Economic Geology and Mineral Deposits
Staff
Prof. Nicola Mondillo, Prof. Giuseppina Balassone, Prof. Maria Boni, Dr. Francesco Putzolu, Dr. Lorenzo Ammirati, Dr. Rita Chirico, Dr. Annamaria Pellino, Dr. Anna Sorrentino
he main themes of the Research Unit in Economic Geology of the University of Napoli are the following:
- Base metals deposits (MVT, SEDEX, hydrothermal s.l.)
- Nonsulfide Zn-Pb-Ag-V deposits
- Bauxite deposits
- Ni-Co laterite deposits
- Rare Earths (REE) deposits in weathering and hydrothermal environments
- Hydrothermal fluid flow
- Multispectral and hyperspectral remote sensing
The research of the Unit is mainly devoted to the geological-mineralogical characterization of the Zn-Pb(Ag)-V Non-Sulfide deposits, of both hypogene (hydrothermal) and supergene origin. With the help of PhD and Master students, and with the collaboration of foreign Research Centers and Mining Companies, we studied the European Non-Sulfide deposits, as the “Calamine” in Sardinia, Belgium, Ireland and Poland. The next step was the study of the Proterozoic willemite deposits of Namibia and Zambia, and their analogues in western Botswana. Also several other projects on sulfides and nonsulfides have been carried out, as those in Iran (Angouran), in Yemen (Jabali), in Turkey (Hakkari), Peru (Accha, Yanque and Bongará), Italy (Gorno), etc.
The Research unit is currently carrying out several studies on the deportment of critical elements (Ge, Ga, REE, Co) in supergene ore deposits.
The Research unit is currently carrying out several studies on the deportment of critical elements (Ge, Ga, REE, Co) in supergene ore deposits.
In the latest years, new research projects have been focused on the development of multiscale methods of digital survey of areas of mining interest for mineral exploration and environmental monitoring, based mainly on multispectral remote sensing and proximal and remote hyperspectral sensing using space-borne (e.g., PRISMA – ASI; Sentinel-2 - ESA) and field samples-based data.
Major collaborations
Collaboration with INGV – Osservatorio Vesuviano (Italy).
Collaboration with Natural History Museum of London (UK).
Collaboration with Dipartimento di Scienze dell'Ambiente, del Territorio e di Scienze della Terra, Università di Milano Bicocca (Italy).
Collaboration with GeoZentrum Nordbayern, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg (Germany).
Collaboration with Camborne School of Mines, University of Exeter (UK).
Collaboration with TU Bergakademie Freiberg (Germany).
Collaboration with mining companies: Energia Minerals (Italia) s.r.l. & Alta Zinc Ltd., Zinc One Resources Inc., Arena Minerals, Doyon Ltd., Zincore Metals Inc., Jabal Salab Ltd. & ZincOx plc.
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