Project title: Regional Scale Irish Zn – Pb Deposits
Researcher: Dr Eoin Dunlevy
In 2015 the United Nations adopted a roadmap to achieve a better and more sustainable future. Many of these Sustainable Development Goals ( require significant input of raw materials to achieve their aim. Zinc is key to achieving many of these goals. Ireland ranks as one of the most prospective countries in the world for zinc and accounts for approximately 12% of European output. Mining and exploration activities on the island employ over 1,400 people and contribute 244 million to the Irish economy (Indecon, 2017), with most of these jobs focused in rural regions. Southwest Ireland is highly prospective for zinc and since the 1960s, mineral exploration has identified many prospects and generated a significant amount of drill hole, geophysical and geochemical data. However, much of this data requires assembly and organisation to reveal its full potential and de-risk the exploration process.
The aims of this project are as follows:
1) Compile and quality check the borehole dataset for the Limerick region.
2) Update the lithostratigraphy of the lower Carboniferous succession in Co. Limerick.
3) Create a 3D tectonostratigraphic model for the region and integrate this with wider regional datasets.