Unveiling Potential Powerhouses: Research Illuminates Future Green Economy Hot Spots

Transitioning towards a sustainable economy necessitates a greater quantity of critical metals such as copper, rare earth elements, and cobalt than what is presently accessible. Thus, it is essential to discover new sources formed through diverse processes in regions that remain uncharted.

A study spearheaded by Dr. Chunfei Chen’s post-doctoral research within the Earth Evolution research group at Macquarie University, published on 8 January 2025 in Nature, elucidates the likely positions and processes involved in the accumulation of critical metals at the peripheries of ancient continental cores.

“These cores are the most substantial, basin-shaped components of tectonic plates. Melts generated beneath their centers rise and spread toward the borders, making volcanic activity prevalent around their peripheries,” states Chen.

Previous experiments involving high pressure conducted in the Earth Evolution group have indicated that early melts at approximately 200 kilometers depth are abundant in carbonate but contain considerably less silica than typical rock melts.

The recent experiments by Dr. Chen and his colleagues reveal that as these melts ascend and permeate beneath the continental cores, they will deplete silica and transform into nearly pure carbonate.

Notable Professor Stephen Foley from Macquarie’s School of Natural Sciences clarifies that the connection to critical metals stems from this alteration in melt composition.

“The initial melts can carry a significant quantity of critical metals and sulfur, but our latest findings indicate that these components are discarded by the melt as it loses silica. This results in concentrations of critical metals and sulfur arranged linearly around the perimeters of thick continental cores,” explains Professor Foley.

The research also substantiates that mantle samples brought to the surface via volcanic activity in these regions indeed possess higher concentrations of sulfur and copper compared to other areas on the continents.

This new research elucidates recent discoveries made by scientists at the Australian National University and Geoscience Australia, which identified the accumulation of critical metals around the borders of continental cores and sharpens the focus on these regions for forthcoming exploration endeavors.

This content was initially published on The Macquarie University Lighthouse.