Minerals Archives - CSIROscope

Minerals

Heavy metals rock termite mounds

Zinc isotopes found in manganese crust samples of soils and termite mounds are helping mineral explorers find hidden deposits of critical metals below the surface.

Classic rock songs: Music you can rock out to

We've cobbled together a playlist of rock anthems to celebrate our mineral resources research. Classic rock, heavy rock, sedimentary rock - we've got it all!

Chemical romance: our sparkling superstar of STEM

Edible experiments, explosions and splat paintings. Chemistry has taken Dr Laura Kuhar from diamond mines back to the classroom, where she shares her love of science.

Minerals

Solving the mystery of the Pilbara gold

We’ve starting to unravel the mystery of the source of the Pilbara gold nuggets whose unusual shape and distribution baffled explorers in the region.

Minerals

Virtual library gets straight to the core

Exploring for critical metals is being made more efficient and less impactful on the environment thanks to a virtual library crammed with information on Australia’s mineralogy.

Green power: the future of Aussie graphite

Demand for lithium-ion batteries is increasing demand for minerals, like graphite, to make them. Research to develop a more environmentally-friendly process could see battery-grade graphite produced in Australia.

Lithium, the metal of the decade

What's powering your phone? It’s most likely a lithium ion battery. Australia is the world's largest producer of lithium, and the global demand is growing. We're working to supercharge our research in lithium exploration and production.

Minerals

Green and gold Aussie jewellery

Our environmentally-friendly gold extraction process is helping producers meet demand for ethical gold products with green credentials.

Minerals

Breaking the mould: gold-digging fungi found in WA

Australian scientists have discovered gold-coated fungi near Boddington in Western Australia. And it may offer clues for finding new gold deposits.

Minerals

Golden soils and wealth from toil

Finding gold requires luck and hard work. Now luck is being delivered by science as new sampling techniques and analysis reduce the guesswork to help prospectors pinpoint gold targets more precisely.

Minerals

Gold fever: Our top 7 inventions that are pure gold

Science is golden and here’s why: our top 7 gold inventions are changing the way we explore and produce gold in the 21st century.

Minerals

Gold does grow on trees

Our geochemical sampling technique is helping mineral exploration companies hone in on new targets for their next big discoveries.

Minerals