Grant: Alliance Grants

Canada stands at the forefront of an exciting opportunity as the world shifts towards electrification and clean energy. With abundant natural resources, skilled workers, and technological expertise, the country is well-positioned to lead in sustainable and precision mining technologies. However, to stay competitive, new tools are needed to explore deeper deposits and optimize extraction while reducing environmental impact. This project aims to revolutionize mining by providing efficient, reliable data on subsurface geophysical properties crucial for both exploration and extraction phases. Traditional gravimeters, essential for this data, are expensive, large, and fragile for field use. Collaborating with an innovative industry partner, we will develop two miniaturized gravimeter sets for these phases. The first set, Scout-G to be developed based on microsystem technologies, will be rugged, high-performance gravimeters for gravity surveys during resource exploration. The second set, Track-G, developed using advanced manufacturing technologies, will provide ultra-stable measurements to detect slight variations in gravitational force for site monitoring during extraction phases. The measurements from these gravimeters will complement data from other sources, such as muon tomography, enabling the creation of detailed multi-dimensional geophysical maps. This data will support the development of advanced models to improve mining efficiency and safety while reducing environmental impact. Additionally, the project includes a comprehensive plan to train future technical leaders with expertise in instrumentation, geophysics, and modelling, contributing to a skilled workforce ready to tackle the evolving challenges of the mining industry.