From 15th to 19th of December 2025, Spectral Industries, in collaboration with Tharsis Mining, conducted the first in-field Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) campaign at the site, as part of Work Package 1 of the EU MINEYE Project.
The campaign involved a mobile field deployment of the LIBS system across three selected field locations (Calamón, La Plata, and Las Cañadillas), where prior soil exploration had been carried out by the Tharsis geology team. These regions are characterized by elevated concentrations of base metals, including copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), lead (Pb), and silver (Ag). This exploration activity will support the expansion of the Tharsis Mining exploration dataset in line with the site’s broader exploration plan.
Before the start of field operations, the Spectral Industries team delivered a short laser safety and system operation training to relevant personnel. Following this preparation, the field campaign was executed over a period of four consecutive days.
During the campaign, the mobile LIBS system traversed predefined regions of interest, acquiring surface spectra directly in situ. The LIBS data was correlated with GPS data to enable spatially resolved geochemical analysis and will be further integrated with complementary sensor datasets to support comprehensive geochemical interpretation.
This campaign demonstrated the capability of LIBS to deliver rapid in-field measurements, supporting exploration and chemical insight for better decision-making at the Tharsis Mining exploration sites.
The case study was performed by Spectral Industries (Arne van der Aa and Jorgina Akushika) in collaboration with Tharsis Mine (Martín López del Rio, Manuel Ferrero Carrasco, Clara Fernández Tello and Pablo Muñoz Trujillo).
