GSN Fall Field Trip – Oct. 23-25, 2026

The technical program examines Great Basin geology and mineral deposits, including their strategic importance to U.S. mineral independence. It includes technical talks, keynote presentations, exhibits, professional and student posters, core shacks, field trips, and short courses. Technical sessions cover Mesozoic geology and ore deposits; exploration technology; Paleocene-to-late-Eocene geology and Carlin-type deposits; copper; epithermal deposits in Nevada and the Walker Lane; carbonate replacement deposits; ghost mineral districts and exploration blind spots; lithium; critical minerals; and the Western Cordillera. Field-trip subjects include hydrothermal gold systems, Walker Lane epithermal deposits, Yerington copper, Nevada lithium, Carlin-type deposits, the Comstock gold and silver district, and Lake Tahoe’s volcanic origins. Short courses address ore and alteration features in epithermal-to-porphyry systems and mineral resource estimation for public reporting, including geostatistics, data QA/QC, variogram analysis, interpolation, resource classification, and reporting under S-K 1300, NI 43-101, or JORC. All attendees are welcome, including nonmembers.

The presentation covers the Springer Complex, a historic tungsten-producing skarn deposit in the Eugene Mountains north of Mill City. Exploration work includes re-logging and re-assaying historic core, drilling for near-surface definition and deeper exploration, and evaluating scheelite-hosted tungsten and other potentially economic minerals. It also examines sheeted quartz veins, molybdenite and chalcopyrite associated with granodiorite stocks, including tungsten outside the skarn. The site has a permitted mill and a stated path toward tungsten production.

The program’s technical sessions cover environmental issues, geotechnical engineering, mineral processing, mining, Mexico-focused projects, geology, and new projects. Topics include Arizona’s WOTUS status; machine-learning-based representative sample selection; open-pit slope stabilization; alkaline-flush treatment of metals-impacted water; numerical mine modeling, geotechnical monitoring, and tailings-storage-facility stability; flotation technologies, ADR processes, and SAG mill sizing; mine-permitting timelines, pump failures, electrical maintenance, water treatment, and autonomous operations; and mineral resources, drilling confidence, tailings water balances, and mine-project development. Featured presentations address Resolution Copper’s next chapter and large-load electrical growth in Arizona. New-project updates cover the Santa Cruz Ivanhoe Mine, Florence Copper, Faraday Copper’s Redhawk Complex, and Hudbay CopperWorld. The program also includes a student poster session and a student pitch session. Pre-conference programming includes a course on proposed NI 43-101 disclosure changes and a Women in Mining workshop on boundary-setting skills.

The program is being shaped through a call for panel and workshop ideas on geothermal topics, challenges, innovations, and opportunities. The event page describes Nevada as a major geothermal center, with more than 25 geothermal plants and electrical generation capacity second only to California. Peppermill Resort uses geothermal energy for its pools, hot tubs, shower water, and mechanical systems, and reinjects geothermal fluids underground.

The convention brings mining professionals from across Nevada and beyond together to discuss issues shaping the industry. Activities include a reverse expo where mining operators and vendors meet face-to-face, golf at the Incline Village Golf Courses, networking across the mining supply chain, and presentations on mining industry trends and developments across Nevada.

The technical program covers mining research and operational innovation, including AI, robotics and automation; advanced process control and digital twins; mineral processing, metallurgy and critical minerals; and bulk material handling, transfer-chute engineering and dust mitigation. Presentations address rare-earth extractant modeling, nickel leaching, copper flotation, sensor drift in AI systems, and coal mining beneath water bodies. The program includes the Robert E. Murray Innovation Award Lecture and the Dreyer Lecture. Conference registration includes technical sessions, keynote sessions, poster sessions, digital technical preprints, and access to the Western Mining Summit and the expo.

The conference theme is “Going Critical: Creating a Durable Nuclear Resurgence.” Plenary discussions address how technology, finance, and public policy can sustain nuclear energy momentum, and how public confidence, domestic supply chains, workforce development, investment, and state leadership can support deployment at scale. John Wagner, Laboratory Director at INL, is a featured speaker; the opening plenary also includes U.S. NRC Commissioners Douglas Weaver and Bradley Crowell. The technical program features expert-led presentations and peer-reviewed research on advanced reactors, fuel cycle and waste management, reactor physics, fusion, AI and machine learning, materials science, instrumentation and controls, criticality safety, and robotics. Named session topics include nuclear energy markets, financing and economics; hybrid and integrated energy systems; maritime and data center applications; nuclear safeguards; cybersecurity; molten salt reactor fuels and materials; and advanced/additive manufacturing. Panels address uranium mining remediation, environmental review, digital twins, advanced reactor fuel supply and fabrication, and nuclear deployment pathways.

The conference focuses on mining-related technologies and methods. Abstract topic areas include reclamation, mine operations, and water treatment. Attendees are eligible for Professional Development Hours based on class time.

The meeting spans materials science research in quantum materials, energy and sustainability, semiconductors, nanomaterials, soft materials and biomaterials, and structural and functional materials. Symposia address sustainable materials chemistry and processing for lithium and earth-abundant batteries; sodium-ion storage; materials, characterization and manufacturing for solid-state batteries; next-generation EV battery materials; hydrogen storage and transmission; and electrochemical conversion of CO₂ and nitrogen compounds into sustainable products. Other topics include AI-driven materials design and autonomous science, chiplet architectures, 2D materials for microelectronics and neuromorphic computing, additive manufacturing across length scales, high-entropy materials, and resilient materials for fission and fusion reactors. Featured programming includes a plenary on critical elements from urban mines and decarbonization of the metal sectors, a keynote on progress and challenges toward an inertial fusion energy future, and sessions on bioelectronics translation and silicon photonics, optical connectivity, sensing, data centers and commercialization.