Research Portfolio
The projects in the Lowell Institute cross 27 different disciplines and 10 colleges at the University of Arizona. Many are in collaboration with colleagues at other universities around the world.
Thematic Areas
Lowell Program in Economic Geology (LPEG)
Mark Barton, Eric Seedorff, Mathew Steele-Macinnes
Deposit-to-District-Scale Studies
- field-based, worldwide, cordilleran settings
- hydrothermal systems, magmatic to basinal
Regional 4D Transects
- field and lab-based new observations and synthesis
- Nevada Au(Cu), Laramide Cu(Mo), Chile Cu(Au-Fe)
- basis for consortium
Topical Themes
- mineralogy and trace element geochemistry
- structural geology, especially extensional settings
- hydrothermal geochemistry, alteration, fluids
- arc evolution and crustal mass transfer
Environment
Raina Maier, Mary Poulton, Jim Field
- Phytostabilization of Mine Tailings in Arid EnvironmentsMetal Speciation in Arid Mine Tailings
- Rosemont Revegetation – Planning Ahead
- Binational Copper Mine Tailings Native Plant Inventory Project
- Mine Site Revegetation
- Fate and speciation of metal(oids)
- Groundwater protection
- Dust characterization and wind modeling
- 4D autonomous environmental monitoring systems
Center for Environmentally Sustainable Mining
Processing and Extractive Metallurgy
Brent Hisky, Jaeheon Lee, Jinhong Zhang, Isabel Barton
- Silver Hydrometallurgy
- Leaching with Lead Nitrate (Pb(NO3)2)
- Acantite (Ag2S) and other silver sulfides leaching
- Leaching behavior in anaerobic conditions
- Bioleaching – mesophiles and extreme thermophiles
- Alternative Lixiviants –Thiosulfate, Thiocyanate, Thiourea
- Intensive and silver cyanidation
- LIX and amine extractants
- Ammonia leaching
- Rare Earths
- Re-use of mine tailings
- Atomic force microscopy for flotation optimization
- Geometallurgy – ore characterization, mineralogy
Mine Intelligence Research Group
Sean Dessureault, Victor Tenorio
- control room technology
- financial modeling
- process optimization
- mine to mill optimization
- automation
- data mining
Geomechanics
John Kemeny, Kwangmin Kim, Moe Momayez
- Weaken rock to lower energy cost for grinding and increase drilling rates 10-100x
- Track energy cost by block unit in mines to optimize energy use and cost
- Mine to mill optimization
- Improved blast optimization and slope stability
- 4D data collection for slope stability, use of drones