En litteraturstudie om grundvattendata och modeller som möjliga verktyg inom mineralprospektering

Sammanfattning

In Sweden, geological mapping, geophysics, and drilling are primarily used as exploration methods, but research and international case studies show that groundwater is an untapped source of information that can make the search for ore both more accurate and more sustainable. As mineralisations weather, metals such as copper, zinc, or lithium leach into the groundwater and are transported with the flow. By combining chemical analyses of these traces with 3D models such as MODFLOW and AI algorithms, it becomes possible to visualise where hidden ore bodies are likely located while simultaneously predicting how mining activities could affect groundwater dynamics and quality. Countries like Australia, Canada, and China have used this approach to reduce the number of uncertain drill holes, discover new deposits, and identify environmental risks earlier in the permitting process. Sweden maintains a nationwide groundwater monitoring network, but the station density is low in its key ore provinces and concentrations of metals relevant to exploration are rarely measured, making the current data insufficient for exploration purposes. To make the method viable, targeted sampling must be expanded, databases linking hydrogeochemistry, geology, and model outputs must be developed and made openly available, validated AI models must be created that can withstand scrutiny from both authorities and the environmental courts. With such initiatives, Sweden could streamline the search for new ore deposits, reduce exploration costs, and simultaneously strengthen environmental oversight.