Unveiling Future Energy Sources: Volcanoes Signal Mineral- Riches

Located approximately 400 kilometres northwest of Sydney, just south of Dubbo, is a significant geological formation consisting of rock that dates back around 215 million years, formed by volcanic activity. Referred to as the Toongi deposit, this site is renowned for its abundance of rare earths, a group of 16 metallic elements crucial for a variety of modern technologies, ranging from electric vehicles to solar panels and smartphones.

Although there are ongoing efforts to extract resources from this deposit, the projected demand for rare earths in the upcoming decades is expected to be substantial. To gain further insights into these deposits, it is imperative to comprehend the process of their formation. Recent research on Australian volcanoes, as published in Nature Communications Earth and Environment, explores how the analysis of tiny crystals formed within volcanoes can provide valuable clues regarding the genesis of rare earth deposits, aiding in the discovery of additional reserves.

The formation of rare earth element deposits commences with the partial melting of Earth’s mantle, situated deep beneath the planet’s surface. The mantle comprises minerals rich in iron and magnesium, containing trace amounts of rare earth elements. When this mantle undergoes melting to generate magma, the rare earth elements readily transition into the magma, with the resulting composition dependent on the extent of the melting process.

As magma ascends towards the Earth’s surface, it cools, leading to the formation of new minerals primarily composed of oxygen, silicon, calcium, aluminium, magnesium, and iron. This cooling process results in a higher concentration of rare earth elements in the residual liquid, which eventually solidifies within the crust or erupts on the surface, forming deposits rich in critical metals.