Scientists Discover Exciting New Hotspots for Essential Metals!

Recent findings published on 8 January 2025 in Nature, led by the post-doctoral research of Dr. Chunfei Chen within the Earth Evolution research team at Macquarie University, elucidate the likely sites and processes behind concentrations of critical metals at the peripheries of ancient continental cores.

“These cores represent the most substantial, bowl-like sections of tectonic plates. Molten materials that form beneath their centers ascend and spread towards the peripheries, resulting in frequent volcanic activity around their borders,” states Chen.

Prior experiments conducted under high pressure in the Earth Evolution team demonstrated that the initial melts at approximately 200 kilometers depth are abundant in carbonate but possess significantly lower silica content compared to most rock melts.

The latest experiments by Dr. Chen and his associates indicate that these melts will deplete silica and transform into nearly pure carbonate as they ascend and disperse beneath the continental cores.

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

“The initial melts possess the capacity to carry substantial amounts of critical metals and sulfur; however, our new findings reveal that these elements are discarded by the melt as it loses silica. This results in concentrations of critical metals and sulfur arranged linearly around the borders of substantial continental cores,” explains Professor Foley.

The research further verifies that mantle samples brought to the surface in volcanoes within these regions indeed possess higher quantities of sulfur and copper compared to other areas on the continents.

This new study clarifies recent findings by researchers at the Australian National University and Geoscience Australia, which identified that critical metals cluster around the edges of continental cores, emphasizing these zones for upcoming exploration endeavors.