[Rockhounds] Mysterious magma in extinct volcanoes may be filled with elements needed to power the future

[Kreigh Tomaszewski]

A mysterious type of magma found within extinct volcanoes scattered around
the world could contain an abundant supply of rare earth elements
<https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/13/tech/sweden-biggest-rare-earth-mine-china-dependence-intl-hnk/index.html>,
crucial ingredients for electric vehicles, wind turbines and other clean
technologies, according to a report published Tuesday.

Rare earth elements, such as lanthanum, neodymium and terbium, are critical
for helping the world break its long, destructive relationship with
planet-heating fossil fuels.

These materials — so-called rare earths — are not actually that rare but
can be challenging to extract as they are often found in low
concentrations. As demand for themramps up, many countries are scrambling
to find new sources to break their dependence on China, which currently
dominates the supply chain.

The new study “potentially opens a new avenue for rare earth extraction,”
said Michael Anenburg, a research fellow at the Australian National
University and a study author.

The research was inspired by last year’s discovery of an enormous deposit
of rare earth elements
<https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/13/tech/sweden-biggest-rare-earth-mine-china-dependence-intl-hnk/index.html>
in
Kiruna in Arctic Sweden, a mining town that sits upon a huge mass of
iron-ore, formed around 1,600 million years ago
<https://www.mining-technology.com/projects/kiruna/?cf-view> following
intense volcanic activity.

https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/24/climate/magma-extinct-volcanoes-rare-earth-metals/index.html