https://www.quadrat.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2024/10/Chloe-Gemmell-1024x768.jpg
Academic Year 2024-2025
Email r01cg24@abdn.ac.uk
Institution University of Aberdeen

Biography

School: School of Geosciences

Project: Mineral prospectivity of the Caledonide intrusions of the UK and Ireland

Supervisors: Dr Joseph Armstrong, Dr Amy Gilligan, Dr Ulrich Ofterdinger, Dr Jean-Christophe Comte & Professor John Parnell

Undergraduate Education: BSc Geology, University of Glasgow

Postgraduate Education: Master of Science by Research, Geology, University of Glasgow

Research: This research project will focus on the mineral prospectivity of the Caledonide intrusions of the UK and Ireland. Critical minerals are of great importance to the UK’s transition to NetZero (BEIS, 2022), particularly for the generation of low-carbon technologies (e.g., electric vehicles, offshore wind turbines etc). However, the UK dominantly relies on international market supplies of critical minerals (BEIS, 2022), thus it is vital that the mineral potential of prospective areas across Britian and Ireland is further investigated (Deady et al., 2023).

The Caledonide intrusions of the UK and Ireland remain largely unexplored from a mineral perspective, however several have been identified as prospective for critical mineral enrichments in the shallow subsurface (Deady et al., 2023). Of particular interest to my study are the Ordovician ‘Newer’ Basic Intrusions in northeast Scotland, specifically those in West Aberdeenshire including the Arthrath, Insch, Huntly and Knock ultrabasic intrusions and the pegmatite intrusions in the Cairngorms. Historic and ongoing exploration drilling for critical metals including copper and nickel in these intrusions highlight the recognised potential for economic mineral deposits in the Caledonides. At a regional scale, the Grampian Highlands of Scotland are identified as potentially prospective for critical minerals including copper, nickel and platinum group elements (Deady et al., 2023). Further geochemical and geophysical investigation of these magmatic bodies is required to confirm this. Industry and governmental interest also extends to the lithium, tin and rare earth element minerals in the granitic intrusions of the Scottish Grampian Highlands and the Leinster and Newry granites in Ireland.

This project aims to combine a range of analytical techniques including inorganic geochemical analysis (e.g., ICP-MS, XRD, XRF), advanced petrography (e.g., SEM, LA-ICP-MS, Raman spectroscopy) and near-surface geophysical techniques (e.g., electromagnetic induction, ground penetrating radar) to identify and quantitatively constrain critical mineral enrichments in the Caledonide intrusions of the UK and Ireland. The workflow for each case study site will involve sampling and analyses of surface bedrock (where exposed), drill core, glacial sediments and stream samples to identify prospective mineralised regions. Performing localised near-surface geophysical surveys on sites of interest in addition to utilising regional geophysical datasets will enable modelling and constraint of mineral deposit extent in the subsurface. Overall, case study driven investigations will inform wider mineralisation models and will contribute to a better understanding of the crustal conditions which promote mineral enrichment in deep crustal settings (Armstrong et al., 2022).

Key readings (as referenced above):

Armstrong et al., 2022. Carbon in Mineralised Plutons. Geosciences. 12(5), 202.

Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), 2022. Resilience for the Future: The United Kingdom’s Critical Minerals Strategy, HM Government. BGS 2023.

Deady et al., 2023. Potential for Critical Raw Material Prospectivity in the UK. BGS Decarbonisation and Resources Management Programme Commissioned Report CR/23/024

Other: 

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