Microbes have a powerful influence on Earth processes, leave clues useful for mineral exploration and provide a more environmentally sustainable way of processing ores. 

Bridging the divide between geoscience and bioscience may well be critical to the future of mining and exploration.  We understand much of the potential and the impact of microbial communities, but the incredible diversity of microbes is still being explored.   New technologies and processes are yet to be discovered - will we be equipped to understand the potential and interpret the data?

Donato Giovannelli is a Professor of Microbiology at the University of  Naples 'Federico II', Naples.  He studies extremophiles, traversing the globe sampling microbial communities in extreme environments, from hot to cold, acid to alkaline.  He takes us on a tour of the global impact of microbes and their interdependence with earth processes.

Our second guest, Bianca lulianella Phillips  is a PhD researcher at the University of British Columbia.  She has bridged the geoscience-bioscience divide and is studying microbial communities in soils as a mineral exploration tool.  Microbial communities are extremely sensitive to their environments and reflect changes in geochemistry that other methods don't recognize.  This work is also firmly in the world of bioinformatics - finding ways to sift through large amounts of data.

Microbes are used in a variety of biomining operations globally. The can metabolize a wide variety of elements and in particular can break down sulfides, solubilizing metals and turning sulfur into sulfuric acid.   We talked with D. Barrie Johnson, Professor Emeritus at the University of Bangor, a world expert whose early work and career has shaped the processes used today.  What is next for biomining?  Can we use it effectively to in-situ leach deep orebodies?

Theme music is Confluence by Eastwinds
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Come join us in Brisbane, Australia for SEG 2025, September 26-29th.  This will be a dynamic conference with cutting edge science, new discoveries, technology and more.  Opportunities for networking and learning include several workshops and field trips before and after the event, relaxed social events and of course the conference itself.  See you there! 

What does an early career researcher working on a Proterozoic Pb-Zn deposit in Namibia have in common with a senior scientist at the forefront of geothermal research in New Zealand?   Listen in to hear how passionate they both are about the negative impact of ‘Parachute Science’  - effectively dropping in and conducting research without local collaboration.  

To tackle this issue, we need to work with scientists who live and work in our field areas and communicate our results with local communities. There are obvious barriers but as Halleluya Ekandjo says ‘Can we do better?  Of course we can do better.’ Halleluya is a PhD researcher at iCrag in Dublin Ireland.  She has experienced first-hand the impact of outside experts visiting field locations in Africa and not collaborating with the local community.  Our conversation covers the impact of parachute science as well as what steps can be taken to create better outcomes.  How can we effectively transfer skills such that geoscientists around the globe are not always reliant on outside experts but can be in productive partnerships with them?

Our second guest, Isabelle Chambefort, is a senior scientist at GNS Science, New Zealand.  She is literally at the cutting edge of geothermal science and the potential future of energy development in her country.  She is also tackling the issues of communication and collaboration as an integral part of her research program.  The ideas are challenging, and the conversation is thought provoking!

 Ekandjo, Halleluy-Naantu and Belgrano, Thomas M., 2022, Value for Value: End the Parachute Science Era, SEG Discovery no. 128, p, 52-53. https://doi.org/10.5382/SEGnews.2022-128

Theme music is Confluence by Eastwinds
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Come join us in Brisbane, Australia for SEG 2025, September 26-29th.  This will be a dynamic conference with cutting edge science, new discoveries, technology and more.  Opportunities for networking and learning include several workshops and field trips before and after the event, relaxed social events and of course the conference itself.  See you there! 

Join us for a Fireside Chat full of inspiring and quirky stories, first presented at #SEG100. We  are celebrating 100 years of SEG as 2021 comes to a close. These are stories worth hearing!

Russell Meares, a long time SEG volunteer and well known exploration geologist shares what he has learned through his years of digging up the less well known stories of the founders of the Society. Anne Thompson has also worked to unearth the lesser known members and find out the stories behind our early women members. We hope you enjoy and wish all of you a happy holiday season.

This is the last episode in Season 2 of Discovery to Recovery.  We will take a break for a few months and then plan to be back again with a new season in 2022! Many thanks to all our listeners. We appreciate you.

Come join us in Brisbane, Australia for SEG 2025, September 26-29th.  This will be a dynamic conference with cutting edge science, new discoveries, technology and more.  Opportunities for networking and learning include several workshops and field trips before and after the event, relaxed social events and of course the conference itself.  See you there! 

What are you standing on? There are secrets to be discovered in those grungy red, black and brown rocks! Deconvolution of the weathering process is critical to understanding our Earth and for exploration in both arid and humid environments.

We have two extremely knowledgeable guests, who have spent their careers working in this environment. They talk about the 'messy' rocks and discuss the information hidden in superficial alteration that is important for exploration, landscape evolution and paleo-climate.

William Chavez, Jr., a professor at New Mexico Tech, USA, spoke to us about the arid environment and enrichment of mineralization in the porphyry copper environment. Bill has years of experience, with special interest in what are now arid landscapes and insights into mapping in a variety of landscapes and environments.

The geochronology of weathering processes is key to understanding not only ore deposits, but also paleo-climate and perhaps even processes on Mars. Paulo Vasconcelos, an associate professor at the University of Queensland, Australia, shares his knowledge as a trailblazer in in age-dating oxide minerals with examples from Brazil. We also delved into how to restore the ‘kanga’ over iron ore deposits and why understanding the process of weathering will help restoration of the landscape. Above all else, we need to work to understand weathered rocks, such that all the rest of our interpretations are founded on quality mapping!

Theme music is Confluence by Eastwinds
eastwindsmusic.com

Come join us in Brisbane, Australia for SEG 2025, September 26-29th.  This will be a dynamic conference with cutting edge science, new discoveries, technology and more.  Opportunities for networking and learning include several workshops and field trips before and after the event, relaxed social events and of course the conference itself.  See you there! 

Magmatic sulfide deposits have arguably the most quantified deposit model, but what are the game changers in our understanding? Despite a decades old foundational model for their formation, what is new and what should be considered in the search for new resources? This episode checks in with an expert in magmatic sulfides engaged in the global pursuit as well as those researching emerging ideas that shed new light on the model, including some which have implications for exploration.

Peter Lightfoot, Lightfoot Geoscience and adjunct professor Western University,  began his career in academia and at a survey, but then seized the opportunity to make the switch to exploration and has never looked back. He gives us his five game changers in the understanding of the ore deposit model for magmatic sulfides, from mineral systems to big data and structural analysis.

The recognition of ‘drobbles’ – the coalescence of vapor and sulfides in the formation of magmatic sulfide ores stems from how we ask questions, the scale of observation and fundamental experimental work. Margaux Le Vallaint, CSIRO, Kensington, W.A., Australia, talks about her research into the role of gases in the formation of Norilsk massive Ni deposit, with implications for the Permian-Triassic extinction event.

In the lead up to the early career Pt Symposium, in May 2022  (check it out on the MagSul website), keynote speaker, Eduardo Mansur,  Norges Geologiske Undersøkelse,  talks about developments in mineral analysis and potential applications for exploration. Plus, what does an early career scientist think the future holds for the science of magmatic sulfide deposits?

Theme music is Confluence by Eastwinds
eastwindsmusic.com

Come join us in Brisbane, Australia for SEG 2025, September 26-29th.  This will be a dynamic conference with cutting edge science, new discoveries, technology and more.  Opportunities for networking and learning include several workshops and field trips before and after the event, relaxed social events and of course the conference itself.  See you there! 

What does better ore body knowledge do for mining? Consistency in our data collection, ore sorting at the mine face and detailed characterization of mine waste, can all lead to value creation coupled with more responsible mining. This episode looks at all aspects of the mining value chain, learning where new technology, data analysis and approaches are already having an impact.

Datarock is a Melbourne, Australia company working to extract high quality data from images. They analyze images and are creating expert in loop systems to augment what the geoscientist can do.  Brenton Crawford, Chief Operations Officer and founder, lays out why the type of work they do is important for our industry.

Mine resource models are constrained by spacing of data collection.  To solve this problem, MineSense Technologies developed ShovelSense.  Maarten Haest, VP Geoscience explains the technology and the value created by having a system that sorts ore from waste at the mine face.

The legacy of mining includes tailings storage facilities. Anita Parbhakar-Fox is at the Sustainable Minerals Institute, University of Queensland specializing in studying tailings, finding the value left behind and the potential for waste to be a resource. Her work also sheds light on what is in the ore body, possibly leading to extraction of more metal.

Theme music is Confluence by Eastwinds
eastwindsmusic.com

Come join us in Brisbane, Australia for SEG 2025, September 26-29th.  This will be a dynamic conference with cutting edge science, new discoveries, technology and more.  Opportunities for networking and learning include several workshops and field trips before and after the event, relaxed social events and of course the conference itself.  See you there! 

For the average exploration geologist, resource estimation may appear a bit of a nebulous process, disconnected from the early stages of drilling and discovery. On this week’s episode we try and bridge the gap between the first drill hole into a project and the associated estimation process.

First, we talk to Jacqui Coombes (CEO of AMIRA and based in Perth, Australia). Jacqui introduces the fundamental concepts that underpin resource estimation; breaking down complex ideas into simple terms. She also describes the qualitative side of the process, emphasizing the value of good geology, good communication and logic in any resource estimation.

Our next guest, Rene Sterk (managing director at RSC Consulting and based in Dunedin, New Zealand) tells us why the exploration geologist should care about resource estimation. He describes the importance of the mining value chain as a whole, and how the data collected early on in a project can be critical to understanding an orebody.

Theme music is Confluence by Eastwinds
eastwindsmusic.com

Come join us in Brisbane, Australia for SEG 2025, September 26-29th.  This will be a dynamic conference with cutting edge science, new discoveries, technology and more.  Opportunities for networking and learning include several workshops and field trips before and after the event, relaxed social events and of course the conference itself.  See you there! 

The seafloor remains one of the least explored areas on Earth. Join us for a deep dive, to understand the science needed to advance our understanding and help to find the mineral resources that may well be needed by society in the future.

We get the overview on both the history and the future from Mark Hannington (University of Ottawa, Canada). From the collaboration involved in studying black smokers and their relationship to what we know about volcanogenic massive sulfide deposits, to the new frontiers of the continental shelf and beyond – there is a lot of greenfield exploration to happen in the ocean. How can we begin to understand the potential, without a geologic map? Perhaps what is needed is a Geological Survey of the Ocean.

Our second guest, Meg Stewart (Mount Royal University Calgary, Alberta, Canada) tackles the seafloor geologic mapping question. As a post-doctoral fellow with Mark Hannington she took on the mapping of the Lau Basin, home to numerous hydrothermal vents and, as they discovered, complicated tectonic processes with implications for our understanding of earth systems.

Lastly, we address the potential for polymetallic nodules to provide metals needed for the green transition. Samantha Smith (Blue Globe Solutions) has dedicated sixteen years to helping guide the science needed to exploit seabed resources responsibly and gives us her insights and wisdom.

Theme music is Confluence by Eastwinds
eastwindsmusic.com

Come join us in Brisbane, Australia for SEG 2025, September 26-29th.  This will be a dynamic conference with cutting edge science, new discoveries, technology and more.  Opportunities for networking and learning include several workshops and field trips before and after the event, relaxed social events and of course the conference itself.  See you there! 

Globally, the work of geological surveys supports mineral exploration, but also touches on many areas that are fundamental for human society. This week look at the different types of work at three surveys and see how they support exploration, but also wider society.

First up is ‘The Capacity Builder’, with Andrew Bloodworth (British Geological Survey) highlighting the work they do globally to support low- and middle-income countries. Much of this support comes in the form of providing digitization of important data records, but an important element is to exchange knowledge and skills between organizations. Andrew also leaves us with some thoughts and insights into the work of Afghan geologists.

The second segment, 'The Data Generator' focuses on the United States Geological Survey, a large, multi-disciplinary organization. We spoke to Anne McCafferty a research geophysicist to find out how her work fits within the critical minerals program and what the minerals systems approach is all about. She also gives a great geological tour of the mid-continent and explains why the mineral resources in the region are of interest to the USGS.

Much of geological survey work revolves around building accessible databases. In Quebec, however, they are taking an innovative approach to how their data is recorded and stored. In ‘The Data Provider’, Jean-Yves Labbe (Géologie Québec) tells us how they created search engine accessible data, SIGÉOM, and are continuing to add new types of information.

Lastly, in ‘Surveys and Society’ Murray Hitzman, director of iCrag, Dublin reminds us that the work of geological surveys is about much more than supporting mineral resource exploration and development.

Theme music is Confluence by Eastwinds
eastwindsmusic.com

Come join us in Brisbane, Australia for SEG 2025, September 26-29th.  This will be a dynamic conference with cutting edge science, new discoveries, technology and more.  Opportunities for networking and learning include several workshops and field trips before and after the event, relaxed social events and of course the conference itself.  See you there! 

Green rocks are a common alteration feature of porphyry deposits,  but it can be hard to decipher meaningful information from them for exploration. This week we dive into the results of years of multi-organization research and studies to see what has been learned, review a case study at Oyu Tolgoi, Mongolia and get a 'reality check' with from an industry perspective.

First off David Cooke of the CODES program at the University of Tasmania, Hobart provides the framework for how these zones of alteration form and what minerals and techniques can be used to help decipher patterns within them. The detailed understanding of variations in mineral chemistry are based on years of research and the input of several institutions and many researchers.

Next we talk with Lisa Hart-Madigan who recently completed a PhD at Imperial College, London, UK. She provides a deep dive into her work there to characterize the propylitic alteration. In the last segment, Tim Ireland, FQM, provides some real world experience in exploration globally and suggests where these techniques might actually be helpful in guiding programs.

Theme music is Confluence by Eastwinds
eastwindsmusic.com

Come join us in Brisbane, Australia for SEG 2025, September 26-29th.  This will be a dynamic conference with cutting edge science, new discoveries, technology and more.  Opportunities for networking and learning include several workshops and field trips before and after the event, relaxed social events and of course the conference itself.  See you there!