Lanthanides and actinides in copper ores, a pas de deux in geological time. Lanthanides (rare earth elements, REE) occur in the Olympic Dam copper deposit, South Australia, and adjacent mines and pros

Description

Lanthanides and actinides in copper ores, a pas de deux in geological time. Lanthanides (rare earth elements, REE) occur in the Olympic Dam copper deposit, South Australia, and adjacent mines and prospects. Using cutting-edge microanalysis and modelling techniques, we will constrain relationships between rare earths and associated uranium mineralisation and understand why such a marked enrichment of REE occurs in these ores. Mineralogy and ore textures, if understood down to atomic scale, provide necessary information to underpin strategies for potential REE exploitation for green technologies from one of Australia's largest ore deposits. This interdisciplinary research is aligned to Australia's critical mineral strategy and will provide a generic model for REE-enrichment with application to analogous copper ores.. Scheme: Linkage Projects. Field: 3705 - Geology. Lead: Prof Nigel Cook