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Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center

Welcome to the Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center (GGGSC) located in Lakewood, Colorado on the Denver Federal Center. At GGGSC, we apply expertise in geology, geophysics, and geochemistry to interdisciplinary efforts in support of the USGS mission to address the Nation’s important earth science issues, with an emphasis on mineral resources.

News

USGS partners with Nevada to map critical mineral potential with cutting-edge data in Nevada

USGS partners with Nevada to map critical mineral potential with cutting-edge data in Nevada

Bipartisan Infrastructure Law helps fund new USGS facility at Colorado School of Mines, focused on energy and minerals research

Bipartisan Infrastructure Law helps fund new USGS facility at Colorado School of Mines, focused on energy and minerals research

MEDIA ADVISORY: Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Brain, Director Applegate to Attend Groundbreaking for USGS Energy and Minerals Research Facility

MEDIA ADVISORY: Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Brain, Director Applegate to Attend Groundbreaking for USGS Energy and Minerals Research Facility

Publications

Paleoproterozoic reworking of Archean crust and extreme back-arc metamorphism in the enigmatic southern Trans-Hudson orogen

The crustal evolution of the southernmost ∼2000–1800 Ma Trans-Hudson orogen (THO) is enigmatic due to burial by Phanerozoic sediments. We provide new insights through petrochronologic analysis of a paragneiss drill core sample. Detrital zircon age peaks at 2625, 2340, and 1880 Ma and Hf isotopes suggest Paleoproterozoic arc development proximal to Archean source(s). Phase equilibria modeling and t
Authors
Ian William Hillenbrand, Amy K. Gilmer, Michael L. Williams, Amanda (Kate) Souders, Michael J. Jercinovic, Heather A. Lowers, Jorge A. Vazquez

Deep magmatic staging chambers for crustal layered mafic intrusions: An example from the Bushveld Complex of southern Africa

The deep mafic magmatic staging chambers of layered mafic intrusions have been conjectured but not imaged. Their existence has long been postulated from geochemical models which require multiple magma injections from staging chambers to account for their multi-scale igneous layering and variations in sources and degrees of crustal contamination. For the Bushveld Complex of southern Africa, the wor
Authors
Janine Cole, Carol A. Finn, Susan J. Webb

Magnetotelluric investigation of northern Harrat Rahat, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Volcanism within the harrats (Arabic for “volcanic field”) of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia includes at least one historical eruption occurring close to the holy city of Al Madīnah in 1256 C.E. As part of a volcanic- and seismic-hazard assessment of northern Harrat Rahat, magnetotelluric (MT) data were collected to investigate the structural setting of the area, the presence or absence of melt withi
Authors
Jared R. Peacock, Paul A. Bedrosian, Maher K. Al-Dhahry, Adel Shareef, Daniel W. Feucht, Cliff D. Taylor, Benjamin Bloss, Hani M. Zahran

Science

Persistent Science Challenges in Legacy Mine Land Site Management

The objective of this project is to provide targeted research results to benefit cooperators managing legacy mine land sites in the western U.S. by addressing three persistent scientific challenges: (1) determining the contribution of mining-related metal sources to water quality degradation when substantial natural background metal sources are also present; (2) adequately characterizing key...
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Persistent Science Challenges in Legacy Mine Land Site Management

The objective of this project is to provide targeted research results to benefit cooperators managing legacy mine land sites in the western U.S. by addressing three persistent scientific challenges: (1) determining the contribution of mining-related metal sources to water quality degradation when substantial natural background metal sources are also present; (2) adequately characterizing key...
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Porphyry Copper Systems of the Boulder batholith, Montana

The project seeks to better understand the mineral systems of the Boulder batholith and surrounding region in Montana using new airborne geophysical data in conjunction with geologic mapping.
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Porphyry Copper Systems of the Boulder batholith, Montana

The project seeks to better understand the mineral systems of the Boulder batholith and surrounding region in Montana using new airborne geophysical data in conjunction with geologic mapping.
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USMIN Mineral Deposit Database

Our objective is to develop a national-scale, geospatial database that is the authoritative source of the most important mines, mineral deposits, and mineral districts of the United States.
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USMIN Mineral Deposit Database

Our objective is to develop a national-scale, geospatial database that is the authoritative source of the most important mines, mineral deposits, and mineral districts of the United States.
Learn More