27/08/2026
SAVE THE DATE: 28 August 2026, 5 PM CEST
LOCATION: Morgenröthe-Rautenkranz Space Centre, Germany
DESMEX-MinD: Searching for raw materials in the Ore Mountains by helicopter
Using a helicopter from the Bundesanstalt für Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe (Federal Institute of Geosciences and Natural Resources of Germany), specialised drones and kilometres of power cables laid on the ground, "DESMEX-MinD" project is surveying the subsurface around Gottesberg in the western Ore Mountains. The aim of the measurements is to produce the most accurate possible 3D model of the underground tin deposits. The new joint project, funded by Bundesministerium für Forschung, Technologie und Raumfahrt, was launched in March 2026. The first helicopter flights over the Erzgebirge are planned for September this year.
At an information event on 28 August from 5 pm at the Morgenröthe-Rautenkranz Space Centre, the team from TU Bergakademie Freiberg will provide information about the helicopter flights and the mining projects.
During the flights, the probe attached to the helicopter – equipped with highly sensitive magnetic field sensors – receives electrical signals from conductive ore bodies, which are induced by power cables laid on the ground. This environmentally friendly exploration method is therefore known as semi-airborne electromagnetics. It was developed by the partners in previous projects and has already been tested in various international exploration areas in Sweden, Spain, Namibia and the Harz Mountains. The team is now applying this further development in the Ore Mountains for the first time.
New methods for environmentally friendly mineral exploration
Semi-airborne electromagnetic surveys enable the efficient, high-resolution mapping of the electrical properties of subsurface sediments and rocks across large areas and to depths of up to 1,000 metres – without a single deep borehole. Analysis software developed by the team uses the measured data to create three-dimensional models of electrical conductivity, which provide indications of mineralisation from ore veins in the subsurface.
The analyses are supplemented by AI-supported forecasts and integrated approaches to interpreting geophysical, geological and geochemical measurement results. The aim is to transfer this complex exploration method from the research stage into continuous industrial practice, which is why regional industry partners such as the geoscientific services providers Beak Consultants GmbH and the mining company SAXORE Bergbau are also involved.
Project partners
Research project partners: University of Münster, TU Bergakademie Freiberg, LIAG Institute for Applied Geophysics (Hanover), Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (Hanover), Leibniz Institute for Photonic Technologies (Jena), State Office for Mining, Energy and Geology (Hannover).
Industry partners: Beak Consultants GmbH (Freiberg), iMAR Navigation GmbH (Sankt Ingbert), supracon AG (Jena) and Saxore Bergbau GmbH (Freiberg).
Associated partners: Geological Survey of Finland (Espoo).
