Muon Imaging for Cu-Fe Ore Shoot Identification: Results and Next Challenges

Abstract

Transmission-based muography (TM) is becoming an innovative and nondestructive imaging technique based on the measurement of the cosmic ray muon flux attenuation within matter, allowing the reconstruction of two-or three-dimensional transmission and density polar maps. This paper presents our most recent findings on TM measurements applied to ore shoot prospecting. All measurements and results were obtained during the MIMA-SITES project years of research. The case study was the Temperino mine in the San Silvestro Archaeological and Mining Park (Campiglia Marittima, Italy). Here, several magmatic and metasomatic geological units outcrop. Among them is a Cu-Fe-Zn-Pb(-Ag) sulfide skarn complex primarily composed of hedenbergite and ilvaite minerals.