Collaborative Research: Characterizing Iron Deposits in Puerto Rico to Elucidate Metal Transport and Magnetite Mineralization Processes in Skarn Systems

合作研究：表征波多黎各铁矿床以阐明矽卡岩系统中的金属迁移和磁铁矿成矿过程

• 批准号: 2217927
• 负责人: Laura Bilenker
• 金额: $ 25.72万
• 依托单位: Auburn University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2022-08-01 至 2025-07-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2217927&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Characterizing; Iron; Deposits

Characterizing ore deposits, the sources of metal for our society, provides key information about the processes related to their formation. Iron is a metal that is vital for the infrastructure of developed countries and essential for those that are developing as it is the primary component of steel. Iron is also critical for the production of a more sustainable infrastructure that includes technologies such as wind turbines and electric cars. Therefore, an improved understanding of how and where iron ore deposits form works toward increased security for societal progress. This project will characterize three iron ore deposits in Puerto Rico, where ore deposits have remained largely unstudied. As these deposits are relatively unchanged after tens of millions of years, they will provide insight into the processes involved in their formation, which are generally lost due to extensive metamorphism and/or erosion. This work will provide field and research opportunities for at least ten undergraduate and four graduate students from Auburn University (AU) in Alabama and the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez (RUM) over three years. Students from these two universities will unite virtually on a monthly basis and in person for annual field seasons in Puerto Rico and analytical workshops at AU, fostering a diverse lab group called AURUM. Establishing and growing AURUM will cultivate long-lasting relationships between diverse early career scientists, setting the foundation for future collaborations and success of persons underrepresented in Geoscience. In the future, this research will help inform local management decisions related to these resources. The scientific goals of this study are: 1) to characterize in detail the iron skarn deposits of Puerto Rico; 2) to track the timing and relationship between metal transport, fluid flow events, and magmatic activity. Ore deposits are excellent records of geologic processes and environments, yet detailed studies of most deposits on this island have never been published. In particular, the Tibes, Keystone, and Island Queen iron skarns were prospected and briefly mined decades ago. However, these potentially economic deposits have not been investigated since. These sites present a unique opportunity to study relatively undisturbed iron skarn examples because they have not experienced extensive post-depositional metamorphism. The research goals will be achieved through field mapping, microscopic observations, magnetite trace element and stable isotope (iron, Fe; oxygen, O) geochemistry, and garnet geochemistry and geochronology at each site. This project will further develop the use of Fe isotope ratios and paired Fe-O isotopes in magnetite as tools in skarn characterization by strategically generating data in these three unaccreted skarn systems. Expanding the existing Fe-O database is a critical step in establishing Fe-O isotope systematics as an effective tool in skarn research and magnetite-bearing deposits in general. Geochronology of garnets associated with the mapped ore bodies will provide an effective date for ore formation, while the geochronology of garnets throughout the skarn will constrain the duration of skarn-forming fluid events. Garnet geochemistry coupled with geochronology will allow for temporal and chemical discrimination between ore-forming versus non-ore-forming events. Considering the relative lack of research on the ore deposits of Puerto Rico and the opportunity to study in detail unaccreted iron skarn systems, the new data will contribute significantly to foundational knowledge on where and how iron ore deposits form.This project is jointly funded by the Petrology & Geochemistry Program and the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR).This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

矿床的矿床是社会的源头，提供了与其形成相关的过程的关键信息，这对于发达国家的基础设施至关重要，对于那些正在发展的人和钢铁的主要组成部分至关重要还对包括风力涡轮机和电动的技术的可持续基础设施进行了批判，因此，改善了铁矿石矿床，可以提高社会前进的安全性，以提高某些har座的三个铁矿石沉积物。它们的形成过程通常是由于广泛的变质d /或the（AU）的广泛变质。 Au D Aurum的基础和分析讲习班将在各种早期的职业科学家之间培养长期的，为未来的Geosciente的未来合作奠定了基础。与Thr skarn skarn skarn沉积物的固定相关的s;在岛上的大多数沉积物在尤其是出版物中。通过田间映射，显微镜观测，磁铁矿痕量元素和稳定的同位素（铁，Fe； O）地球化学和石榴石地球化学和地球人工学将进一步发展UFE同位素比率和配对的FE-FE-on-On-ONE，将实现目标。磁铁矿作为SKARN表征的工具，通过在三个未经取证的Skarn Skarn EMS中生成数据。一般而言，石榴石的年代学会将带有形成的液体事件的持续时间。统一详细研究未经认证的铁Skarsn系统，新数据将对时间上的基础知识产生重大贡献（EPSCOR）。智力优点和更广泛的影响审查标准。