Field Course on Minerals for the Energy Transition
On the beautiful island of Milos (Greece), a recent field course offered CDeepSea students a unique opportunity to dive deep into the world of mineral deposits and hydrothermal systems. With an impressive ratio of 8 instructors to 14 students, the participants received training on a wide variety of topics relevant for minerals and mineral exploration, from economic geology and geochemistry to geomicrobiology, geomatics, geophysics and data analysis. In this travelogue, student Gustav Aarup-Kristensen recounts his experiences.
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I was thrilled to snag a spot on the Milos field trip titled "Building a Windmill: Field Course on Minerals for the Energy Transition”. Milos is a stunning Greek volcanic island in the Hellenic Arc in the middle of the Aegean Sea.
This area is tectonically active and has experienced recent volcanic activity, making it an incredible destination for experiencing hydrothermal activity up close. The first three days of the field course were filled with informative excursions aimed at familiarising participants with the location. The real excitement, however, began when we launched into the self-designed student research projects, brainstorming innovative ideas and creative solutions. And finally, some evenings, we engaged in discussions that tackled pressing issues related to minerals and explored real-world solutions with Aiste Klimasauskaite. On the final day, we participated in a vibrant debate that was judged by the Greek gods.
One of the highlights of our field course was snorkeling in the warm Palenchohori Bay over active hydrothermal vents, which was a thrilling experience and a promising start for our field course. Seeing the hydrothermal diffuse venting up close was fascinating. Sven Le Moine-Bauer joined us in beautiful Milos for his holiday, and we couldn’t be happier! He has worked with the stunning white algae mats before, and we’re all excited to hear his stories and learn from his experiences.
Two of the four student projects were focused on investigating the microbiology and geochemistry of the hydrothermal system. We were fortunate to have Ben Robson and his PhD student, Julien Vadnais, introduce us to the world of Geomatics. Ben had brought one of his drones, showcasing how much technology has evolved. Students had the exciting opportunity to create stunning 3D models of landscapes, outcrops, and even the seafloor to observe the growth of microbial mats over the hot springs and map volcanic features. The seafloor was captured by swimming with a waterproof camera, illustrating the extraordinary possibilities of mapping underwater, but also resulted in some challenges.
We were also fortunate to have Stefanos Kilias, a professor of economic geology at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens who showed us the geology of the island and all of its possibilities. We were at a location known as Vani, where Martha Krohn-Hansen, a dedicated MSc student of Desiree Roerdink and Steffen Jørgensen, started her fascinating research on a modern Banded Iron Formation (BIF). It was a pleasure to witness her work in progress. In this place, Stefanos demonstrated the deep passion geologists have for their work, as well as the frustration of not having enough time to fully explore a fascinating site. It’s clear how the endless questions and curiosity can weigh on them, especially when they yearn to uncover more.
The course was made possible thanks to funding from Akademia Avtalen. Thank you to everyone that was involved.