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Cursus: GEO4-1425
GEO4-1425
Earth Resources (mineral and petroleum resources)
Cursus informatie
CursuscodeGEO4-1425
Studiepunten (EC)7,5
Cursusdoelen
To provide the students with an in-depth understanding of concepts, tools and techniques applied to assess and predict the distribution of various natural resources, in particular  ore deposits and surface mineral resources.

By the end of the course, the student will have:
  • learned about ore-forming processes in general, and in more detail about:
    • ancient and modern volcanogenic and sediment-hosted massive sulphides
    • oxide-carbonate deposits of Fe and Mn
    • gold deposits and formation of gold veins
  • become familiar with several modern exploration methods commonly used for the detection of mineral resources located in the shallow and/or deep subsurface
  • become familiar with and learned how to assess European strategies for nuclear waste disposal and associated geo-political issues
  • obtained experience in applying relevant knowledge and skills to case studies concerning Earth Resources
  • developed skills for pursuing a career in the Resources industry.
Inhoud
In our society there is a continuous demand of natural resources, e.g. in the energy, food, metal industry and construction sectors. These resources can be divided, from an economical perspective, into two main groups: petroleum and mineral resources. This particular course focuses on the geological, exploration, (sustainable) exploitation and (socio-) economical aspects of the most important mineral resources present in the deep and shallow subsurface. Petroleum resources (coal, oil and gas) are treated in the (M-profile) MSc courses Reflection Seismics and Petroleum Systems (GEO4-1441).
  • The first part of the course will start with an introduction in Natural Resources, covering topics such as global distribution of Earth resources, demands, reserves, and the role of geologists in exploration and exploitation. Subsequently, a series of lectures and assignments will be given on:
    • occurrence and exploitation of metal ores (e.g. bulk industrial metals, rare earth metals)
    • gold deposits; formation of gold veins
    • uranium deposits; disposal strategies on nuclear waste
    • global salt resources; mining of salt in The Netherlands
    • surface mineral resources (i.e. sand, clay, gravel)
  • The second part of the course will focus on exploration methods for mineral resources. This will include lectures and assignments on:
    • use of satellite images to remotely explore mineral resources
    • geophysical exploration methods, in particular gravity and geomagnetic surveying for mineral resources.
During the second part of the course, student teams also will have to write an essay on a self-chosen topic related to the sustainable exploration of mineral resources (instructions and a list of possible topics will be provided at the start of the course). The essays will be presented by the teams in the last week of the course.

During the course, the students are expected to:
  • attend all lectures
  • attend all oral presentations
  • actively participate in practical’s and complete all assignments
  • actively participate in class discussions, by asking well-thought questions.
Transferrable skills acquired in the course:
  • Ability to work in a team: Most class room assignments during the course are performed in teams. Size and composition of the teams may vary per class, so that students regularly will have to work and communicate with different partners
  • Written communication skills: Student teams have to write an essay or short scientific report with a societal relevant component. Each team also will have to give written feedback on the essays of two other teams
  • Verbal communication skills: Students have to give an oral presentation of their essay
  • Analytical/quantitative skills: solving various exercises related to the exploration of mineral resources
  • Technical skills: use of computer software for the quantitative modelling and interpretation of 2D gravity and geomagnetic anomaly profiles.
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