- TO REFINE EXPLORATION METHODS FOR THE DELINEATION OF METALLOGENIC PROVINCES;
0 TO ASSESS GENETIC AND GEOCHEMICAL MODELS AND THEIR VALUE IN EXPLORATION;
- TO SELECT THE MOST EFFICIENT METHODS FOR LOCATING BURIED MINERALISATION.

THIS PROJECT IS DIVIDED INTO THREE SUB-PROJECTS WITH THEIR OWN OBJECTIVES.
THE RESEARCH PROGRAMME IS ESSENTIALLY SUBDIVIDED INTO FOUR STAGES:

A) PRELIMINARY WORK:
COLLECTION AND EVALUATION OD EXISTING DATA.

B) FIELD WORK:
MAPPING AND SAMPLING OF SPECIFIC AREA OF THE BASEMENT AND VOLCANICS WITH EMPHASIS ON MINERALISATION. STUDY OF ALTERATION PATTERNS OF THE DEIFFERENT TYPES OF MINERALISATION. SEARCH FOR METAMORPHIC GRADE AND MINERALISATION.

C) LAB-WORK:
PETROLOGICAL, GEOCHEMICAL AND MINERALOGICAL STUDIES. DETERMINATION OF P, T, P (VOLATILES) CONDITIONS OF SPECIFIC TYPES OF ROCKS - AGE DETERMINATION - FLUID INCLUSIONS AND ISOTOPIC STUDIES - HYDROTHERMAL ALTERATION.

D) DATA EVALUATION:
MANY METHODS WILL BE COMBINED GIVING A NEW DIMENSION IN MINERAL EXPLORATION. THE USE OF ISO-REACTION GRID MAPS RELATED TO CERTAIN TYPES OF MINERALISATION MAY OPEN A NEW HORIZON IN ECPLORATION. THE FEASIBILITY OF MINERALISATION MAY OPEN A NEW HORIZON IN EXPLORATION. THE FEASIBILITY OF USING FLUID INCLUSIONS, ISOTOPES, ALTERATION PATTERNS AS EXPLORATION TOOL WILL BE ASSESSED. THE BASIC CONCEPT OF SUCH A PROJECT IS TO ESTIMATE THE MINERAL POTENTIAL IN GENERAL, TO ELIMINATE BARREN AREAS WHILE CONCENTRATING THE SEARCH IN THOSE MORE PROMISSING, AND FINALLY TO LOCATE AT A LATER STAGE MINERAL DEPOSITS.

THE WORK WILL ALSO COMPRISE:

- INTERPRETATUON OF THE RESULTS BASED ON ANALYSES AND VARIOUS TYPES OF MAPS;
- CLASSIFICATION OF MINERALISATION INTO GENETIC TYPES;
- DELINEATION OF METALLOGENIC PROVINCES AND DETERMINATION OF METALLOTECTS;
- ASSESSMENT OF EXPLORATION MODELS AND METHODS;
- RECOMMENDATIONS.

THE UNIVERSITIES OF ATHENS, SOUTHAMPTON, UTRECHT AND MESSINA TOGETHER WITH IGME WILL COLLABORATE ON THIS STUDY. THE UNIVERSITY OF UTRECHT WILL DO SOME FIELDWORK AND SPECIALLY LAB-WORK.