Minerals are crucial for the development of modern economy. Since mineral resources are exhaustible, increase in their consumption causes its scarcity and the commodity gradually becomes exhausted, so that it is no further available for the mankind. With the increasing demand, the mineral resources would deplete much faster than envisaged earlier. There has been a rising concern about the environmental degradation due to increased exploitation of minerals. Nevertheless, minerals are important drivers of a nation’s economy. Therefore, using the natural resources is imminent, albeit sustainably. Continuous mining of minerals, discovery of new mineral deposits, and import-export-stockpiling of minerals greatly influences the economics of mineral commodities. These data must be perpetually updated in order to provide future perspective and framing of policies at the government level. Therefore, the impulse to write this book stemmed from a need for an updated, compiled and properly interpreted database of the Indian mineral sector.  <...>

During the past century, scientists, world statesmen, and international entrepreneurs have become increasingly aware of the potential of the oceans as a source for minerals. This book provides an authoritative picture of the currentstate of marine mineral extraction. A major work of reference, it will be essential reading both for those engaged in maritime studies and for professional organizations involved in the extraction of underwater minerals.

In 2014, China has continued the implementation of National Exploration and Development Planning and achieved outstanding progress in geological prospecting, and it is the reserves & resources of major mineral resources that increased obviously. There is a sustainable growth in the production and import of major mineral products as well as a further improvement in the supplying capacity. Efforts have been made to promote the survey and evaluation of geology and mineral resources, and better social services. To facilitate the construction of ecological civilization, China has paid more attention to enhance the environmental recovery of mines, and over 25% of the land damaged by mining development has been reclaimed.

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.

The International Template for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves integrates the minimum standards being adopted in national reporting codes worldwide with recommendations and interpretive guidelines for the Public Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves. The definitions in this edition of the International Reporting Template are either identical to, or not materially different from those definitions used in the countries represented on the CRIRSCO committee <...>

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

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 <...>