Cambridge research may aid search for rare earth elements vital for tech
Mapping promises to pinpoint locations of essential minerals for electronics
Researchers from Cambridge’s Department of Earth Sciences have made significant advancements in mapping CO2-rich igneous rocks, used to locate rare earth elements vital for technologies such as smartphones, wind turbines, and electric vehicles.
Published in Nature Geoscience, the study focuses on carbonatite, the world’s primary source of rare earth elements.
Dr Emilie Bowman, lead author of the study, said, “Our research is beginning to provide a kind of predictive power for where we can expect these rocks and, by extension, their associated rare earth element deposits, to form.”
Thicker lithosphere plays a crucial role in creating these conditions, with the material allowing molten rock to trap and concentrate metals over time.
Professor Sally Gibson, senior author, said, “There is significant scientific interest in why rare earth deposits form where they do,” pointing out that this research expands the scale from specific sites to a global level.
Dr Gibson further explained that “it’s only when those rocks are re-melted later that the metals get a second stewing – becoming concentrated enough to form a useful ore deposit.”
Dr Sergei Lebedev, a geophysicist involved in the project, commented, “Using seismic waves from earthquakes, we can create a slice-through image of the lithosphere.”
The team aims to extend their mapping to include older rocks hosting most global economic rare earth element deposits.
Professor Gibson elaborated, “Now we have established this systematic behaviour exists, we can go back further in time. It’s going to be more challenging, but I’m hopeful that this will be a key step in predicting mineral occurrences.”