91558 - Primary Mineral Deposits

Academic Year 2021/2022

  • Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures
  • Campus: Bologna
  • Corso: Second cycle degree programme (LM) in Geology and Territory (cod. 9073)

Learning outcomes

The objective of this course is giving a system and integrated view of the geological processes that lead to the genesis of the main primary raw materials using a combination of field, laboratory, and numerical methods. The fundamental subjects of this course will be the geological characteristics of the most important classes of ore deposits, which include the magmatic, magmatic-hydrothermal, hydrothermal exhalative, orogenic-Au, Mississippi valley type, banded iron formations (BIF), and placer deposits. The geothermal fields will be considered as proxies of currently forming ore deposits. The scientific methods used in the course will be field mapping of ore bodies and wallrock alteration, the petrographic, mineralogical, and geochemical study of ore bodies and wallrock alteration; the fluid inclusion studies; stable isotope studies; fluid-rock equilibria. At the end of the course, the students will learn how to distinguish and identify with various techniques samples from different deposit types.

Course contents

The objective of this course is giving the students a system and integrated view of the geological processes that lead to the genesis of the main primary mineral deposits using a combination of field, laboratory, and numerical methods. The fundamental subjects of this course will be the geological characteristics of the most important classes of ore deposits, which include the magmatic, magmatic-hydrothermal, hydrothermal exhalative, orogenic-Au, Mississippi valley type, banded iron formations (BIF), and placer classes. The geothermal fields will be considered as proxies of currently forming ore deposits. The scientific methods used in the course will be field mapping of ore bodies and wallrock alteration, the petrographic, mineralogical, and geochemical study of ore bodies and wallrock alteration; the fluid inclusion studies; the stable isotope studies; the fluid-rock equilibria. At the end of the course the students will learn how to distinguish and identify with various techniques samples from different deposit types.

Readings/Bibliography

Ridley J. (2013). Ore Deposit Geology. Cambridge University Press.

Additional reading will be distributed in the class

Teaching methods

Classes;

Laboratory excercies;

Fieldwork;

Seminars

Assessment methods

Different assessment methods will be used to evaluate the students: content-based, competence-based and impact-based assessments. Content-based assessment refers to assessment tasks that mainly ask the learner about facts. Competence-based assessment refers to assessments of intended learning outcomes that ask the learner to show ability to also use these facts. Impact-based assessments take the assessment of competencies one step further and ask the learner to use these competencies in a real-life situation to create a change or solve a challenge.

Class participation: 10%

Lab / fieldwork: 30%

Written outputs: essay or laboratory exercise: 30%

Oral exam: 30%

Teaching tools

Laboratory excercises;

Seminars provided by external instructors from academia and industry

Office hours

See the website of Paolo Garofalo

SDGs

Quality education Sustainable cities Responsible consumption and production

This teaching activity contributes to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN 2030 Agenda.