Rock > Gneiss > Paragneiss
A gneissic rock formed from a sedimentary parent |
| 166 | Metamorphic Rock > Gneiss > Migmatite
A composite "mixed rock" composed of igneous or igneous-appearing and metamorphic portions |
| 167 | Metamorphic Rock > Amphibolite
A crystalloblastic rock consisting mainly of amphibole and plagioclase with little or no quartz. |
| 168 | Metamorphic Rock > Granulite
A metamorphic rock consisting of even-sized, interlocking mineral grains less than 10 percent of which have any obvious preferred orientation. |
| 169 | Metamorphic Rock > Eclogite
A granular rock composed essentially of garnet (almandine-pyrope) and sodic pyroxene (omphacite). |
| 170 | Metamorphic Rock > Greisen
A pneumatolytically altered granitic rock composed largely of quartz, mica, and topaz. |
| 171 | Metamorphic Rock > Skarn (Tactite)
A rock of complex mineralogic composition formed by contact metamorphism and metasomatism of carbonate rocks. It is typically coarse-grained and rich in garnet, iron-rich pyroxene, epidote, wollastonite, and scapolite. |
| 172 | Metamorphic Rock > Serpentinite
A rock consisting almost wholly of serpentine-group minerals derived from the hydration of ferromagnesian silicate minerals such as olivine and pyroxene. |
| 173 | Tectonite
A rock whose fabric reflects the history of its deformation. |
| 174 | Tectonite > Tectonic Melange
A melange produced by tectonic processes. |
| 175 | Tectonite > Cataclasite
A fine-grained, cohesive cataclastic rock, normally lacking a penetrative foliation or microfabric, formed during fault movement. |
| 176 | Tectonite > Phyllonite
A rock that macroscopically resembles phyllite but that is formed by mechanical degradation (mylonitization) of initially coarser rocks. |
| 177 | Tectonite > Mylonite
A compact, chert-like rock without cleavage, but with a streaky or banded structure, produced by the extreme granulation and shearing of rocks that have been pulverized and rolled during overthrusting or intense dynamic metamorphism. |
| 178 | Tectonite > Flaser Gneiss
A dynamically metamorphosed rock in which lenses or layers of original or relatively unaltered granular materials are surrounded by a matrix of highly sheared and crushed material, giving the appearance of a crude flow structure |
| 179 | Tectonite > Augen Gneiss
Gneissic rock containing augen (large lenticular mineral grains or mineral aggregates having the shape of an eye in cross section) |
Lithologic and stratigraphic information regarding the rocks for the ore deposit that are not specifically identified as host ro. Textual values of no more than 255 characters.
| Value | Definition |
|---|---|
| (no value) | Information not available for this record. 291593 records have no value for AROCK_UNIT. |
A comma-separated list of integer numbers indicating the types of associated rocks. Each list has no more than 40 characters.
Values are the same as HROCK_CODE
| Value | Definition |
|---|---|
| (no value) | Information not available for this record. 278263 records have no value for AROCK_CODE. |
Description of geological structures at or near the deposit. Textual values of no more than 255 characters.
| Value | Definition |
|---|---|
| (no value) | Information not available for this record. 280348 records have no value for STRUCTURE. |
Description of tectonic setting within which the deposit is found, includes regional geologic structure. Textual values of no more than 255 characters.
| Value | Definition |
|---|---|
| (no value) | Information not available for this record. 285058 records have no value for TECTONIC. |
Bibliographic references providing information supporting the database record. Braces delimit multiple references. Textual values of no more than 32768 characters.
| Value | Definition |
|---|---|
| (no value) | Information not available for this record. 25211 records have no value for REF. |
Hundreds of people have contributed to the development of MRDS and MAS/MILS over several decades. The present digest owes much of its coherence to Bill Ferguson, Bruce Lipin, and Paul Schruben of USGS.
703-648-6142 (voice)
703-648-6383 (FAX)
pschrube@usgs.gov
This digest of the complex mineral resources database is intended for use as reference material supporting mineral resource and environmental assessments on local to regional scale worldwide.
George T. Mason, Jr., and Arndt, Raymond E. , 1996, Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS): U.S. Geological Survey Digital Data Series DDS-20, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA.
McFaul, Edward J., Mason, George T., Ferguson, William B., and Lipin, Bruce R., 2000, U.S. Geological Survey mineral databases; MRDS and MAS/MILS: U.S. Geological Survey Digital Data Series DDS-52, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia.Online Links:
U.S. Geological Survey, 2005, Mineral Resource Data System.
Review of many database fields resulted in significant simplification, harmonization among records within these databases and between the databases, and elimination of duplicate records.
The resulting relational database is currently maintained by William Ferguson under the supervision of Paul Schruben.
Person who carried out this activity:
703-648-6142 (voice)
703-648-6383 (FAX)
pschrube@usgs.gov
Data sources produced in this process:
Select fields and tables from the Oracle RDBMS are extracted using the script pull.php to produce local copies of the tables containing only those fields needed to produce the current digest.
The script combine.php draws data from these local tables to create a single monolithic table with one row per mineral resource record.
At this writing a number of corrections are made to the data given for the form of orebodies. These changes include the elimination of the useless value "SEE DEPOSIT DESCRIPTION COMMENTS", the elimination of empty parentheses from most records, replacement of the abbreviation 'IRREG' with the more common complete value 'IRREGULAR', and especially a complex analysis of most values originating in the MAS/MILS database. These changes are described by the script orebody-fix.php.
Additional modifications are made to the geographic locations of about 4300 records whose coordinates are given in the source database as the South Pole. These coordinates are replaced with NULL values in the current database. The data selection software in the current distribution web site allows some of these records to be retrieved because some of the records contained additional information linking them to specific geographic areas. These changes are carried out by the script place-fix.php.
Information about host rocks and associated rocks was subject to additional correction using the SQL statements in fix-rock.php.
This table is used to create the GIS shapefiles and other formats available for download.
Person who carried out this activity:
703-648-6533 (voice)
703-648-6252 (FAX)
pschweitzer@usgs.gov
Collected over many decades, this information is highly variable in quality. Currency of individual records is variable as well, so it is likely that some information will be found to be out of date. This is a subject of continuing refinement by the USGS and its cooperators.
Positional information is highly variable. In the best cases this information was provided by plotting the location on a 7.5 minute topographic map, however many records were located on the basis of published reports containing imprecise or scant information on the specific geographic location. Approximately 4000 records have no reliable geographic coordinates, although about 114 of those have other locational information systematic enough to warrant placement within the controlled vocabulary used to select data for analysis on the web.
The database is generally sparse; many records have no information for a given field. A few fields required for proper processing are complete throughout. The number of records lacking data in each field is shown in the list below with the percent of records lacking data for that field:
Field Missing values Label Number Percent ----------------------------------- DEP_ID 0 0.0 MRDS_ID 149235 49.0 MAS_ID 110652 36.4 SITE_NAME 0 0.0 LATITUDE 4033 1.3 LONGITUDE 4033 1.3 REGION 58555 19.2 COUNTRY 58555 19.2 STATE 58762 19.3 COUNTY 65215 21.4 DISTRICT 254769 83.7 ADMIN 299777 98.5 LAND_STAT 114367 37.6 COM_TYPE 34 0.0 COM_MAJOR 22335 7.3 COM_MINOR 285184 93.7 COM_TRACE 239278 78.6 OPER_TYPE 0 0.0 DEP_TYPE 269516 88.6 PROD_SIZE 194976 64.1 DEV_STAT 0 0.0 ORE 236479 77.7 GANGUE 272740 89.6 OTHER_MATL 294207 96.7 OREBODY_FM 264927 87.1 WORK_TYPE 238249 78.3 MODEL 292387 96.1 ALTERATION 289757 95.2 CONC_PROC 293637 96.5 PREV_NAME 241287 79.3 ORE_CTRL 279810 91.9 REPORTER 36 0.0 HROCK_UNIT 268180 88.1 HROCK_CODE 236050 77.6 AROCK_UNIT 291593 95.8 AROCK_CODE 278263 91.4 STRUCTURE 280348 92.1 TECTONIC 285058 93.7 REF 25211 8.3
Collected and reported by numerous diverse people, the descriptions provided are not highly consistent in structure or terminology. Recent revision of the MRDS database has begun to address this issue, and the present database digest contains fields chosen for their general consistency, though much work remains to be done.
Are there legal restrictions on access or use of the data?
- Access_Constraints: none
- Use_Constraints: none
703-648-6533 (voice)
703-648-6252 (FAX)
pschweitzer@usgs.gov
USGS MRDS
This dataset was prepared by an agency of the United States Government. Neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, make any warranty, expressed or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed in this report, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference therein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof. Any views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government or any agency thereof.
| Data format: | Mineral resource records (entire database digest) in format Shapefile (version 1.0) Size: 27.3 megabytes |
|---|---|
| Network links: |
<http://tin.er.usgs.gov/mrds/mrds.zip> |
| Data format: | Mineral resource records (user-selectable geographic subsets) in format Shapefile (version 1.0) |
|---|---|
| Network links: |
<http://tin.er.usgs.gov/mrds/select.php> |
| Data format: | Mineral resource records (user-selectable geographic subsets) in format Text (tab- or comma-delimited) (version convention, not standardized) |
|---|---|
| Network links: |
<http://tin.er.usgs.gov/mrds/select.php> |
| Data format: | Mineral resource records (user-selectable geographic subsets) in format HTML (version 4.0.1 Transitional) |
|---|---|
| Network links: |
<http://tin.er.usgs.gov/mrds/select.php> |
| Data format: | Mineral resource records (user-selectable geographic subsets) in format DBF (version dBase III) |
|---|---|
| Network links: |
<http://tin.er.usgs.gov/mrds/select.php> |
703-648-6533 (voice)
703-648-6252 (FAX)
pschweitzer@usgs.gov
U.S. Department of the Interior |
U.S. Geological Survey
URL: http://tin.er.usgs.gov/metadata/mrds.faq.html
Page Contact Information: Peter Schweitzer
Page Last Modified: Monday, 09-Feb-2009 14:53:47 EST
