Geologic and Metallogenic Framework of North Africa

Degassing as the Main Ore-Forming Process at the Giant Imiter Ag–Hg Vein Deposit in the Anti-Atlas Mountains, Morocco

The Polymetallic (W–Au and Pb–Zn–Ag) Tighza District (Central Morocco): Ages of Magmatic and Hydrothermal Events.

The Bou Madine Polymetallic Ore Deposit, Eastern Anti-Atlas, Morocco: Evolution from Massive Fe–As–Sn to Epithermal Au–Ag–Pb–Zn – Cu Mineralization in a Neoproterozoic Resurgent Caldera Environment

U/Pb Ages of Magmatism in the Zgounder Epithermal Ag–Hg Deposit, Sirwa Window, Anti-Atlas, Morocco

Geochemistry is generally considered to be one of the new and burgeoning interdisciplinary scientific fields. The evidence for such a belief is obvious. For example, the Geochemical Society is scarcely out of its swaddling clothes, but it is already a large and important international scientific organization. The very word “geochemistry” was not even included in the ten-volume Oxford Universal English Dictionary published as recently as 1937. During the Second World War and immediately thereafter, however, geochemical work was initiated at scores of universities and commercial laboratories. Thus by 1948 “geochemistry” was well enough established to be defined in The American College Dictionary as “the science dealing with chemical changes in, and the composition of, the earth’s crust.” <...>

Minerals and metals are essential components for the growth of human society. The need to survive taught prehistoric Paleolithic men the use of stones as tools as early as 20,000 years ago. The discovery of minerals, their exploitation, and use became many-fold with the advent of civilization and is continuing today. A mineral deposit is too small in size compared to the vast Earth’s crust. Near-surface deposits have been discovered over the centuries, ores have been mined, and metals extracted. The future search for concealed types, rarely showing surface signatures, will be opportunities and challenges. New discoveries will require state-of-the-art exploration techniques, trained labor, scientific knowledge, adequate experience, high-end data processing systems, and interpretation skills <...>

Since the arrival of European colonists in New York, the extraction of mineral wealth has been an important societal goal. Mining, then and now, provides the raw materials for consumer goods. Iron was used for cooking utensils and stoves, among other things. It was the basis for many construction projects. The availability of “hydraulic” cement was as important in the success of the Erie Canal as it is to the maintenance of the New York State Thruway. Mines provided materials to improve the standard of living of the populace. Late nineteenth century clay mines in the Hudson River Valley provided clay to make literally billions of bricks used to replace the highly flammable wooden building materials of New York City. The State of New York has, since the 1980s, ranked about fifteenth in the nation in terms of mineral value extracted annually.