Metal Notes

The assemblage of crustal elements on Expansion Tectonic small Earth models provides a means to investigate the global distribution and association of metals across adjoining cratons and continents. Recognition of global metal distributions provides an important means for furthering international and regional mineral search, as well as understanding genetic associations beyond their known occurrences.

The global distribution of a selection of metals included in this section of the Data Modelling webpage is based on the USGS Mineral Resource Data Set (MRDS) 2015 which lists metallic and non-metallic mineral resources throughout the world. Most commodities are listed as a metal association, e.g. gold-copper-silver-molybdenum, where, in this example, gold is the dominant commodity.

Note: In viewing the data modelled in this section you would be excused for thinking that the Americas, in particular North America, are the most metallogenically endowed countries on Earth. They are not. The bias in the data distribution is simply a reflection of the overzealous USGS and the data distribution should be viewed as a guide only.

Data in the MRDS are not age dated. Except for aluminium, which is essentially a weathering produce of alumina-rich rocks hosted by laterites, data is only modelled for the present-day (Pliocene model), Permian, and Cambrian small Earth models. This modelling reflects metal distributions and associations persisting at the end of the Precambrian—shown on the Cambrian model, just prior to the end-Permian supercontinental breakup—shown on the Permian model, and where these same metals are located today—shown on the Pliocene model. Because there is no age dating, plotted data represent either where the particular metals were located on each small Earth model, or where they will be located in time. This plotting also reflects where the particular metal originated from, i.e. the location of its original mantle source.