Sustainable exploration for orthomagmatic (critical) raw materials in the EU: Charting the road to the green energy transition

Livrables

Report/overview of the narratives of social awareness: social media, networks, and awareness analyses

Deep analysis of data from internet-based social media materials analyzed via natural language processing methods in reference sites (Finland, Poland, Czech, Portugal), to reveal information about stakeholder’s concerns, knowledge claims and needs that may affect social awareness of exploration and mining. Qualitative data will be collected through about 15 interviews at each reference site. Public participation geographic information systems (PPGISs) are used to increase the exchange of information, opinions and perspectives between stakeholders.

Confirm the main mantle source of metal-rich magma

Re-Os isotope systematic will be utilized to distinguish the main source region of magmas and metals between plume mantle and sub-continental lithospheric mantle. The Finnish intrusions in reference site 1 (Lapland) will be studied. In addition, thermal dynamic modelling using MELTs platform will be used to test Finnish SCLM (represented by kimberlite xenoliths) can produce magmas resembling those parental to Finnish layered intrusions.

Improved method for detecting magma pathway

Report on developing new method to identify dynamic magma path ways using mineral texture, and geothermometry, including spinel-silicate equilibration temperatures, quantitative crystal size distribution (CSD) analysis, and X-ray computed tomography to identify 3D crystal distributions, interfacial angles, and the nature of mineral zoning. We will test this method for mineralized and barren intrusions in our Lapland (reference site 1) and, if the zonation patterns are indeed found to be distinct between mineralised and unmineralised intrusions, apply it to exploration in Portugal (reference site 2) and the Czech Republic (reference site 3).

Social report based on fieldwork and surveys in reference sites

Survey results in reference sites (4 reference countries including Finland, Poland, Czech, Portugal) based on community and stakeholder analyses. Community profiles will be developed to understand social formations and networks, historical experiences and interests related to mining. Surveys will be conducted at local/regional level to understand attitudes, awareness, and acceptance, knowledge sources and social networks. An online survey on attitudes and awareness will also be conducted in each reference site country.

Policy recommendations to a wider audience to promote awareness, knowledge of CRMs

The synthesis will bring together the different dimensions underlying attitudes, awareness, and acceptance of exploration and mining based on field survey and social media analyses. We will discuss the main challenges connected to awareness and acceptance, operationalize the main framework, and make research-based recommendations to both public policymakers and the mining industry. The recommendations will address both possibilities and pitfalls ways to raise awareness about mineral exploration and mining in Europe. Workshops in reference site communities will be organized to share information and to promote social awareness.

Survey results of primary and secondary mineral resources related to orthomagmatic mineral systems (Ni, Cu, PGE, V, Ti, Co)

Report on primary and secondary mineral potential of exploration and production-related to orthomagmatic mineral systems in the EU and globally from published journal articles, company reports, geological survey reports, mineral commodity summaries published by the governments of individual countries, Raw Material Information System (RIMS) or other databases created within previous EU funded projectss. Beside the database of Ni, Cu, PGE, V, Ti, Cr resources we will use also GIS based tools for the results visualization. Also, a portal to update new discoveries of orthomagmatic ore deposits will be implemented on the project website.

Convert mineral exploration and production potential of Ni, Cu, PGE, V, Ti, Co in the EU and global, following UNFC code and UNRMS

Report of mineral resources estimations, exploration potential or production capacity are reported in different ways across the EU and other countries. Unifying the mineral resources estimation, exploration (or production) potential done within the D6.1, supplemented by newly gathered data from individual reference sites, with reporting standards following UNFC code and UNRMS system.

Improved ore model on the magma emplacement and sulfide saturation (sink) mechanisms

Report on identifying the key factors controlling the metal precipitation mechanisms through advanced numerical modelling, high temperature experiments, and geochemical and mineralogical study. 3D model for reactive porous flow in compacting cumulates will be used to test the hypothesis that reactive flow and compaction drives melt loss from cumulate piles resulting in the formation of adcumulates. The importance of magma contamination will be quantified by high-precision lithogeochemistry of the orthomagmatic rocks, including analysis of incompatible trace elements, Re-Os, O, Nd, and Sr isotopes, in combination with high-temperature experiments simulating orthomagmatic processes while controlling pressure, temperature, redox conditions, and the composition of the magma. A particular target will be how the assimilation of anhydrite and black shale trigger sulfide saturation.

Data Management Plan

The management plan of different types of data generated in this project including how the data will be managed including data set reference and name, data set description, standard and metadata, data sharing, archiving and preservation in the end of project.

Dissemination, clustering, communication and exploitation plan

A detailed plan providing a strategy for scientific transfer of the research results via publication, data management, conference and workshops. Clustering plan with the other projects to share exploration solution for different ore types and mineral resource mapping of different critical raw materials. Direct and media engagement actions for improving societal awareness of exploration and mining, including the creation of a visual identity for the project, launching of web pages and social media platforms. Outline the concrete output with potential contribute to direct actions in society such as innovative geophysical methods, environmental friendly surficial geochemical exploration methods, advanced data processing, data inversion method, feedback on policy measures. A consortium agreement will be negotiated amongst partners to regulate intellectual property management (IPR).

Litho-chemical modelling results of 5 reference deposits

In 5 different reference deposits (Akanvaara, Beja, Ransko, Suwalki, Sleza), reconnaissance through litho-geochemistry modelling employing geology, bulk rock geochemistry, mineral chemistry, Sr-Nd-Pb isotope, bulk rock PGE analyses, zircon U-Pb dating will be carried out to constrain the magma evolution and interaction history with continental crust, and related Ni-Cu-PGE-Co-V-Ti-Cr mineralization in continental environment at the local scale, and magma source and fractionation processes accounting for V-Ti oxide mineralization in ophiolite environment. From these data, mineralization potential at the local scale will be assessed. This will be also referenced by geophysical studies in these deposits.

Project video

A video to show the overview of the whole project facilitating the dissemination and communication.

Project website, social media account

A website will be established for internal communication and informational exchange among partners, and external dissemination and communication.

GIS-based geological, geophysical and surficial geochemical data sets as proxies for metal sink of references region sites 1-3

Based on the research results of WP2, this report will define the proxies for metal sink for reference region sites 1-3 (e.g., regional-scale gravity and magnetic anomalies, lithology; distance to sulfur-bearing lithologies). The surficial (till) geochemistry will be used to delineate anomalies and geochemical domains of interest. Specialized data analysis techniques will be developed. The proxies will be integrated into GIS-based dataset for prospectivity modelling in task 2.4.

GIS-based geological and geophysical data sets as proxy for magma pathway of references region sites 1-3

This report will integrate regional seismic and magnetotelluric data to extract deep trans-lithosphere structure data, and GIS-based geological and geophysical database as a proxy for magma pathways in reference region sites 1-3 (e.g., craton and terrane boundaries, regional and local fault systems). The multiple geo-data will be harmonized for prospectivity modelling in task 2.4.

GIS-based lithospheric datasets as proxy for magma source of references region sites 1-3

Deep penetrating regional geophysic data will be integrated from the published datasets of seismic and magnetotelluric data in reference region sites 1-3, to find the spatial correlation between lithospheric architecture (crustal thickness, lithospheric-asthenosphere boundary), paleo-craton boundary (reflected by Lu-Hf isotopes of felsic igneous rocks), and mafic-ultramafic magmatism. These lithospheric data will be then harmonized based on GIS for prospectivity modelling in task 2.4.

Publications

From the mantle source to the crustal sink: magmatic differentiation and sulfide saturation of the Paleoproterozoic komatiites of the Central Lapland Greenstone Belt, Finland

Auteurs: Virtanen, Ville J.; Höytiä, Henri M. A.; Iacono-Marziano, Giada; Yang, Shenghong; Moilanen, Marko; Törmänen, Tuomo
Publié dans: Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology, 2024, ISSN 1432-0967
Éditeur: Springer Nature
DOI: 10.1007/S00410-024-02154-9

Petrogenesis of Ni-sulfide mineralisation in the ca. 3.0 Ga Maniitsoq intrusive belt, western Greenland

Auteurs: Wolfgang D. Maier; D. D. Muir; S-. J. Barnes; K. Szilas
Publié dans: Mineralium Deposita, 2024, ISSN 1432-1866
Éditeur: Springer Nature
DOI: 10.1007/S00126-024-01282-3

Rapid Bayesian Imaging of Large‐Scale Transient Electromagnetic Data Using Probabilistic Neural Networks

Auteurs: Jian Chen; Stefano Galli; Alessandro Signora; Nicole Anna Lidia Sullivan; Bo Zhang; Gianluca Fiandaca
Publié dans: Journal of Geophysical Research: Machine Learning and Computation, 2025, ISSN 2993-5210
Éditeur: AGU
DOI: 10.1029/2024JH000536

Source reservoir controls on the size, frequency, and composition of large-scale volcanic eruptions

Auteurs: Booth, Catherine; Jackson, Matthew; Sparks, Stephen; Rust, Alison C.
Publié dans: Science Advances, 2024, ISSN 2375-2548
Éditeur: AAAS
DOI: 10.1126/SCIADV.ADD1595

A performance study of local outlier detection methods for mineral exploration with geochemical compositional data

Auteurs: Puchhammer, Patricia; Kalubowila, Charmee; Braus, Lorena; Pospiech, Solveig; Sarala, Pertti; Filzmoser, Peter
Publié dans: Journal of Geochemical Exploration, 2024, ISSN 1879-1689
Éditeur: Elsevier
DOI: 10.1016/J.GEXPLO.2024.107392

Sparse outlier-robust PCA for multi-source data

Auteurs: Puchhammer, Patricia; Wilms, Ines; Filzmoser, Peter
Publié dans: Statistics and Computing, 2025, ISSN 1573-1375
Éditeur: Springer Nature
DOI: 10.48550/ARXIV.2407.16299

Geochemistry of 2.45 Ga mafic dykes in northern Finland: Constraints on the petrogenesis and PGE prospectivity of coeval layered intrusions

Auteurs: Guo, Fang-Fang; Maier, Wolfgang; Heinonen, Jussi; Hanski, Eero; Vuollo, Jouni; Barnes, Sarah-Jane; Lahaye, Yann; Huhma, Hannu; Yang, Shenghong
Publié dans: Lithos, 2023, ISSN 1872-6143
Éditeur: Elsevier
DOI: 10.1016/J.LITHOS.2023.107206

Thermal and fluid evolution during contact metamorphism around the Kevitsa and Satovaara intrusions: implications for sulfur and metal mobilization in the host black schist

Auteurs: V.J. Virtanen, H.R. Campos Rodríguez, S. Yang, G. Iacono-Marziano, T. Voipio, A. Canizarès, Y. Gourseaud, M. Versavel, T. Törmälehto
Publié dans: Lithos, Numéro 532-533, 2026, ISSN 0024-4937
Éditeur: Elsevier BV
DOI: 10.1016/J.LITHOS.2026.108511

Application of the stratigraphy-controlled geochemical data analysis in mineral prospective mapping in glaciated terrain

Auteurs: C. Kalubowila, M. Raatikainen, P. Sarala
Publié dans: Applied Geochemistry, Numéro 202, 2026, ISSN 0883-2927
Éditeur: Elsevier BV
DOI: 10.1016/J.APGEOCHEM.2026.106784

Sedimentary and metamorphic processes priming black shale for magmatic assimilation of sulfur: an example from the Virginia Formation, Minnesota, United States

Auteurs: Ville J. Virtanen; Jussi S. Heinonen; Lena Märki; Matthieu E. Galvez; Ferenc Molnár
Publié dans: Mineralium Deposita, 2024, ISSN 1432-1866
Éditeur: Springer nature
DOI: 10.3929/ETHZ-B-000671447

Auteurs: Lukáš Ackerman; Vojtěch Wertich; Jan Pašava; Martin Kubeš; Petr Rambousek; Jitka Míková; Jiří Sláma; Václav Santolík; Andreas Pack; Robert A. Creaser; Karel Malý; Tomáš Magna
Publié dans: Mineralium Deposita, 2025, ISSN 1432-1866
Éditeur: Springer Nature
DOI: 10.1007/S00126-025-01353-Z

Exploring high-resolution targeting till geochemical data in central Lapland, Finland

Auteurs: Kalubowila, Charmee; Sarala, Pertti; Pospiech, Solveig; Filzmoser, Peter
Publié dans: Bulletin of the Geological Society of Finland, 2025, ISSN 1799-4632
Éditeur: Geological Society Finland
DOI: 10.34726/11379

Spatially Smoothed Robust Covariance Estimation for Local Outlier Detection

Auteurs: Patricia Puchhammer, Peter Filzmoser
Publié dans: Journal of Computational and Graphical Statistics, Numéro 33, 2024, ISSN 1061-8600
Éditeur: Informa UK Limited
DOI: 10.1080/10618600.2023.2277875

Precambrian Research

Auteurs: Smith, William; Jenkins, M. Christopher; Augustin, Claudia; Virtanen, Ville; Vukmanovic, Zoja; O’driscoll, Brian
Publié dans: Precambrian Research, 2024, ISSN 0301-9268
Éditeur: Elsevier
DOI: 10.1016/J.PRECAMRES.2024.107615

Livrables

Publications

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