Minerals for the energy transition
Our society faces the major challenge of reaching net zero carbon emission targets within a 20-30 year timeframe to avoid catastrophic impacts of global climate change. This requires nearly full electrification of our activities, which will necessitate greatly expanded non fossil fuel-based electricity production, transport and storage capacities. The establishment of these requires ramping up the extraction of some mineral resources associated with magmatic systems at a historically unprecedented rate. These include Cu, Ni, Co, Li, rare earth and platinum group elements and other rare metals. The first step towards meeting this increasing demand is the improvement of ore genetic models and mineral exploration methods. This theme invites sessions that focus on these subjects in relation to magma-related ore deposits. Mineralizations of interest may include orthomagmatic deposits, VMS, skarn, porphyry and epithermal systems and pegmatites. Some of the key phenomena to be addressed are solubility and partitioning controls on ore metal behaviour in fluids and melts; metal transport through crustal magmatic systems; metals in volcano-related geothermal systems; and metal enrichment in post-volcanic processes. We seek contributions based on either field observations and natural samples or high-pressure-temperature experimentation, and those that utilize advanced data analysis methods or focus on alternate ways of making mineral exploration more efficient.
Theme leaders:
Zoltan Zajacz
Jon Blundy