This vivid introduction to economic geology not only describes the most important deposit types, but also the processes involved in their formation. Magmatic, hydrothermal and sedimentary processes as well as weathering and alteration are explained in the framework of plate tectonics and the history of the Earth. The chapter about fossil fuels includes unconventional deposits and the much-debated fracking. Other topics covered are exploration, mining and economic aspects like commodity prices.
Mineral deposits have supplied useful or valuable material for human consumption long before they became objects of scientific curiosity or commercial exploitation. In fact, the earliest human interest in rocks was probably because of the easily accessible, useful (e. g. , red pigment in the form of earthy hematite) or valuable (e. g. , native gold and gemstones) materials they contained at places. In modem times, the study of mineral deposits has evolved into an applied science employing detailed field observations, sophisticated laboratory techniques for additional information, and computer modeling to build complex hypotheses. Understanding concepts that would someday help geologists to find new mineral deposits or exploit the known ones more efficiently have always been, and will continue to be, at the core of any course on mineral deposits, but it is a fascinating subject in its own right, even for students who do not intend to be professional economic geologists. I believe that a course on mineral deposits should be designed as a "capstone course" that illustrates a comprehensive application of concepts from many other disciplines in geology (mineralogy, stratigraphy and sedimentation, structure and tectonics, petrology, geochemistry, paleontology, geomorphology, etc. ). This book is intended as a text for such an introductory course in economic geology, primarily for senior undergraduate and graduate students in colleges and universities. It should also serve as a useful information resource for professional economic geologists.
Mineral Deposits of Finland is the only up-to-date and inclusive reference available that fully captures the scope of Finland's mineral deposits and their economic potential. Finland hosts Europe's most mature rocks and large cratonic blocks, analogous to western Australia and Southern Africa, which are the most mineralized terrains on Earth.Authored by the world's premier experts on Finnish mineral exploration and mining, Mineral Deposits of Finland offers a thorough summary of the mineral deposits and their petrogenesis, helping readers to map, explore, and identify Finland's renewed potential for mineral exploration and extraction. - Presents a thoroughly inclusive catalogue of Finland's mineral deposits and their economic potential - Features full-color figures, illustrations, working examples and photographs to aid the reader in retaining key concepts to underscore major advances in the exploration of Finland's mineral resources - Offers concise chapter summaries authored by leaders in geological research, which provide accessible overviews of deposit classes
An integrated reference on the economic geology of titanium that covers all the basic processes of formation of titanium-mineral deposits, organized along the lines of a geochemical cycle of titanium in order to facilitate the description of linkages among deposit types. Annotation copyright Book Ne
This volume presents an exhaustive overview of major orebodies and mineral deposits of North Africa. It is intended both for academic researchers and especially for exploration geologists interested in mineral exploration in the northern part of the African continent. Recent changes in the mining laws of most countries in this region have encouraged international mining companies to invest in local mineral industries. Accordingly, this volume will be very useful for these professionals, as well as for researchers in the field of economic geology.
"Structural Control” remains a crucial point that frequently lacks in any scientific and/or economic analysis of ore deposits, whatever their type and class. The case of lode deposits is exemplary, although also other deposits, like breccia pipe, stockwerk, massive sulphides, skarn, etc., can, surprisingly, be concerned. Several concepts like the gold-bearing shear zone have not proven valid during the last few decades in terms of our understanding of gold deposit and have been totally abandoned. Additionally, the relationships between magmatism, regional tectonic context, and mineralization remain uncertain and have been debated in several recent publications. This demonstrates that this issue is still relevant, and its solution may help in the distinction between intrusion-related and orogenic deposits. In this Special Issue, we particularly invite any case study of mineral deposits, in which it has been demonstrated that structural geology may have a significant role in the establishment of the deposit model of formation and/or on exploration and exploitation programs. Examples in which the structural model diverges from those described in the classical literature are particularly welcomed, including studies in which relationships with magmatism can be suspected and/or demonstrated. Indeed, all cases that illustrate concepts that differ from the classic ones and from theoretical models may represent significant contributions to this volume.
This book is intended primarily for exploration geologists and post graduate students attending specialist courses in mineral exploration. Exploration geologists are engaged not only in the search for new mineral deposits, but also in the extension and re-assessment of existing ones. To succeed in these tasks, the exploration geologist is required to be a "generalist" of the Earth sciences rather than a specialist. The exploration geologist needs to be familiar with most aspects of the geology of ore deposits, and detailed knowledge as well as experience play an all important role in the successful exploration for mineral commodities. In order to achieve this, it is essential that the exploration geologist be up to date with the latest developments in the evolution of concepts and ideas in the Earth sciences. This is no easy task, as thousands of publications appear every year in an ever increasing number of journals, periodicals and books. For this reason it is also difficult, at times, to locate appropriate references on a particular mineral deposit type, although this problem is alleviated by the existence of large bibliographic data bases of geological records, abstracts and papers on computers. During my teaching to explorationists and, indeed, during my years of work as an explorationist, the necessity of having a text dealing with the fundamental aspects of hydrothermal mineral deposits has always been compelling. Metallic mineral deposits can be categorised into three great families, namely: (I) magmatic; (2) sedimentary and residual; (3) hydrothermal.
Mineral Scales and Deposits: Scientific and Technological Approaches presents, in an integrated way, the problem of scale deposits (precipitation/crystallization of sparingly-soluble salts) in aqueous systems, both industrial and biological. It covers several fundamental aspects, also offering an applications' perspective, with the ultimate goal of helping the reader better understand the underlying mechanisms of scale formation, while also assisting the user/reader to solve scale-related challenges. It is ideal for scientists/experts working in academia, offering a number of crystal growth topics with an emphasis on mechanistic details, prediction modules, and inhibition/dispersion chemistry, amongst others. In addition, technologists, consultants, plant managers, engineers, and designers working in industry will find a field-friendly overview of scale-related challenges and technological options for their mitigation. - Provides a unique, detailed focus on scale deposits, includes the basic science and mechanisms of scale formation - Present a field-friendly overview of scale-related challenges and technological options for their mitigation - Correlates chemical structure to performance - Provides guidelines for easy assessment of a particular case, also including solutions - Includes an extensive list of industrial case studies for reference
