CMiO-MIN database launched to advance critical minerals research

An international partnership has launched the Critical Minerals in Ores – Mineral Chemistry database, known as CMiO-MIN. Developed through the Critical Minerals Mapping Initiative (CMMI), the project is a collaboration between Geoscience Australia, the United States Geological Survey (USGS), and the Geological Survey of Canada.

The database incorporates approximately 13,000 new data points from ore-related mineral samples collected from global deposits. It provides standardized, publicly available compositional data from mineralized core intervals, surface samples, and mine waste materials via the CMMI portal.

By linking chemistry data with sample characteristics and deposit classifications, CMiO-MIN aims to assist researchers, governments, and industry in understanding geological processes, improving mineral potential modeling, and supporting the future supply and exploration of critical minerals.