Tracing fluids and rare elements in the crust by combining microscale oxygen isotope analysis with geochronology

This project will develop the tools and knowledge for oxygen isotope analysis at the microscale in minerals that contain rare elements. This will allow geoscientists to harvest the wealth of information on fluid mobility that is stored in zoned minerals and link such information to geological history. This research takes advantage of the large investment that Australia has made in advanced micro-analytical facilities. It will have immediate impact on our understanding of major geological processes from regional metamorphism to subduction. It will also provide crucial information on fluids involved in the formation of ore deposits.