Isotopic Characterisation of the Blueys Folly Prospect

Theme: Earth science and resources

Description: 

The Blueys Folly Prospect situated in the Irindina Province of the Arunta Region, Northern Territory, is a Rare Earth Element (REE) exploration lease currently held by Core Lithium Ltd. At Blueys Folly allanite occurs in high abundances within pegmatite swarms.

The goals of this project would be to establish the magmatic crystallisation age for the Blueys Folly pegmatites and associated granites through zircon U-Pb dating to ascertain context regarding the specific orogenic event that the pegmatite crystallisation is associated with. Subsequent Lu-Hf isotopic analyses on these magmatic zircons can then be used to evaluate whether these allanite-bearing pegmatites derive from extreme fractionation of the surrounding granites, crustal reworking of nearby granites, or potentially if these pegmatites derive from an entirely different source rock (e.g., partial melting of host amphibolite).

Additional Information: Ideally for a student with a strong interest in geochronology and isotope geochemistry.

Contact: Jack Stirling & Assoc. Prof. Renji Zhou