Data Metallogenica

AMIRA International is building Data Metallogenica (http://dmgeode.com) as a web-based not-for-profit global encyclopaedia of ore deposits for the mining industry and associated institutions. While it is still growing at a rapid rate, Data Metallogenic already contains quality technical information on over 5,000 mineral deposits of all kinds from around the world. It has been supported by over 150 mining & exploration companies, many geological surveys and many professional societies/associations.

Some years ago, the Australian Institute of Geoscientists became a Foundation Sponsor of Data Metallogenica to assist its continued growth.

AIG members, as a result of the Institute’s support for the Data Metallogenica initiative, entitles members to subscribe as individuals to Data Metallogenica for $100 per year for unlimited access and downloads (this is a 50% discount compared to the normal individual subscription rate). Subscriptions may be purchased on-line via the Data Metallogenica website. We hope you find Data Metallogenica of interest and can support us in our future growth. This can be done on-line on the website.

Some points of interest:

• You can do an Advanced Free Search from the Home Page which allows you see what is already in the database (without any commitment)
• Much of the information is unique or difficult (if not impossible) to find, making the website a major time saver for locating important technical information – all presentations are public (non-confidential) and vetted for quality before loading

The website contains several different databases:

• Mineral Deposits – technical data on over 5,000 specific deposits around the world
• Commodity Overviews – global overviews on specific commodities and deposit types by world experts, plus recommended individual deposits to further investigate
• Regional Overviews – context overviews of major mineralised regions (not yet activated and in its early stages)
• Technology Overviews – expert reviews of geoscience, exploration and other mining disciplines (not yet activated and in its early stages)
• Geoscience Thesis Lists – lists of all Australian geoscience theses up to 2007 (soon to be updated, and with addition of all South African geoscience theses to 1999)

The deposit database can be quickly searched by many different criteria eg name, country, commodity class, availability of high-quality sample photographs (70,000 representative samples of ore, alteration, host rocks) or spectral mineralogy, and many special categories such as geology, regolith, core photos, historical data etc

Over 80 full geoscience theses for specific deposits are currently available on the website

All deposits appear on a Google map which can be instantly zoomed to the maximum allowed

Almost all information can be immediately translated to any of about 80 languages making DM extremely valuable for international reference, training and education (eg all European & Scandinavian languages, Arabic, Russian, most Asian languages including Mandarin, Japanese and Hindi, Swahili, Afrikaans etc etc)

Previous sponsors of DM have given free access to many universities and geological surveys in developing countries, helping train the next generation of economic geologists.

It is hoped to add a wiki component soon so others can add their unique information and photos for specific deposits so that we preserve much fragile knowledge before it is too late.

Further information about the Data Metallogenica project and recent developments is provided by presentations on the web site.

If you like what we are doing or what you see, please tell others about Data Metallogenica. Remember the website is continually growing and improvements being added.

Alan Goode
Director – Data Metallogenica
AMIRA International
Level 2, 271 William St
Melbourne 3000