Why did we write a book on the economics of mineral resources? As economists, we would be tempted to say that the absence of a French title on the subject was the motivation for the very existence of the original French edition of this book. Nevertheless, this answer might seem rather sketchy, since there are so many reasons for the creation of this collective work.

The U.S. Congress directed the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to develop a program plan for its mineral-resource activities. In 1995, the USGS completed the Mineral Resource Surveys Program (MRSP) plan requested by Congress (Appendix A). To obtain an independent review of the five-year MRSP plan, the U.S. Geological Survey, in a letter from Dr. Willis H. White, the Chief of the USGS Office of Mineral Resources, requested in July, 1995, that the National Research Council (NRC) evaluate the MRSP plan and recommend improvements.

Mineral exploration and mining
Russian developments of equipment and technology of deep hole drilling in ice V. Litvinenko
InnoCrush: New solutions for highly selective process chains B. Grafe, A.H. Bravo, M. Hesse, R. Morgenstern, K. Rosin, T. Schlothauer, I.V. Talovina & V.S. Nikiforova
The forecast deformations of the ground surface during mining under protected objects A.D. Kuranov, B.Yu. Zuev & R.S. Istomin
Innovative rock destruction process via laser technology and thermal spallation for faster and efficient drilling in mining, geothermal and other hard rock environments S. Jamali, V. Wittig & R. Bracke
High pressure jetting in various rocks—investigation of failure mechanism and development of drilling process D.P. Gradzki, S. Hahn, S. Jasper, V. Wittig, R. Lindken & R. Bracke

Nickel, copper, and cobalt resources in undiscovered Ni-Cu deposits associated with Palaeoproterozoic synorogenic intrusions and Archaean and Palaeoproterozoic komatiitic volcanic rocks have been estimated down to the depth of one kilometre in the bedrock of Finland using the three-part quantitative assessment method. Grade-tonnage models were constructed for Finnish synorogenic intrusive deposits and komatiitic deposits using data from known Fennoscandian deposits. Twenty-six permissive tracts were delineated for synorogenic intrusive deposits, 30 for komatiitic deposits, and 15 for Talvivaaratype Ni-Zn-Cu-Co deposits.

This volume discusses the mineral resources upon which modern civilization is built. Take away these minerals and humanity will rapidly return to the stone age, with its greatest concern the depletion of flint (also a mineral). It would, of course, result in about a 99% reduction in population. In other words, approximately 99% of the worlds' population is dependent on minerals for its existence.

Minerals, both metallic and nonmetallic, and building stones have played key role in shaping human civilization since ancient times. Demand for and production of these earth resources increased manifold during the Industrial Revolution and both have seen an exponential growth during the last century, keeping pace with growing national and global economies. Ever-widening base of mineral use has made minerals an integral part of our everyday life.

The Apuan Alps are commonly defined by geologists with the term “tectonic window”, an area where geological processes have brought to the surface rocks that usually lie buried deep under other rock formations. The Apuan Metamorphic Complex is today divided into two tectonic units: the Apuan Unit and the Massa Unit to which belong the mineral deposits object of this study <...>

Pollen, diatom and foraminiferal analyses of a nearly complete Mikulino/ Eemian interglacial marine sequence in Petrozavodsk, Russian Karelia, is presented together with a comprehensive literature review of Mikulino biostratigraphical data in NW Russia earlier published mostly in Russian. Mikulino interglacial deposits have been investigated in numerous sites, and, similarly, palaeohydrology and duration and correlation of different phases of the Mikulino marine submergence in this region have also been under discussion in several papers.

Siento la necesidad de celebrar este proyecto con las personas que han transitado por mi universo cotidiano, sentimental y laboral, y que han permitido que desarrolle una formación humana y académica, tanto presente como futura. Este trabajo no hubiera sido posible sin el apoyo incondicional de personas que han dejado su huella ferviente en mi ser: en primer lugar, a mi madre Inés M. M. Peralta y a mi padre Osvaldo Ricardo Sironi, quienes con su amor incondicional apostaron su cotidianeidad para mi devenir humano y profesional. En segundo lugar, a mis hermanos Andrés, Mariano y Sebastián; a mis sobrinos/as Juliana, Juan Justo, Lautaro, Victoria, Juan Cruz y Amalia; a mis cuñadas Carolina, Andrea y Paola, como así también a mis numerosos tíos/as, primos/as y sobrinos/as por filiación materna; quienes han tolerado con mucho amor y paciencia mis altibajos personales, brindándome su apoyo constante en la lucha cotidiana (mas allá de la distancia geográfica que nos separa). <...>

Съ давнихъ поръ, все выдѣлываемое Уральскими торговли Уральзаводами желѣзо, за исключеніемъ незначительной скихъ заводовъ мѣстной продажи, доставлялось сплавомъ на Нижегородскую ярмарку, гдѣ и продавалось партіями и въ розницу.
Ко времени прибытія каравановъ съ желѣзомъ, или еще ранѣе, по пути слѣдованія ихъ въ г. Лаишевъ, на встрѣчу имъ выѣзжали крупные желѣзоторговцы, употреблявшіе всѣ мѣры, чтобы закупить желѣзо оптомъ, по возможно низкимъ цѣнамъ <...>