Minor: Energy Studies
Faculty Advisor: Antonio Simonetti, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences
Research Area: Smart Distribution and Storage

Investigating Rare Earth Element Mineralization Within Fenite Alteration Zones Using Isotopic Analysis (Spring 2024)

Rare Earth Elements (REEs) play a critical role in the expansion of clean energy technology. These elements form key components of batteries for electric vehicles and other energy storage devices, but their low concentration throughout Earth’s crust requires inefficient, energy-intensive extraction processes. In the last few decades, carbonatites—a carbonate-rich subset of igneous rocks—have been shown to harbor the most abundant REE deposits in the world. Carbonatite complexes have been studied extensively, but little attention has been given to the nearby rocks that are chemically altered by the intrusion of carbonatite magma. These rocks, known as fenites, show a similar REE enrichment and represent an untapped reservoir of key elements and minerals that can help to accelerate the transition to a clean energy future.

This project seeks to build upon the project started in Summer 2023 as part of the Summer Slatt Fellowship and investigate the mechanisms responsible for the concentration of REEs in fenite alteration zones. By juxtaposing mineralogical, chemical, and isotopic investigations of fenites and their associated carbonatites, this project will provide novel insight into the geochemical processes controlling REE movement and enrichment in these complexes. Samples to be studied have been gathered from three of the largest carbonatite-associated REE deposits in the world, and preliminary analyses have confirmed the suspected profound changes in the fenites relative to unchanged nearby rock. This project stands to provide a heightened understanding of the elemental and isotopic nature of these largely unexplored alteration zones, elucidate a path for more sustainable and efficient production of clean energy technologies, and advance energy storage capabilities.

I will be responsible for bulk and trace element analyses, as well as isotopic investigations of the carbonatite and fenite samples. Through the use of electron microprobe analysis, laser ablation, and mass spectrometry, I will work to understand the similarities and differences between the carbonatites and their associated fenites. Through elemental analysis, I will be able to identify patterns of variations in chemical composition of these samples. Isotopic studies will allow me to investigate the genesis of the carbonatites and examine how they modulate such a vast presence of REEs. Specifically, I will be building upon isotopic data gathered during Summer 2023 by investigating boron isotopic compositions within the samples to aid in delineating both the source of fenites and their associated carbonatites and the possible influence of crustal contamination in their formation. By parsing out these chemical and isotopic relationships, I can further deduce the processes leading to REE enrichment in fenite alteration zones and gain an understanding of how these deposits may be targeted and efficiently extracted to fulfill a growing need for energy storage technologies.

Final Report