Minerals established the Best Paper Awards to acknowledge the support of the journal’s authors and to recognize their outstanding scientific accomplishments. Nominated candidates are selected by the Minerals Editorial Board based on the rigor of their science, the significance of their contribution to the field, and the originality of their work. All research articles and review papers published in Volume 9 (between 20 December 2018 and 16 December 2019) were eligible for consideration. The Best Paper Award winners are as follows:
Gaston Giuliani, Lee A. Groat, Dan Marshall, Anthony E. Fallick and Yannick Branquet
Emerald Deposits: A Review and Enhanced Classification
Minerals 2019, 9(2), 105; 10.3390/min9020105
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/9/2/105
Comments from the Evaluation Committee: The paper by Giuliani et al. presents a thorough and highly readable, new classification of emerald deposits, placed in the context of modern concepts in petrology and tectonic setting.
Laura Tusa, Louis Andreani, Mahdi Khodadadzadeh, Cecilia Contreras, Paul Ivascanu, Richard Gloaguen and Jens Gutzmer
Mineral Mapping and Vein Detection in Hyperspectral Drill-Core Scans: Application to Porphyry-Type Mineralization
Minerals 2019, 9(2), 122; 10.3390/min9020122
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/9/2/122
Comments from the Evaluation Committee: The paper by Tusa et al. describes a novel methodology to extract both mineralogical and structural data from hyperspectral drill-core scans, focused on the mineralogy of vein types in a porphyry-copper gold deposit.
Yue Zhao, Amin Soltani, Abbas Taheri, Murat Karakus and An Deng
Application of Slag–Cement and Fly Ash for Strength Development in Cemented Paste Backfills
Minerals 2019, 9(1), 22; 10.3390/min9010022
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/9/1/22
Comments from the Evaluation Committee: The paper by Zhao et al. reports the creative use of blended slags and fly ash to improve the mechanical performance of a cement paste of dewatered tailings, binder, and processed mine water pumped into cavities as backfill in revived, underground mine operations.
In recognition of their accomplishments, each Best Paper Award winner will be given a certificate, a cash award of 500 CHF, and an opportunity to publish a paper in Minerals free of charge (a prize equivalent to 1800 CHF in 2021) in Open Access format after the standard peer-review process.
Minerals 2020 Best Paper Awards Evaluation Committee