A seminar presented by PhD candidate Stephanie Junior, Department of Geology.
Noble metals – Au, Pd, Pt, Rh, Ru, Ir and Os – and crucial metals – here constrained to Ni, Co, Zn and Cu – are critical metal resources utilised in the innovation of green energy production, a paramount technological advancement for today’s warming world. While primary extractable concentrations of these essential mineral resources unequivocally reside in ore deposits, Earth’s mantle is an important reservoir for metal retention and replenishment that requires further investigation. Zealandia and its surrounding ocean basins uniquely host an array of exposed deep Earth ultramafic bodies, and this research utilises a diverse suite of local continental (mantle xenoliths) and oceanic (ophiolite) ultramafic rocks at varying degrees of melt depletion, chemical enrichment and alteration. Data presented here synthesises whole rock chemistry with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) mineral chemistry and imaging, laser ablation inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) spot analyses, and X-ray fluorescence microscopy (XFM) in-situ element mapping to better understand the ultramafic noble and crucial metal budget, and to glean insight into the mechanisms governing the retention and mobilisation of these important elements.
| Date | Thursday, 18 February 2021 |
|---|---|
| Time | 1:00pm - 2:00pm |
| Audience | All University |
| Event Type |
Seminar |
| Campus | Dunedin |
| Department | Geology |
| Location | Benson Common Room (Gn9), Geology Building, University of Otago, Dunedin |
| Cost | Free |
| Contact Name | Steph Junior |
| Contact Email | steph.junior@postgrad.otago.ac.nz |
