Giant rare-metal pegmatites of the East Pilbara Terrane, Western Australia: Mineral systems analysis and terrane-scale exploration

The Challenge

The East Pilbara rare-metal pegmatite system represents one of the best exposures of the global population of rare-metal pegmatite systems on Earth. The setting and controls of such mineral systems have been the subject of much work and debate in academic literature over the past 50 years, and to date there is no common genetic model which satisfies all conditions observed.

Proposed Solution

This PhD study will focus on addressing several gaps and paradoxes in the scientific knowledge of rare-metal pegmatite genesis, as well as endeavouring to understand the processes driving differentiation of continental crust, secular changes in granite composition, transport and enrichment of rare metals, and the evolution of Archaean cratons.

Proposed Benefits to WA

By delivering understanding of how some pegmatites in the Yilgarn and Pilbara regions developed a mineral endowment rich in rare and valuable metals such as lithium, this research will support Western Australian mineral exploration companies in finding the next generation of mineral deposits to secure the future of the industry.