Marie Curie PhD Fellow

The Role

We invite applications for a PhD Fellow, to work with Prof. Jeroen van Hunen on the topic of “Investigating Craton Dynamics and Ore Deposit Formation for Sustainable Critical Minerals Supply”. The successful candidate will become an employee of Durham University, and will simultaneously be registered as a PhD student. They will become part of the MCSA Doctoral Network “EarthSafe”, and benefit from a range of training and networking activities – as well as opportunities for secondments at other partner organisations.

EarthSafe is funded by the European Commission and UK Research and Innovation. It will support 10 PhD researchers, based in Barcelona, Durham, Trieste and Twente, and benefits from an international network of partner organisations drawn from academia and industry. It aims to support the rapid transition to green energy and low-carbon economies in Europe and beyond by creating transformational data-fusion platforms to inform and enhance global exploration frameworks for deep geothermal resources and critical minerals to support green technologies. It will achieve this by harnessing:

1. the complementary strengths and resolutions of multiple satellite and land-acquired geo-datasets;
2. a novel combination of Artificial Intelligence, probabilistic inverse theory and state-of-the-art computational modelling; and
3. a new social innovation component to support the creation and adoption of socially-responsible and sustainable practices.

The project

Today’s society's transition towards clean technologies and sustainable energy sources heavily relies on the availability of base metals and critical minerals. However, the demand for these essential resources is outpacing the discovery of new deposits. Significant critical mineral deposits are concentrated within 200 km of craton edges, where the juxtaposition from cold thick cratonic lithosphere and thinner marine tectonic settings provides an ideal setting for ore formation. Understanding the complex processes involved in craton dynamics and the formation of these deposits is crucial for securing future critical minerals supply.

The primary goal of this PhD project is to establish direct and quantitative links between large-scale, long-term craton dynamics and the formation of economically viable ore deposits of critical base metals and minerals. In particular, it aims to identify the key processes influencing the formation, evolution, and destruction of cratonic lithosphere, and investigate how these processes influence the formation and preservation of ore deposits at craton edges and internal cratonic basins.

This research will employ advanced numerical modelling tools to unravel the intricate connections between craton dynamics and ore deposit formation. By simulating various geological scenarios, you will shed light on the geological, geochemical, and tectonic processes that govern the concentration of critical metals and minerals. Key tasks will be to:

1. Develop numerical models to simulate craton dynamics under different tectonic forces through geological time;
2. Investigate the impact of mantle melting processes, craton basin formation, and reactive fluid transport on the concentration of critical metals and minerals;
3. Assess the preservation potential of ore deposits near craton edges and internal basins; and
4. Establish correlations between ore deposit types and peri ods of supercontinent formation and breakup processes.

The findings of this research will provide valuable insights into the geological processes that govern the formation of large deposits of critical base metals and minerals. Furthermore, the identification of target areas for future critical minerals exploration using high-resolution seismic tomography models will contribute to sustainable resource management.

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