Our modern civilisation is dependent on resources. These include energy resources (such as oil and natural gas), metallic resources (such as iron, copper or gold) or building resources (such as gravel or limestone). Resource deposits require specific conditions to form on Earth as a result of processes such as plate tectonics, magma differentiation and hydrothermal fluids. Exploration geologists target potential resource sites, while mining and engineering geologists seek to extract the resource via mines or rigs. This course will explore the processes which lead to ore or resource deposits forming in Earth's crust, explain the mechanisms through which we are able to extract those resources and convert them into useable metals or energy sources, and explore the economics which control the resource markets.