Steven Scott is the Dr. Norman B. Keevil Professor Emeritus of Ore Genesis Geology, the McRae-Quantec Professor Emeritus of Geoscience, Director of the Scotiabank Marine Geology Research Laboratory and the past chair of the Department of Geology (2001-2005) and of Geological and Mineral Engineering (1988-1997), all at the University of Toronto. He was educated at the University of Western Ontario (B.Sc. and M.Sc.) and at Penn State (PhD).

Scott is a geologist/oceanographer specializing in base and precious metal sulphide ore deposits, which he and his students have studied on five continents and in three oceans. Since 1982, he has participated on 28 oceanographic surface and submersible expeditions, many of them as chief scientist. He was the first ore deposits geologist and first Canadian to witness the formation of seafloor massive sulphide (SMS) deposits by "black smoker" high temperature hot springs on the deep ocean floor from an occupied submersible.

Scott has published 167 refereed research papers and delivered 493 lectures (419 invited) in 18 countries. He has presented 41 short courses on ore deposits in 11 countries. Many popularized accounts of Scott’s work have appeared in television, radio and print media. He has been honoured with several awards, including an honorary doctorate from France, a Fellowship in the Royal Society of Canada (1990 Bancroft Award), six societal medals and several distinguished lectureships. He is a director and past president of the Canadian Scientific Submersible Facility that operates Canada’s ROPOS robotic submersible, and a vice president of the international Engineering Committee for Ocean Resources (ECOR). In addition, he chairs its marine mining panel. He retired from the University of Toronto in July 2006 and maintains an active research career and consulting business (Marine Mining Consultants).

Seafloor Massive Sulphide Mining — The Dawning of a New Industry

Abstract: First observed 30 years ago, high temperature hot springs (“black smokers”) on the deep ocean floor are precipitating mounds and columnar edifices (“chimneys”) of copper, zinc, lead, iron and silver sulfides, gold and other major and minor elements. Some deposits are of sufficient size and metal content to be considered for mining. Canadians have played important roles in their geological and geophysical exploration and evaluation. The speaker is a pioneer in the study of these seafloor massive sulfide (SMS) deposits and is the co-discoverer of the Solwara site in the Manus basin of the Bismarck Sea offshore eastern Papua New Guinea that Toronto-headquartered Nautilus Minerals intends to mine. He will present an overview of this new type of mineral resource as well as comments on the seafloor sedimentary sulfides (SSS) in the Red Sea, first explored in the 1960’s and for which Vancouver-headquartered Diamond Fields International and their Saudi partner Manafa have recently received a mining licence. The talk emphasizes exploration strategies for SMS, proposed robotic mining methods, environmental issues unique to these deposits and future prospects for continued commercialization of both SMS and SSS.