A stream-sediment geochemical survey for critical minerals in the Zuni Mountains, Cibola and McKinley Counties, New Mexico

We are resampling geologic material, including stream sediments, mineralized rocks, mine wastes, and host rocks, in the Zuni Mountains, west of Grants in Cibola and McKinley Counties as part of a project with the U.S. Geological Survey's Earth MRI program.The purpose of this sampling is to assess the critical minerals potential of this area, as well as to train the next generation of geologists and engineers in modern exploration techniques.Critical minerals are mineral commodities that are essential to the economic and national security of the U.S., and are from a supply chain that is vulnerable to global and national disruption.In the mining industry, minerals refer to any rock, mineral, or other naturally occurring material of economic value, including metals, industrial minerals, energy minerals, gemstones, aggregates, and synthetic materials sold as commodities, including critical minerals.In many cases, mineral deposits are available in the world for specific critical minerals, but the real challenge for the U.S. economy and security is potential supply disruptions of these essential commodities.Preliminary results indicate that some areas near the stratabound, sedimentary-copper deposits have elevated heavy rare earth elements (REE), vanadium, cobalt, and arsenic.The northern Zuni Mountains also appear to have elevated REE, probably associated with the granitic rocks and pegmatties.Quartz Hill and Copper Hill areas in central Zuni Mountains have elevated arsenic anomalies surrounding those areas and Copper Hill areas in central Zuni Mountains have elevated arsenic anomalies surrounding those areas of known Cu-Ag veins and stratabound, sedimentary-copper deposits.Additional sampling in the Zuni Mountains is warranted as geochemical data are analyzed.Petrographic investigations also will be conducted on thin sections prepared from hand samples collected in the district using optical microscopy and electron microprobe analytical methods.