Mineral Resources Data System

Mineral resource occurrence data covering the world, most thoroughly
within the U.S. This database contains the records previously
provided in the Mineral Resource Data System (MRDS) of USGS and the
Mineral Availability System/Mineral Industry Locator System
(MAS/MILS) originated in the U.S. Bureau of Mines, which is now part
of USGS.
The MRDS is a large and complex relational database developed over
several decades by hundreds of researchers and reporters. While
database records describe mineral resources worldwide, the
compilation of information was intended to cover the United States
completely, and its coverage of resources in other countries is
incomplete.
The content of MRDS records was drawn from reports previously
published or made available to USGS researchers. Some of those
original source materials are no longer available.
The information contained in MRDS was intended to reflect the
reports used as sources and is current only as of the date of those
source reports. Consequently MRDS does not reflect up-to-date
changes to the operating status of mines, ownership, land status,
production figures and estimates of reserves and resources, or the
nature, size, and extent of workings. Information on the
geological characteristics of the mineral resource are likely to
remain correct, but aspects involving human activity are likely to
be out of date.

本数据集涵盖全球矿产资源产出数据，其中以美国地区的收录最为全面。本数据库收录了原属于美国地质调查局（United States Geological Survey, USGS）矿产资源数据系统（Mineral Resource Data System, MRDS），以及源自美国矿务局（现并入USGS）的矿产可得性系统/矿产产业定位系统（Mineral Availability System/Mineral Industry Locator System, MAS/MILS）的相关记录。
MRDS是一套历经数十年、由数百名研究人员与资料收集人员共同构建的大型复杂关系型数据库。尽管该数据库记录覆盖全球矿产资源，但信息编纂的初衷是全面覆盖美国境内的矿产资源，因此对其他国家矿产资源的收录并不完整。
MRDS的记录内容源自此前已发表或可供USGS研究人员使用的报告，其中部分原始参考资料现已无法获取。
MRDS收录的信息仅能反映其参考报告发布时的状态，仅在对应参考报告的发布日期内具备时效性。因此，该数据库无法反映矿山运营状态、权属关系、土地使用状况、生产数据、储量与资源估算，以及采掘工程的性质、规模与范围等方面的最新变化。不过，有关矿产资源地质特征的信息大概率仍保持准确，而涉及人类活动的相关内容则可能已过时。