Conference: Goldschmidt 2023

Date: 9–14 July 2023

Location: Lyon, France

MDPI will be attending the Goldschmidt 2023 conference as an exhibitor, and we welcome researchers from different backgrounds to visit and share their latest ideas with us.

Goldschmidt is the foremost annual, international conference on geochemistry and related subjects, organized by the European Association of Geochemistry and the Geochemical Society. The conference will take place from 9 to 14 July in Lyon, France, and online. The in-person meeting will be held in the Lyon Congress Center, with all the scientific sessions, poster sessions and a commercial exhibition in the same venue. The meeting brings together more than 4000 researchers from 60 countries to discuss groundbreaking science.

Minerals (ISSN: 2075-163X) is an international open access journal that covers the broad fields of mineralogy, mineral geochemistry and geochronology, economic mineral resources, mineral exploration, innovative mining techniques, and advances in mineral processing. Minerals will participate in this event as an exhibitor together with six other MDPI journals, among which Minerals will have journal representatives at our booth.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• Minerals;
• Sustainability;
• Atmosphere;
• Geosciences;
• Geographies;
• Resources;
• Earth.

Minerals (ISSN: 2075-163X) has launched the Section “Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy”. The Section aims at publishing high quality original research papers and critical reviews featuring the fundamental aspects and industrial applications in the field of processing and extractive metallurgy of primary and secondary resources. This includes, but is not limited to, physical (i.e. comminution; classification; sorting; gravity, magnetic and electric concentration; froth flotation, coagulation, flocculation, oil agglomeration) and chemical (i.e. hydro-, pyro-, bio-metallurgy; solvent extraction; electro-winning) separation methods as well as advanced analytical techniques, applied mineralogy, process design and modeling. Environmental aspects of mineral processing are also covered.

We are pleased to present the 2022 Editor’s Choice Articles, a carefully curated list of high-quality articles from the “Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy” Section:

“Fe(III)–Chitosan Microbeads for Adsorptive Removal of Cr(VI) and Phosphate Ions”
by Swati A. Tandekar, Manoj A. Pande, Anita Shekhawat, Elvis Fosso-Kankeu, Sadanand Pandey and Ravin M. Jugade
Minerals 2022, 12(7), 874; https://doi.org/10.3390/min12070874
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/12/7/874

“Recovery of Rare Earth Elements from Mining Tailings: A Case Study for Generating Wealth from Waste”
by Luver Echeverry-Vargas and Luz Marina Ocampo-Carmona
Minerals 2022, 12(8), 948; https://doi.org/10.3390/min12080948
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/12/8/948

“The Challenges and Prospects of Recovering Fine Copper Sulfides from Tailings Using Different Flotation Techniques: A Review”
by Muhammad Bilal, Ilhwan Park, Vothy Hornn, Mayumi Ito, Fawad Ul Hassan, Sanghee Jeon and Naoki Hiroyoshi
Minerals 2022, 12(5), 586; https://doi.org/10.3390/min12050586
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/12/5/586

“Extraction of Gold and Copper from Flotation Tailings Using Glycine-Ammonia Solutions in the Presence of Permanganate”
by Huan Li, Elsayed Oraby, Jacques Eksteen and Tanmay Mali
Minerals 2022, 12(5), 612; https://doi.org/10.3390/min12050612
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/12/5/612

“Chemical Dissolution of Chalcopyrite Concentrate in Choline Chloride Ethylene Glycol Deep Eutectic Solvent”
by Carlos Carlesi, Robert C. Harris, Andrew P. Abbott and Gawen R. T. Jenkin
Minerals 2022, 12(1), 65; https://doi.org/10.3390/min12010065
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/12/1/65

“Optimization of Aggregate Production Circuit through Modeling of Crusher Operation”
by Tomasz Gawenda and Daniel Saramak
Minerals 2022, 12(1), 78; https://doi.org/10.3390/min12010078
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/12/1/78

“Sustainable Production of Rare Earth Elements from Mine Waste and Geoethics”
by Marouen Jouini, Alexandre Royer-Lavallée, Thomas Pabst, Eunhyea Chung, Rina Kim, Young-Wook Cheong and Carmen Mihaela Neculita
Minerals 2022, 12(7), 809; https://doi.org/10.3390/min12070809
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/12/7/809

“An Assessment of the Role of Combined Bulk Micro- and Nano-Bubbles in Quartz Flotation”
by Shaoqi Zhou, Yang Li, Sabereh Nazari, Xiangning Bu, Ahmad Hassanzadeh, Chao Ni, Yaqun He and Guangyuan Xie
Minerals 2022, 12(8), 944; https://doi.org/10.3390/min12080944
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/12/8/944

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all the research groups that submitted to Minerals. We would appreciate it if you would circulate this document among your colleagues and network. Furthermore, the following opportunities for collaboration may be of interest:

Submitting a manuscript:
This Section is currently open for submissions. Papers may be submitted via the following link: https://susy.mdpi.com/user/manuscripts/upload?journal=Minerals.

Launching a Special Issue:
You have the opportunity propose hot topics and edit a Special Issue together with experts in the field.

Joining the Editorial Board:
If you are an active researcher in the field of mineral processing and extractive metallurgy and are interested in joining the Editorial Board, please do not hesitate to get in touch (minerals@mdpi.com).

Minerals Editorial Office

MDPI is attending the Japan Geoscience Union Meeting 2023 (JpGU 2023). The event will be held at the Makuhari Messe in Chiba, Japan, from 21 to 26 May 2023, and it is organized by the Japan Geoscience Union (JpGU). JpGU is an academic union that encompasses all the Earth and planetary science disciplines and related fields; additionally, it has been organizing annual meetings since 2005. JpGU 2023 will cover a wide range of Earth and planetary sciences, including space and planetary sciences, atmospheric and hydrospheric sciences, human geosciences, solid Earth sciences, and biogeosciences. The JpGU annual meeting provides participants with a good opportunity to become familiar with cutting-edge research and unique approaches to research objects within their own special field and beyond. Representatives of the following MDPI journals will be attending:

• Land;
• Remote Sensing;
• Minerals;
• Sustainability;
• Drones;
• Geographies;
• Climate;
• Geomatics;
• Geosciences;
• Water;
• Quaternary;
• Sensors;
• Earth.

If you are also attending this conference, please feel free to stop by our booth (#Pub05). Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person to answer any questions you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit: https://www.jpgu.org/meeting_e2023/.

MDPI will attend the 31st European Biomass Conference & Exhibition (EUBCE 2023) as an exhibitor. This meeting will be held in Bologna, Italy, from 5 to 8 June 2023.

EUBCE is the largest biomass conference and exhibition in the world. Each year, EUBCE brings together the greatest minds and latest advancements in biomass, with the aim of accelerating research and market uptake across the globe. During the conference, over 2,000 experts from both academia and industry share and discuss groundbreaking ideas, technologies, applications, and solutions for the sourcing, production, and utility of biomass. The scientific program is coordinated by the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission. Since its 30th edition, the event has been complemented by the Circular Bio-Based Europe Joint Undertaking, aiming at identifying innovation, stimulating investment, and mobilizing the bio-based industry sector. This is an excellent opportunity to address even more stakeholders globally through the conference.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• Sustainability;
• Energies;
• Biomass;
• Environment;
• Materials;
• Minerals;
• Biology;
• Recycling;
• Atmosphere;
• Earth.

If you are attending this conference, please feel free to start a conversation with us at our booth #36. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person and answering any questions that you may have.

For more information about the conference, please visit https://www.eubce.com/.

MDPI will be attending the 21st National Electrochemistry Conference, organized by the Chinese Society of Electrochemistry (CSE) and hosted by the Dalian University of Technology, which will be held from 22 to 25 May 2023, in Dalian, China. The conference will focus on the development of electrochemical science and comprehensively present the latest research progress and results achieved in electrochemistry in China in the new era. The aim is to promote the application of electrochemical science and technology in energy, environment, materials and other relevant fields, and to achieve the sustainable development of society.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• Energies;
• Molecules;
• Coatings;
• IJMS;
• Batteries;
• Symmetry;
• Processes;
• Catalysts;
• Crystals;
• Minerals;
• Technologies;
• Electrochem;
• ChemEngineering;
• Analytica;
• Chemosensors.

If you plan on attending this conference, please feel free to stop by our booth (#55) and start a conversation with us. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person and answering any questions that you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit the following link: http://www.sciencemate.com/meeting/electrochem.

MDPI will be attending the 2023 Science and Technology Annual Meeting of Chinese Society for Environmental Sciences, which will be held from 22 to 23 April 2023, in Nanchang, China. The theme of the annual meeting is “Develop green and low-carbon, build a beautiful China”.

The annual meeting has arranged for an opening ceremony and specially invited keynote speeches, subsession seminars, high-end forums, special sessions for young scientists, poster exchanges, environmental protection science and technology achievement exhibitions, special events, etc. A total of 1800 delegates are expected to attend. Four academicians and other well-known experts are expected to deliver keynote speeches on climate change, the prevention and control of atmospheric, water, and soil environmental pollution, and environmental management science as well as technology. The invited keynote speeches touch on fields such as achievements in transformation.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• Sustainability;
• Toxics;
• Energies;
• Climate;
• Land;
• Minerals;
• Resources;
• Forests;
• Remote Sensing;
• Earth;
• Clean Technologies.
  

Minerals (ISSN: 2075-163X) has launched the Section “Clays and Engineered Mineral Materials”. This Section covers various aspects of the mineralogy, geochemistry, and genesis of natural clay materials and other associated industrial minerals, with an additional interest in experimental and theoretical research on the structure, properties, and applications of broadly described natural and engineered layered and nanoporous minerals, including clays, layered double hydroxides (LDHs), zeolites, cementitious phases, and other related mineral materials. The Section focuses on linking together their detailed characterization using various diffraction, scattering, and spectroscopic techniques (X-ray, neutron, NMR, IR, Raman, AFM, etc.), computational multiscale modeling of their properties, and their diverse applications in geological and technological settings, such as mineral weathering, geological disposal of chemical and radioactive wastes, geological carbon sequestration, exploration of conventional and unconventional hydrocarbon resources, catalysis, construction, healthcare products, etc.

We are pleased to present the 2022 Editor’s Choice Articles, a carefully curated list of high-quality articles from “Clays and Engineered Mineral Materials”:

“Characterisation of the Hydration Products of a Chemically and Mechanically Activated High Coal Fly Ash Hybrid Cement”
by Grizelda du Toit, Elizabet M. van der Merwe, Richard A. Kruger, James M. McDonald and Elsabé P. Kearsley
Minerals 2022, 12(2), 157; https://doi.org/10.3390/min12020157
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/12/2/157

“Fabrication of Hydrotalcite-like Copper Hydroxyl Salts as a Photocatalyst and Adsorbent for Hexavalent Chromium Removal”
by Chitiphon Chuaicham, Karthikeyan Sekar, Vellaichamy Balakumar, Li Zhang, Jirawat Trakulmututa, Siwaporn Meejoo Smith and Keiko Sasaki
Minerals 2022, 12(2), 182; https://doi.org/10.3390/min12020182
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/12/2/182

“Lime and Cement Plasters from 20th Century Buildings: Raw Materials and Relations between Mineralogical–Petrographic Characteristics and Chemical–Physical Compatibility with the Limestone Substrate”
by Stefano Columbu, Marco Usai, Concetta Rispoli and Dario Fancello
Minerals 2022, 12(2), 226; https://doi.org/10.3390/min12020226
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/12/2/226

“Preparation and Swelling Inhibition of Mixed Metal Hydroxide to Bentonite Clay”
by Bowen Zhang, Qingchen Wang, Yan Wei, Wei Wei, Weichao Du, Jie Zhang, Gang Chen and Michal Slaný
Minerals 2022, 12(4), 459; https://doi.org/10.3390/min12040459
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/12/4/459

“Molecular Dynamics Simulation and Cryo-Electron Microscopy Investigation of AOT Surfactant Structure at the Hydrated Mica Surface”
by Daniel M. Long, Jeffery A. Greathouse, Guangping Xu and Katherine L. Jungjohann
Minerals 2022, 12(4), 479; https://doi.org/10.3390/min12040479
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/12/4/479

“Effect of Structural Fe Reduction on Water Sorption by Swelling and Non-Swelling Clay Minerals”
by Christos Vasilopanagos, Cédric Carteret, Stephen Hillier, Anke Neumann, Harry J. L. Brooksbank and Hugh Christopher Greenwell
Minerals 2022, 12(4), 453; https://doi.org/10.3390/min12040453
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/12/4/453

“Adsorption of Cs(I) and Sr(II) on Bentonites with Different Compositions at Different pH”
by Yulia Izosimova, Irina Gurova, Inna Tolpeshta, Michail Karpukhin, Sergey Zakusin, Olga Zakusina, Alexey Samburskiy and Victoria Krupskaya
Minerals 2022, 12(7), 862; https://doi.org/10.3390/min12070862
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/12/7/862

“Evolution of the Reaction and Alteration of Granite with Ordinary Portland Cement Leachates: Sequential Flow Experiments and Reactive Transport Modelling”
by Keith Bateman, Shota Murayama, Yuji Hanamachi, James Wilson, Takamasa Seta, Yuki Amano, Mitsuru Kubota, Yuji Ohuchi and Yukio Tachi
Minerals 2022, 12(7), 883; https://doi.org/10.3390/min12070883
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/12/7/883

“Prediction of the Adsorption Behaviors of Radionuclides onto Bentonites Using a Machine Learning Method”
by Do-Hyeon Kim and Jun-Yeop Lee
Minerals 2022, 12(10), 1207; https://doi.org/10.3390/min12101207
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/12/10/1207

“Structural and Elastic Behaviour of Sodalite Na8(Al6Si6O24)Cl2 at High-Pressure by First-Principle Simulations”
by Gianfranco Ulian and Giovanni Valdrè
Minerals 2022, 12(10), 1323; https://doi.org/10.3390/min12101323
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/12/10/1323

“Alkali-Activated Metakaolins: Mineral Chemistry and Quantitative Mineral Composition”
by Marta Valášková, Zdeněk Klika, Jozef Vlček, Lenka Matějová, Michaela Topinková, Helena Pálková and Jana Madejová
Minerals 2022, 12(11), 1342; https://doi.org/10.3390/min12111342
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/12/11/1342

“Evaluation of Different Dispersants on the Dispersion/Sedimentation Behavior of Halloysite, Kaolinite, and Quartz Suspensions in the Enrichment of Halloysite Ore by Mechanical Dispersion”
by Emrah Durgut, Mustafa Cinar, Mert Terzi, Ilgin Kursun Unver, Yildiz Yildirim and Orhan Ozdemir
Minerals 2022, 12(11), 1426; https://doi.org/10.3390/min12111426
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/12/11/1426

“Magnetic Nanosorbents Based on Bentonite and CoFe2O4 Spinel”
by Nataliya Khodosova, Lyudmila Novikova, Elena Tomina, Larisa Belchinskaya, Alexander Zhabin, Nikolay Kurkin, Victoria Krupskaya, Olga Zakusina, Tatiana Koroleva, Ekaterina Tyupina et al.
Minerals 2022, 12(11), 1474; https://doi.org/10.3390/min12111474
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/12/11/1474

“Impacts of Crystalline Host Rock on Repository Barrier Materials at 250 °C: Hydrothermal Co-Alteration of Wyoming Bentonite and Steel in the Presence of Grimsel Granodiorite”
by Amber Zandanelm, Kirsten B. Sauer, Marlena Rock, Florie A. Caporuscio, Katherine Telfeyan and Edward N. Matteo
Minerals 2022, 12(12), 1556; https://doi.org/10.3390/min12121556
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/12/12/1556

“Advances in Carbon Nanomaterial–Clay Nanocomposites for Diverse Applications”
by Jayanta S. Boruah and Devasish Chowdhury
Minerals 2023, 13(1), 26; https://doi.org/10.3390/min13010026
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/13/1/26

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all the research groups that submitted to Minerals. We would appreciate it if you would circulate this document among your colleagues and network. Furthermore, the following opportunities for collaboration may be of interest:

Submitting a manuscript:
This Section is currently open for submissions. Papers may be submitted via the following link: https://susy.mdpi.com/user/manuscripts/upload?journal=minerals.

Launching a Special Issue:
You have the opportunity to propose hot topics and edit a Special Issue together with experts in the field.

Joining the Editorial Board:
If you are an active researcher in the field of clays and engineered mineral materials and are interested in joining the Editorial Board, please do not hesitate to get in touch (minerals@mdpi.com).

Minerals Editorial Office

Minerals (ISSN: 2075-163X) has launched the “Environmental Mineralogy and Biogeochemistry” Section. This Section covers various interactions of minerals with their environments and ecosystems. These include the contact of minerals with the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere in natural and engineered systems, leading to mineral formation, alteration, and solubilization. Examples of relevant application areas are natural processes such as weathering, the biogeochemical cycling of elements and sedimentation, as well as contamination and related risk analysis. Moreover, engineering applications, such as CO₂ sequestration, bioleaching, geoengineering, remediation, and waste management, are also considered.

We are pleased to present the 2022 Editor’s Choice Articles, a carefully curated list of high-quality articles from the “Environmental Mineralogy and Biogeochemistry” Section:

“Petrographic Record and Conditions of Expansive Hydration of Anhydrite in the Recent Weathering Zone at the Abandoned Dingwall Gypsum Quarry, Nova Scotia, Canada”
by Adrian Jarzyna, Maciej Bąbel, Damian Ługowski and Firouz Vladi
Minerals 2022, 12(1), 58; https://doi.org/10.3390/min12010058
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/12/1/58

“Aquatic Ecological Risk of Heavy-Metal Pollution Associated with Degraded Mining Landscapes of the Southern Africa River Basins: A Review”
by Kennedy O. Ouma, Agabu Shane and Stephen Syampungani
Minerals 2022, 12(2), 225; https://doi.org/10.3390/min12020225
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/12/2/225

“Contrasting Modes of Carbonate Precipitation in a Hypersaline Microbial Mat and Their Influence on Biomarker Preservation (Kiritimati, Central Pacific)”
by Yan Shen, Pablo Suarez-Gonzalez and Joachim Reitner
Minerals 2022, 12(2), 267; https://doi.org/10.3390/min12020267
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/12/2/267

“Development and Description of a Composite Hydrogeologic Framework for Inclusion in a Geoenvironmental Assessment of Undiscovered Uranium Resources in Pliocene- to Pleistocene-Age Geologic Units of the Texas Coastal Plain”
by Andrew P. Teeple, Kent D. Becher, Katherine Walton-Day, Delbert G. Humberson and Tanya J. Gallegos
Minerals 2022, 12(4), 420; https://doi.org/10.3390/min12040420
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/12/4/420

“Stratigraphy, Paleogeography and Depositional Setting of the K–Mg Salts in the Zechstein Group of Netherlands—Implications for the Development of Salt Caverns”
by Alexandre Pichat
Minerals 2022, 12(4), 486; https://doi.org/10.3390/min12040486
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/12/4/486

“Mining and Metallurgical Waste as Potential Secondary Sources of Metals—A Case Study for the West Balkan Region”
by Robert Šajn, Ivica Ristović and Barbara Čeplak
Minerals 2022, 12(5), 547; https://doi.org/10.3390/min12050547
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/12/5/547

“Restoration Insights Gained from a Field Deployment of Dithionite and Acetate at a Uranium In Situ Recovery Mine”
by Paul Reimus, James Clay and Noah Jemison
Minerals 2022, 12(6), 711; https://doi.org/10.3390/min12060711
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/12/6/711

“Evolution of Sulfidic Legacy Mine Tailings: A Review of the Wheal Maid Site, UK”
by Verity Fitch, Anita Parbhakar-Fox, Richard Crane and Laura Newsome
Minerals 2022, 12(7), 848; https://doi.org/10.3390/min12070848
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/12/7/848

“Quaternary Glauconitization on Gulf of Guinea, Glauconite Factory: Overview of and New Data on Tropical Atlantic Continental Shelves and Deep Slopes”
by Pierre Giresse
Minerals 2022, 12(7), 908; https://doi.org/10.3390/min12070908
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/12/7/908

“Paleoenvironmental Conditions and Factors Controlling Organic Carbon Accumulation during the Jurassic–Early Cretaceous, Egypt: Organic and Inorganic Geochemical Approach”
by Ahmed Mansour, Thomas Gentzis, Ibrahim M. Ied, Mohamed S. Ahmed and Michael Wagreich
Minerals 2022, 12(10), 1213; https://doi.org/10.3390/min12101213
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/12/10/1213

“Coastal Environment Impact on the Construction Materials of Anfushi’s Necropolis (Pharos’s Island) in Alexandria, Egypt”
by Abdelrhman Fahmy, Thomas Gentzis, Ibrahim M. Ied, Mohamed S. Ahmed and
Michael Wagreich
Minerals 2022, 12(10), 1235; https://doi.org/10.3390/min12101235
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/12/10/1235

“Microbial Mat Stratification in Travertine Depositions of Greek Hot Springs and Biomineralization Processes”
by Christos Kanellopoulos, Vasiliki Lamprinou, Artemis Politi, Panagiotis Voudouris, Ioannis Iliopoulos, Maria Kokkaliari, Leonidas Moforis and Athena Economou-Amilli
Minerals 2022, 12(11), 1408; https://doi.org/10.3390/min12111408
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/12/11/1408

“Mineralogical and Geochemical Characteristics of the H-Pit of the Chatree Gold Deposit, Central Thailand: A Case Study for Assessment of Acid Rock Drainage and Heavy Metal Sources”
by Sirawit Kaewpaluk, Abhisit Salam, Thitiphan Assawincharoenkij, Takayuki Manaka, Sopit Poompuang and Surachat Munsamai
Minerals 2022, 12(11), 1446; https://doi.org/10.3390/min12111446
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/12/11/1446

“The Role of Microorganisms in the Nucleation of Carbonates, Environmental Implications and Applications”
by Ana Robles-Fernández, Camila Areias, Daniele Daffonchio, Volker C. Vahrenkamp and Mónica Sánchez-Román
Minerals 2022, 12(12), 1562; https://doi.org/10.3390/min12121562
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/12/12/1562

“Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Conventional and Dry Stack Tailings Disposal Schemes: A Case Study in Northern China”
by Kun Wang, Zheng Zhang, Liyi Zhu, Xiuzhi Yang, Miao Chen and Chao Yang
Minerals 2022, 12(12), 1603; https://doi.org/10.3390/min12121603
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/12/12/1603

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all the research groups that submitted to Minerals. We would appreciate it if you would circulate this document among your colleagues and network.

Furthermore, the following opportunities for collaboration may be of interest:

Submitting a manuscript:
This Section is currently open for submissions. Papers may be submitted via the following link: https://susy.mdpi.com/user/manuscripts/upload?journal=minerals.

Launching a Special Issue:
You have the opportunity to propose hot topics and edit a Special Issue together with experts in the field: https://www.mdpi.com/journalproposal/sendproposalspecialissue/minerals.

Joining the Editorial Board:
If you are an active researcher in the field of environmental mineralogy and biogeochemistry, and are interested in joining the Editorial Board, please do not hesitate to get in touch (minerals@mdpi.com).

Minerals Editorial Office

Minerals (ISSN: 2075-163X) has launched the Section “Mineral Geochemistry and Geochronology“. This Section invites contributions that focus on all areas relating to the investigation of the chemical composition of minerals, radiometric age dating of minerals, and characterization of geologic, environmental, and anthropogenic samples. We seek studies that will provide new insights into the conditions of mineral formation/paragenesis at various temperature and pressure regimes, including interactions of minerals with the geosphere (lithosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere). Studies may use novel or standard analytical, imaging, diffraction, microscopic, spectroscopic, synchrotron, and computer modeling techniques. Geochronological investigations reporting novel age determinations for various minerals and bulk samples or breakthroughs in analytical methods are welcome; these may employ various analytical methods and instrumentation (HR-ICP−MS, MC-ICP−MS, quadrupole ICP−MS, SIMS, and TIMS). We also encourage the submission of studies reporting multi-laboratory, round robin investigations, and those that propose new standard reference materials that improve the accuracy and precision of trace element data and age determinations.

We are pleased to present the 2022 Editor’s Choice Articles, a carefully curated list of high-quality articles from the Section “Mineral Geochemistry and Geochronology”:

“Compositional Closure—Its Origin Lies Not in Mathematics but Rather in Nature Itself”
by Nicholas E. Pingitore, Jr. and Mark A. Engle
Minerals 2022, 12(1), 74; https://doi.org/10.3390/min12010074
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/12/1/74

“Zircon (U-Th)/He Closure Temperature Lower Than Apatite Thermochronometric Systems: Reconciliation of a Paradox”
by Benjamin Gérard, Xavier Robert, Djordje Grujic, Cécile Gautheron, Laurence Audin, Matthias Bernet and Mélanie Balvay
Minerals 2022, 12(2), 145; https://doi.org/10.3390/min12020145
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/12/2/145

“Formation of Esseneite and Kushiroite in Tschermakite-Bearing Calc-Silicate Xenoliths Ejected in Alkali Basalt”
by Luca Reato, Monika Huraiová, Patrik Konečný, František Marko and Vratislav Hurai
Minerals 2022, 12(2), 156; https://doi.org/10.3390/min12020156
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/12/2/156

“Interplay of Multiple Sediment Routing Systems Revealed by Combined Sandstone Petrography and Heavy Mineral Analysis (HMA) in the South Pyrenean Foreland Basin”
by Xavier Coll, Marta Roigé, David Gómez-Gras, Antonio Teixell, Salvador Boya and Narcís Mestres
Minerals 2022, 12(2), 262; https://doi.org/10.3390/min12020262
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/12/2/262

“Automated Quantitative Characterization REE Ore Mineralogy from the Giant Bayan Obo Deposit, Inner Mongolia, China”
by Taotao Liu, Wenlei Song, Jindrich Kynicky, Jinkun Yang, Qian Chen and Haiyan Tang
Minerals 2022, 12(4), 426; https://doi.org/10.3390/min12040426
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/12/4/426

“Assessment of the Effect of Organic Matter on Rare Earth Elements and Yttrium Using the Zhijin Early Cambrian Phosphorite as an Example”
by Shengwei Wu, Haiying Yang, Haifeng Fan, Yong Xia, Qingtian Meng, Shan He and Xingxiang Gong
Minerals 2022, 12(7), 876; https://doi.org/10.3390/min12070876
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/12/7/876

“Application of Raman Spectroscopy for Studying Shocked Zircon from Terrestrial and Lunar Impactites: A Systematic Review”
by Dmitry A. Zamyatin
Minerals 2022, 12(8), 969; https://doi.org/10.3390/min12080969
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/12/8/969

“Origin of Historical Ba-Rich Slags Related to Pb-Ag Production from Jihlava Ore District (Czech Republic)”
by Jaroslav Kapusta, Zdeněk Dolníček, Ondra Sracek and Karel Malý
Minerals 2022, 12(8), 985; https://doi.org/10.3390/min12080985
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/12/8/985

“Data Quality in Geochemical Elemental and Isotopic Analysis”
by V. Balaram and M. Satyanarayanan
Minerals 2022, 12(8), 999; https://doi.org/10.3390/min12080999
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/12/8/999

“Geochemical Indication of Functional Zones at the Archaeological Sites of Eastern Europe”
by Marianna Kulkova
Minerals 2022, 12(9), 1075; https://doi.org/10.3390/min12091075
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/12/9/1075

“Geochemical and Sr-Isotopic Study of Clinopyroxenes from Somma-Vesuvius Lavas: Inferences for Magmatic Processes and Eruptive Behavior”
by Valeria Di Renzo, Carlo Pelullo, Ilenia Arienzo, Lucia Civetta, Paola Petrosino and Massimo D’Antonio
Minerals 2022, 12(9), 1114; https://doi.org/10.3390/min12091114
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/12/9/1114

“The Earliest Generation of Diamond: The First Find of a Diamond Inclusion in Kimberlitic Olivine”
by Lyudmila Pokhilenko, Nikolay Pokhilenko, Vladimir Malkovets and Taisia Alifirova
Minerals 2023, 13(1), 36; https://doi.org/10.3390/min13010036
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/13/1/36

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all the research groups that submitted to Minerals. We would appreciate it if you would circulate this document among your colleagues and network. Furthermore, the following opportunities for collaboration may be of interest:

Submitting a manuscript:
This Section is currently open for submissions. Papers may be submitted via the following link: https://susy.mdpi.com/user/manuscripts/upload?journal=minerals.

Launching a Special Issue:
You have the opportunity to propose hot topics and edit a Special Issue together with experts in the field: https://www.mdpi.com/journalproposal/sendproposalspecialissue/minerals.

Joining the Editorial Board:
If you are an active researcher in the field of clays and engineered mineral materials and are interested in joining the Editorial Board, please do not hesitate to get in touch (minerals@mdpi.com).

Minerals Editorial Office

Conference: Joint Conference on Environmental Chemicals Japan 2023
Date: 30 May–2 June 2023
Location: Tokushima, Japan

MDPI will be attending the Joint Conference on Environmental Chemicals Japan 2023 as an exhibitor; we welcome researchers from different backgrounds to visit and share their latest ideas with us.

This conference is organized by the Japan Society of Endocrine Disruptors Research, the Japanese Society of Environmental Toxicology, and the Japan Society of Environmental Chemistry. The theme of the conference is “Beyond Disciplines to Solve Environmental Chemical Problems: Developing New Research from Diverse Perspectives”. At the conference, specialists will share and discuss the latest research on and applications of environmental and chemical substances to society.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• Sustainability;
• Toxics;
• Minerals;
• Atmosphere;
• Environments;
• JoX.

As a leading open access publisher, MDPI provides scholars with a high-quality and rich academic exchange platform by continuously expanding into new and exciting research areas.

In December 2022, MDPI launched five new journals, covering multiple subjects such as life sciences, biology, medicine and pharmacology, social sciences and humanities. These new journals are being edited by established scholars across the world.

If you are interested in creating more open access journals with us to publish cutting-edge research, please send your journal proposal application to newjournal-committee@mdpi.com.

MDPI is pleased to announce that we now display the co-authors’ email addresses in addition to the corresponding author’s email address on the webpage of published papers, protected by Captcha. For more information about this change, please visit the journal’s instructions for authors page. 

We believe this change will facilitate academic discussions and advance our cause of open science and research. The corresponding authors are responsible for communicating with their co-authors and indicating in our system (https://susy.mdpi.com/) if co-authors would prefer for their email addresses not to be displayed.

On 9 February 2023, Clarivate, a global leader in providing trusted insights and analytics, added the Preprint Citation Index to the Web of Science platform, streamlining the research process by allowing researchers to locate and link to preprints alongside other trusted content in the database.

The Preprint Citation Index will act as a bridge to connect cutting-edge preprints with peer-reviewed journal articles published within the Web of Science Core Collection. Alerts can be easily set to monitor new research across several repositories and authors will also be able to include preprints on their Web of Science Research Profile to more accurately display their various research outputs.

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MDPI's Preprints Platform – Preprints.org

To advance Open Science and the fast dissemination of research, MDPI offers researchers a free multidisciplinary preprint platform. Preprints.org accepts submissions from all research areas and offers authors high visibility, permanent archiving, article-level Metrics and immediately citable content by assigning a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) to all preprints.

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For more information, please visit Preprints.org.

We are pleased to announce the launch of a new initiative—the MDPI Special Issue Mentor Program.

This program will enable early career researchers (who must hold a Ph.D. in a related field) to experience editing a Special Issue in MDPI journals, under the mentorship of our experienced Editorial Board Members or other experienced scientists. The mentor program will provide an excellent opportunity for early career scientists to gain editorial experience, and to cultivate their ability to edit scientific research.

The mentee’s responsibilities include:

• Proposing a Special Issue title and assisting the mentor in preparing a summary (around 200–400 words) and 3–10 keywords describing the background, importance, and goal of the Issue;
• Writing a brief promotion plan for the Special Issue;
• Preparing a list of scholars who may be interested in the Issue and personally e-mailing invitations on behalf of Guest Editors;
• Writing an editorial for the online Special Issue together with the mentor.

The mentor’s responsibilities include:

• Conducting a final check before the Special Issue is published online;
• Performing editorial control of the Special Issue and quality control of the publications, both of which must be carried out in a timely manner;
• Providing suggestions to younger scholars if they have any doubts or concerns regarding submissions;
• Organizing video calls with young scholars and the Editorial Office regularly to discuss problems and improvement suggestions for the Special Issue;
• Making and submitting decisions regarding submissions with the assistance of mentees.

Certificates and awards:
After the Special Issue closes, the Editorial Office will provide official certificates for all the mentors and early career researchers.

If you are interested in this opportunity, please send your Special Issue proposal to the Editorial Office of a journal you choose, and we will discuss the process (i.e., mentor collaboration, Special Issue topic feasibility analysis, etc.) in further detail. The full list of MDPI journals is as follows: https://www.mdpi.com/about/journals.

In addition to the new Special Issue Mentor Program, we will continue to welcome all Special Issue proposals focusing on hot research topics.

MDPI has just become the first open access (OA) publisher to reach the milestone of one million articles published. That is one million articles freely available to all, to circulate and build upon! We are proud to share this special moment with the global scientific community.

This landmark has been reached thanks to the immeasurable support of more than 600,000 expert reviewers, 66,000 editorial board members and 6700 hard-working colleagues across MDPI’s global offices.

Within more than 25 years of publishing, our journals received 2.1 million manuscripts and generated 4.6 million peer review reports to get to one million papers published.

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A new policy announced by the US administration in August 2022 requires that, as of January 2026, all US federally funded research be made freely and immediately available after publication. While the new policy does not mandate articles be published under an open access license, it is aligned with the open access movement in removing all barriers to research. Similarly, some of the most advanced research institutions in the world intend to have all funded research articles published in open access by 2025.

MDPI is proud to be the leading agent of the transition to open access.

"Thanks a Million" to all the contributors!

Minerals (ISSN: 2075-163X) is now recruiting Editorial Board Members (EBMs) for the Section “Biomineralization and Biominerals”. We would like to invite active scientific researchers to become involved in our Section as Editorial Board Members. You can find out more about the existing Editorial Board Members by visiting the following link: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/minerals/sectioneditors/Biomineralization_Biominerals.

Minerals is indexed by Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE) with an Impact Factor of 2.818 (2021). The “Biomineralization and Biominerals” Section provides an advanced forum for studies related to all aspects of the structure and the composition of mineral and organic components of plants, fungi, algae, vertebrates and invertebrates. Our aim is to encourage scientists to publish their experimental and theoretical results in as much detail as possible. There is no restriction on the length of papers.

If you are interested or would like to recommend potential candidates or request further information, please send your resume to our Editorial Office (minerals@mdpi.com).

Minerals (ISSN: 2075-163X) is now recruiting Editorial Board Members (EBMs) for the Section “Mineral Exploration Methods and Applications”. We would like to invite active scientific researchers to become involved in our Section as Editorial Board Members. You can find out more about the existing Editorial Board Members by visiting the following link: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/minerals/sectioneditors/Mineral_Exploration_Methods_Applications.

Minerals is indexed by Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE) with an Impact Factor of 2.818 (2021). The “Mineral Exploration Methods and Applications” Section provides an advanced forum for studies related to all aspects of mineral resources, including geological, geophysical, geochemical methods, and satellite imagery. Our aim is to encourage scientists to publish their experimental and theoretical results in as much detail as possible. There is no restriction on the length of papers.

If you are interested or would like to recommend potential candidates or request further information, please send your resume to our Editorial Office (minerals@mdpi.com).

We are pleased to announce that the website of the MDPI Sustainability Foundation has been revamped! For the past couple of months, our UX UI team and front-end developers have been working hard to launch the website in time for the opening of the Sustainability Awards nominations.

The website is not the only thing that has had a remodeling. Indeed, the format of the Emerging Sustainability Leader Award (ESLA) has been updated. ESLA is now a competition open to individual researchers or start-ups founded by researchers under the age of 35. Nominee applications will go through 2 rounds of selection until the final 3 are decided. The finalists will then be invited to give pitch presentations during the Award Ceremony to win either first place (10,000 USD) or runner-up (2 x 5000 USD).

The World Sustainability Award, on the other hand, remains the same: a total prize money of 100,000 USD is up for grabs by senior individual researchers or groups of researchers from the international research community.

Nominations for both the World Sustainability Award and the Emerging Sustainability Leader award are now open! Check out our new website for more information on how to nominate.

Minerals (ISSN: 2075-163X) has launched the “Biomineralization and Biominerals” Section. Biominerals are natural organo-mineral biocomposites. There are unresolved questions about the factors that control their formation and growth in tests, shells, and skeletons, in addition to how some diseases modify their properties. The field covered by the “Biomineralization and Biominerals” Section extends from the structure to the composition of mineral and organic components of plants, fungi, algae, vertebrates, and invertebrates. Methods for characterization at the macro, micro, nano, and atomic levels of biominerals are included. Contributions from a broad community working on fundamental research and/or applications in biology, medicine, inspired biomaterials, evolution, diagenesis, etc., based on modern and ancient (fossil) biominerals, are expected.

We are pleased to invite you to read papers from the Editor’s Choice Articles in 2021. We have carefully curated a list of high-quality articles from the “Biomineralization and Biominerals” Section below:

“A Study of Thermal Stability of Hydroxyapatite”
by Natalia V. Bulina, Svetlana V. Makarova, Sergey G. Baev, Alexander A. Matvienko, Konstantin B. Gerasimov, Olga A. Logutenko and Vladimir S. Bystrov
Minerals 2021, 11(12), 1310; https://doi.org/10.3390/min11121310
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/11/12/1310

“Complex Biomineralization Pathways of the Belemnite Rostrum Cause Biased Paleotemperature Estimates”
by René Hoffmann, Benjamin J. Linzmeier, Kouki Kitajima, Gernot Nehrke, Martin Dietzel, Niels Jöns, Kevin Stevens and Adrian Immenhauser
Minerals 2021, 11(12), 1406; https://doi.org/10.3390/min11121406
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/11/12/1406

“First Report of Small Shelly Fossils from the Cambrian Miaolingian Limestones (Zhangxia and Hsuzhuang Formations) in Yiyang County, Henan Province of North China”
by Yazhou Hu, Lars E. Holmer, Yue Liang, Xiaolin Duan and Zhifei Zhang
Minerals 2021, 11(10), 1104; https://doi.org/10.3390/min11101104
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/11/10/1104

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the research groups that submitted these exceptional papers for their contributions to Minerals. We would appreciate it if you would circulate this document among your colleagues or through your network. Additionally, we look forward to our collaboration through the following means:

Submitting a manuscript:
You can submit your work directly via the following link: https://susy.mdpi.com/user/manuscripts/upload?journal=minerals.

Launching a Special Issue:
You can propose hot topics and edit a Special Issue together with a couple of outstanding experts via the following link: https://www.mdpi.com/journalproposal/sendproposalspecialissue/minerals.

Joining the Editorial Board:
If you are an active researcher in the field of clays and engineered mineral materials, and are interested in joining the Editorial Board, please do not hesitate to get in touch (minerals@mdpi.com).

Minerals Editorial Office

Minerals (ISSN: 2075-163X) has launched the “Mineral Exploration Methods and Applications” Section. The Section aims at publishing high-quality original research papers and critical reviews featuring the fundamental aspects and industrial applications in the field of mineral resources, including geological, geophysical, and geochemical methods, as well as satellite imagery. We invite contributions on historical, technical, and practical aspects of the exploration for mineral deposits. The papers should either focus on a novel methodology of mineral exploration or present case studies where established or innovative techniques were successfully used. In addition, we welcome contributions providing new insights into the foundations of geological, geophysical, and geochemical methods. The publications can be dedicated to field procedures and analytical techniques of geochemical exploration methods. Novel methods of gravity, magnetic, electromagnetic, radiometric, and seismic prospecting, in addition to their integration, including mathematical aspects of data processing and interpretation, as well as studies on remote sensing and geographic information systems in mineral exploration, are welcome. Airborne, ground, and borehole methods could be presented. We also encourage the submission of papers that report rock sample studies required for mineral exploration and propose new physical, chemical, and mineralogical techniques for identifying mineral targets.

We are pleased to present the 2021 Editor’s Choice Articles, a carefully curated list of high-quality articles from “Mineral Exploration Methods and Applications” listed below:

• “Systematic Review of Machine Learning Applications in Mining: Exploration, Exploitation, and Reclamation”
  by Dahee Jung and Yosoon Choi
  Minerals 2021, 11(2), 148; https://doi.org/10.3390/min11020148
  Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/11/2/148

• “Amp-TB2: An Updated Model for Calcic Amphibole Thermobarometry”
  by Filippo Ridolfi
  Minerals 2021, 11(3), 324; https://doi.org/10.3390/min11030324
  Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/11/3/324

• “Shear-Related Gold Ores in the Wadi Hodein Shear Belt, South Eastern Desert of Egypt: Analysis of Remote Sensing, Field and Structural Data”
  by Mohamed Abd El-Wahed, Basem Zoheir, Amin Beiranvand Pour and Samir Kamh
  Minerals 2021, 11(5), 474; https://doi.org/10.3390/min11050474
  Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/11/5/474

• “Evolution of Pyrite Compositions at the Sizhuang Gold Deposit, Jiaodong Peninsula, Eastern China: Implications for the Genesis of Jiaodong-Type Orogenic Gold Mineralization”
  by Zhankun Liu, Xiancheng Mao, Andrew Jedemann, Richard C. Bayless, Hao Deng, Jin Chen and Keyan Xiao
  Minerals 2021, 11(4), 344; https://doi.org/10.3390/min11040344
  Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/11/4/344

• “REEs in the North Africa P-Bearing Deposits, Paleoenvironments, and Economic Perspectives: A Review”
  by Roberto Buccione, Rabah Kechiched, Giovanni Mongelli and Rosa Sinisi
  Minerals 2021, 11(2), 214; https://doi.org/10.3390/min11020214
  Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/11/2/214

• “Multisource Data Analysis for Gold Potentiality Mapping of Atalla Area and Its Environs, Central Eastern Desert, Egypt”
  by Ali Shebl, Mahmoud Abdellatif, Sayed O. Elkhateeb and Árpád Csámer
  Minerals 2021, 11(6), 641; https://doi.org/10.3390/min11060641
  Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/11/6/641

• “Recovering Magnetization of Rock Formations by Jointly Inverting Airborne Gravity Gradiometry and Total Magnetic Intensity Data”
  by Michael Jorgensen and Michael S. Zhdanov
  Minerals 2021, 11(4), 366; https://doi.org/10.3390/min11040366
  Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/11/4/366

• “Ocean-Floor Sediments as a Resource of Rare Earth Elements: An Overview of Recently Studied Sites”
  by Jelena Milinovic, Francisco J. L. Rodrigues, Fernando J. A. S. Barriga and Bramley J. Murton
  Minerals 2021, 11(2), 142; https://doi.org/10.3390/min11020142
  Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/11/2/142

• “The Development History and Latest Progress of Deep-Sea Polymetallic Nodule Mining Technology”
  by Yajuan Kang and Shaojun Liu
  Minerals 2021, 11(10), 1132; https://doi.org/10.3390/min11101132
  Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/11/10/1132

• “Lithium Potential Mapping Using Artificial Neural Networks: A Case Study from Central Portugal”
  by Martin Köhler, Delira Hanelli, Stefan Schaefer, Andreas Barth, Andreas Knobloch, Peggy Hielscher, Joana Cardoso-Fernandes, Alexandre Lima and Ana C. Teodoro
  Minerals 2021, 11(10), 1046; https://doi.org/10.3390/min11101046
  Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/11/10/1046

• “ECORE: A New Fast Automated Quantitative Mineral and Elemental Core Scanner”
  by Marie-Chloé Michaud Paradis, François R. Doucet, Kheireddine Rifai, Lütfü Ç. Özcan, Nawfel Azami and François Vidal
  Minerals 2021, 11(8), 859; https://doi.org/10.3390/min11080859
  Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/11/8/859

• “A Geological-Geophysical Prospecting Model for Deep-Seated Gold Deposits in the Jiaodong Peninsula, China”
  by Mingchun Song, Guoqiang Xue, Hongbo Liu, Yixin Li, Chunyan He, Hongjun Wang, Bin Wang, Yingxin Song and Shiyong Li
  Minerals 2021, 11(12), 1393; https://doi.org/10.3390/min11121393
  Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/11/12/1393

• “X-ray Fluorescence and Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy Analysis of Li-Rich Minerals in Veins from Argemela Tin Mine, Central Portugal”
  by Ricardo Ribeiro, Diana Capela, Miguel Ferreira, Rui Martins, Pedro Jorge, Diana Guimarães and Alexandre Lima
  Minerals 2021, 11(11), 1169; https://doi.org/10.3390/min11111169
  Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/11/11/1169

• “Detection of Rare Earth Elements in Minerals and Soils by Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) Using Interval PLS”
  by Nina Rethfeldt, Pia Brinkmann, Daniel Riebe, Toralf Beitz, Nicole Köllner, Uwe Altenberger and Hans-Gerd Löhmannsröben
  Minerals 2021, 11(12), 1379; https://doi.org/10.3390/min11121379
  Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/11/12/1379

• “Multisource Seismic Full Waveform Inversion of Metal Ore Bodies”
  by Fengjiao Zhang, Pan Zhang, Zhuo Xu, Xiangbo Gong and Liguo Han
  Minerals 2022, 12(1), 4; https://doi.org/10.3390/min12010004
  Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/12/1/4

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the research groups that submitted to Minerals (ISSN: 2075-163X). We would appreciate it if you would circulate this document among your colleagues and network. Furthermore, the following opportunities for collaboration may be of interest:

Submitting a manuscript:
This Section is currently open for submissions. Papers may be submitted via the following link: https://susy.mdpi.com/user/manuscripts/upload?journal=minerals.

Launching a Special Issue:
You have the opportunity to propose hot topics and edit a Special Issue together with experts in the field: https://www.mdpi.com/journalproposal/sendproposalspecialissue/minerals.

Joining the Editorial Board:
If you are an active researcher in the field of mineral processing and extractive metallurgy and are interested in joining the Editorial Board, please do not hesitate to get in touch (minerals@mdpi.com).

Minerals Editorial Office

Minerals (ISSN: 2075-163X) has launched the “Environmental Mineralogy and Biogeochemistry” Section. This Section covers various interactions of minerals with their environments and ecosystems. These include the contact of minerals with the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere in natural and engineered systems, leading to mineral formation, alteration, and solubilization. Examples of relevant application areas are natural processes such as weathering, the biogeochemical cycling of elements and sedimentation, as well as contamination and related risk analysis. Moreover, engineering applications, such as CO₂ sequestration, bioleaching, geoengineering, remediation, and waste management, are also considered.

We are pleased to present the 2021 Editor’s Choice Articles, a carefully curated list of high-quality articles from the “Environmental Mineralogy and Biogeochemistry” Section:

• “Geoecological Zonation of Revegetation Enhances Biodiversity at Historic Mine Sites, Southern New Zealand”
  by Dave Craw et al.
  Minerals 2021, 11(2), 181; https://doi.org/10.3390/min11020181
  Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/11/2/181

• “UAS-Based Hyperspectral Environmental Monitoring of Acid Mine Drainage Affected Waters”
  by Hernan Flores et al.
  Minerals 2021, 11(2), 182; https://doi.org/10.3390/min11020182
  Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/11/2/182

• “Active Treatment of Contaminants of Emerging Concern in Cold Mine Water Using Advanced Oxidation and Membrane-Related Processes: A Review”
  by Sébastien Ryskie et al.
  Minerals 2021, 11(3), 259; https://doi.org/10.3390/min11030259
  Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/11/3/259

• “Prediction of Postflotation Tailings Behavior in a Large Storage Facility”
  by Magdalena Wróżyńska
  Minerals 2021, 11(4), 362; https://doi.org/10.3390/min11040362
  Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/11/4/362

• “Complexity of Respirable Dust Found in Mining Operations as Characterized by X-ray Diffraction and FTIR Analysis”
  by Rachel L. T. Walker et al.
  Minerals 2021, 11(4), 383; https://doi.org/10.3390/min11040383
  Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/11/4/383

• “A Petrographic Investigation of the Carboniferous Sequence from the Ibbenbüren Mine: Tracing the Origin of the Coal Mine Drainage”
  by Diego Bedoya-Gonzalez et al.
  Minerals 2021, 11(5), 483; https://doi.org/10.3390/min11050483
  Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/11/5/483

• “Growth Interruptions in Arctic Rhodoliths Correspond to Water Depth and Rhodolith Morphology”
  by Moritz Schlüter et al.
  Minerals 2021, 11(5), 538; https://doi.org/10.3390/min11050538
  Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/11/5/538

• “Thermal-Hydrological-Chemical Modeling of a Covered Waste Rock Pile in a Permafrost Region”
  by Xueying Yi et al.
  Minerals 2021, 11(6), 565; https://doi.org/10.3390/min11060565
  Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/11/6/565

• “Paleoenvironment of the Lower–Middle Cambrian Evaporite Series in the Tarim Basin and Its Impact on the Organic Matter Enrichment of Shallow Water Source Rocks”
  by Mingyang Wei et al.
  Minerals 2021, 11(7), 659; https://doi.org/10.3390/min11070659
  Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/11/7/659

• “Acid Mine Drainage Sources and Impact on Groundwater at the Osarizawa Mine, Japan”
  by Naoto Nishimoto et al.
  Minerals 2021, 11(9), 998; https://doi.org/10.3390/min11090998
  Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/11/9/998

• “Phosphate Rocks: A Review of Sedimentary and Igneous Occurrences in Morocco”
  by Radouan El Bamiki et al.
  Minerals 2021, 11(10), 1137; https://doi.org/10.3390/min11101137
  Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/11/10/1137

• “Improvement in pH and Total Iron Concentration of Acid Mine Drainage after Backfilling: A Case Study of an Underground Abandoned Mine in Japan”
  by Kohei Yamaguchi et al.
  Minerals 2021, 11(11), 1297; https://doi.org/10.3390/min11111297
  Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/11/11/1297

• “Interaction between Microbes, Minerals, and Fluids in Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Systems”
  by Shamik Dasgupta et al.
  Minerals 2021, 11(12), 1324; https://doi.org/10.3390/min11121324
  Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/11/12/1324

• “The Role of Microorganisms in the Formation, Dissolution, and Transformation of Secondary Minerals in Mine Rock and Drainage: A Review”
  by Jose Eric Ortiz-Castillo et al.
  Minerals 2021, 11(12), 1349; https://doi.org/10.3390/min11121349
  Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/11/12/1349

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the research groups that submitted to Minerals (ISSN: 2075-163X). We would appreciate it if you would circulate this document among your colleagues and network. Furthermore, the following opportunities for collaboration may be of interest:

Submitting a manuscript:
This Section is currently open for submissions. Papers may be submitted via the following link: https://susy.mdpi.com/user/manuscripts/upload?journal=minerals.

Launching a Special Issue:
You have the opportunity to propose hot topics and edit a Special Issue together with experts in the field.

Joining the Editorial Board:
If you are an active researcher in the field of environmental mineralogy and biogeochemistry, and are interested in joining the Editorial Board, please do not hesitate to get in touch (minerals@mdpi.com).

Minerals (ISSN: 2075-163X) has launched the Section “Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy”. This Section aims to publish high-quality original research papers and critical reviews featuring the fundamental aspects and industrial applications in the field of processing and extractive metallurgy of primary and secondary resources. This includes but is not limited to physical (i.e., comminution; classification; sorting; gravity, magnetic and electric concentration; froth flotation, coagulation, flocculation, oil agglomeration) and chemical (i.e., hydro-, pyro-, bio-metallurgy; solvent extraction; electro-winning) separation methods as well as advanced analytical techniques, applied mineralogy, process design, and modeling. Environmental aspects of mineral processing are also covered.

We are pleased to present the 2021 Editor’s Choice Articles, a carefully curated list of high-quality articles from the “Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy” Section:

• “Specific Refractory Gold Flotation and Bio-Oxidation Products: Research Overview”
  by Richmond K. Asamoah
  Minerals 2021, 11(1), 93; https://doi.org/10.3390/min11010093
  Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/11/1/93

• “Viscosity and Strength Properties of Cemented Tailings Backfill with Fly Ash and Its Strength Predicted”
  by Jie Wang et al.
  Minerals 2021, 11(1), 78; https://doi.org/10.3390/min11010078
  Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/11/1/78

• “Creation of Backfill Materials Based on Industrial Waste”
  by Jarosław Rybak et al.
  Minerals 2021, 11(7), 739; https://doi.org/10.3390/min11070739
  Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/11/7/739

• “Beneficiation of Low-Grade Rare Earth Ore from Khalzan Buregtei Deposit (Mongolia) by Magnetic Separation”
  by Ilhwan Park et al.
  Minerals 2021, 11(12), 1432; https://doi.org/10.3390/min11121432
  Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/11/12/1432

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all the research groups that submitted to Minerals (ISSN: 2075-163X). We would appreciate it if you could circulate this document among your colleagues and network. Furthermore, the following opportunities for collaboration may be of interest:

Submitting a manuscript:
This Section is currently open for submissions. Papers may be submitted via the following link: https://susy.mdpi.com/user/manuscripts/upload?journal=minerals.

Launching a Special Issue:
You have the opportunity to propose hot topics and edit a Special Issue together with experts in the field.

Joining the Editorial Board:
If you are an active researcher in the field of mineral processing and extractive metallurgy and are interested in joining the Editorial Board, please do not hesitate to get in touch (minerals@mdpi.com).

Minerals Editorial Office

Minerals (ISSN: 2075-163X) has launched the Section “Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy”. This Section aims at publishing high-quality original research papers and critical reviews featuring the fundamental aspects and industrial applications in the field of processing and extractive metallurgy of primary and secondary resources. This includes, but is not limited to, physical (i.e., comminution; classification; sorting; gravity, magnetic and electric concentration; froth flotation, coagulation, flocculation, oil agglomeration) and chemical (i.e., hydro-, pyro-, bio-metallurgy; solvent extraction; electro-winning) separation methods as well as advanced analytical techniques, applied mineralogy, process design and modelling. Environmental aspects of mineral processing are also covered.

We are pleased to present the 2022 Editor’s Choice Articles, a carefully curated list of high-quality articles from the “Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy” Section:

• “Characterization of Macro Mechanical Properties and Microstructures of Cement-Based Composites Prepared from Fly Ash, Gypsum and Steel Slag”
  by Jiajian Li et al.
  Minerals 2022, 12(1), 6; https://doi.org/10.3390/min12010006
  Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/12/1/6

• “Accessing Metals from Low-Grade Ores and the Environmental Impact Considerations: A Review of the Perspectives of Conventional versus Bioleaching Strategies”
  by Rosina Nkuna et al.
  Minerals 2022, 12(5), 506; https://doi.org/10.3390/min12050506
  Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/12/5/506

• “Analysis and Optimization of Grinding Performance of Vertical Roller Mill Based on Experimental Method”
  by Chang Liu et al.
  Minerals 2022, 12(2), 133; https://doi.org/10.3390/min12020133
  Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/12/2/133

• “Review on the Development and Utilization of Ionic Rare Earth Ore”
  by Xianping Luo et al.
  Minerals 2022, 12(5), 554; https://doi.org/10.3390/min12050554
  Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/12/5/554

• “Ionic Liquids for the Selective Solvent Extraction of Lithium from Aqueous Solutions: A Theoretical Selection Using COSMO-RS”
  by Felipe Olea et al.
  Minerals 2022, 12(2), 190; https://doi.org/10.3390/min12020190
  Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/12/2/190

• “Industry Scale Optimization: Hammer Crusher and DEM Simulations”
  by Błażej Doroszuk et al.
  Minerals 2022, 12(2), 244; https://doi.org/10.3390/min12020244
  Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/12/2/244

• “Digitalization Solutions in the Mineral Processing Industry: The Case of GTK Mintec, Finland”
  by Alona Nad et al.
  Minerals 2022, 12(2), 210; https://doi.org/10.3390/min12020210
  Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/12/2/210

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all the research groups that submitted to Minerals (ISSN: 2075-163X). We would appreciate it if you could circulate this document among your colleagues and network. Furthermore, the following opportunities for collaboration may be of interest:

Submitting a manuscript:
This Section is currently open for submissions. Papers may be submitted via the following link: https://susy.mdpi.com/user/manuscripts/upload?journal=minerals.

Launching a Special Issue:
You have the opportunity to propose hot topics and edit a Special Issue together with experts in the field.

Joining the Editorial Board:
If you are an active researcher in the field of mineral processing and extractive metallurgy and are interested in joining the Editorial Board, please do not hesitate to get in touch (minerals@mdpi.com).

Minerals Editorial Office

Minerals (ISSN: 2075-163X) has launched the Section “Mineral Geochemistry and Geochronology”. This Section invites contributions that focus on all areas relating to the investigation of the chemical composition of minerals, radiometric age dating of minerals, and characterization of geologic, environmental, and anthropogenic samples. We seek studies that will provide new insights into the conditions of mineral formation/paragenesis at various temperature and pressure regimes, including interactions of minerals with the geosphere (lithosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere). Studies may use novel or standard analytical, imaging, diffraction, microscopic, spectroscopic, synchrotron, and computer modeling techniques. Geochronological investigations reporting novel age determinations for various minerals and bulk samples or breakthroughs in analytical methods are welcome; these may employ various analytical methods and instrumentation (HR-ICP−MS, MC-ICP−MS, quadrupole ICP−MS, SIMS, and TIMS). We also encourage the submission of studies reporting multi-laboratory, round robin investigations, and those that propose new standard reference materials that improve the accuracy and precision of trace element data and age determinations.

We are pleased to present the 2021 Editor’s Choice Articles, a carefully curated list of high-quality articles from “Mineral Geochemistry and Geochronology”:

“Low-Temperature Chlorite Geothermometry and Related Recent Analytical Advances: A Review”
by Franck Bourdelle
Minerals 2021, 11(2), 130; https://doi.org/10.3390/min11020130
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/11/2/130

“Soil Biochemical Indicators and Biological Fertility in Agricultural Soils: A Case Study from Northern Italy”
by Livia Vittori Antisari et al.
Minerals 2021, 11(2), 219; https://doi.org/10.3390/min11020219
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/11/2/219

“Theoretical Study on Thermal Release of Helium-3 in Lunar Ilmenite”
by Hongqing Song et al.
Minerals 2021, 11(3), 319; https://doi.org/10.3390/min11030319
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/11/3/319

“Thermodynamic Constraints on Smectite and Iron Oxide Formation at Gale Crater, Mars: Insights into Potential Free Energy from Aerobic Fe Oxidation in Lake Water–Groundwater Mixing Zone”
by Sakiko Kikuchi et al.
Minerals 2021, 11(4), 341; https://doi.org/10.3390/min11040341
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/11/4/341

“Numerical Modelling of Radiogenic Ingrowth and Diffusion of Pb in Apatite Inclusions with Variable Shape and U-Th Zonation”
by Daniil V. Popov et al.
Minerals 2021, 11(4), 364; https://doi.org/10.3390/min11040364
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/11/4/364

“Geochemical Occurrence of Rare Earth Elements in Mining Waste and Mine Water: A Review”
by Konstantina Pyrgaki et al.
Minerals 2021, 11(8), 860; https://doi.org/10.3390/min11080860
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/11/8/860

“Merging Perspectives on Secondary Minerals on Mars: A Review of Ancient Water-Rock Interactions in Gale Crater Inferred from Orbital and In-Situ Observations”
by Rachel Y. Sheppard et al.
Minerals 2021, 11(9), 986; https://doi.org/10.3390/min11090986
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/11/9/986

“Wildfires as a Weathering Agent of Carbonate Rocks”
by Nurit Shtober-Zisu et al.
Minerals 2021, 11(10), 1091; https://doi.org/10.3390/min11101091
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/11/10/1091

“A Crystal Mush Perspective Explains Magma Variability at La Fossa Volcano (Vulcano, Italy)”
by Simone Costa et al.
Minerals 2021, 11(10), 1094; https://doi.org/10.3390/min11101094
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/11/10/1094

“Apatite U-Pb Thermochronology: A Review”
by David M. Chew et al.
Minerals 2021, 11(10), 1095; https://doi.org/10.3390/min11101095
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/11/10/1095

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all the research groups that submitted to Minerals (ISSN: 2075-163X). We would appreciate it if you would circulate this document among your colleagues and network. Furthermore, the following opportunities for collaboration may be of interest:

Submitting a manuscript:
This Section is currently open for submissions. Papers may be submitted via the following link: https://susy.mdpi.com/user/manuscripts/upload?journal=minerals;

Launching a Special Issue:
You have the opportunity to propose hot topics and edit a Special Issue together with experts in the field: https://www.mdpi.com/journalproposal/sendproposalspecialissue/minerals;

Joining the Editorial Board:
If you are an active researcher in the field of clays and engineered mineral materials and are interested in joining the Editorial Board, please do not hesitate to get in touch (minerals@mdpi.com).

Peer Review Week began 19 September 2022 under the theme of “Research Integrity: Creating and Supporting Trust in Research”. Through various blog articles, podcast, and webinar, we discussed this crucial subject throughout the week, celebrating the essential role peer review plays in maintaining research quality.

To begin, we held a Webinar on the topic. Professor Peter W. Choate and Dr. Emmanuel Obeng-Gyasi joined Dr. Ioana Craciun, one of MDPI’s scientific officers, for an in-depth discussion.

We invite you to view the event recording:

During the week, the MDPI Blog in a series articles highlighted how good Peer Review safeguards research integrity. The following topics were covered:

• Peer Review Week 2022
• Research Integrity
• What We’ve Learned About Peer Review Reports
• 4 Steps to the Perfect Peer Review Report
• How to Write the Perfect Peer Review Report: An Interview
• Inviting Great Peer Reviewers

In a new edition of Insight Faster, an MDPI podcast, we were delighted to talk to the co-chairs of the Peer Review Week committee, Jayashree Rajagopalan (Senior Manager of Global Community Engagement for CACTUS) and Danielle Padula (Head of Marketing and Community Development at Scholastica) to get their take on this year’s event and its related topics.

You can find the Podcast here.

We hope you enjoy the contents!

Minerals (ISSN: 2075-163X) has launched the Section “Clays and Engineered Mineral Materials”. This Section covers various aspects of the mineralogy, geochemistry, and genesis of natural clay materials and other associated industrial minerals, with an additional interest in experimental and theoretical research on the structure, properties, and applications of broadly described natural and engineered layered and nanoporous minerals, including clays, layered double hydroxides (LDHs), zeolites, cementitious phases, and other related mineral materials. The Section focuses on linking together their detailed characterization using various diffraction, scattering, and spectroscopic techniques (X-ray, neutron, NMR, IR, Raman, AFM, etc.), computational multiscale modeling of their properties, and their diverse applications in geological and technological settings, such as mineral weathering, geological disposal of chemical and radioactive wastes, geological carbon sequestration, exploration of conventional and unconventional hydrocarbon resources, catalysis, construction, health care products, etc.

We are pleased to present the 2022 Editor’s Choice Articles, a carefully curated list of high-quality articles from “Clays and Engineered Mineral Materials”:

• “Characterisation of the Hydration Products of a Chemically and Mechanically Activated High Coal Fly Ash Hybrid Cement”
  by Grizelda du Toit et al.
  Minerals 2022, 12(2), 157; https://doi.org/10.3390/min12020157
  Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/12/2/157

• “Fabrication of Hydrotalcite-like Copper Hydroxyl Salts as a Photocatalyst and Adsorbent for Hexavalent Chromium Removal”
  by Chitiphon Chuaicham et al.
  Minerals 2022, 12(2), 182; https://doi.org/10.3390/min12020182
  Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/12/2/182

• “Lime and Cement Plasters from 20th Century Buildings: Raw Materials and Relations between Mineralogical–Petrographic Characteristics and Chemical–Physical Compatibility with the Limestone Substrate”
  by Stefano Columbu et al.
  Minerals 2022, 12(2), 226; https://doi.org/10.3390/min12020226
  Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/12/2/226

• “Preparation and Swelling Inhibition of Mixed Metal Hydroxide to Bentonite Clay”
  by Bowen Zhang et al.
  Minerals 2022, 12(4), 459; https://doi.org/10.3390/min12040459 
  Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/12/4/459

• “Molecular Dynamics Simulation and Cryo-Electron Microscopy Investigation of AOT Surfactant Structure at the Hydrated Mica Surface”
  by Daniel M. Long et al.
  Minerals 2022, 12(4), 479; https://doi.org/10.3390/min12040479
  Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/12/4/479

• “Effect of Structural Fe Reduction on Water Sorption by Swelling and Non-Swelling Clay Mineral”
  by Christos Vasilopanagos et al.
  Minerals 2022, 12(4), 453; https://doi.org/10.3390/min12040453
  Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/12/4/453

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all the research groups that submitted to Minerals (ISSN: 2075-163X). We would appreciate it if you would circulate this document among your colleagues and network. Furthermore, the following opportunities for collaboration may be of interest:

• Submitting a manuscript:
  This Section is currently open for submissions. Papers may be submitted via the following link: https://susy.mdpi.com/user/manuscripts/upload?journal=minerals;

• Launching a Special Issue:
  You have the opportunity to propose hot topics and edit a Special Issue together with experts in the field: https://www.mdpi.com/journalproposal/sendproposalspecialissue/minerals;

• Joining the Editorial Board:
  If you are an active researcher in the field of clays and engineered mineral materials and are interested in joining the Editorial Board, please do not hesitate to get in touch (minerals@mdpi.com).

Minerals Editorial Office

Minerals (ISSN: 2075-163X) has launched the Section “Clays and Engineered Mineral Materials” (https://www.mdpi.com/journal/minerals/sections/Clays_Engineered_Mineral_Materials). This Section covers various aspects of the mineralogy, geochemistry, and genesis of natural clay materials and other associated industrial minerals, with an additional interest in experimental and theoretical research on the structure, properties, and applications of broadly described natural and engineered layered and nanoporous minerals, including clays, layered double hydroxides (LDHs), zeolites, cementitious phases, and other related mineral materials. The Section focuses on linking together their detailed characterization using various diffraction, scattering, and spectroscopic techniques (X-ray, neutron, NMR, IR, Raman, AFM, etc.), computational multiscale modeling of their properties, and their diverse applications in geological and technological settings, such as mineral weathering, geological disposal of chemical and radioactive wastes, geological carbon sequestration, exploration of conventional and unconventional hydrocarbon resources, catalysis, construction, health care products, etc.

We are pleased to present the 2021 Editor’s Choice Articles, a carefully curated list of high-quality articles from “Clays and Engineered Mineral Materials”:

• “Fabrication of Adsorbed Fe(III) and Structurally Doped Fe(III) in Montmorillonite/TiO₂ Composite for Photocatalytic Degradation of Phenol”
  by Li Zhang et al.
  Minerals 2021, 11(12), 1381; https://doi.org/10.3390/min11121381
  Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/11/12/1381

• “Contamination Alters the Physicochemical and Textural Characteristics of Clays in the Sediments of the Peri Urban Reconquista River, Affecting the Associated Indigenous Microorganisms”
  by Ana E. Tufo et al.
  Minerals 2021, 11(3), 242; https://doi.org/10.3390/min11030242
  Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/11/3/242

• “Freeze–Thaw Damage Model of Polypropylene Fiber Reinforced Cement Stabilized Waste Construction Slurry under Uniaxial Action”
  by Ping Jiang et al.
  Minerals 2021, 11(7), 743; https://doi.org/10.3390/min11070743
  Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/11/7/743

• “Strength Characteristics of Clay–Rubber Waste Mixtures in Low-Frequency Cyclic Triaxial Tests”
  by Małgorzata Jastrzębska et al.
  Minerals 2021, 11(3), 315; https://doi.org/10.3390/min11030315
  Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/11/3/315

• “The Binding of Phosphorus Species at Goethite: A Joint Experimental and Theoretical Study”
  by Prasanth B. Ganta et al.
  Minerals 2021, 11(3), 323; https://doi.org/10.3390/min11030323
  Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/11/3/323

• “Adsorption of Pharmaceuticals onto Smectite Clay Minerals: A Combined Experimental and Theoretical Study”
  by Gwenaëlle Corbin et al.
  Minerals 2021, 11(1), 62; https://doi.org/10.3390/min11010062
  Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/11/1/62

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all the research groups that submitted to Minerals. We would appreciate it if you would circulate this document among your colleagues and network.

• Submitting a manuscript:
  This Section is currently open for submissions. Papers may be submitted via the following link: https://susy.mdpi.com/user/manuscripts/upload?journal=minerals;
• Launching a Special Issue:
  You have the opportunity to propose hot topics and edit a Special Issue together with experts in the field:
  https://www.mdpi.com/journalproposal/sendproposalspecialissue/minerals;
• Joining the Editorial Board:
  If you are an active researcher in the field of clays and engineered mineral materials and are interested in joining the Editorial Board, please do not hesitate to get in touch (minerals@mdpi.com).

Minerals Editorial Office

The 2021 citation metrics have been released in the Journal Citation Reports (JCR), and we’re pleased to announce the following results for MDPI journals:

For more information on Impact Factors and what it means to index academic journals, please visit our related blog posts.

* Journals given their first Impact Factor in 2022

Source: 2021 Journal Impact Factors, Journal Citation Reports ^TM (Clarivate, 2022)

We are pleased to announce that Prof. Dr. William Skinner has been appointed Editor-in-Chief of the “Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy” Section of Minerals (ISSN 2075-163X) as of June 2022. 

Professor William (Bill) Skinner is a research professor in minerals and resource engineering at the Future Industries Institute (FII) at the University of South Australia (UniSA). He graduated from the University of Melbourne (B.Sc. 1981) and the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (Ph.D. 1991), including a period spent with the Australian Antarctic Division (1990-1992). With a background in applied physics—solid state surface science and associated spectroscopies—he has worked in minerals processing and extractive metallurgical research for 30 years at UniSA. His major focus has been on flotation, physical separation and hydrometallurgical processes, and the role of surface chemistry in beneficiation mechanisms. This has included the use of surface analytical spectroscopies (XPS, ToF-SIMS) and various synchrotron radiation techniques, coupled with close collaboration with theoretical modeling groups for the fundamental study of specific mineral surface behavior in processing environments. 

A large percentage of Professor Skinner’s research is direct, applied investigations with industry, focused on processing plant issues and solutions, via long-term, multi-company projects. This includes the flagship AMIRA P260 Flotation series of projects, which has delivered in excess of USD 1.2 billion in returns on investment through process improvements and savings. Professor Skinner has also mentored more than 50 Ph.D. students. 

Professor Skinner is currently the Deputy Director of two major national Australian Research Council (ARC) Centres—the ARC Centre for Enabling the Eco-Beneficiation of Minerals (2020–2027)  (https://coeminerals.org.au/) and the ARC Training Centre for Integrated Operations for Complex Ores (2020–2024) (https://iocr.com.au/). He has published more than 330 refereed book chapters, articles, and conference proceedings. 

The following is a short Q&A with Prof. Dr. William Skinner, who shared his vision for the journal with us, as well as his views of the research area and open access publishing: 

Minerals processing, together with the underpinning chemical and physical mechanisms involved in valuable mineral beneficiation, is quite lacking in the open access journal space. The main challenge in making this a reality is in the quality and relevance of articles that are able to contribute to impacts in the industry to meet their challenges in meeting metal demand. Being Section Editor-in-Chief of “Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy” gives me an opportunity to ensure article quality and contribute to the success of the journal and give confidence to researchers that Minerals is the first choice for publishing and exposure of their work. 

Minerals’ raised visibility in recent years opens an opportunity for it to become the leading journal—open access or otherwise—in minerals processing. Quality, through rigorous review processes and appropriate reviewer selection, is the key to elevating Minerals in the journal landscape. Quality of articles leads to enhanced relevance and citations, with associated metrics following. 

The world needs minerals and metals like never before to meet current demand and to fuel the transition to renewable energy, advanced technology, agriculture, health and infrastructure. These minerals and metals must be extracted from ever-diminishing ore grades with finer-grained, more complex mineralogy. Moreover, physical, environmental, energy and water consumption footprints must be reduced in order to acquire a license to operate a mine. Our role as researchers is to focus on the technical challenges and underlying science of achieving these goals. I would certainly hope to see many more submissions to Minerals that are closely linked to such desired outcomes. 

I fully believe that the open access model is the surest way to ensure quality research is maximally exposed to academia and industry alike. Moreover, timelines for the real implementation of processing and extractive breakthroughs will be shorter. Open access compliance is also fast becoming the norm for research funding compliance, ensuring that the outcomes of publicly funded research, for example, are freely available to the taxpayer. 

We wish Prof. Dr. William Skinner every success in his new position, and we look forward to his contributions to the journal.

MDPI’s Young Investigator Awards recognize promising junior researchers, acknowledge their contributions, and enhance communication among scientists. We are proud to present the winners for the year 2021 in the “Environmental & Earth Sciences” category. The winners were selected by the journals’ editors.

We warmly congratulate the awarded young investigators for their outstanding contributions. MDPI will continue to provide support and recognition to the academic community.

Atmosphere:

• Shaojie Song, Harvard University, USA

Clean Technologies:

• Francesco Galiano, Institute on Membrane Technology of the National Research Council, Italy

Energies:

• Qilin Wang, University of Technology Sydney, Australia
• Christopher H. T. Lee, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health:

• Grace Vincent, Central Queensland University, Australia

Minerals:

• Antony Burnham, Australian National University, Australia

Remote Sensing:

• Celso Henrique Leite Silva Junior, National Institute for Space Research – INPE, Brasil; Agricultural Engineering Department of the State University of Maranhão – UEMA, Brazil

Sustainability:

• Baojie He, Chongqing University, China

Water:

• Stefanos Giannakis, Polytechnic University of Madrid, Spain

In order to acknowledge our reviewers, who so generously dedicate their time to reviewing papers and demonstrate diligence, professionalism, and timeliness when reviewing manuscripts, MDPI journals regularly offer outstanding reviewer awards to scholars who participate in the peer-review process.

We are proud to recognize winners for the year 2021 in the “Environmental & Earth Sciences” category for their outstanding contributions among extensive competition by presenting them with an Outstanding Reviewer Award.

We would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all the winners on their achievement. MDPI will continue to provide support and recognition to the academic community.

Atmosphere:

• Hristo Chervenkov, National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology, Bulgaria
• Jouni Räisänen, University of Helsinki, Finland

Climate:

• Piotr F. Borowski, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Poland

Energies:

• Elena Lucchi, Institute for Renewable Energy, Italy
• Marcin Dębowski, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Poland
• Miroslav Variny, Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, Slovakia
• Piotr F. Borowski, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Poland
• Vedran Mrzljak, University of Rijeka, Croatia

Forests:

• Tomasz Oszako, Forest Research Institute, Poland
• Stelian Alexandru Borz, Transilvania University of Brasov, Romania
• Maricar Aguilos, North Carolina State University, USA
• Narayan Bhusal, Seoul National University, South Korea

Geosciences:

• Dave Waters, University of Oxford, UK

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health:

• Anuli Njoku, Southern Connecticut State University, USA
• Haruna Musa Moda, Manchester Metropolitan University, UK
• Jesús Molina-Mula, University of BalearicIsland, Spain
• Katharina Diehl, Friedrich-Alexander-University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany
• Katarzyna Tomaszek, Pedagogical University of Kracow, Poland
• Matteo Nioi, University of Cagliari, Italy
• Pablo A. Cantero-Garlito, Universidad de Castilla La Mancha, Spain
• Seoyong Kim, Ajou University, South Korea
• Andrzej Adamski, University of Information Technology and Management, Poland
• Adrian Curto, Faculty of Medicine, University of Salamanca, Spain
• Arkaitz Castañeda Babarro, University of Deusto, Spain
• Álvaro Francisco Lopes De Sousa, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Portugal
• Agata Gabryelska, Medical University of Lodz, Poland
• Ana Reyes Menéndez, Rey Juan Carlos University, Spain
• Bartosz Dalewski, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Poland
• Chong Chen, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan
• Carla Maria Batista Ferreira Pires, CBIOS-Universidade Lusófona de Humanidades e Tecnologias-Escola de Ciências e Tecnologias da Saúde, Portugal
• Claudia Pisanu, University of Cagliari, Italy
• Emmanuel Obeng-Gyasi, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, USA
• Faisal F. Hakeem, King’s College London, UK
• Francisco Javier Fernández Carrasco, Punta de Europa Hospital, Spain
• Haewon Byeon, Inje University, South Korea
• HuiJun Chih, Curtin University, Australia
• Jerónimo Aragón Vela, University of Granada, Spain
• Joana Costa, University of Aveiro, Portugal,
• Joanne Lloyd, University of Wolverhampton, UK
• José Luis Romero-Bejar, University of Granada, Spain
• Laura Nathans, Human Development and Family Studies, Penn State Scranton, USA
• Mateusz Jankowski, Centre of Postgraduate Medical Education, Poland
• Matteo Riccò, Azienda USL-IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, Italy
• Nicola Döring, Technische Universität Ilmenau, Germany
• Nora Suleiman-Martos, University of Granada, Spain
• Russell Kabir, Anglia Ruskin University, UK
• Roy McConkey, University of Ulster, UK
• Sunhee Kim, Ajou University, South Korea
• Sol García-Germán, Centro de Estudios e Investigación para la Gestión de Riesgos Agrarios y Medioambientalesdisabled, Spain
• Sebastian Rutkowski, Opole University of Technology, Poland
• Tamás Berki, University of Szeged, Hungary
• Terence Moriarty, University of Northern Iowa, USA
• Pedro Antonio Martín Cervantes, University of Almería, La Cañada de San Urbano, Spain

ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information:

• Lemenkova Polina, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium
• Andrew Newton, Nottingham Trent University, UK
• Dennis Edler, Ruhr University Bochum, Germany
• Lukáš Herman, Masaryk University, Czech Republic
• Marcela Bindzarova Gergelova, Technical University of Kosice, Slovakia

Land:

• Rahul Datta, Mendel University in Brno, Czech Republic
• Dirk H.R. Spennemann, Charles Sturt University, Australia
• Raimundo Jimenez-Ballesta, (Retired recently) Autonoma University of Madrid, Spain

Remote Sensing:

• Veraldo Liesenberg, Santa Catarina State University, Brazil
• Yady Tatiana Solano-Correa, University of Cauca, Colombia
• Francesco Marinello, University of Padova, Italy
• Pedro Melo-Pinto, Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Portugal
• Ignacio Bosch, Universitat Politènica de València, Spain
• Juan Soria, University of Valencia, Spain
• Chiman Kwan, Signal Processing, Inc., USA
• Benoit Vozel, University of Rennes, France
• Giuseppe Casula, National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology Unit of Bologna, Italy
• Simone Cosoli, The University of Western Australia, Australia

Resources:

• Maria Economou-Eliopoulos, University of Athens, Greece

Toxics:

• Cynthia Rider, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, USA

We are proud to recognize the winners of MDPI’s 2021 Travel Awards in the “Environmental & Earth Sciences” category for their outstanding presentations and to present them with the prize.

MDPI journals regularly offer travel awards to encourage talented junior scientists to present their latest research at academic conferences in specific fields, which helps to increase their influence.

The winners mentioned below were carefully selected by the journal editors based on an outline of their research and the work to be presented at an academic conference.

We would like to warmly congratulate the Travel Awards winners for the year 2021 and wish them the greatest success with their future research endeavors. MDPI will continue to enhance communication among scientists.

Atmosphere:

• Charbel Harb, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Tech, USA
• Jibran Khan, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark

Climate:

• Agostino Niyonkuru Meroni, Politecnico di Milano, Italy
• Platon Patlakas, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece

Energies:

• Nnaemeka Vincent Emodi, University of Tasmania, Australia
• Irene Poza-Casado, Universidad de Valladolid, Spain

Forests:

• Pipiet Larasatie, Oregon State University, USA
• Tania L. Maxwell, French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE), France

Hydrology:

• Georgia Papacharalampous, Roma Tre University, Italy
• Mattei Alexandra, University of Corsica, France

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health:

• Danila Azzolina, University of Eastern Piedmont, Italy
• Kelvin Fong, Yale University, USA
• Levi Frehlich, University of Calgary, Canada‎
• Garyfallos Konstantinoudis, Imperial College London, UK

ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information:

• Junghwan Kim, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA
• Xuke Hu, Institute of Data Science, German Aerospace Center (DLR), Germany

Land:

• Álvaro Castilla Beltrán, University of La Laguna, Spain
• Lauren Nerfa, University of Hawaiʻi, USA

Remote Sensing:

• Amen Al-Yaari, Sorbonne University, France
• Meng Lu, Utrecht University, Netherlands

Resources:

• Alessandro Lenci, University of Bologna, Italy
• Evangelia Georgantzia, Liverpool John Moores University, UK

Sustainability:

• Sayyed Rasoul Khayyam Nekouei, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Australia
• Georgia A. Papacharalampous, Roma Tre University, Italy
• Raquel Filipa da Costa Viveiros, NOVA University of Lisbon, Portugal
• Rajesh Pathak, South Dakota State University, USA

Water:

• Nnanake-Abasi Okon Offiong, University of Uyo, Nigeria
• Tonni Agustiono Kurniawan, Polytechnic of Health, Indonesia
• Shawna Andrea Foo, Arizona State University, USA

The purpose of our Best Paper Awards is to promote and recognize the most impactful contributions published within MDPI journals.

The editors of each journal carefully selected reviews and research papers through a rigorous judging process based on criteria such as the scientific merit, overall impact, and the quality of presentation of the papers published in the journal last year.

We are honored to present the winners in the subject areas of “Environmental & Earth Sciences”, who were selected amongst extensive competition, and congratulate the authors for their outstanding scientific publications.

MDPI will continue to provide support and recognition to the academic community.

Geosciences:

• “Distinguishing between Deep-Water Sediment Facies: Turbidites, Contourites and Hemipelagites”
  by Dorrik Stow and Zeinab Smillie
  Geosciences 2020, 10(2), 68. https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences10020068
• “Review of Explosive Hydrovolcanism”
  by Károly Németh and Szabolcs Kósiks
  Geosciences 2020, 10(2), 44. https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences10020044

Remote Sensing:

• “A Review on Deep Learning Techniques for 3D Sensed Data Classification”
  by David Griffiths and Jan Boehm
  Remote Sens. 2019, 11(12), 1499. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs11121499
• “Satellite Remote Sensing of Precipitation and the Terrestrial Water Cycle in a Changing Climate”
  by Vincenzo Levizzani and Elsa Cattani
  Remote Sens. 2019, 11(19), 2301. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs11192301
• “Evaluation of Different Machine Learning Methods and Deep-Learning Convolutional Neural Networks for Landslide Detection”
  by Omid Ghorbanzadeh, Thomas Blaschke, Khalil Gholamnia, Sansar Raj Meena, Dirk Tiede and Jagannath Aryal
  Remote Sens. 2019, 11(2), 196. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs11020196
• “An Integrated View of Greenland Ice Sheet Mass Changes Based on Models and Satellite Observations”
  by Ruth Mottram, Sebastian B. Simonsen, Synne Høyer Svendsen, Valentina R. Barletta, Louise Sandberg Sørensen, Thomas Nagler, Jan Wuite, Andreas Groh, Martin Horwath, Job Rosier, Anne Solgaard, Christine S. Hvidberg and Rene Forsberg
  Remote Sens. 2019, 11(12), 1407. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs11121407
• “UAV-Based High Resolution Thermal Imaging for Vegetation Monitoring, and Plant Phenotyping Using ICI 8640 P, FLIR Vue Pro R 640, and thermoMap Cameras”
  by Vasit Sagan, Maitiniyazi Maimaitijiang, Paheding Sidike, Kevin Eblimit, Kyle T. Peterson, Sean Hartling, Flavio Esposito, Kapil Khanal, Maria Newcomb, Duke Pauli, Rick Ward, Felix Fritschi, Nadia Shakoor and Todd Mockler
  Remote Sens. 2019, 11(3), 330. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs11030330

Toxics:

• “A Review of Biomonitoring of Phthalate Exposures”
  by Wang, Yu, Hongkai Zhu and Kurunthachalam Kannan
  Toxics 2019, 7(2), 21; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics7020021
• “Trace Element Uptake by Herbaceous Plants from the Soils at a Multiple Trace Element-Contaminated Site”
  by Nworie, Obinna E., Junhao Qin and Chuxia Lin
  Toxics 2019, 7(1), 3; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics7010003

Water:

• “Water Quality Indices: Challenges and Application Limits in the Literature”
  by Moez Kachroud, Fabienne Trolard, Mohamed Kefi, Sihem Jebari and Guilhem Bourrié
  Water 2019, 11(2), 361. https://doi.org/10.3390/w11020361
• “A Brief Review of Random Forests for Water Scientists and Practitioners and Their Recent History in Water Resources”
  by Hristos Tyralis, Georgia Papacharalampous and Andreas Langousis
  Water 2019, 11(5), 910. https://doi.org/10.3390/w11050910
• “The Use of Non-Conventional Water Resources as a Means of Adaptation to Drought and Climate Change in Semi-Arid Regions: South-Eastern Spain”
  by Álvaro-Francisco Morote, Jorge Olcina and María Hernández
  Water 2019, 11(1), 93. https://doi.org/10.3390/w11010093
• “Hydrological Effectiveness of an Extensive Green Roof in Mediterranean Climate” 
  by Stefania Anna Palermo, Michele Turco, Francesca Principato and Patrizia Piro
  Water 2019, 11(7), 1378. https://doi.org/10.3390/w11071378
• “Forecasting Groundwater Table in a Flood Prone Coastal City with Long Short-term Memory and Recurrent Neural Networks”
  by Benjamin D. Bowes, Jeffrey M. Sadler, Mohamed M. Morsy, Madhur Behl and Jonathan L. Goodall
  Water 2019, 11(5), 1098. https://doi.org/10.3390/w11051098
• “Effectiveness of Rainwater Harvesting Systems for Flood Reduction in Residential Urban Areas”
  by Gabriele Frenib and Lorena Liuzzo
  Water 2019, 11(7), 1389. https://doi.org/10.3390/w11071389

The 2021 citation metrics have been officially released in Scopus!

We are pleased to announce that 182 MDPI journals are included, of which:

● 21 journals received their first CiteScore.
● 85% of journals increased their CiteScore from 2020.
● 155 journals (85%) ranked above average, in at least one category.

The following 65 MDPI journals (36%) ranked among the top 25% of journals, in at least one category:

Source: 2021 CiteScores™ (Elsevier)

We are pleased to announce that Prof. Dr. Michael S. Zhdanov has been appointed Editor-in-Chief of the newly established Section “Mineral Exploration Methods and Applications” in Minerals (ISSN 2075-163X).

Prof. Dr. Michael S. Zhdanov is a Distinguished Professor of Geology and Geophysics at the Department of Geology and Geophysics at the University of Utah, USA. Since joining the University of Utah as a Full Professor in 1993, he has also been appointed the director of the Consortium for Electromagnetic Modeling and Inversion (CEMI). The CEMI consortium has been supported for almost three decades by major national and international oil, gas, and mining corporations, geophysical exploration companies and research centers, and agencies from around the globe. Prof. Dr. Zhdanov's research primarily focuses on the geophysical inverse theory and its application to exploration geophysics. He developed a fundamentally new technique of regularized focusing inversion and imaging of deep geological structures with sharp geometrical boundaries, which are the main targets in mineral exploration. Prof. Dr. Zhdanov also introduced a new approach to the joint inversion of multiphysics data based on Gramian spaces of rock physics parameters and joint minimum entropy principles. The regularized inversion methods developed by Prof. Dr. Zhdanov are widely used in geophysical applications and many other fields that require inversion of the observed data, e.g., in medical imaging, nondestructive testing, electrical engineering, meteorology, and radiophysics. The pioneering work of Prof. Dr. Zhdanov on the 3D inversion of large-scale geophysical survey data, using a moving sensitivity domain, resulted in a paradigm change in the interpretation of the airborne surveys by rigorously producing 3D images of the subsurface geology. He has published almost 20 books and over 300 peer-reviewed scientific papers in leading international journals.

The following is a short Q&A with Prof. Dr. Michael S. Zhdanov, who shared his vision for the Section with us, as well as his views of the research area:

1. What appealed to you about the journal that made you want to take the role as its Section Editor-in-Chief?

Minerals have become a widely cited journal over the recent years thanks to the excellent work of its editorial staff and the high professional level of the Editorial Board. The scientific appeal of the journal covers the topics much broader than one could expect based on the short name “Minerals”. I anticipate that having a special section dedicated to mineral exploration methods would attract more researchers and make their results freely available to a wide international audience, especially to many young researchers.

2. What is your vision for the Section?

The Section aims to attract papers related to all aspects of exploration for mineral resources, including geological, geophysical, geochemical methods, and satellite imagery. In addition, we want to invite contributions focusing on a novel mineral exploration methodology or presenting the case studies where the established or innovative techniques were successfully used. Finally, the Section may become a forum for discussing the current state of the art and recent advances in mineral exploration.

3. What does the future of this field of research look like?

The development of effective methods for mineral exploration and their practical application represents a very active and rapidly changing research field. I believe that the joint inversion and integrated interpretation of multiphysics data will play an important role in this development in the future. Our Section will welcome publications on these topics, as well as on improvements in existing methods and examples of their successful applications for mineral discoveries.

4. What do you think of the development of Open Access in the publishing field?

Open Access publications make new research results freely available online to limitless numbers of readers, thus creating an invaluable tool of modern research. Unfortunately, there are still many difficulties for the researchers, especially from developing countries, to access the publications in the major academic journals. The development of Open Access in the publishing field helps to remove these difficulties and to bring the international research community together for the common benefit. As a result, Open Access will accelerate academic and applied research progress in the world.

We are pleased to highlight several papers from academicians that have been published in Minerals (ISSN: 2075-163X) over the last two years. We invite you to read these papers, listed below.

“Molecular Modeling of Ammonia Gas Adsorption onto the Kaolinite Surface with DFT Study”
Yaolin Shi (石耀霖)
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/10/1/46

“Distribution Characteristics and Influencing Factors of Uranium Isotopes in Saline Lake Waters in the Northeast of Qaidam Basin”
R. Lawrence Edwards (艾思本)
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/10/1/74

“Effective Treatment of Acid Mine Drainage with Microbial Fuel Cells: An Emphasis on Typical Energy Substrates”
Liyuan Chai (柴立元)
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/10/5/443

“Thermodynamic Constraints on REE Mineral Paragenesis in the Bayan Obo REE-Nb-Fe Deposit, China”
Lin Ding (丁林)
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/10/6/495

“Imaging Karatungk Cu-Ni Mine in Xinjiang, Western China with a Passive Seismic Array”
Wenjiao Xiao (肖文交)
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/10/7/601

“Oxidation State of the Lithospheric Mantle Beneath Komsomolskaya–Magnitnaya Kimberlite Pipe, Upper Muna Field, Siberian Craton”
Yi-Gang Xu (徐义刚)
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/10/9/740

“Analysis and Prediction of the Thiourea Gold Leaching Process Using Grey Relational Analysis and Artificial Neural Networks”
Tao Jiang (姜涛)
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/10/9/811

“Iron Isotopes Constrain the Metal Sources of Skarn Deposits: A Case Study from the Han-Xing Fe Deposit, China”
Hongfu Zhang (张宏福)
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/10/11/951

“Thermo-Structural Evolution of the Val Malenco (Italy) Peridotite: A Petrological, Geochemical and Microstructural Study”
Zhenmin Jin (金振民)
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/10/11/962

“Identification and Origin of Jurassic (~182 Ma) Zircon Grains from Chromitite within the Peridotite of the Jijal Complex, Kohistan Arc in North Pakistan”
Lin Ding (丁林)
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/10/12/1085

“Selective Flotation of Elemental Sulfur from Pressure Acid Leaching Residue of Zinc Sulfide”
Tao Jiang (姜涛)
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/11/1/89

“Iron and Carbon Isotope Constraints on the Formation Pathway of Iron-Rich Carbonates within the Dagushan Iron Formation, North China Craton”
Mingguo Zhai (翟明国)
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/11/1/94

“Metallogenic Characteristics and Formation Mechanism of Naomugeng Clay-Type Lithium Deposit in Central Inner Mongolia, China”
Wencai Yang (杨文采)
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/11/3/238

“Elimination of Ferric Ion Effect on Separation between Kyanite and Quartz Using Citric Acid as Regulator”
Chuanyao Sun (孙传尧)
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/11/6/599

“Assessing the Risk of Total and Available Potentially Toxic Elements in Agricultural Soil in Typical Mining Areas in Xiangjiang River Basin, Hunan Province”
Wenqing Liu (刘文清)
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/11/9/953

“Detrital Zircon Provenance of the Cenozoic Sequence, Kotli, Northwestern Himalaya, Pakistan; Implications for India–Asia Collision”
Lin Ding (丁林)
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/11/12/1399

We are pleased to announce that Dr. Yannicke Dauphin has been appointed Editor-in-Chief of the Section “Biomineralization and Biominerals” in Minerals (ISSN 2075-163X), as of November 2021.

Dr. Yannicke Dauphin received her Ph.D. degree in palaeontology in 1973, and her “Habilitation Thesis” in 1983, both from University Paris XI (France). She was an assistant professor at the University Pierre & Marie Curie (now Sorbonne University), with teaching duties in palaeontology and computer sciences for students in geology. She was PI in several French and international programs dealing with the understanding of biominerals, and is now an honorary researcher at the Museum national d’histoire naturelle de Paris.

As fossils are widely used to reconstruct palaeoenvironments, she studied the microstructure of mollusc shells, and then extended her interest to corals, bones and teeth. Skeletons and shells are not pure minerals; they comprise an organic matrix and are easily modified in fossils. Palaeoenvironmental reconstructions are often based on the geochemical data of these biominerals, and the quality of the fossil record is important. It is necessary to improve our understanding of the origins of alterations in fossils. Comparisons of modern and fossil structures were carried out using optical microscopes, SEM and AFM, and their composition was analyzed using in situ methods (EPMA, FTIR, Raman, SIMS, ToF SIMS, Synchrotron X-ray fluorescence, XANES). The extracted organic components were analyzed using HPLC, electrophoreses, FTIR, Raman, and XANES. Experimental diagenesis was also performed to try to unravel the main involved factors, with implications for our knowledge of climate changes by providing primary data on the structural and compositional biases in fossil biominerals.

The following is a short Q&A with Dr. Yannicke Dauphin, who shared her vision for the journal with us, as well as her views of the research area and open access publishing:

An increasing number of editors are complaining about the “lack” of reviewers. Usually, competent people exist, but for diverse reasons, they do not want to review manuscripts. I believe I can help to find experienced reviewers in the field of biominerals.

Biominerals were not a hot topic in the first issues of the journal. Now it is a section. This evolution shows that the journal is not static. There is no specific journal fully dedicated to biominerals, so Minerals is important because it is not focused on a small topic. Modern and fossil biominerals are studied for a better understanding of biological evolution, the paleoenvironnment, etc.

The future is good, because of the large practical implications of the study of biomineralization: medicine, environment, aquaculture, industry, agriculture, etc. are of concern.

Open access is good and bad. Good because it allows everybody to read the articles for free. Bad because the fees are very expensive for small institutions, so these institutions are not able to publish in open journals. Big labs, and labs where some money must be used for publication are in a better position.

It is our great honor to congratulate the Editorial Board Members and Editors in MDPI's journals who have been distinguished as 2021 Highly Cited Researchers by Clarivate, according to Web of Science data. We herewith express our gratitude for the immense impact the named researchers continue to make on scientific progress and on our journals' development.

Clarivate's annual list of Highly Cited Researchers^TM identifies the most highly cited scientists for the past decade. Their impactful papers are among the top 1 per cent in the citation distribution of one or more of 22 fields analyzed in the "Essential Science Indicators", distinguishing them as hugely influential among their peers.

The full list of 2021 Highly Cited Researchers  can be accessed at the following webpage in the Web of Science^TM https://recognition.webofscience.com/awards/highly-cited/2021/.

--- Highly Cited Researchers (HCR) is a Clarivate product.

Academic editors play a crucial role in leading our journals and ensuring that each article undergoes a robust and timely peer-review. With the launch of Topics this year and addition of Topic Editors to our family of academic editors, we decided it would be a good time to restructure our academic boards, thus providing more clarity and support for each role. MDPI is pleased to announce the launch of a new position—Topical Advisory Panel Member, that will replace the previous position of Topics Board Member. The Topical Advisory Panel will be comprised of early career researchers eager to gain experience in editorial work.

The main responsibility of the new members of the Topical Advisory Panel is to regularly provide support to Guest Editors, Topic Editors, and Section Board Members. The responsibilities of the Topical Advisory Panel are available here: https://www.mdpi.com/editors.

Each year, the members’ performances are evaluated, and outstanding members are promoted to the Editorial Board by the Editor-in-Chief.

To qualify as a Topical Advisory Panel Member, applicants must:

• Have expertise and experience in the field related to the journal;
• Have received a Ph.D. in the last 10 years, approximately;
• Have at least 6-8 published papers in the last 5 years as first author or corresponding author;
• Currently hold an independent research position in academia or a government institute.

If you are interested in this role, please contact the editorial office by email.

We look forward to hearing from you soon.

Founded in 1996, MDPI was one of the first fully Open Access publisher. Over 25 years MDPI has grown to become the largest Open Access publisher globally, publishing over 160,000 articles across more than 350 journals in 2020. At the core, MDPI was founded in response to a pressing need of fast publication and inclusion. The scholar was set at the centre of the publication process for the first time. Acting as a service provider, rather than a product provider, MDPI exists to help scientists achive their objective to disseminate research results. At MDPI, we believe scientists deserve a better service from the publishing world.

The International Open Access Week (Open Access Week), founded by the SPARC (the Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition) Alliance and student partners in 2008, has been successfully running for 13 years. As an advocate and pioneer of open access publishing, MDPI actively responds to the call of International Open Access Week. This year’s theme of “It Matters How We Open Knowledge: Building Structural Equity” highlights the Recommendation’s call for equitable participation from all authors and readers.

For the last 25 years, MDPI has been committed to disseminating open research. Here is a video showing MDPI’s Commitment to Equity, Inclusion and Diversity for More than 25 Years.

International Open Access Week is an important opportunity to catalyze new conversations, create connections across and between communities that can facilitate this co-design, and advance progress in the building of more equitable foundations for opening knowledge—discussions and actions that need to be continued, year in and year out. MDPI has always aimed to provide professional and efficient publishing services to scholars around the world.

Our mission is to make scientific research accessible to everyone; this year, we interview and hold discussions with open science ambassadors on how to build an equal and inclusive environment for open science. Academic editors help us collaborate with more institutions to advocate for open access ideas.

Read our anniversary blog post: "Sharing 'Collective Human Knowledge': The Benefits of Open Access Publication"

Besides this, our scientific community is a key driver of our success and MDPI’s remarkable growth. Despite the pandemic, we have prepared online conferences and workshops to gather scholars from different communities.

The Basel Sustainable Publishing online forum provides an equal opportunity for stakeholders and researchers from multi-cultural environments to exchange ideas and eliminate barriers to participation.

Conference date: 25 October 2021, online
Conference website: https://bspf2021.sciforum.net/
Main topics: MDPI discusses the current dilemma of open access science from various perspectives such as governments, libraries, and publishers, and related measures on how to change the status quo of discrimination from a global perspective.

We aim to support equality, inclusion, diversity, and accessibility in scholarly communications. We collaborate with universities and key laboratories and have scholarly communications with researchers, teachers, and students on open access workshops.

• 25 October 2021
  Energies journal and Institute of Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences

• 28 October 2021
  Machines journal and State Key Laboratory of Traction Power, Southwest Jiaotong University

• 29 October 2021
  Processes journal and Beijing Institute of Technology

• 29 October 2021
  Coatings journal and Wuhan University of Technology

MDPI is committed to providing open access and high-quality publishing services for scholars and promoting rapid dissemination of academic achievements. We hope to promote the practices and policies of open access publishing and diversify the dissemination of academic achievements.

Rigorous peer-review is the cornerstone of high-quality academic publishing. Over 369,916 scholars served as reviewers for MDPI journals in 2020. We are extremely appreciative of all those who made a contribution to the editorial process in this capacity. At the beginning of every year, journal editorial offices publish a list of all reviewers’ names to express our gratitude. In addition, this year, the MDPI Top Reviewer Award was announced, to recognize the very best reviewers for their expertise and dedication, and their high-quality, and timely review reports. We are pleased to announce the following winners of the 2020 MDPI Top Reviewer Award:

• Adriana Burlea-Schiopoiu;
• Alban Kuriqi;
• Álvaro González-Vila;
• Alessandro Alaimo;
• Alexey Beskopylny;
• Alexander Yu Churyumov;
• Alberto Fernández-Isabel;
• Andrea Mastinu;
• Antonios N. Papadopoulos;
• Anton Rassõlkin;
• Antonio Humberto Hamad Minervino;
• Arkadiusz Matwijczuk;
• Artur Słomka;
• Baojie He;
• Bartłomiej Potaniec;
• Bojan Đurin;
• Camilo Arturo Rodriguez Diaz;
• Carmelo Maria Musarella;
• Chiachung Chen;
• Chiman Kwan;
• Cristian Busu;
• Danil Pimenov;
• Dan-Cristian Dabija;
• Delfín Ortega-Sánchez;
• Demetrio Antonio Zema;
• Denis Butusov;
• Elena Lucchi;
• Gaurab Dutta;
• Livia Anastasiu;
• M. R. Safaei.

For more information about how to become a reviewer of MDPI journals, please see: www.mdpi.com/reviewers.

UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are the blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. In 2020 the SDG Publishers Compact was launched, aimed to inspire publishers and accelerate progress to achieve the 17 goals by 2030. Members of the programme are committed to support the publication of materials that will promote and inspire actions towards SDGs.

MDPI is an eager advocate of SDGs and has already been supporting the programme by creating Special Issues and publishing a series of books on SDGs prior to joining the Compact in 2021. MDPI's Sustainability Foundation initiated the World Sustainability Awards in 2016. We fully support UN's goals to promote sustainable actions that make the world a better place for all and, as part of its commitment, we will focus our actions on SDG10: Reduced Inequalities whilst promoting all 17 SDGs. For more details, please visit the programme’s website: https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sdg-publishers-compact/.

Joining this initiative was a unanimous decision. MDPI has in its core values the dissemination of science for all, breaking the wall between research access and under-represented members of the scientific community and the general population. To support this initiative further and continue to support under-represented scientists, MDPI will take a series of actions that will be announced once ready.

The first action MDPI takes is to nominate Dr. Liliane Auwerter as the coordinator of the programme. Dr. Auwerter studied Environmental Process Technology (UTFPR, Brazil), obtained her MSc degree in Water and Environmental Engineering (University of Surrey, UK) and in 2020 completed her PhD in self-healing low-friction materials for water transport (Imperial College London, UK), always focusing on diverse scientific projects that would potentially bring sustainability to industrial processes. As a student in Brazil, she engaged in volunteering activities focused on environmental education and took part in the Millennial Development Goals meetings held at the university.

For more information, please contact:
Dr. Liliane Auwerter
Scientific Officer
liliane.auwerter@mdpi.com

We are pleased to announce the launch of a new Topical Section, “Clays and Engineered Mineral Materials”, to provide a specific venue for this field of research in Minerals (ISSN: 1996-1944). The section is led by Dr. Andrey G. Kalinichev (1. Université de Nantes, Nantes, France; 2. National Research University Higher School of Economics, Moscow, Russia) and covered topics include, but are not limited to:

• Various aspects related to the mineralogy, geochemistry, and genesis of natural clay materials and other associated industrial minerals;
• Experimental and theoretical research on the structure, properties, and applications of broadly described natural and engineered layered and nanoporous minerals, including clays, layered double hydroxides (LDHs), zeolites, cementitious phases, and other related mineral materials;
• Detailed characterization using various diffraction, scattering, and spectroscopic techniques (X-ray, neutron, NMR, IR, Raman, AFM, etc.), and multiscale computational modeling of clay properties;
• Diverse applications of clays and clay minerals in geological and technological settings, such as mineral weathering, geological disposal of chemical and radioactive wastes, geological carbon sequestration, exploration of conventional and unconventional hydrocarbon resources, catalysis, construction, healthcare products, etc.

We are now recruiting submissions for this Section (https://www.mdpi.com/journal/minerals/sections/Clays_Engineered_Mineral_Materials). You can submit your work directly via the following link: https://susy.mdpi.com/user/manuscripts/upload?journal=minerals. Submissions before 31 October 2021 may enjoy a CHF 200 discount on the article processing charge. Alternatively, if you are an active researcher in one of the aforementioned fields and are interested in joining the Editorial Board, please do not hesitate to get in touch (minerals@mdpi.com).

Please feel free to contact us with any questions. We look forward to collaborating with you.

Minerals Editorial Office

This serves to announce to our valued authors based in Japan that value-added tax, or consumption tax will now be imposed on article processing fees and other service fees for all papers submitted, or resubmitted (assigned new paper IDs), effective from 15 August 2021. The change is in accordance with the Japanese "Act for Partial Revision of the Income Tax Act and Other Acts" (Act No. 9 of 2015), which includes a revision of consumption taxation on cross-border supplies of services such as digital content distribution.

For additional information from the National Tax Agency please see here ("Cross-border supplies of electronic services").

Contact: Setsuko Nishihara, MDPI Tokyo

The 2020 citation metrics have been officially released in the Journal Citation Reports (JCR)!

We are pleased to announce that 85 MDPI journals are included, of which:

• 10 journals received their first impact factor
• 96% of journals increased their impact factor from 2019
• 32 journals (38%) ranked among the top 25% of journals, in at least one category