Rare Earth Element Occurrences in the Tien Shan Region

The U.S. Geological Survey compiled an inventory of 384 rare earth and rare metal occurrences across Central Asia. This database includes detailed information on location, deposit type, geology, production, resources, and development status for sites in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan. The inventory was completed in 2016 to assess the mineral potential of the region.

Use Cases

• Map the spatial distribution of occurrences by location to identify regional mineralization trends.
• Analyze the relationship between mineral deposit type and reported resource estimates.
• Compare the development status of occurrences across different countries to assess exploration maturity.
• Study the geology field to correlate specific rock types with rare earth element enrichment.

Strengths

• Contains 384 inventoried rare earth and rare metal occurrences with specific country-level counts.
• Covers five Central Asian countries (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan), providing broad regional coverage.
• Includes detailed data fields for location, deposit type, geology, production, resources, and development status.

Limitations

• Data collection concluded in 2016, so information on recent exploration or development may be outdated.
• The sample includes only 2 occurrences from Turkmenistan, limiting analysis for that country.
• Original data fields and column structure are not specified in the provided input.

Provenance

Source

U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior.

Collection Method

Compiled inventory of occurrences ranging from mineral showings to developed deposits.

Time Range

Inventory compiled from 2012 to 2016.

Freshness

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Geography

Tien Shan and Pamir Mountains regions of Central Asia, including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan.