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The Earth's mantle is the main source of niobium ore deposits. This is one of the conclusions of a doctoral research led by Universidad de Chile and carried out as an international collaboration between scientific institutions from Chile, United Kingdom and Brazil. Niobium (Nb) is the 41st element of the periodic table and a key mineral for energy transition.
The research, developed over the last five years, focused on the niobium mines of the Alto Paranaíba Igneous Province (APIP), located in Brazil. About 90% of the global production of this metal comes from this region of the planet.
The results, published in high-impact scientific journals, could have great repercussions on the mining and exploration of niobium and, consequently, on the progress towards technological solutions to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. Niobium is highly valued for its high resistance to temperature and corrosion, which makes it a perfect ingredient in the construction of high-speed trains, MRI equipments and particle accelerators, among others.
"Understanding how niobium is transported on a geological scale and how it is deposited in the Earth's crust is key to knowing, later, where to look for it", says Dr. Felipe Velásquez, lead author of this doctoral project.
In general terms, geologist have scarce information regarding the geological events that trigger the formation of this kind of deposits, which forces exploration companies to search for these resources with insufficient and little information.
In this context, and using geochemistry techniques to understand the geological history of niobium, Dr. Velásquez and his research group (sponsored by the Director of the Department of Geology U. de Chile, Dr. Martin Reich) analyzed the sources and mechanisms that led to this mineral to lodge in the Brazilian basin.
In two years, Dr. Velásquez published three academic papers in high-profile journals (International Geology Review, 2022; Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 2024 and Journal of Geochemical Exploration, 2024), whose conclusions are presented below:
All the tectonic processes of the Earth's crust, from the formation of mountains to the ocean seabeds and mineral deposits, are explained by the activity of the mantle.
There is broad scientific consensus regarding the role of the mantle in the formation of mineral deposits in the Earth's crust, with evidence detected in gold deposits in the Argentinian Patagonia, chromium and vanadium mines in South Africa and diamond deposits in Russia.
However, given its enormous depths (6 km under the ocean seabed and at least 33 km under continental landmasses), the exploration of the mantle represents a huge technical challenge. Most of the research is carried out using undirect methods, studying mantle rocks in the surface of the Earth dragged in by volcanic activity (such as those available in Patagonia, Spain, Morocco, France, Japan and Hawaii), or by geophysical means, using electromagnetic pulses to collect and interpret the data from the depths.
Between the 1950s and 1970s, the United States and the Soviet Union started the first serious attempts to reach the mantle through direct methods, drilling the surface. Both efforts ended due the enormous costs and difficulties of the task.
The Department of Geology - U. de Chile has developed vast experience studying and analyzing the influence of the mantle on the formation of mineral deposits on the surface of our planet, working along with geologists from other Chilean universities:
Felipe Velásquez is a Geological Engineer from Universidad Nacional de Colombia (2013), Master in Geology from Universidade de Brasília (2017) and joined the Department of Geology - U. de Chile in 2019 as a doctoral student.
In January, 2024, Dr. Velásquez obtained his PhD in Geology from Universidad de Chile. During his research, Dr. Velásquez gained experience in the gold and silver exploration industry in Colombia, his mother country.
Publicado el miércoles 5 de junio de 2024