Project: Seabed Mineral Deposits in European Seas: Metallogeny and Geological Potential for Strategic and Critical Raw Materials
| Acronym | MINDeSEA (Reference Number: GeoE.171.001) |
| Duration | 01/07/2018 - 30/06/2021 |
| Project Topic | The project MINDeSEA results of the collaboration between eight GeoERA Partners and four Non-funded Organizations at various points of common interest for exploration and investigation on seafloor mineral deposits. This project addresses an integrative metallogenetic study of principal types of seabed mineral resources (hydrothermal sulfides, ferromanganese crusts, phosphorites, marine placers and polymetallic nodules) in the European Seas. The MINDeSEA working group has both knowledge of and expertise in such types of mineralisation, providing exploration results, sample repositories and databases to produce innovative contributions. The importance of submarine mineralisation systems is related to the abundance and exploitation-potential of many strategic metals and Critical Raw Materials (CRM), necessary for the modern society development. The objectives of this project are the following: 1) Characterise deposit types; 2) Characterise the trace element content of the deposit type including CRM; 3) Identify the principal metallogenic provinces; 4) Develop harmonised mineral maps and datasets of seabed deposits incorporating GSO datasets, along with mineral-potential and prospectivity maps; 5) Demonstrate how the cases study results can be used in off-shore mineral exploration; 6) Analyse present-day exploration and exploitation status in terms of regulation, legislation, environmental impacts, exploitation and future directions. 7) Demonstrate efficiency of a pan-European research approach to understanding seabed minerals and modes of exploration. The methodology will include: procedures for submarine minerals exploration; mineral evaluation and seafloor minerals mapping; a web service that will disseminate procedures, maps and information to the general public, downstream users and decision makers. |
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Project Results (after finalisation) |
- Characterise deposit types; - Characterise the trace element content of the deposit type including CRM; - Identify the principal metallogenic provinces; - Develop harmonized mineral maps and datasets of seabed deposits incorporating GSO datasets, along with mineral-potential and prospectivity maps; - Demonstrate how the cases study results can be used in off-shore mineral exploration; - Analyse present-day exploration and exploitation status in terms of regulation, legislation, environmental impacts, exploitation and future directions. - Demonstrate efficiency of a pan-European research approach to understanding seabed minerals and modes of exploration. |
| Website | visit project website |
| Network | GeoERA |
| Call | GeoERA Cofund Call |
Project partner
| Number | Name | Role | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Instituto Geológico y Minero de España | c | Spain |
| 2 | Bundesanstalt Für Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe | Partner | Germany |
| 3 | State Research and Development Enterprise – State Information Geological Fund of Ukraine | Partner | Ukraine |
| 4 | Geological Survey Ireland | Partner | Ireland |
| 5 | Greek Institute of Geology and Mineral Exploration | Partner | Greece |
| 6 | Laboratório Nacional de Energia e Geologia | Partner | Portugal |
| 7 | Geological Survey of Norway | Partner | Norway |
| 8 | Sveriges Geologiska Undersökning | Partner | Sweden |
| 9 | United States Geological Survey | Partner | United States |
| 10 | Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera | Partner | Portugal |
| 11 | Institute for Geology and Mineral Resources of the Ocean | Partner | Russia |
| 12 | Geosciences Institute | Partner | Spain |