Carbonatites: to REE or not to REE?

<p></p><p>💎 Carbonatites: To REE or Not to REE?</p><p>Earth&#39;s strangest magma is carbonate-rich, comes from the mantle, and there&#39;s only ONE erupting on the planet right now. It&#39;s called a carbonatite, a rare igneous rock that hosts the world&#39;s largest rare earth element resources. But here&#39;s the plot twist: only about 10% of the ~600 carbonatites that have been found are actually rich in rare earths. So how do we find the REE-bearing ones? Dr Shirley Hu and Dr Louise Schoneveld from CSIRO are using geochemistry and samples from India to understand carbonatite systems, including the ones that <em>don&#39;t</em> contain REE. Because sometimes, science learns as much from what isn&#39;t there as what is. Featuring actual rocks, one active volcano, and the exploration mystery that&#39;s reshaping how we hunt for critical minerals.</p><p>Funded by the Australian Government, the India-Australia Critical Minerals Research Partnership ran from January 2023 to 30 June 2026, advancing sustainable and environmentally responsible critical minerals development for the benefit of both nations.</p><p>🔗 <strong>Find us:</strong></p><ul><li>📺 @theGeoCo on YouTube</li><li>📻 Wonder on Spotify</li><li>🐦 @theGeoCo on TikTok</li><li>📸 @theGeoCo on Instagram</li><li>📬 Geoco News on Substack: thegeoco.substack.com</li></ul><p></p>