Passive Array for Critical Minerals on the Island of Newfoundland (PACMIN)

In the summer of 2025, the Passive Array for Critical Minerals on the Island of Newfoundland (PACMIN) project was launched. The deployed array comprises 22 broadband seismograph stations, which will record local, regional and global earthquakes as well as ambient ground vibrations for a period of two years. This experiment will yield the first ever detailed 3D lithospheric structure models of the entire island of Newfoundland from multiple types of seismic analysis. From these models, we will be able to investigate how the region was shaped by Appalachian mountain-building processes, while also exploring tectonic controls on the distribution of key mineral deposits such as gold and critical minerals. The onshore seismicity of Newfoundland, while low, will also be investigated to better understand and mitigate mining exploration/exploitation hazards. Improved detection and locating of small local earthquakes will also allow fault networks in the shallow crust to be mapped and assessed in terms of their potential as fluid pathways that may carry critical minerals.