Project Abstract
The discovery of new critical raw material (CRM) deposits in Europe is increasingly limited by the exhaustion of traditional exploration strategies based on direct targeting of mineralisation. NANOSATORE (From NANOscale to SATellite detection of ORE halos) aims to establish the scientific basis for using alteration halos as predictive indicators of magnesite ore formation by identifying diagnostic mineralogical, geochemical, and isotopic signatures and translating them into detectable hyperspectral signals. Using the Castiglioncello magnesite deposit (Tuscany, Italy) as a natural laboratory, the project will characterise alteration processes from nano- to outcrop scale and link them to remote sensing observables. The resulting multiscale framework will then be tested in a blind prospective area in the Hellenide orogen (Greece), where satellite- and drone-based targeting will be validated through field and laboratory analyses. By deeenign the unferstanding of hydrothermal alteration halos, NANOSATORE will establish a transferable workflow for discovering concealed CRM deposits. This approach has the potential to unlock new mineral resources in mature terrains and contribute to Europe’s strategic autonomy in critical raw materials.
Objectives
The overarching goal of NANOSATORE is to establish the scientific basis for using hydrothermal alteration halos as vectors toward concealed magnesite ore deposits. This goal is achieved through three main objectives:
- Identify diagnostic mineralogical, geochemical, and isotopic features within alteration halos of ultramafic-hosted Mg deposits that can serve as reliable vectoring indicators toward mineralisation
- Translate these vectoring features into hyperspectral signals detectable by drone- and satellite-based remote sensing
- Integrate multi-scale datasets into a transferable exploration workflow and validate it through application in a blind prospective area
Expected Results and Impacts
The project will deliver the identification of robust mineralogical, geochemical, and isotopic alteration halos. These indicators will be integrated into a validated multi-scale exploration workflow that links nanoscale processes to their expression at outcrop, drone, and satellite scales. The workflow will be tested in a new prospective area, demonstrating its predictive capability for identifying concealed mineralisation. In addition, the project will generate open-access datasets and high-impact scientific publications, contributing to the broader dissemination and reuse of results. Beyond these outputs, NANOSATORE is expected to produce significant scientific, technological, and strategic impacts. Scientifically, it will advance the understanding of hydrothermal alteration processes and ore-forming systems, particularly in ultramafic-hosted environments. Technologically, it will support exploration strategies based on indirect detection of mineralisation through alteration halos. Strategically, the project will contribute to Europe’s critical raw materials agenda by enabling the discovery of new domestic resources in mature and extensively explored regions. Finally, the approach developed is inherently transferable and can be applied to a wide range of hydrothermal CRM systems beyond Mg deposits, extending its impact well beyond the specific case study. In addition, the results will improve the understanding of mineral carbonation processes, providing knowledge directly relevant to the development of CO₂ capture and storage (CCS) technologies.
Project team
NANOSATORE brings together a multidisciplinary team with complementary expertise covering all aspects of the project across the Institute of Geosciences and Earth Resources of the National Research Council (IGG-CNR), the Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research of the National Research Council (IIA-CNR), and the Department of Earth Sciences of the University of Pisa (DST-UNIPI), combining state-of-the-art analytical infrastructures and extensive expertise in nanoscience, isotope geochemistry, ore geology, and remote sensing.