The MRDS database

I first heard rumor of a CD with the names and locations of a large number of mines from Mark Ascher of the Tucson Gem and Mineral Society.
He has an old weatherworn copy of the MAS/MILS CD, which he got from: For $15.00, you can get a CD that he calls "MASMILS/Plus", which in essence is the public domain MASMILS data converted to a variety of formats, including some format that can be fed to the DeLorme TOPO USA program. (Seems like a good deal). The original data is public domain data that was compiled by the US Bureau of Mines (which has now become part of the USGS).

Here is a link to an article about how to install MRDS overlays into Google Earth, which sounds like something with a lot of potential.

I have not been able to track down the now historic original MASMILS data (which Catspaw says is 7000 files describing 210,000 mines). This is of no real concern, given that MASMILS was assimilated into the larger MRDS (Mineral Resource Data System) project.
Incidently, in case you were wondering, MAS/MILS stood for Mineral Availability System/Mineral Industry Locator System.

The MRDS web site is:

You can download the 40 Megabyte zip file, which then expands into (believe it or not) a 1 Gigabyte .dbf DBase 3 file, which is less than "handy" to say the least.

A tool is available that makes this easy to handle this on my linux system:

I picked this up circa 0.8.3.1 on 10-15-2007. It is written in C. It looks like it will convert to dBase 3 to either a CSV file or SQL statements. And it does! I get a 126 Megabyte csv file via the command:
dbf --csv mrds.csv mrds.dbf
Here are some of the first several lines of 305695 records:
"DEP_ID,C,12","MRDS_ID,C,7","MAS_ID,C,10","SITE_NAME,C,70","LATITUDE,N,8,5","LONGITUDE,N,9,5","REGION,C,2","COUNTRY,C,32","STATE,C,53","COUNTY,C,40","COM_TYPE,C,1","COM_MAJOR,C,125","COM_MINOR,C,129","COM_TRACE,C,161","OPER_TYPE,C,19","DEP_TYPE,C,40","PROD_SIZE,C,12","DEV_STAT,C,13","ORE,C,128","GANGUE,C,128","OTHER_MATL,C,210","OREBODY_FM,C,60","WORK_TYPE,C,27","MODEL,C,75","ALTERATION,C,200","CONC_PROC,C,255","PREV_NAME,C,255","ORE_CTRL,C,200","REPORTER,C,128","HROCK_UNIT,C,128","HROCK_CODE,C,37","AROCK_UNIT,C,128","AROCK_CODE,C,38","STRUCTURE,C,255","TECTONIC,C,96","REF,C,255","YFP_BA,C,1","YR_FST_PRD,N,4,0","YLP_BA,C,1","YR_LST_PRD,N,4,0","DY_BA,C,1","DISC_YR,N,4,0","PROD_YRS,C,64","DISCR,C,64"

"10000001","A010000","","Lookout Prospect",55.05639,-132.1416,"NA","United States","Alaska","Craig","M","Copper","Silver, Gold","","Unknown","","No","Occurrence","Chalcopyrite, Covellite, Pyrite","Quartz, Sericite","","","Surface/Unde","","","","{Wakefield Minerals Co.}{Mammoth}{Conundrum}","","Hirschmann, M. M. (Elliott, R. L.)","","150","","","Schist Strikes N65w, Dips 70sw","","{Deposit:: USGS PROFESSIONAL PAPER 1, P. 75-77.}{Deposit:: USGS BULL 347, P. 131.}{Deposit:: USGS BULL 1246, P. 174}{Deposit:: USGS MF 433}{Deposit:: USGS OF 78-869, P. 117}","",,"",,"",,"",""

"10000002","A010001","","Lucky Find Prospect",55.52778,-132.6833,"NA","United States","Alaska","Craig","M","Copper","Gold","","Unknown","","No","Occurrence","Chalcopyrite, Pyrite","Calcite, Quartz, Siderite","","","Underground","","","","","Vein Follows Contact","""Hirschmann, M. M. (Elliott, R. L.)"", ""Mosier, Dan""","","115","","","","","{Deposit:: USGS BULL 347, P. 165.}{Deposit:: USGS MF 433}{Deposit:: USGS OF 78-869, P. 120.}","",,"",,"",,"",""

"10000274","M002610","","La Colorado Mine",33.00444,-114.1686,"NA","United States","Arizona","Yuma","B","Lead","Silver, Fluorine-Fluorite","Copper, Barium-Barite, Molybdenum","Unknown","Vein","Small","Past Producer","","Barite, Calcite","Fluorite","LENSES, SPOTTY BUNCHES & POCKETS","","","Silicification, Sericitization","","{Castle Dome Mine Group}{Lincoln Mine}","Along Fissures At Shale And Limestone Contacts With Diorite Porphyry Dikes","""Gere, W."", ""Hall, R. K. (Creasey, S. C.)"", ""Orris, Greta J.""","","24,40","Kofa Volcanics","114","","Block Faulting","{Deposit:: U.S.B.M. CARD FILE.}{Deposit:: WILSON, E.D., 1951, ARIZONA ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS:  ARIZ. BUR. MINES BULLETIN 134, P. 114.}{Deposit:: WILSON, E.D., 1933, GEOLOGY AND MINERAL DEPOSITS OF SOUTHERN YUMA COUNTY, ARIZONA:  ARIZ. BUR. MINES BULLETIN","",1901,"",1949,"",,"",""

"10008137","D000070","","Bridal Veil Claim",36.23333,-112.7,"NA","United States","Arizona","Coconino","M","","","Vanadium, Copper, Zinc, Lead","Unknown","","No","Occurrence","","","","","","","","","","","Fischer, Richard P.","","","","","","","ALLEN, M. A. AND BUTLER, G. M. 1921, UNIV. OF ARIZ. BULL. 115, P. 1","",,"",,"",,"",""

"10008138","D000074","","Aurora Mine",35.40944,-114.1805,"NA","United States","Arizona","Mohave","M","Vanadium, Lead","Silver","","Unknown","Vein","Small","Past Producer","Vanadinite","","","","Surface/Unde","","Oxidation Zone Contains Pb + Ag","","","","Johnson, Kris H. (Creasey, S.C.)","","94","","94","Prec Schistosity N30e, Lcret Veins, Fissures, Dikes Nw To Nnw Regionally","","DINGS, M.G., 1951 , THE WALLAPAI MINING DISTRICT, CERBAT MOUNTAINS, MOHAVE COUNTY, ARIZONA, U.S.G.S. BULL. 978-E, PP 148-149","",,"",,"",,"",""

"10008139","D000075","","Lincoln Claim",34.5,-112.2666,"NA","United States","Arizona","Yavapai","M","","","Vanadium, Copper, Zinc, Lead","Unknown","","No","Occurrence","","","","","","","","","","","Fischer, Richard P.","","","","","","","WALDEMA","",,"",,"",,"",""
Clearly the first record is some kind of descriptive header, after that is pretty easy to work out.
Nicely enough it has literature citations, a list of metals, and a sometimes a list of minerals.
Feedback? Questions? Drop me a line!

Gtopo / tom@mmto.org