Harmonised data on European raw materials, the creation and content of the MIN4EU database

Session 13.1-1 European Raw Materials:
European geology ranges from old mountain chains with more or less altered magmatic and sedimentary deposits over glaciogenic materials from the recent Ice Ages to very young marine or alluvial deposits etc. Thus, the ground under our feet carries a large variety of raw materials from sand and gravel over granites and marbles to precious or critical metals and minerals. Humans have extracted these materials from the (sub)surface since prehistorical eras, and these indispensable substances have and still do to a very large extent contribute to the evolution of humankind, and through the last couple of decades, national or regional geological surveys have played an important role in mapping these resources.
Most geological surveys host data on raw materials, however, data are typically organized in different ways from one country to another based on different geological traditions, legal frameworks etc. The MINTELL4EU project builds on previous projects to collect a selection of these national/regional raw material data, to store these in a central database, and finally to offer a visualization in a harmonized way at the European Geological Data Infrastructure (EGDI). This central database called MIN4EU includes, among other assets, the location of individual mineral occurrences and mines, aggregated statistical data at national level on production, trade, resources and reserves compiled in the electronic Minerals Yearbook, as well as data on test cases on UNFC. A brief overview of the database content and the resulting visualization through EGDI will be provided.