Mineral Resources of California

California’s geology encompasses a wide diversity of minerals and rocks, many of which are resources, while others are potential hazards to human health and the environment.

California's mineral resources can be broken down into the following categories: critical elements and minerals, metals, construction materials, and other industrial materials, with some mineral resources belonging in multiple categories.

• Critical Minerals: critical minerals are minerals that are largely imported from other countries in which a disruption of the supply chain would have significant consequences for the economy and/or national security of the United States. Under Executive Order 13817, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) drafted a list of critical minerals; this list is updated by the USGS periodically.
• Metals: includes, but is not limited to metallic minerals such as gold, silver, iron, copper, and zinc.
• Construction materials: includes, but is not limited to sand and gravel, and crushed stone.
• Other industrial materials: in addition to construction aggregate includes, but is not limited to boron compounds, rare-earth elements, clays, limestone, gypsum, salt, and dimension stone.