Data Metallogenica is being built as a global encyclopaedia of ore deposits for the benefit of the international minerals industry and associated institutions.

It is the world’s largest mineral deposit database, a unique technical information system made possible through the support of over one hundred international Foundation Sponsors from industry, government organisations and professional societies.

DM is a self-funding but not-for-profit enterprise, owned and operated by AMIRA International on behalf of the global minerals industry and associated institutions. Data Metallogenica will continue to develop as a major reference, training and educational resource for all, as well as being a key repository of much transient and valuable information on ore deposits.

It primarily aims to provide a technical introduction to individual deposits around the world, particularly for those unlikely to ever visit these deposits (even if they are still operating and available). DM therefore provides a virtual field trip to any deposit. A brief history of the development of Data Metallogenica is available here.

Some key facts about DM:

  • DM comprises various databases, all of which are being continuously expanded:
    • The main one is on individual deposits from around the world – there are many criteria that can be searched in this database (eg region, commodity, deposit type, sample photographs, descriptive data including photo galleries, full theses, selected bibliographies, spectral mineralogy, regolith reports, petrographic and core photographs, historical photographs etc – please note some categories  may not yet be populated)
    • There is another providing global overviews on commodity & deposit-style reviews provided by recognised world experts,
    • Relevant regional studies, providing a context to individual deposits, is in its infancy but will be significantly grown in the future
    • Another (still to be constructed) will focus on overviews of exploration technologies and their application
    • These are all available on initial log-in, but can also be scanned in the Free Search mode from the home page (although access to specific files is only available to subscribers or sponsors)
    • Geoscience thesis listings are also available (initially only for Australia, up to 2007 but currently being updated) – some parts of this are available to the general public
  • DM is designed to allow the community to record basic technical information on ore deposits, particularly as “older” data is increasingly at risk due to the working out, closure and rehabilitation of older deposits as well as the retirements and/or loss of many early geologists who have had the opportunities to see and record fragile information on those deposits. Many of these individual geoscientists have nowhere else to save their data and it would be a tragedy to lose these as in most cases they can never be recreated.
  • DM aims to encourage individual enquiry on interpreting this information as much as possible (in other words, it is meant to encourage all to “think and make decisions for themselves” rather than simply DM supplying “answers”, although as much help as reasonable is certainly provided re basic training and education).
  • The DM website also has value as a one-stop shop, saving countless time for individuals in locating important technical information on particular deposits (much of this information, particularly geotechnical, is also not on the web anyway, and early data is often more important in geoscience than other science disciplines). Important links to other reputable resources are also being added to allow quicker access on a global basis to many in finding out about deposits in other countries or continents.
  • A large number of selected bibliographies have so far been added; these have value as a fast way to find important overview knowledge, particularly if the deposit is well known and a user has many available detailed publications to choose from
  • The website is designed to be a seed for others to add information in the future as DM will be available as a wiki by 2015 (eg companies, government departments, academic groups, individuals), building a “community” of knowledge from many credible sources. Major contributions can be made earlier by sending directly to the Director DM – all contributions are acknowledged once accepted. Ultimately, the aim of DM is to be a “one-stop-shop” for introductory quality technical information on global ore deposits.
  • Regular browsing of the website homepage is encouraged to see what new files or presentations have been added. There will also be links to other important public data resources, as well as a simple directory to websites for companies, government geological surveys, important academic groups and other relevant organisations.
  • The original and unique physical collection in DM is divided into two groups (both stored at the DMITRE Core Library in Adelaide, South Australia):
    • Lithotheque – over 60,000 representative samples of ores, alteration, host rocks and regolith from thousands of individual deposits. High quality photographs of all plates are available on this website.
    • Macrotheque – over 8,000 samples covering different deposit styles (not yet photographed and available on the website)
  • DM would not have been possible without the generous support of the many Foundation Sponsors and Donors from the mineral industry and associated professional societies and government organisations, as well as the efforts of Peter and Sarka Laznicka in building up the physical collection from its beginnings in 1970.
  • DM is not-for-profit but needs to be self-funding – annual subscriptions provide access to key DM information, including that generously provided to AMIRA by others (DM’s fees have been unchanged since the first public access on inception in 2004), with other relevant information from various acknowledged public sources provided as a bonus.
  • DM is not a 24/7 information site and should not be viewed as such (there are many other resources groups providing up-to-date information relevant to investment and other decisions).