Proposal title: mapping igneous bedrock of the desert mountain intrusive complex, juab county, utah: a geochemical and geochronological perspectiveproject period: 06 01 2026 08 31 2028PURPOSETHIS…

The U.S. Geological Survey awarded the University of Missouri System a cooperative agreement totaling $145,612 on June 1, 2026, under the National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program (EDMAP component, CFDA 15.810) to produce a bedrock geologic map of the Desert Mountain Intrusive Complex in Juab County, Utah.

Students and faculty mentors will conduct field-based investigations to delineate geologic boundaries between granite and rhyolite units of the 28–30 million-year-old intrusive complex, combining physical rock observations—including mineral types, mineral quantities, and color variations—with laboratory-based geochemical analysis. The project will use zircon mineral analysis to determine crystallization and eruption timing and to investigate whether the granite and rhyolite units share a common magma reservoir. Trace element concentrations including europium, thorium, uranium, and niobium will serve as proxy data to model magma evolution and inform interpretations of the thermal and temporal emplacement history of the granites and the magma system changes preceding rhyolite eruption. Field mapping will document rock types, contact orientations, geographic coordinates, and sample collections; results will inform understanding of magma compositions and may improve mineral exploration models for precious, base, and critical minerals, building on the complex's historical copper and hematite mining activity.

The period of performance runs from June 1, 2026, through August 31, 2028. Work is performed in Missouri with field investigations in Juab County, Utah. EDMAP is the educational component of the National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program, partnering with colleges and universities to train geologic mappers through mentored, field-based mapping projects.

Proposal title: mapping igneous bedrock of the desert mountain intrusive complex, juab county, utah: a geochemical and geochronological perspectiveproject period: 06 01 2026 08 31 2028PURPOSETHIS edmap proposal will produce a bedrock geologic map of the 28-30 MA desert mountain intrusive complex in juab county, utah. To achieve the mapping goal, students and mentors will perform field-based investigations of the geologic boundaries between different types of granites and rhyolites along with lab-based studies of the rock chemistry. Variations in the geochemistry are a result of changing magma compositions. Combining the physical variations in the rock (such as types and quantities of minerals present, rocks color) with the geochemical changes will assist in delineating the boundaries among granite types and provide insights into the larger scale emplacement dynamics. The mineral zircon can be used to determine the timing of granite crystallization and rhyolite eruption, and will also be used to investigate the potential of the two rock types sharing a common magma reservoir. Changes in trace element concentrationssuch as europium, thorium, uranium, and niobiumare used as proxy data to model the evolution of a magma. This can lead to interpretations about the thermal and temporal emplacement history of the granites and how the magma system changed leading up to the eruption of the rhyolite. Further, the desert mountain intrusive complex has historically been mined for copper and hematite, but neither have been economically viable. This proposal will bolster the understanding of magma compositions, which may lead to improved mineral exploration models for precious, base, and critical minerals. Activitiesgeologic mapping will be conducted by the students and faculty mentor. Field mapping will include notes about the rock types, orientations of contacts between rock types, geographic coordinates, and photographs. While at the field site, samples will be collected across several east-west transects that capture the variability of the granitic rocks, along with samples of the rhyolites and lamprophyric dikes. Those samples will be processed for geochemical analyses, and a subset will have zircon minerals extracted. Zircon u PB dates and trace element analyses will be conducted on single zircon crystals to determine crystallization temperature, age, and chemistry data will be compared across the granitic intrusion to evaluate genetic relationships. Deliverables and outcomesthe deliverables include a 1:24,000 gems compliant database and geopdf of the desert mountain igneous geology, an undergraduate senior thesis and a masters thesis at the university of missouri. These deliverables will be provided to the UGS and U.S. Geological survey following the conclusion of the project. Geochemical data generated as part of this work will be made publicly available via online geochemical databases.intended beneficiary(IES)the utah geological survey and private companies that may have interests in mining will benefit from this work.