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Potash—A Global Overview of Evaporite-Related Potash Resources, Including Spatial Databases of Deposits, Occurrences, and Permissive Tracts

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Potash—A Global Overview of Evaporite-Related Potash Resources, Including Spatial Databases of Deposits, Occurrences, and Permissive Tracts Global Mineral Resource Assessment Potash—A Global Overview of Evaporite-Related Potash Resources, Including Spatial Databases of Deposits, Occurrences, and Permissive Tracts Prepared in cooperation with the Saskatchewan Geological Survey, the Polish Geological Institute, the Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources, the Bureau de Recherches Géologiques et Minières, the Bundesanstalt für Geowissenschften und Rohstoffe, and the Coordinating Committee for Geoscience Programmes in East and Southeast Asia Scientific Investigations Report 2010–5090–S U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey This page intentionally left blank. Global Mineral Resource Assessment Michael L. Zientek, Jane M. Hammarstrom, and Kathleen M. Johnson, editors Potash—A Global Overview of Evaporite-Related Potash Resources, Including Spatial Databases of Deposits, Occurrences, and Permissive Tracts By Greta J. Orris, Mark D. Cocker, Pamela Dunlap, Jeff Wynn, Gregory T. Spanski, Deborah A. Briggs, and Leila Gass with contributions from James D. Bliss, Karen S. Bolm, Chao Yang, Bruce R. Lipin, Steve Ludington, Robert J. Miller, and Miroslaw Slowakiewicz Prepared in cooperation with the Saskatchewan Geological Survey, the Polish Geological Institute, the Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources, the Bureau de Recherches Géologiques et Minières, the Bundesanstalt für Geowissenschften und Rohstoffe, and the Coordinating Committee for Geoscience Programmes in East and Southeast Asia Scientific Investigations Report 2010–5090–S U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Department of the Interior SALLY JEWELL, Secretary U.S. Geological Survey Suzette M. Kimball, Acting Director U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2014 For more information on the USGS—the Federal source for science about the Earth, its natural and living resources, natural hazards, and the environment, visit http://www.usgs.gov or call 1–888–ASK–USGS. For an overview of USGS information products, including maps, imagery, and publications, visit http://www.usgs.gov/pubprod To order this and other USGS information products, visit http://store.usgs.gov Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. Although this information product, for the most part, is in the public domain, it also may contain copyrighted materials as noted in the text. Permission to reproduce copyrighted items must be secured from the copyright owner. Suggested citation: Orris, G.J., Cocker, M.D., Dunlap, P., Wynn, Jeff, Spanski, G.T., Briggs, D.A., and Gass, L., with contributions from Bliss, J.D., Bolm, K.S., Yang, C., Lipin, B.R., Ludington, S., Miller, R.J., and Slowakiewicz, M., 2014, Potash—A global overview of evaporite-related potash resources, including spatial databases of deposits, occurrences, and permissive tracts: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2010–5090–S, 76 p., and spatial data, http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/sir20105090S. ISSN 2328-0328 (online) iii Contents Abstract ...........................................................................................................................................................1 Chapter 1. Potash—Uses, Active Mines, and Recent Exploration .......................................................3 Chapter 2. Potash Deposits and Occurrences in Evaporite Settings of the World ............................9 Introduction............................................................................................................................................9 Site Information—Data Compilation, Classification, and Locations ............................................9 Geology and Geography of the Potash Deposits and Occurrences Database ........................11 Potash Deposits and Occurrences Database Fields ....................................................................18 GIS Data ...............................................................................................................................................23 Summary...............................................................................................................................................23 Chapter 3. Potash Assessment Tracts .....................................................................................................25 Introduction..........................................................................................................................................25 Methodology for Tract Delineation ..................................................................................................25 Geology, Geography, and Mineral Economics of Potash Tracts .................................................28 Potash Tracts Database Fields .........................................................................................................32 GIS Data................................................................................................................................................37 Summary ..............................................................................................................................................37 Chapter 4. Spatial Databases for Evaporite-Related Potash Deposits, Occurrences, and Permissive Tracts Around the World ..........................................................................................39 Introduction..........................................................................................................................................39 Overview of Digital Data Files ...........................................................................................................39 Spatial Databases, Data Files, and Relationship Classes ...................................................39 Map Document Files, Layer Files, and Graphics Files .........................................................42 Summary...............................................................................................................................................43 Acknowledgments .......................................................................................................................................43 References Cited..........................................................................................................................................43 Appendix A. Summary Descriptive Model of Stratabound Potash-Bearing Salt Deposits ............52 Appendix B. Summary Descriptive Model of Halokinetic Potash-Bearing Salt Deposits ..............59 Appendix C. Glossary of Terms Used in the Description of Evaporites .............................................66 Appendix D. Abbreviations Used in the Potash Geodatabases ..........................................................70 Appendix E. Digital Data Files ...................................................................................................................71 Appendix F. GIS Quick Start ......................................................................................................................75 iv Figures 1-1. Map showing active potash mines or producing areas.........................................................4 2-1. Map showing distribution of potash deposits and occurrences classified as the stratabound potash-bearing salt deposit type .......................................................................12 2-2. Map showing distribution of potash deposits and occurrences classified as the halokinetic potash-bearing salt or mixed stratabound and halokinetic potash-bearing salt deposit types ...........................................................................................13 2-3. Map showing distribution of potash deposits and occurrences classified as the potash-bearing brine deposit type ...........................................................................................14 2-4. Graph showing distribution of basin types within the potash deposits and occurrences database ...............................................................................................................16 2-5. Graph showing age distribution, by period, within the potash deposits and occurrences database ...............................................................................................................16 2-6. Map showing paleogeographic distribution of Cisuralian-age potash deposits of Eastern Europe and their relation to the Paleotethys Ocean and Pangea .......................17 3-1. Map showing locations of 84 potash tracts delineated during this study ........................26 3-2. Graph showing distribution of deposit type classifications for 84 potash tracts ............28 3-3. Map showing distribution of tracts by deposit type .............................................................29 3-4. Map showing cumulative known potash ore resources for selected potash tracts ......31 3-5. Graph showing distribution of basin type classifications for 84 potash tracts ................32 A1. Map showing locations of basins with stratabound potash-bearing salt deposits and mixed stratabound and halokinetic potash-bearing salt deposits .............................53 B1. Map showing locations of basins with halokinetic potash-bearing salt deposits and mixed stratabound and halokinetic potash-bearing salt deposits .....................................60 v Tables 1-1. Partial list of potash exploration projects and areas since 2000 ..........................................5 1-2. Potash projects
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