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\"When itinerant cave diver James Tighe receives an invitation to billionaire Nathan Joyce's private island, he thinks it must be a mistake. But Tighe's unique skill set makes him a prime candidate for Joyce's high-risk venture to mine a near-earth asteroid--with the goal of kick-starting an entire off-world economy. The potential rewards and personal risks are staggering, but the competition is fierce and the stakes couldn't be higher. Isolated and pushed beyond their breaking points, Tighe and his fellow twenty-first century adventurers--ex-soldiers, former astronauts, BASE jumpers, and mountain climbers--must rely on each other to survive not only the dangers of a multi-year expedition but the harsh realities of business in space. They're determined to transform humanity from an Earth-bound species to a space-faring one--or die trying\"-- Provided by publisher.

Seafloor massive sulfide (SMS) deposits formed by hydrothermal circulation generate measurable self-potential (SP) anomalies in seawater, providing an effective geophysical indicator of sulfide mineralization. In this study, a remotely operated vehicle (ROV)-borne SP survey was conducted at the Yuhuang hydrothermal field on the Southwest Indian Ridge to investigate the spatial distribution of SMS mineralization. The survey operated at a near-bottom altitude of approximately 10 m, substantially lower than that typically achieved by autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) or towed systems, enabling high-resolution data acquisition with improved signal quality. To efficiently discretize complex seafloor topography under irregular data coverage, an adaptive octree mesh was employed, enabling computationally efficient three-dimensional inversion over a large survey area and recovery of the subsurface source current density distribution. The inversion results resolve a main anomaly zone spatially correlated with known SMS mineralization, as well as an additional anomaly zone that was not resolved by previous surveys and suggests potential mineralization. Anomalies associated with known mineralization show good spatial agreement with independent near-bottom observations and drilling results. The results demonstrate that ROV-borne SP surveying combined with adaptive meshing and three-dimensional inversion provides a reliable approach for imaging SMS mineralization in deep-sea environments.

Deriving meaningful mineralization information from raw geospatial datasets is fundamental to the sustainable evaluation and management of mineral resources. As a cornerstone of mineral resource evaluation, identifying geochemical anomalies often faces the significant challenge of sampling bias in practical applications. Strong spatial unevenness often leads to information loss in traditional geostatistical models, where critical anomaly structures may be over-smoothed or obscured. To address this limitation, this study proposes a knowledge-driven adaptive direct sampling (KD-ADS) framework. This approach functions as a geospatial context-aware reconstruction engine. It integrates a multi-factor knowledge-driven weighting system to prioritize regions with high information value and incorporates a dynamic context-aware neighborhood module that adapts to local statistical characteristics. Using 1268 samples from the Jiulian Mountains tungsten metallogenic belt, ablation studies demonstrate the individual contributions of the knowledge-driven weighting and adaptive neighborhood modules to improving reconstruction accuracy and spatial connectivity. Comparative experiments with the traditional direct sampling (DS) algorithm demonstrate that KD-ADS achieves a more accurate reconstruction of geochemical fields and better preserves discrete high-value mineralization anomalies and spatial heterogeneity under sampling-bias conditions. This approach improves the reproducibility of mineralization enrichment patterns and enhances computational efficiency, providing data science-driven support for sustainable mineral exploration and resource allocation.

The Baiyun gold deposits in the Qingchengzi ore concentration area have significant deep exploration potential. Transient electromagnetic (TEM) exploration is conducted to identify ore-bearing strata and ore-controlling structures in the mining area’s periphery. Previous tests have revealed that it is challenging to penetrate the conductive layer to obtain deep information using a conventional in-loop TEM method with an induction coil. Field data are acquired using a high-temperature superconductor (HTS) superconductive quantum interference device (SQUID) magnetometer with a fixed-loop configuration. The exploration results indicate that the SQUID TEM system can detect the distribution of ore-bearing strata, and the ore-control structures within deep formations. The paper explores two extension areas in the east and west of the Baiyun thrust nappe structural belt. The inversion results reveal that the Baiyun gold deposit is significantly compressed, with noticeable thrusts and faults. Since the thrust fault zone extends to the south stably, the lower section has a gentle dip angle favorable area for deep prospecting.

This study examines the development trajectory and current trends of three-dimensional (3D) geological modelling. In recent years, due to the rising global energy demand and the increasing frequency of regional geological disasters, significant progress has been made in this field. The purpose of this study is to clarify the potential complexity of 3D geological modelling, identify persistent challenges, and propose potential avenues for improvement. The main objectives include simplifying the modelling process, improving model accuracy, integrating different data sources, and quantitatively evaluating model parameters. This study integrates global research in this field, focusing on the latest breakthroughs and applications in mineral exploration, engineering geology, geological disaster assessment, and military geosciences. For example, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) tilt photography technology, multisource data fusion, 3D geological modelling method based on machine learning, etc. By identifying areas for improvement and making recommendations, this work aims to provide valuable insights to guide the future development of geological modelling toward a more comprehensive and accurate “Transparent Earth”. This review underscores the global applications of 3D geological modelling, highlighting its crucial role across various sectors such as mineral exploration, the oil and gas industry, urban planning, geological hazard assessment, and geoscientific research. The review emphasizes the sector-specific importance of this technology in enhancing modelling accuracy and efficiency, optimizing resource management, driving technological innovation, and improving disaster response capabilities. These insights provide a comprehensive understanding of how 3D geological modelling can significantly impact and benefit multiple industries worldwide.

The electrical resistivity method is widely used in near-surface mineral exploration. At present, the deterministic algorithm is commonly employed in three-dimensional (3-D) electrical resistivity inversion to obtain subsurface electrical structures. However, the accuracy and efficiency of deterministic inversion rely on the initial model. In practice, obtaining an initial model that approximates the true subsurface electrical structures remains challenging. To address this issue, we introduce a broad learning (BL) network to determine the initial model and utilize the limited memory quasi-Newton (L-BFGS) algorithm to conduct the 3-D electrical resistivity inversion task. The powerful mapping capability of the BL network enables one to find the model that elucidates the actual observed data. The single-layer BL network makes it efficient and easy to realize, leading to much faster network training compared to that using the deep learning network. Both the synthetic and field experiments suggest that the BL framework could effectively obtain the initial model based on observed data. Furthermore, in comparison to using a homogeneous medium as the initial model, the L-BFGS inversion with the BL framework-designed initial model improves the inversion accuracy of subsurface electrical structures and expedites the convergence speed of the iteration. This study provides an effective approach for fast initial model design in a data-driven manner when the prior information is unavailable. The proposed method can be useful in high-precision imaging of near-surface mineral electrical structures.

The Paraíba is an Au-Cu-Mo deposit located in the southern part of the Amazon Craton, in the Alta Floresta Mineral Province, Mato Grosso State, Brazil. It is composed of Au-Cu-bearing quartz veins and Cu-Mo-rich hydrothermal breccias and stockworks, both associated with several hydrothermal alteration zones. The integration of spectral (reflectance and imaging spectroscopy) and conventional techniques (core logging, petrography, mineral chemistry, and scanning electron microscopy) was applied to map alteration zones, identify mineral parageneses, and determine the evolution of the deposit to generate a solid proxy for mineralized zones. This study shows an overlapping of two different mineralization systems in the AFMP, referenced hereafter as alteration Groups 1 and 2. Group 1 is an Orogenic Gold system related to Au-Cu-rich quartz veins in phyllonites and mylonites. Group 2 is a Cu-Mo Porphyry system related to a syenogranite intrusion and the subsequent generation of several hydrothermal alteration zones, Cu and Mo hydrothermal breccias, and stockwork mineralization. This study reveals several alteration footprints, guides, and vectors for the mineral exploration of these deposits in the Alta Floresta Mineral Province.

The Qingchengzi orefield is an important polymetallic ore concentration zone in the northern margin of the North China Craton (NCC). The region has significant metallogenic potential for deep mining. Many areas with gold mineralization have been found in the shallow area of Taoyuan–Xiaotongjiapuzi–Linjiasandaogou in the east of the Qingchengzi orefield. To assess the distribution of mineralization levels, we carried out deep exploration using the transient electromagnetic method (TEM). A superconductive quantum interference device (SQUID) magnetometer and a conventional induction coil were used for field data acquisition. The SQUID data inversion results reflect the bottom interface of the high-conductivity area, the fold state of the underlying dolomite marble stratum, and the deep structural characteristics of the syncline. Secondary crumples appear in the inversion results of the southern segment of TEM, which is inferred as a favorable area for deep gold mineralization. Negative values appear in the SQUID data of some stations, to varying degrees. This induced polarization phenomenon may be related to deep gold mineralization.

The Jiaodong Peninsula hosts the main large gold deposits and was the first gold production area in China; multisource and multiscale geoscience datasets are available. The area is the biggest drilling mineral-exploration zone in China. This study used three-dimensional (3D) modeling, geology, and ore body and alteration datasets to extract and synthesize mineralization information and analyze the exploration targeting in the Zhaoxian gold deposit in the northwestern Jiaodong Peninsula. The methodology and results are summarized as follows: The regional Jiaojia fault is the key exploration criterion of the gold deposit. The compression torsion characteristics and concave–convex section zones in the 3D deep environment are the main indicators of mineral exploration using 3D geological and ore-body modeling in the Zhaoxian gold deposit. The hyperspectral detailed measurement, interpretation, and data mining used drill-hole data (>1000 m) to analyze the vectors and trends of the ore body and ore-forming fault and the alteration-zone rocks in the Zhaoxian gold deposit. The short-wave infrared Pos2200 values and illite crystallinity in the alteration zone can be used to identify 3D deep gold mineralization and potential targets for mineral exploration. This research methodology can be globally used for other deep mineral explorations.

With the deepening of deep mineral exploration, traditional methods face bottlenecks in identifying concealed orebodies, making the establishment of a mineralogical exploration indicator system for collision-type porphyry deposits imperative. This study investigates chlorite from the Cimabanshuo Porphyry Copper Deposit in the Zhunuo Ore Concentration Area of the Western Gangdese via systematic petrographic and in situ geochemical analyses, to elucidate the spatial evolution of its trace element compositions and assess the validity and applicability of different trace elements for hydrothermal center indication. Based on micropetrographic observations, chlorite is classified into three types: biotite-altered (Chl-1), amphibole-altered (Chl-2) and vein-type (Chl-3), with Chl-1 and Chl-2 significantly affected by primary mineral compositions. Trace element results show that spatial variations in Ti, Li, Ni, Co, Mn, and Sr contents and Li/Mn and Ti/Sr ratios in chlorite can clearly indicate the mineralization center—Ti, Li, Ni and Co are systematically enriched in the proximal ore zone by temperature and fluid compositional effects, while Mn and Sr are enriched in the distal ore zone due to elemental redistribution during fluid migration. Fitting analysis of chlorite elemental ratios against the distance from sampling points to the mineralization center indicates the Li/Mn ratio decreases with increasing distance (R2 = 0.4665), consistent with elemental distribution and showing a certain correlation; in contrast, the Ti/Sr ratio has a fitting coefficient of determination of only 0.0581, which cannot serve as an effective analysis indicator for this study because the deposit’s plate collision metallogenic setting causes elemental migration to be disturbed by local geological factors. In addition, chlorite in the zones 0–500 m from the Cu I, Cu II, and Cu III orebodies and 1–1.5 km to the north is characterized by significant enrichment of Ti, Li, Ni, and Co, depletion of Mn and Sr and high Li/Mn ratios. Accordingly, a concealed hydrothermal center is inferred in the northern part of the Cimabanshuo Deposit beyond the proven orebodies. Comprehensive studies confirm that the spatial variation characteristics of trace elements in chlorite from the Cimabanshuo Porphyry Copper Deposit have high applicability for indicating hydrothermal mineralization centers.