Mineral resources; potentials and problems

Abstract

The encyclopedic nature of "United States Mineral Resources" (U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 820) seems to have inhibited its widespread use by people other than professional geologists. A summary of the principal findings and conclusions of Professional Paper 820 is presented with special regard to the resources of 27 mineral commodities of major importance to our industrial civilization (based on dollar value) and the problems involved in the utilization of these resources of the 10 most important nonferrous metals, the 11 principal ferrous metals, and the 6 principal fossil and nuclear fuels.