Mineral Commodity Summaries, 2015

Book excerpt: This comprehensive resource is published on an annual basis, and is considered the earliest Government publication to furnish estimates covering nonfuel mineral industry data for the United States and worldwide. Each chapter of this 2015 edition includes information on events, trends, and issues for each mineral commodity as well as discussions and tabular presentations, including data sheets on domestic industry structure, Government programs, tariffs, 5-year salient statistics, and world production and resources for more than 90 minerals and materials. The Mineral Commodity Summaries (MCS) is the earliest comprehensive source of 2014 mineral production data for the world. More than 90 individual minerals and materials are covered by two-page synopses. For mineral commodities for which there is a Government stockpile, detailed information concerning the stockpile status is also included in the two-page synopsis. Abbreviations and units of measure, and definitions of selected terms used in the report, are in Appendix A and Appendix B, respectively. "Appendix C--Reserves and Resources" includes "Part A--Resource/Reserve Classification for Minerals" and "Part B--Sources of Reserves Data." A directory of USGS minerals information country specialists and their responsibilities is Appendix D. Numerous charts and tables representing United States domestic and worldwide resources are contained within this volume for each mineral to provide a method for quick finding of the information related to a specific mineral. In year 2014, 12 states each produced more than $2 billion worth of nonfuel mineral commodities. These States include --Arizona, Nevada, Minnesota, Texas, Utah, California, Alaska, Florida, Missouri, Michigan, Wyoming, and Colorado. Global commodity traders, economists, construction industry engineering executives, geologists, mining engineers, and statisticians my highly desire the information contained in this annual resource. It is highly recommended that academic libraries with geology and mining engineering programs, special libraries within these fields, and public libraries place an updated annual copy of this primary source work in their business/economic and reference collections.