I am truly delighted to introduce Regina Baumgartner as the new technical editor of SEG Discovery, a quarterly publication that reaches all members of SEG. It is much more than a newsletter for our Society— it also presents much needed industry-focused technical articles that highlight some of the most recent advances in the field of exploration, extraction, and beneficiation of mineral resources. It is the role of the technical editor to guide the selection and facilitate the peer review of suitable technical contributions bridging the interface between industry and academia.
As a multilingual, multicultural, and broad-based economic geologist active in both industry and academia, Regina is exceptionally well suited to act as technical editor and contribute to the future development of SEG Discovery. Regina's academic background is sound, having completed a Ph.D. (in 2006) and an M.Sc. (in 2001) in mineralogy at the University of Geneva, Switzerland, under the guidance of Lluís Fontboté. In the year 2000 she obtained her B.Sc. degree in geophysics at the University of Lausanne, also in Switzerland. Today, she is an internationally recognized professional in the minerals industry, currently serving as the section leader for applied mineralogy and geoscience at Teck Metals Ltd in Trail, Canada, a position she has held since 2021. Previously, she has held responsible positions in exploration and mining with Teck Resources as well as Gold Fields. Her professional career has been focused in the Americas, with a particular focus in Peru. It is in this country where she contributes since 2011 to higher education as an adjunct lecturer at Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú.
Regina's professional affiliations are extensive, including being a Fellow of SEG, but also a Practising Professional Geoscientist (PGeo) in British Columbia, a Chartered Professional (CP) and member of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (AusIMM), and a member of both the Society for Geology Applied to Mineral Deposits (SGA) and the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy, and Petroleum (CIM). Considering Regina's level of professional engagement, we regard ourselves as very lucky, indeed, that she has decided to volunteer time to our Society in her new role as technical editor of SEG Discovery. This commitment comes on top of her current role as member of the Editorial Board of our flagship journal, Economic Geology.
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to J. Bruce Gemmell, who has been the technical editor of SEG Discovery since it was introduced in its present format in 2020. I am equally grateful to Regina as the incoming technical editor—wishing her all the best with her new role and responsibility.
The Society of Economic Geologists (SEG) is seeking a new Technical Editor for our quarterly publication, SEG Discovery. This is a volunteer role and will begin immediately upon selection of a qualified candidate.
The Technical Editor oversees the scientific content and the editorial and review process for the technical articles in SEG Discovery. This person will be responsible for ensuring that manuscripts submitted are peer-reviewed in a timely fashion, tracking trends in scientific publishing, and ensuring that SEG Discovery attracts and publishes the highest-quality manuscripts that uphold scientific and editorial standards to the highest level.
The Technical Editor reports to the Publication Board for SEG and will be responsible for liaising with SEG staff members working out of Littleton, Colorado, who carry out the copyediting, typesetting, and layout processes. This is a part-time, volunteer role and is remote.
It is my pleasure to announce Dr. Jens Gutzmer as the new Chair of the SEG Publications Board. The Publications Board plays an important role in our Society as it ensures a pipeline of technical content, thus fulfilling one of our key mandates of providing technical content for our members.
Dr. Gutzmer is the founding director of the Helmholtz Institute Freiberg for Resource Technology and a full professor at TU Bergakademie Freiberg. He is an internationally recognized leader in economic geology and has more than 100 publications in internationally circulated journals, books, and conference proceedings. He has made important contributions to our understanding of various ore deposit types, including but not limited to banded iron formation-hosted, sedimentary Mn, sediment-hosted base metal, and magmatic-hydrothermal ore deposits. In addition, he has extensive expertise in the use of microanalytical methods in economic geology, process mineralogy, and geometallurgy.
Dr. Gutzmer has a history of service to SEG in various capacities, is a previous winner of SEG's Waldemar Lindgren Award and Silver Medal, and has extensive publishing and editorial experience within and outside of SEG. His breadth of expertise and experience will be essential for supporting the development of publications for our members.
The selection process involved an open call for applications in December 2023 that was advertised in numerous locations, including the SEG website and the member mailing list, with a closing of December 31, 2023. Applicants were reviewed in early 2024, and a single candidate was interviewed by a selection committee consisting of previous Publications Board Chair Shaun Barker, Past-President Stuart Simmons, and SEG Executive Director Jennifer Craig.
I extend my thanks to outgoing Publications Board Chair Shaun Barker for his contributions since 2018, to the members of the selection committee for their service, and to Dr. Gutzmer for his willingness to serve as the Chair of the Publications Board, and I wish him the best of success in his new role.
Stephen J. Piercey, 2024 SEG President
It is my pleasure to announce Dr. David Cooke as the new Editor of Economic Geology. He brings to Economic Geology outstanding scientific and editorial expertise and an understanding of the breadth of science that we undertake as economic geologists.
Dr. Cooke is professor and the director of the Centre for Ore Deposits and Earth Sciences (CODES) at the University of Tasmania. He is an internationally recognized leader in economic geology, having published 176 internationally circulated peer-reviewed papers and book chapters across numerous deposit types, including porphyry Cu-Mo, epithermal precious metal, and sediment-hosted Zn-Pb deposits. His research integrates field work, chemical modeling, mineralogy, fluid inclusions, isotopic studies, and microanalytical methods.
He has a long history of research management, participation, and interaction with industry partners, as well as experience in knowledge transfer from academia to industry and student supervision. Dr. Cooke has made many contributions to the Society of Economic Geologists, including as an associate editor of Economic Geology since 2001, and he previously edited three special issues of the journal.
The selection process involved an open call for applications in November 2023 that was advertised in numerous locations, including the SEG website and in SEG Discovery. A selection committee was set up and led by Publications Board Chair Shaun Barker and included representatives from the Publications Board and the Executive Committee, and the Executive Director of SEG. Eight applications were received from China, Canada, Australia, Namibia, Chile, Mexico, and USA, two of which were women. Four applicants were interviewed, and the committee unanimously selected Dr. Cooke; this recommendation was approved by SEG Council. SEG thanks all applicants who expressed interest in the editorship for their willingness to serve the Society.
Dr. Cooke is currently working with outgoing Editor Dr. Larry Meinert to ensure a smooth transition between editors and guarantee that the editorial processes and content quality standards expected by our members are maintained. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Dr. Meinert for his dedication to SEG and his long-term contribution as Editor of Economic Geology, the members of the selection committee for their service, and Dr. Cooke for his willingness to serve.
I look forward to Dr. Cooke's tenure as Editor of Economic Geology and wish him the best of success — our journal is in great hands.
Stephen J. Piercey, 2024 SEG President
The Society of Economic Geologists is seeking a new Editor for our premier publication, Economic Geology. The role will begin in January 2024, and our current editor will support the new editor throughout that year as a period of transition.
The Editor is responsible for recruiting members to the Editorial Board and working with Editorial Board members in a collaborative manner. The Editor reports to the Publication Board for the Society of Economic Geologists and will be responsible for liaising with Society of Economic Geologists staff members working out of Littleton, Colorado, who carry out the copyediting, typesetting, and layout processes. The role is envisaged to be remote.
The SEG 2023 Conference in London opens in just three weeks, and the meeting promises to be one of the most successful yet! With a program of leading-edge scientific and technical presentations underpinned by wide-reaching financial and social considerations, this will truly be an "economic" conference with wide-reaching implications for the mining industry and society in general. This balance has attracted over 800 registrants and the support of more than 50 sponsors and exhibitors from the mining, exploration, service, and financial sectors.
We are delighted to have three exceptional plenary speakers who will open the technical program and create the best possible platform for the cutting-edge technical sessions to follow.
The opening plenary speaker is Julian Kettle (Wood Mackenzies' Vice Chair of Metals and Mining), who will provide an in-depth analysis of the many challenges of Resourcing the Green Transition (our conference theme) in "Does the Energy Transition Start and End with Metals?" This will be followed by Katya Gorbatiouk (Head of Investment Funds, London Stock Exchange), who will provide critical insights with a talk titled "Financing Sustainability." The third speaker will be the winner of the 2021 World Sustainability Award, John Elkington (Founder of Volans), who will deliver some thought-provoking observations on the wider implications for society in "Tomorrow's Iron Triangle—the Green Transition Squeezes as it Embraces."
These, together with two equally important Global Challenge presentations ("Supply Chain Issues" and "ESG Challenges") preceding the Welcome Reception on Saturday afternoon, will provide a great start to a conference focused on how science and technology will underpin the essential green transition, with key technical sessions addressing Copper, Battery Metals, Gold, and Europe's Metals, plus Advances in Geoscience and Transformational Science. A long list of leading keynote speakers includes Richard Sillitoe, Mike Daly (former BP Chief Geologist and now leading deep-sounding seismic studies of the Central African Copperbelt), Mark Bristow (Chief Executive Barrick Gold), and Karen Hanghøj (Director of the British Geological Survey, spearheading the UK's critical minerals initiative). The Industry Outlook Dinner speaker is Ross Beaty, Chair of Equinox Gold.
For Students and Early Career Professionals, a lively social program on Friday afternoon leads into a Saturday morning devoted to day-in-the-life presentations by industry and academic professionals and after-lunch roundtable sessions discussing a wide range of issues facing anyone beginning a career in the mining industry and academia. Professional advice on CV preparation will be available throughout the conference, as well as the opportunity to meet mentors on a one-to-one basis.
The deadline for online registration is August 11, after which registration can only be done on site. There is still the option to register for several pre- and post-conference workshops, assuming places remain available.
No matter what your career status, the opportunities for fast-tracking your knowledge about the interface of academic research and exploration and gaining insights into the much wider financial and social aspects of our mining industry, together with outstanding networking opportunities, make this conference one that you should not miss.
Bob Foster
Chair, SEG 2023 Conference
Announcing SEG Executive Director Jennifer D. Craig
April 6, 2023
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In May 2022, the Society embarked on a search for its next Executive Director, following the announcement of Brian Hoal's retirement. Numerous talented individuals were considered and interviewed with the SEG Search Committee and met with the SEG staff, including Brian. We are mourning Brian's passing but are thankful to have had his support throughout this process.
It gives me great pleasure to announce the appointment of Dr. Jennifer D. Craig as the next Executive Director of the Society of Economic Geologists, starting May 1, 2023. Jennifer has an Executive MBA and Ph.D. in Chemistry. She is an Irish/Canadian dual citizen who has been the Centre Manager and then Chief Operations Officer of iCRAG, the Science Foundation Ireland Research Centre in Applied Geosciences for the last eight years.
The SEG Executive Committee has worked with Jennifer and SEG staff to develop a transition period that has now commenced. Jennifer will begin working remotely until she relocates with her family to the Denver area in early July. We are all looking forward to her arrival.
Please join me in welcoming Jennifer to the SEG community.
Sincerely,
Stuart F. Simmons
SEG President
Advancing Progress Against Harassment in Economic Geology: A Film Screening of "Picture a Scientist" and Panel Discussion
April 2, 2023
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Conversations on confronting harassment and gender bias in the minerals industry have become an increasingly important aspect of SEG events and initiatives. "Picture a Scientist" is a documentary that highlights these important issues across the sciences with perspectives and examples from Dr. Jane Willenbring (geomorphologist), Dr. Raychelle Burks (analytical chemist), and Dr. Nancy Hopkins (molecular biologist).
SEG hosted a second free virtual showing of this film this week hosted by the SEG Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, highlighting that harassment and bias likewise affects economic geology across both academia and industry. Following the film, a panel discussion moderated by Libby Sharman and featuring professionals from across the minerals industry will address harassment, gender bias, and discrimination within the economic geology community. More information and details to register for the panel are available on the event page.
View the Event
SEG Student Chapter Earth Day Symposium
March 25, 2023
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The annual SEG Student Chapter Earth Day Symposium is a free virtual event organized each year by a different SEG Student Chapter. It brings together aspiring young economic geologists and SEG student members to reflect on the challenges, opportunities, and roles of early career professionals in a world that is experiencing rapid climate change and other ecological and societal challenges.
This year's symposium, hosted by the Cornell University SEG Student Chapter, will center on the theme "Minerals: The Foundation to a Sustainable Future," providing a forum for students to share their research, ideas, and experiences related to sustainable mining, renewable energy, and other topics at the forefront of economic geology. Through this symposium, SEG Student Chapters aim to inspire and empower the next generation of geoscientists to make a positive impact on the minerals industry and our planet's natural ecosystems.
View the Event
SEG Mourns the Loss of Brian Hoal
March 20, 2023
It is with profound sadness that we report the passing of Brian Hoal on the morning of March 20, 2023, after a protracted battle with cancer. He served as Executive Director for the last twenty-three years, ushering SEG into the 21st century with unwavering commitment and astute leadership. We mourn his loss and extend our deepest condolences to his wife, Karin, and their two sons, other relatives, and friends. His friendship and wisdom will be greatly missed.
A means of sharing tributes and condolences is being planned and will be announced as soon as it is available.
Update on Mailing Economic Geology and SEG Discovery
May 24, 2022
SEG is pleased to announce that we have resumed mailing Economic Geology and SEG Discovery domestically and to most countries outside the United States. Because the United States Postal Service (USPS) requests that we continue to hold mail to countries affected by the pandemic and other unavoidable circumstances, some members and subscribers will still be affected.
To see latest updates on restrictions, please visit the USPS website.
We thank you again for your continued support and patience and remind everyone that the version of record for both publications is published online as scheduled.
Delays on Domestic and International Mail
April 11, 2022
SEG has heard from several concerned members and subscribers this year who paid for but have not received print copies of Economic Geology and/or SEG Discovery.
Unfortunately, one of the services affected by COVID-19 and the ongoing pandemic is mail to various countries. We regret that SEG has no control over this situation, but our current plan is to print and mail all missed issues of both publications to those who ordered them as soon as we can. Logistical considerations make it impractical to mail to those geographic areas that are not affected. Please note that the version of record will be published online as scheduled.
We appreciate your patience and will follow up when the situation changes.
To see latest updates from the United States Postal Service (USPS), please visit the USPS website.
Delays in Printing and Mailing of Economic Geology and SEG Discovery
December 14, 2021
Because new variants of the COVID-19 virus have emerged and spread internationally, postal facilities in a number of countries have determined they cannot accept mail from the United States, among other countries. We have therefore determined the best course of action is to suspend mailing for print versions of Economic Geology and SEG Discovery to subscribers and members until restrictions are lifted. This will apply beginning with the January issues of Economic Geology and SEG Discovery.
The online issues of Economic Geology and SEG Discovery will be published on schedule and it should be noted that these are the official versions of record (VOR). We plan to mail these issues when the global situation makes it possible to do so.
Shipping Delays of Print Publication Orders
Mailing of publications other than Economic Geology and SEG Discovery may also be subject to delay or postponement. We suggest you explore the possibility of ordering electronic versions. Questions about existing orders may be directed to Frances Kotze at franceskotze@segweb.org.
For an updated list of countries that are affected by mailing restrictions, please go to the US Postal Service link at https://about.usps.com/newsroom/service-alerts/international/welcome.htm.
We appreciate your patience and cooperation during these challenging times.
Open Access Publication: Tectonomagmatic Influences on Metallogeny and Hydrothermal Ore Deposits: A Tribute to Jeremy P. Richards
November 24, 2021
The first 9 papers in Special Publication, No. 24, Vol. I, edited by Ali Sholeh and Rui Wang, are available at the SEG Store at no cost to the reader. This open access volume reflects the breadth of Jeremy Richards' influence in the areas of tectonics, magma genesis, and hydrothermal ore deposits. Volume 2 is in production now, with an expected release by early 2022.
This publication is possible through the generous financial sponsorship of BHP Metals Exploration and the Laurentian University Mineral Exploration Research Centre (MERC) and Harquail School of Earth Sciences.
Get the Publication
SEG 100 Conference Update
April 13, 2021
We hope you are planning to join us for the SEG 100 Conference on September 14-17, 2021!
We look forward to celebrating SEG's 100th anniversary both online and in person (we hope!) in Whistler, BC, Canada. As we all continue to adapt to the realities of the global pandemic, SEG, too, is finding new and creative ways to be connected and stay on top of its game!
The Organizing Committee has selected an online platform that will deliver our program to everyone, no matter where participants are, no matter what the pandemic throws at us. Events include a shared virtual and in-person technical and social program in Whistler for those who can attend, always assuming health authorities have lifted restrictions.
SEG invites the global minerals community, including industry, academia, and government, with a special focus on early-career professionals and students, to a program of exceptional presentations.
The core of the conference is the technical program, showcasing key advances and new thinking in economic geology and exploration that will guide us into the next century. The eight major themes frame the discussion, providing a view of the advances over the last 100 years and our current state-of-the-art understanding of ore-forming processes in different environments. The themes are the same as for the postponed SEG 2020 Conference; however, all those who plan to present must submit or re-submit their abstracts by the deadline of May 3, 2021. The themes include critical, exploration-related concepts and content.
A full range of workshops is also planned and will be held in the week before and after the conference. Conference field trips have been postponed due to the pandemic, and we hope many of them can be offered in 2022.
Join us for this hybrid meeting to forge the future as we build on past successes. Registration opens in early May. Details will be provided on the conference website as they become available.
SEG 100 Conference Website
"Picture a Scientist" Film Screening and Panel Discussion
March 25, 2021
The SEG Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) and Early Career Professionals (ECP) Committees are hosting a film screening of the documentary Picture a Scientist. The film was selected for the Tribeca Film Festival in 2020 for its unique ability to provide new perspectives on making science more diverse, accessible, and equitable to all of those involved. It chronicles the challenges that several women scientists have faced in academia, including explicit descriptions of harassment, implicit gender, and racial bias, and entrenched institutional discrimination. The film brings into focus the role of active bystanders and institutional change.
The SEG virtual screening runs from Friday, March 26, at 1:00pm MDT (UTC-6) through Monday, March 29, at 1:00pm MDT (UTC-6), and will be followed by an interactive panel discussion on Monday, March, 29, at 2:00pm MDT (UTC-6). SEG members can register for the event at no charge. Please join Steve McIntosh, Nikita La Cruz, Sally Goodman, and Pedro Cordeiro, along with moderator Ayesha Ahmed to discuss the impact of the film and implications for economic geologists in both industry and academia. Discussion topics will range from personal experiences to profound implications affecting both the exploration industry and SEG.
SEG is committed to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion within our Society and beyond. We welcome new volunteers to support the work of the DE&I Committee. We plan to continue to host events to raise awareness as well as support SEG in its efforts to improve DE&I through a series of initiatives.
Event Details
Geology of the World's Major Gold Deposits and Provinces: A Webinar on the Special Publication
February 3, 2021
Gold is the only economically important metal or major by-product from at least 11 different deposit types and accounts for roughly half the world’s nonferrous exploration activity, equating to corporate expenditure on the order of US$5 billion annually. SEG developed a volume focused on basic geologic descriptions of the world’s major gold deposits and provinces as a major contribution to the Society’s 100th-anniversary celebrations. Sponsored by Barrick, the volume introduces a series of thumbnail sketches that give a general flavor of the currently recognized gold deposit types from 29 deposit descriptions and 7 province overviews, which provide in-depth descriptions of the exploration history and regional and local geologic settings that led to the lithologic, structural, alteration, and mineralization features of these deposits.
The accompanying free webinar on Thursday, February 18th will further highlight these remarkable deposit types over the course of a one-hour mini-lecture series, followed by a live Q&A addressing the important questions regarding the nature of these deposits and questions from attendees.
Register
SEG 2020 Virtual Awards Ceremony
December 1, 2020
Join us in honoring the 2020 SEG award winners' and lecturers' achievements during the SEG 2020 Virtual Awards Ceremony on December 15 at 2:00pm MST. The presentation of awards for excellence is a momentous Society activity. While we were unable to gather in person this year, we hope that we will reach a broader range of our membership by presenting the awards in a virtual format. SEG Fellow Anne Thompson will host this year's event. Award winners and lecturers will each provide brief acknowledgments, and the event will close with the Presidential Address and Q&A with SEG President Jean Cline.
Panel Discussion on the Impacts of COVID-19 on Academia and the Minerals Sector
November 23, 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the minerals sector greatly, resulting in new obstacles that economic geologists face. The Early Career Professionals Committee will be hosting two virtual panel discussions—an Academia Professionals Panel and an Industry Professionals Panel—to discuss these pandemic-induced obstacles and how professionals have dealt with these circumstances. The two virtual panels will be held on December 3, 2020, with the Industry Panel at 00:00 UTC (December 2; 5:00pm MST) and the Academia Panel taking place at 16:00 UTC (9:00am MST). The panel professionals will include research professors, consultants, mining geologists, and exploration geologists of both major and junior companies from around the world.
Learn More + Register
SEG Student Showcase 2020
October 19, 2020
The SEG Student Showcase 2020 shines a spotlight on our Student Members, giving them the opportunity to present their innovative research work to the worldwide SEG community. SEG Student Members who submitted abstracts to the postponed SEG 2020 Vision Conference in Whistler were invited to prepare short pre-recorded presentations. The student presentations will be available online to registrants from November 9 to 19, 2020. Attendees can interact with student presenters online through chat, and professionals seeking to mentor students are encouraged to volunteer when registering. The event will conclude with two live geologic debates on November 19, 2020, that will incorporate topics and controversies about ore deposit models and mineral exploration relevant to all attendees. SEG Student Members can register for free. Registration fees for professionals and additional contributions will support student participation at our next SEG conference.
Register
Geosciences Supporting a Thriving Society in a Changing World
September 29, 2020
The importance of geoscience to sustain our modern way of life is evident to members of our Society. Unfortunately, these facts are not as apparent to the broader world, including the general public and decision-makers. To address this disconnect, the American Geosciences Institute (AGI) developed its Critical Needs series, a document produced every four years by the member societies of the AGI, including the SEG. These publications aim to provide policymakers and the general public with key knowledge of how geoscientists address the critical needs of society as well as indicate areas where additional policies need to be developed to support geoscience-focused industry, government organizations, and academia, including economic geologists. One of the nine sections of the document is Minerals for Modern Society, demonstrating the critical nature of minerals, metals, and mining to life in the US as well as globally. This section was led by the SEG Fellow, Simon Jowitt, and outlines key areas for future development, such as assessing the nature and distribution of domestic mineral resources, improving topographical, geological, and geophysical data for use during mineral exploration, furthering our understanding of domestic and global trends in metal demand and supply, and supporting socially, economically, and environmentally responsible domestic mineral production. The SEG directly contributed to this document as part of our role in representing economic geology worldwide, and we are optimistic that this messaging will disseminate knowledge of the importance of geology, economic geology, and the minerals industry outside our already knowledgeable membership.
Read the Document
The COVID-19 Pandemic and Mineral Resources
July 16, 2020
Pandemics are one of the few events that are truly global and affect all of humanity. Even World Wars I and II, as terrible and far-reaching as they were, did not affect all corners of the globe, and certainly not equally. Pandemics are different, especially in light of modern transportation and the interconnectedness of global business, education, and supply chains. One does not have to be a major participant in the global economy or even be aware of the disease at all to be affected, infected, or possibly killed.
Although the long-term effects of COVID-19 are not yet known, there are few in the minerals sector who have not been affected, whether it be by the loss of a loved one or by the economic fallout of attempts to contain the disease. Many universities and mines are closed, research and exploration budgets curtailed, and most travel halted. At the time of writing, no one knows how the pandemic will evolve—are we past the worst of it or are there new waves coming?
Below are two rapid-response articles from SEG Discovery provided as open access to offer a preliminary assessment of the impact of COVID-19 on the minerals industry and all of us who are connected to it. The first article, by Hitzman et al., reports the results of a survey about the pandemic's effects on the lives, education, and business of people in the minerals industry. Although necessarily limited in scope, it provides a snapshot in time that sets the stage for the second article, by Simon Jowitt, that offers a preliminary economic analysis of possible effects on prices, stocks, and supply and demand within the minerals industry.
The phrase "the new normal" has been used frequently to describe the effects and after-effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The following two studies are complementary and provide a framework for assessing where we are today and for beginning the process of planning for the future. Although it is likely that both articles would be written differently a year or two from now, they are presented here while the pandemic is still unfolding to provide the view from July 2020.
Jean Cline, President, Society of Economic Geologists
Lawrence D. Meinert, Editor, Economic Geology
Open Access Articles from SEG Discovery
Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Minerals Sector: A Real Time Survey (Murray Hitzman et al.)
COVID-19 and the Global Mining Industry (Simon M. Jowitt)
Download Both Articles
Update on Printing and Mailing Economic Geology and SEG Discovery
June 10, 2020
As many of you are aware, the SEG had decided not to mail Economic Geology and SEG Discovery while there were mail delays caused by the COVID-19 global health crisis. On June 15, we will once again be preparing the journal for printing and mailing, starting with issue no. 115-3 (May 2020). For SEG Discovery, issue no. 121 (April 2020) will also be printed and mailed.
The online issues have been published and we stress that these are the official versions of record (VOR).
SEG thanks our members and subscribers for your patience, which may still be needed as the pandemic continues to cause a delay in mail services. Our first concern remains the health and well-being of the women and men working in the postal industry.
Upholding Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
June 4, 2020
Inclusion and diversity are core values within the Society of Economic Geologists. As an organization of over 6000 members in 93 countries, we know that race and racism are real and must be acknowledged. Many of our members will be feeling pain and anger over the killing of George Floyd and other recent incidents of brutality both in the USA and other parts of the world.
We are committed to creating an inclusive environment that builds respect and strengthens the geoscience community and society in general. We realize that consistent, hard work is needed in every step of this endeavor. Our collective actions count, and we encourage everyone to consider their personal views and biases that anchor perceptions. Together we can build a better, more equitable and just future.
Jean Cline
SEG President
Mentoring Program for Students and Early Career Professionals
May 20, 2020
SEG offers a mentoring program designed to support the needs of students and early career professionals (ECP). Given the far-reaching impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the disruption it has caused to university courses and geoscience jobs alike, there is an opportunity for those in the early stages of their career to seek guidance from more experienced industry professionals during these difficult times! The SEG's Mentoring Program is underpinned by a large number of experienced economic geologists from a range of different backgrounds, with the ability to communicate not only in English but in several other languages as well.
Find out more about the SEG Mentoring Program if you are a student or an ECP looking for some guidance, or perhaps an experienced geologist who would like to volunteer your support to the younger generation.
Mentoring Program
SEG Launches New Podcast Series for Centenary
May 14, 2020
Bringing you stories of geoscience and technology from the world of ore deposits, the newest episode in the SEG podcast series – Discovery to Recovery – is available now. SEG partnered with Seequent to develop this series in celebration of the SEG Centenary. Each episode delves into stories relevant to economic geology, from the people involved, with topics including ore deposit models, data integration, technology, and more.
Listen Now
Conference Postponed to 2021
May 6, 2020
After careful consideration, the SEG 2020 Organizing Committee has decided to postpone the SEG 2020 Vision Conference in Whistler, Canada, until September 2021. The health and safety of attendees is our top priority, even as we recognize the importance of our annual meeting as an opportunity to gather, connect with others, and share ideas.
We are pleased with the nearly 400 abstract submissions and plan to preserve these on a confidential basis until abstract submission re-opens in early 2021. At that stage, attendees will have the option to resubmit, modify, or withdraw abstracts for the conference in 2021. We appreciate the support of our sponsors and exhibitors and are working on the logistics of the change. SEG will follow up shortly with all conference stakeholders, including presenters, workshop organizers, and field trip leaders, to ensure a smooth transition to the 2021 event.
Our Centenary is a once-in-a-lifetime celebration for our Society, and this postponement will allow us to come together safely to celebrate. We continue to work through these changes and the impacts on the initial plans already in place for future SEG conferences. We will update you as plans evolve.
Thank you for your continued patience and understanding during these challenging times.
Delay in Printing and Mailing Economic Geology and SEG Discovery
April 8, 2020
We have been in communication with publishing vendors and sales agents who have asked us to hold up mailing Economic Geology and SEG Discovery because many businesses are closed at this time and will not take receipt of publications. In addition, postal facilities in some countries have determined that they cannot accept mail from the United States during the current health crisis. We have therefore decided not to mail the print versions of Economic Geology and SEG Discovery to subscribers and members as originally scheduled: for the journal, that is the May 2020, issue no. 115-3; for the newsletter, this is the April 2020, issue no. 121. The online issues will be published and we stress that these are the official versions of record (VOR). Plans are to mail these and future issues when the global situation makes it expedient to do so.
June 5, 2020 Update: Please review information from the United States Postal Service (USPS) at the following link, regarding countries for which shipping is problematic during the COVID-19 pandemic. The USPS is asking that we not attempt to post mail to these countries until we receive further notice. https://about.usps.com/newsroom/service-alerts/international/welcome.htm
Shipping Delay of Print Orders During COVID-19
March 31, 2020
SEG is following the direction of public-health authorities to help slow the spread of COVID-19. The Society office in Littleton, CO, USA, is closed until further notice, and all staff are working from home. For this reason, we are currently unable to fulfill print publication sales. In the interim, we encourage users to browse available eDocs.
For updates on existing orders or general questions, contact Frances Kotze at franceskotze@segweb.org.
COVID-19 Update From SEG
March 19, 2020
Dear SEG Community:
Your safety and well-being are our highest priority. On behalf of the SEG Council and staff, we send our thoughts to all who are impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
We are following the precautionary safety measures provided by health authorities, including the World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). We want to update you on the steps we are taking and programmatic impacts.
Many of our planned activities during this anniversary year were focused around bringing our community together in field trips, workshops, and other meetings. In doing our part to "flatten the curve," we will need to make difficult decisions but base these on the best information at hand. Our goal is to deal with the challenges of COVID-19 proactively and thoughtfully. Given how quickly the global situation is evolving, we will continue to evaluate and adapt our programs as needed. Please note that updates will be shared on this webpage and by email.
The SEG office continues to operate on a regular schedule, 8:00am - 5:00pm MDT Monday through Friday, but most staff members are working remotely to comply with "social distancing" guidelines. Email will be the best means to reach staff, but we will be checking our phones and voicemail periodically. We are working to minimize disruptions for our members, volunteers, and partners and will update you on any changes as they occur.
We are meeting with committee members to review upcoming events and program dates. Any changes made will be communicated as quickly as possible. We hope to hold most of our planned anniversary events later in the year, but we recognize that this will ultimately depend on how the pandemic evolves.
We are working on ways to connect with our SEG community virtually. In the meantime, please support one another through this challenging time - give a colleague a call or set up a video meeting. Refer to the links below if you have any questions related specifically to COVID-19. Above all, wash your hands, stay safe, stay healthy, and stay distant.
Best regards,
Brian Hoal, SEG Executive Director
Related Links
WHO: www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019
CDC: www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
Public Health Agency of Canada: www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/2019-novel-coronavirus-infection.html#a3
Next Steps for the SEG Newsletter
December 4, 2019
To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Society and respond to the increasing demand for more industry-focused technical articles with modern digital content such as 3D models and videos, the SEG Publications Board is pleased to announce that beginning in early 2020, the successor to the SEG Newsletter, SEG Discovery, will be hosted electronically on GeoScienceWorld (which currently hosts Economic Geology), while continuing to publish in the traditional print format.
With this new format and additional content, the Publications Board recognizes the need to update the publication's name to reflect those innovations. As long-time members will recall, the quarterly SEG Newsletter was founded in 1990 as a much-needed solution for the expanding "Society Pages" that appeared in the back of Economic Geology. A stand-alone publication was the result—Society activities and short descriptive articles on ore deposits could readily be accommodated in the SEG Newsletter. SEG has evolved over the years, and the time has come, once again, to revamp this member benefit.
The SEG Publications Board is eager to share these changes with you in 2020. We look forward to providing more peer-reviewed, industry-focused articles while continuing to share member activities with the SEG community.
Countdown to Whistler
November 15, 2019
SEG 2020 will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Society, showcasing the scientific accomplishments and mineral discoveries that have defined the past 100 years and the new science, technology, and thinking that will guide us into the next century. The technical program is built around seven major themes:
- Game Changers — The First Hundred Years
- Lindgren's Legacy — Ore Deposits in Depth
- Gold 2020 — Golden Past, Precious Future
- Basins Through Time — Linking Process and Ore Systems
- Ore Deposit Structure — Processes, Patterns, and Innovations
- 2020 Vision — The Next Hundred Years
- Diversity in Ore Deposits
SEG invites the global minerals community, including industry, academia, and government, with special focus on early-career professionals and students, to a program of exceptional talks and posters, field trips, and workshops at this world-class resort in its spectacular mountain setting.
Please join us for the centenary celebrations in Whistler to forge the future as we build on past successes. The abstract submission site opens January 15, 2020. Details will be available in the coming weeks on the conference website.
SEG 2020 Website
Call for Papers: Special Publication in Memory of Professor Jeremy P. Richards (1960–2019)
November 14, 2019
SEG Fellow and Lindgren Awardee Jeremy P. Richards passed away on June 7, 2019. He was a professor at Laurentian University's Harquail School of Earth Sciences and led a large research program inspiring many younger researchers to pursue careers in economic geology.
In tribute to Jeremy, SEG will produce a Special Publication to recognize his wide contributions to the field of economic geology. This Call for Papers invites Jeremy's students, friends, and colleagues who wish to honor his legacy to submit proposals for research papers on topics that cover some of Jeremy's interests. The theme of the volume is tectonomagmatic evolution and metallogeny of porphyry-epithermal deposits. Submissions that present new results on topics such as field, petrological, geochemical, experimental, geophysical, or modeling studies are welcome; this includes papers on tectonomagmatic controls on mineralization of subduction, postsubduction and/or postcollisional porphyry deposits, alkalic porphyry and epithermal deposits, and influences on the regional fertility of magmatic arcs.
The proposal should include a tentative title, author name(s) and affiliation(s), and a 100-word synopsis. For further information, please contact Ali Sholeh (sholeha@gmail.com) or Rui Wang (ruiwang_geology@126.com).
Deadlines
Paper Proposal Submission: November 30, 2019 Extended to December 15, 2019
Initial Submission: End of August 2020
Submission of Paper with Revisions: End of February 2021
Submission to Managing Editor: March 2021
Regional Events in Celebration of the SEG Centenary
November 5, 2019
SEG will celebrate 100 years of being a community of geologists committed to advancing the science and discovery of minerals. In celebration, the Society will host a series of events in each of the eight SEG regions. Patrick Mercier-Langevin (Vice President for Regional Affairs) and the Regional Vice Presidents have played a vital role in organizing joint workshops and field trips in world-class districts from each region. These special events will be held between March and September 2020, leading to the culmination of the Centenary celebrations in Whistler, B.C., Canada, at the SEG 2020 Conference.
| Date |
Region |
Title |
| March 7-13, 2020 |
Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean |
Metallogeny of the Sierra Madre Occidental in Mexico |
| April 15-22, 2020 |
North America |
Southwest U.S. Cu-Mo Porphyry Systems |
| June 11-18, 2020 |
Australasia |
The Gawler Craton and Olympic Dam IOCG Deposit |
| June 16-25, 2020 |
Africa |
Neoproterozoic through to Archean Hosted Au, Cu, Zn, Li, Sn, U, Mn, and Diamond Deposits of Namibia and South Africa |
| August 16-22, 2020 |
North Eurasia |
Metallogeny of the Southern Urals |
| August 23-29, 2020 |
Europe |
Lappland's Au and Ni-Cu-PGE Systems in Finland |
| August 31 - September 5, 2020 |
South America |
Gold Metallogeny of the Guiana Shield |
| September 4-11, 2020 |
Asia |
The Southern Kyushu (Japan) Low- and High-Sulfidation Epithermal Systems |
Detailed information about each event will be made available at www.segweb.org/events.
Developing Effective Mineral Exploration Management Skills
August 26, 2019
Geologists and project managers transitioning into leadership roles in exploration management are not often prepared for the broad range of technical and business issues that they typically face. Standard geology courses and field-work do not include exposure to business skills such as effective people management, negotiation skills, nontechnical project risks, economics and the social licenses needed to operate exploration projects at a strategic scale.
Western Mining Services, in partnership with SEG, will host a 4-day training course that combines lecture and small team groups to stress interactive thinking and problem-solving needed for successful upper-level management. The small groups utilize the information presented during the lectures to design solutions for exploration challenges faced in the mineral industry. Each group then collaborates and provides a final presentation that is scored on key attributes, including the merits of the proposed solution, time management, and presentation quality.
Real-time feedback from instructors and networking events with fellow, future managers provide rare opportunities to build not only skills for advancement but also an expanded system of colleagues.
Regional and country exploration managers, senior project managers, and geoscientists looking to take the next step in their career will benefit from the course. Sign up by November 15 and receive a discounted rate for early registration.
Details + Registration
Successful Course on the Geology of Mineral Deposits in Latin America
June 1, 2019
The 2019 SEG-SGA-UNESCO Latin American Course on Metallogeny was once again a success. Seventy enthusiastic participants from Peru, Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Mexico, Nicaragua, and the USA attended the course May 23-29, 2019, in Lima, Peru, following the proEXPLO 2019.
Three days of theoretical-practical sessions covered fluids, porphyry systems, and the interconnected future of exploration, mining, and sustainability. Talks were followed by poster presentations. An optional four-day field trip followed, with visits to the ore deposits in Central Peru.
Travel costs for 23 students were subsidized directly through competitive scholarships, with many qualifying for a strongly subsidized registration fee. Through cost-effective management and dedicated leadership, this is one of many ways the Society supports individuals beginning a career in economic geology.
Details Photos