Ryan J. Clark, P. G., Iowa Geological Survey, will present "Introduction to the Northeast Iowa Intrusive Complex (NEIIC) and the Potential for Economic Mineral Deposits." As the use of technology increases the need for precious, and potentially rare, minerals is becoming more vital, the federal government has made it clear that finding domestic sources of these minerals is necessary to achieve independence from nations that currently hold the majority of the resources. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has identified the NEIIC as one of the most promising areas of potentially mining these minerals. The USGS has recently conducted high-resolution, airborne surveys of the area near Decorah in Winneshiek County in an attempt to better understand the potential deposits lying deep underground. This presentation will provide a general overview of the previous work done on this area followed by an update on the results of the recent work completed by the USGS.
