Metallic Mineral Resources

The Critical Components for a Sustainable Earth

1st Edition - November 1, 2024
Authors: M. Santosh, David Ian Groves, Daniel Müller
Language: English
Paperback ISBN:
9 7 8 - 0 - 4 4 3 - 2 6 5 6 2 - 4
eBook ISBN:
9 7 8 - 0 - 4 4 3 - 2 6 5 6 3 - 1

Metallic Mineral Resources: The Critical Components for a Sustainable Earth serves the increasing interest in metal resources, especially the critical and strategic metals which… Read more

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Metallic Mineral Resources: The Critical Components for a Sustainable Earth serves the increasing interest in metal resources, especially the critical and strategic metals which are essential commodities for the green energy transition. The opening chapters introduce the heterogeneous distribution of metal resources as well as the industrial use of metals. The main chapters then work systematically through abundant metal systems, scarce critical metal systems, rare critical metal systems, trace critical metal systems, and precious metal systems. The book wraps with a close examination of temporal distribution of mineral resources and an insightful discussion of the future of mineral resources. Researchers and engineers in economic geology and mining and exploration industries will find themselves returning to this key reference for years to come.

1. Introduction 1.1 Scope of book 1.2 Organization of contents

2. Heterogeneous Distribution of Metal Resources

2.1 Geological explanation

2.2 Global distribution of top five producers of metals

2.3 Major countries strengths and weaknesses

2.4 Geopolitical factors

2.5 Sovereign risk

2.6 Conflict risk as critical metals become energy sources

3. Industrial Use of Metals

3.1 Abundant metals

3.1.1 Definition

3.1.2 Industrial uses (Table)

3.2 Scarce critical metals

3.2.1 Definition

3.2.2 Industrial uses (Table)

3.3 Rare critical metals

3.3.1 Definition

3.3.2 Industrial uses (Table)

3.4 Trace critical metals

3.4.1 Definition

3.4.2 Industrial uses (Table)

3.5 Precious metals

3.5.1 Definition

3.5.2 Industrial uses (Table)

4. Abundant Metal Systems

4.1 Introduction

4.2 Enriched low-P BIF iron ores

4.2.1 Nature

4.2.2 Genesis

4.2.3 Global-province scale exploration

4.2.4 District-deposit scale exploration

4.3 Kiruna-type iron ores

4.3.1 Nature

4.3.2 Genesis

4.3.3 Global-province scale exploration

4.3.4 District-deposit scale exploration

4.4 Bauxites (including Ga-rich bauxites)

4.4.1 Nature

4.4.2 Genesis

4.4.3 Global-province scale exploration

4.4.4 District-deposit scale exploration

4.5 Enriched BIF-hosted manganese ores

4.5.1 Nature

4.5.2 Genesis

4.5.3 Global-province scale exploration

4.5.4 District-deposit scale exploration

4.6 Oolitic manganese ores

4.6.1 Nature

4.6.2 Genesis

4.6.3 Global-province scale exploration

4.6.4 District-deposit scale exploration

4.7 Manganese nodules

4.7.1 Nature

4.7.2 Genesis

4.7.3 Global-province scale exploration

4.7.4 District-deposit scale exploration

4.8 Titanium-V magnetitite layers in mafic layered intrusions

4.8.1 Nature

4.8.2 Genesis

4.8.3 Global-province scale exploration

4.8.4 District-deposit scale exploration

4.9 Ilmenite-rutile-rich beach sands (including Th‐rich sands)

4.9.1 Nature

4.9.2 Genesis

4.9.3 Global-province scale exploration

4.9.4 District-deposit scale exploration

4.10 Chromitite layers in mafic layered intrusions

4.10.1 Nature

4.10.2 Genesis

4.10.3 Global-province scale exploration

4.10.4 District-deposit scale exploration

4.11 Podiform chromite systems

4.11.1 Nature

4.11.2 Genesis

4.11.3 Global-province scale exploration

4.11.4 District-deposit scale exploration

5. Scarce Critical Metal Systems

5.1 Introduction

5.2 Multi-element deposit types

5.2.1 Nature

5.2.2 Genesis

5.2.3 Global-province scale exploration

5.2.4 District-deposit scale exploration

5.3 Mafic intrusion-related Ni-Cu- (PGEs) systems

5.3.1 Nature

5.3.2 Genesis

5.3.3 Global-province scale exploration

5.3.4 District-deposit scale exploration

5.4 Iron-oxide copper-gold (IOCG) systems

5.4.1 Nature

5.4.2 Genesis

5.4.3 Global-province scale exploration

5.4.4 District-deposit scale exploration

5.5 Porphyry Cu-Au (Mo) systems

5.5.1 Nature

5.5.2 Genesis

5.5.3 Global-province scale exploration

5.5.4 District-deposit scale exploration

5.6 Iron-Cu-Zn-Pb (Ag, Au skarns

5.6.1 Nature

5.6.2 Genesis

5.6.3 Global-province scale exploration

5.6.4 District-deposit scale exploration

5.7 VMS Cu-Zn-Pb (Ag, Au, Ba) systems

5.7.1 Nature

5.7.2 Genesis

5.7.3 Global-province scale exploration

5.7.4 District-deposit scale exploration

5.8 SEDEX Zn-Pb-Cu systems

5.8.1 Nature

5.8.2 Genesis

5.8.3 Global-province scale exploration

5.8.4 District-deposit scale exploration

5.9 MVT Pb-Zn (Ba) systems

5.9.1 Nature

5.9.2 Genesis

5.9.3 Global-province scale exploration

5.9.4 District-deposit scale exploration

5.10 Zambian-type Cu-Co systems

5.10.1 Nature

5.10.2 Genesis

5.10.3 Global-province scale exploration

5.10.4 District-deposit scale exploration

5.11 Lithium-(Cs-Ta: <10ppm crustal abundance) pegmatites

5.11.1 Nature

5.11.2 Genesis

5.11.3 Global-province scale exploration

5.11.4 District-deposit scale exploration

5.12 Carbonatite-hosted Nb systems

5.12.1 Nature

5.12.2 Genesis

5.12.3 Global-province scale exploration

5.12.4 District-deposit scale exploration

5.13 Coal-hosted Ga systems-alternative source of Ga to bauxites

5.13.1 Nature

5.13.2 Genesis

5.13.3 Global-province scale exploration

5.13.4 District-deposit scale exploration

6. Rare Critical Metal Systems

6.1 Introduction

6.2 Molybdenum porphyry and skarn

6.2.1 Nature

6.2.2 Genesis

6.2.3 Global-province scale exploration

6.2.4 District-deposit scale exploration

6.3 Tin and W skarns and greisens

6.3.1 Nature

6.3.2 Genesis

6.3.3 Global-province scale exploration

6.3.4 District-deposit scale exploration

6.4 Tin and W skarns

6.4.1 Nature

6.4.2 Genesis

6.4.3 Global-province scale exploration

6.4.4 District-deposit scale exploration

6.5 Tin and W placers

6.5.1 Nature

6.5.2 Genesis

6.5.3 Global-province scale exploration

6.5.4 District-deposit scale exploration

6.6 PGE reefs in giant layered mafic intrusions

6.6.1 Nature

6.6.2 Genesis

6.6.3 Global-province scale exploration

6.6.4 District-deposit scale exploration

6.7 Antimony in carbonate-replacement systems

6.7.1 Nature

6.7.2 Genesis

6.7.3 Global-province scale exploration

6.7.4 District-deposit scale exploration

6.8 Thorium in carbonatites and other alkaline rocks

6.8.1 Nature

6.8.2 Genesis

6.8.3 Global-province scale exploration

6.8.4 District-deposit scale exploration

6.9 Thorium in beach sands

6.9.1 Nature

6.9.2 Genesis

6.9.3 Global-province scale exploration

6.9.4 District-deposit scale exploration

6.10 Unconformity-related U systems

6.10.1 Nature

6.10.2 Genesis

6.10.3 Global-province scale exploration

6.10.4 District-deposit scale exploration

6.11 Sandstone roll-type U systems

6.11.1 Nature

6.11.2 Genesis

6.11.3 Global-province scale exploration

6.11.4 District-deposit scale exploration

6.12 Granite-hosted U systems

6.12.1 Nature

6.12.2 Genesis

6.12.3 Global-province scale exploration

6.12.4 District-deposit scale exploration

6.13 Regolith-hosted U systems

6.13.1 Nature

6.13.2 Genesis

6.13.3 Global-province scale exploration

6.13.4 District-deposit scale exploration

6.14 Uranium in IOCG systems described in Scarce Critical Metal Systems

6.14.1 Nature

6.14.2 Genesis

6.14.3 Global-province scale exploration

6.14.4 District-deposit scale exploration

6.15 Uranium in paleoplacers included under Precious Metal Systems

6.15.1 Nature

6.15.2 Genesis

6.15.3 Global-province scale exploration

6.15.4 District-deposit scale exploration

7. Trace Critical Metal Systems

7.1 Introduction

7.2 Selenium

7.3 Silver

7.4 Cadmium

7.5 Indium

7.6 Tellurium

7.7 Problem of depletion of resources of these trace metals

8. Precious Metal Systems

8.1 Introduction

8.2 Orogenic gold systems

8.2.1 Nature

8.2.2 Genesis

8.2.3 Global-province scale exploration

8.2.4 District-deposit scale exploration

8.3 Intrusion-related gold systems

8.3.1 Nature

8.3.2 Genesis

8.3.3 Global-province scale exploration

8.3.4 District-deposit scale exploration

8.4 Carlin-type gold systems

8.4.1 Nature

8.4.2 Genesis

8.4.3 Global-province scale exploration

8.4.4 District-deposit scale exploration

8.5 Gold-rich submarine porphyry-VMS systems

8.5.1 Nature

8.5.2 Genesis

8.5.3 Global-province scale exploration

8.5.4 District-deposit scale exploration

8.6 High-sulfidation epithermal Au-Ag systems

8.6.1 Nature

8.6.2 Genesis

8.6.3 Global-province scale exploration

8.6.4 District-deposit scale exploration

8.7 Low-sulfidation epithermal Ag-Au systems

8.7.1 Nature

8.7.2 Genesis

8.7.3 Global-province scale exploration

8.7.4 District-deposit scale exploration

8.8 Paleoplacer gold (±U) systems

8.8.1 Nature

8.8.2 Genesis

8.8.3 Global-province scale exploration

8.8.4 District-deposit scale exploration

8.9 Placer gold systems

8.9.1 Nature

8.9.2 Genesis

8.9.3 Global-province scale exploration

8.9.4 District-deposit scale exploration

9. Temporal Distribution of Mineral Resources

9.1 Introduction

9.2 The supercontinent cycle

9.3 Major metallogenic eras and periods of Earth history

10. The Future of Mineral Resources

10.1 Increasing metal demand

10.2 Declining finite resources

10.3 Mineral exploration issue

10.4 Circular economy

10.5 Recycling

10.6 Alternative energy sources

10.7 Outlook for mineral exploration in the future

M. Santosh

M. Santosh is Honorary Professor at the University of Adelaide, Australia, foreign expert and Professor at the China University of Geosciences Beijing, China, and Emeritus Professor at the Faculty of Science, Kochi University, Japan.. B.Sc. (1978) from Kerala University, M.Sc. (1981) from University of Roorkee, Ph.D. (1986) from Cochin University, D.Sc. (1990) from Osaka City University, and D.Sc. (2012) from University of Pretoria. He is the founding editor of Gondwana Research as well as the founding secretary general of the International Association for Gondwana Research. His research fields include petrology, fluid inclusions, geochemistry, geochronology, and supercontinent tectonics. Dr. Santosh is recipient of the National Mineral Award, Outstanding Geologist Award, Thomson Reuters 2012 Research Front Award, Global Talent Award, Island Arc Award, and Thomson Reuters High Cited Researcher recognition. He has published over 1,300 research papers, edited several memoir volumes and journal special issues, and co-authored the book ‘Continents and Supercontinents.’

Affiliations and expertise

Senior Professor and foreign expert, China University of Geosciences, Beijing, China

David Ian Groves

David Ian Groves is an economic geologist and Emeritus Professor at the University of Western Australia. He had a very successful academic career in terms of 500 highly cited published papers and book chapters, keynote and invited lectures, as well as mentorship of many outstanding postgraduates. He has been awarded 14 medals and prizes, including the SEG Silver and Penrose Gold Medals and the SGA-Newmont Gold Medal, and being inducted into the Australian Academy of Sciences as a Fellow. Since his retirement from UWA, David has been made a National Geoscience Champion by the Australian Geoscience Council, one of the 125 Faces of Geoscience and AIMM Distinguished Lecturer for 2020 by the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. He has continued his academic career at the China University of Geosciences in Beijing (CUGB), and consulted to industry, being involved in greenfield gold discoveries in Tanzania, Ethiopia, and Canada.

Affiliations and expertise

Honorary Professor China University Geosciences Beijing and Emeritus Professor at University of Western Australia, Australia

Daniel Müller

Daniel Müller is a Consulting Geologist working in mineral exploration, based in Santiago de Chile. He graduated with a MSc in Geology and Mineralogy at the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Germany. He obtained his PhD at the Key Centre for Strategic Mineral Deposits, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia, and completed his Habilitations Degree at the Institute for Mineralogy, TU Bergakademie Freiberg, Germany. During 1999‐2002 he was a Lecturer in Economic Geology at the TU Bergakademie Freiberg followed by a short period as a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Isotope Geochemistry and Mineral Resources at the ETH Zürich, Switzerland, in 2002‐2003. He is an experienced geologist with >30 years exploring for base- and precious-metal deposits with international mining companies. Daniel published 19 research papers and a textbook together with David Groves on ‘High‐K Magmatism and Gold-Copper Mineralization’ in five editions with Springer. Daniel has been a member of the Editorial Board of the journal Lithos and he is currently member of the Editorial Board of Ore Geology Reviews.

Affiliations and expertise

Consulting Geologist, Santiago de Chile, Chile