Critical Metals in Orogens (CMiO): How metamorphic and tectonic processes concentrate critical metals in the Earth’s crust – CMiO

This project aims to investigate the role of metamorphism and tectonics impacting the mobility of critical elements and their concentration into the ore-deposits of critical raw materials that are essential for building sustainable low-carbon societies. This study will generate novel knowledge in the area of metamorphism, tectonics and economic geology. Expected outcomes of this work include an innovative approach to locate new resource in critical raw materials in ores and their associated mine waste. This project is going to optimize the exploration of ore deposits, the ground and the mining environment as well as its social acceptance. Consequently, this project will enhance Europe’s capacity to build the circular economy for critical raw materials. This will provide significant benefits to the minerals industry and European society.

The project will be coordinated by Bénédicte Cenki, Maître de Conférences Hors Classe with an Habilitation to Supervise Research (HDR) at the University of Montpellier. The consortium is built on the synergy of three French academic institutions (University of Montpellier, University Grenoble Alpes and the Laboratory of Psychology, Cognition, Behavior and Communication at the University of Rennes 2) with one public collaborator (Bureau des Recherches Géologiques et Minières), a French mineral exploration consultancy company (GexplOre) and international scientific collaborations with the Portuguese Geological Survey in Portugal and the University of Lulea in Sweden.