Executive Summary: Seismic methods provide high-resolution images of geologic structures hosting mineral deposits and, in a few cases, can be used for direct targeting of deposits. Active reflection techniques have been successfully used in the minerals sphere, especially for structural control on deep targets. Although useful, a disadvantage of this methodology is that it is expensive and logistically difficult in locations without easy access for source generation. In contrast to active seismology, passive methods exploit ambient seismic noise and do not require specific seismic sources. In this report, we compare active and passive seismic methods in general and discuss different data processing sequences that have been used in previous passive seismic studies. The quality of the results in passive seismic methods strongly depends on (1) the spatial-temporal properties of the noise source distribution and (2) the number and disposition of seismic receiver pairs on which the noise correlation is performed. We then discuss how to apply these processing sequences to extract body-waves in the PACIFIC project, with a view to developing reflection seismic images analogous to active reflection seismic work.
Executive summary: As part of WP6 “Social acceptance & perception of risk for mining activities” the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) will be conducting computer-based behavioural experiments designed to gauge how the format of information provided to the public affects their understanding and perception of mining-related activities (D6.2). The results will be used to generate recommendations for future communications (D6.3). The focus of this report concerns the evaluation of currently-used mining-related communication materials, and forms a part of the preparation process for these future deliverables.
The primary aim of this deliverable is to gain insights regarding written communications in order to inform the design of experiments, and the information content included. A number of other EU funded projects are undertaking a more thorough assessment of interactions with stakeholders and evaluating best practice on a more general level.
As the behavioural experiment will be conducted in Ireland, information was collected from companies operating in the Republic of Ireland and in Northern Ireland (UK). Although companies in Northern Ireland adhere to UK licensing and regulation, their interaction with local communities is largely comparable to that in the Republic. Their information materials are therefore useful to include.
Funded by the European Commission and coordinated by the Universite Grenoble Alpes, PACIFIC is a research project in the field of mineral exploration. The project aims at developing new exploration techniques that respect the environment and incur relatively low costs. Join us in Grenoble on 27-28 October to find out how the PACIFIC consortium has been conducting fundamental and applied research to develop two radically new and complementary mineral exploration techniques, both based on passive seismic imagery.
The detailed programme and registration platform will soon be available. Stay tuned !
Seismologists prospect for mineral deposits in Canada by recording the humming vibrations from freight trains.
By Rachel Berkowitz, Physics Today (12 Jan 2021 in Research & Technology)
For the full online article, visit Railways could double as a tool for probing Earth’s shallow crust (scitation.org)
Executive summary: This document reports on the risks identified during field operations carried out in the first year of the PACIFIC project, from June 2018 to June 2019. During this period, two surveys were carried out, one at Stillwater Canada Inc. (SCI)’ s Marathon PGU-Cu Project (“Marathon”), and another one at the Las Cruces site in Spain, an operating mine run by Cobre Las Cruces. The document builds on D5.2 – Environmental and Safety Risk Database adopted in 2018.
The procedures outlined in these documents were implemented during the surveys. No injuries were reported in either survey and impact on the local environment was found to be minimal.
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