Filling the Gaps in the Mineral Resources of Pinal County, Arizona

Pinal County, located between Pima and Maricopa counties, contains 30 percent of Arizona’s known copper deposits. Yet mining professionals, policy-makers and communities lack the complete picture of its mineral resources because few compiled reference publications exist. Understanding where valuable minerals lay would help inform potential mining operations and guide communities in making land use decisions prior to development.

This project principally focuses on reconnaissance fieldwork collecting samples for developing new data of mineralized areas. An undergraduate student will gain experience with mineral deposits, basics of geologic mapping and recording of geological information.

The work complements an Arizona Geological Survey project funded by the U.S. Geological Survey to compile data for a review publication “Mineral Resources of Pinal County, Arizona.” The USGS grant goes toward curating and compiling existing data, while the UArizona work will develop new data in areas where there are gaps.

That new data—geochemistry, age dates and thin sections—along with the existing data, will give exploration geologists details about mineral deposit type and style. When mining siting grows in Pinal, governments will have information that will guide their community planning.

The breadth of mineral resources from metallic to industrial products, summaries of past geologic work and references to more information are other topics expected in the publication.

For more information on this project, please contact: Carson Richardson