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The United States Geological Survey (USGS) provides scientific information for the Department of Interior and the nation, consistent with its original mission expressed in the Organic Act of 1879 (43 U.S.C. 31): "the classification of the public lands and examination of the geological structure, mineral resources, and products of the national domain." Recent legislation such as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (43 USC 311) and executive actions (Executive Orders 14154 , 14153, 14241 Secretarial Orders 3417, 3418, 3422) continue to focus the mission on critical mineral resources.
The 2022 Final List of Critical Minerals includes 50 commodities (U.S. Geological Survey, 2022a); the list is supported by a published, peer-reviewed methodology (Nassar and Fortier, 2021; Nassar et al., 2020), and is subject to revision on a three-year cycle according to the Energy Act of 2020 (30 U.S.C. 1606). The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (43 USC 311) directed the USGS Mineral Resources Program and its Earth Mapping Resources Initiative (Earth MRI) to complete an initial comprehensive national modern surface and subsurface mapping and data integration effort. The initiative emphasizes the domestic critical mineral resources in surface or subsurface deposits and prioritizes mapping and critical mineral assessments. Earth MRI activities support the goals of the USGS Energy and Mineral Resources Mission Area to conduct research and assessments that focus on the location, quantity and quality of mineral and energy resources, including the economic and environmental effects of resource extraction and use.
This article reviews the ongoing research activities on critical minerals conducted by the USGS Mineral Resources Program in 2024. Contributions describe new directions in critical mineral supply chains, international collaboration and partnerships, innovations in mineral resource assessment methods, new data collection activities initiated under Earth MRI, emerging outcomes from Earth MRI geophysical surveys, and developments in critical mineral characterization in mine waste. It is impractical to highlight all the relevant work being conducted by the USGS in this area, so these selected contributions are intended to convey the depth and breadth of research activity on critical mineral priorities and partnerships in the United States.
Critical mineral supply chains
Modern technology depends on reliable supplies of mineral commodities. Yet, their supply chains are under increasing strain from regional conflicts, trade disputes and resource nationalization. The pressures...