The World Minerals Geoscience Database Project was initiated to produce high-quality, well-organized geoscience data sets that can be used in conjunction with GIS (Geographic Information Systems) and database software to help understand the broad relationships between global tectonics and the regional settings of mineral deposits. Digital databases of world geology, sediment-hosted copper deposits, and seafloor hydrothermal activity and associated mineral deposits were released by the Mineral Resources Division, Geological Survey of Canada on CD-ROM (GSC Open File 2915d) to test the usefulness of such global data sets to the Canadian public. The follow-up World Map Project, supported by Anglo American Corporation, Barrick Gold Corporation, BHP Minerals Canada Ltd., Cyprus Amax Minerals Company, Falconbridge Limited, Inco Limited, Inmet Mining Corporation, Noranda Exploration Company Limited, Placer Dome Canada Limited, Rio Tinto Mining and Exploration Limited, and WMC International Limited resulted in the compilation of porphyry (Cu, Mo, Au, Ag, Sn, W), nickel, and VMS-Sedex deposit databases, and revised and enhanced geology, mafic and ultramafic intrusion, diabase dyke swarm, and mantle plume data sets.

From 1998 to 2004, the World Map Project was reorganized as the World Minerals Geoscience Database Project with the support of Billiton International Metals B.V., Barrick Gold Corporation, Cyprus Amax Minerals Company, Inco Limited, North Limited, Phelps Dodge Exploration Corporation, Placer Dome Exploration Inc., Rio Tinto Mining and Exploration Limited, Teck Corporation and WMC International Limited. Other companies which subsequently joined the project as partial sponsors are Cominco Ltd. and BHP World Exploration Inc. The new project updated and expanded databases for gold, porphyry, nickel, Sedex, and sediment-hosted copper deposits into a uniform structure, initiated new databases on MVT and iron oxide copper-gold deposits, and added depth to the world geology database.

Images of World Geology presents sample images using data from the geology and mineral deposits databases.

World Minerals Databases Online: Following completion of the World Minerals Geoscience Database Project in 2004, the world geology and mineral deposit databases were incorporated into the Geoscience Database Repository of the Earth Sciences Sector. These databases are now accessible online from the GDR Mineral Deposits Databases page. Interested users are invited to alert us when they notice errors and gaps in the databases.

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