Identifying the fluid network which transports metal endowed fluids through the crust is essential for determining what mechanisms control the style of an ore deposit. By using the unique capability of the Maia-384 detector at the Australian Synchrotron, we plan to address the fundamental questions of how chemical and structural perturbations interact to cause economic mineralisation. The research will use micron resolution elemental maps to identify path finder elements which highlight the controlling fluid pathways from source to sink. This work will enhance our fundamental understanding of ore forming processes and will fortify the exploration for Australia’s mineral prosperity.

The new element mapping and speciation probe capability at the Australian Synchrotron has the potential to provide unprecedented characterisation facilities for the Australian Minerals Industry. For example, mapping of invisible gold distribution in complex ores from Australian gold systems, mapping and probing copper in supergene and sedimentary copper systems. At the same time trace gold and copper can be directly observed in exploration samples in-situ! Element residence in ore deposit and exploration samples will be revealed from a series of case study examples in direct collaboration with the Australian Minerals Industry to showcase the Australian Synchrotron to the Industry.

The element mapping capability at the Australian Synchrotron has the potential to provide the building blocks of a fundamentally different view of the controls on metal transport and deposition within the Earth. The metallogenic make-up of large areas of the Earth’s crust reflects the interplay of deep-Earth anhydrous fluids with hydrous outer layers of the Earth. The research will map at the micro-scale suites of elements that characterise the pathways and interactions of deep-Earth fluids in the crust. The outcomes will enhance understanding mineral systems to scales of 106 metres and underpin the search for tomorrow’s mineral wealth.

Installation and demonstration of the Maia 384 detector array on the P06 beamline at the Petra III synchrotron, DESY, Hamburg, applied to high definition, large area scanning of geological, materials and biological samples.

Tuning (rate testing) and demonstration of the Maia 384 detector array on the P06 beamline at the Petra III synchrotron, DESY, Hamburg, applied to high definition, large area scanning of geological samples.

Archive of historical Nuclear Microprobe (NMP) data from around 1987 to closure in 2018. Data from Maia on the NMP (2018) is archived separately. All data is readable and processed using GeoPIXE.