current date:

last update:
March 3 2003

[website details]

Economic geology is a specialty within geology--not within economics--that is concerned with earth materials that are, or can be potentially, economically utilized by society. This includes metals, nonmetallic minerals, rocks, fuels, and water. In the current usage, it most commonly refers to metallic mineral deposits and mineral resources. Although it is a specialty within geology, by its nature it spans and includes most of the traditional geologic specialties. For instance, geochemistry, paleontology, and structural geology might all be used to understand a mineral deposit.

To look into these diverse specialties, and to see how they relate to economic geology, see the projects page and the pages of the individual geologists working within the Center for Mineral Resources.