Research

Mineral chemical halos to VHMS mineralization in the Archean Yilgarn Craton, Western Australia

The Archean Yilgarn Craton of Western Australia represents a world-class metallogenic province, hosting considerable resources of Ni-sulfides, Au and iron ore. Following the 1963 discovery of the giant Kidd Creek Cu-Zn deposit in Canada, the Archean Yilgarn and Pilbara cratons of Western Australia were actively targeted for volcanic-hosted massive sulfide (VHMS) mineralization throughout most the 1960s and 1970s. The main exploration technique was gossan searching coupled with geophysics. One substantial find was made at Gossan Hill in 1971 (Golden Grove camp), and a smaller, but higher grade find in 1976 at Teutonic Bore in the Eastern Goldfields Superterrane. By the early 1980s the lack of success and an increasing gold price saw a change in focus, and VHMS mineralization effectively dropped off the exploration agenda in Western Australia for the next 25 years. This research aims to identify the fundamental controls on VHMS mineralization from the craton to deposit scale, and identify mineralogical, geochemical, mineral-chemical and isotopic halos to ore.

Previous research projects:

Formation of the Ag-Zn-(Au) Nimbus deposit, Yilgarn Craton, Western Australia: age, setting, mineralization and geochemical halos to ore
Multiple S isotope characteristics of the Nimbus Zn-Ag-(Au) deposit. Research led by Stefano Caruso
Re-Os geochronology of the Nimbus VHMS deposit. Research led by Vitor Barrote
Age, setting and formation of Zn-Cu mineralization at Erayinia NW in the Eastern Goldfields
Geology and geochemistry of the Gum Creek greenstone belt, western Yilgarn Craton

Current Projects include:

Hydrothermal alteration associated with the Archean Teutonic Bore VHMS deposit, Western Australia: lithogeochemistry, mineral chemistry and hyperspectral constraints
Geochemical and hyperspectral halos applied to the metamorphosed King and King North base-metal occurrences.
Geology and mineralogy of the Altair, VHMS deposit, Gum Creek greenstone belt.

Evolution and mineralization of volcanic arc sequences in the British and Irish Caledonides

The Tyrone Igneous Complex (TIC) of Northern Ireland represents a structurally dissected arc-ophiolite complex accreted to the composite margin of Laurentia during the Grampian orogeny (ca. 475-465 Ma). Extensive new field mapping, geochemistry and U-Pb zircon geochronology have greatly improved our understanding of the evolution of the TIC and its place within the orogen. Stratigraphic horizons favourable for the formation and preservation of VHMS mineralization have been identified, and several new mineral occurrences identified on the basis of this research. This work has assisted Dalradian Resources and Koza Ltd with their regional exploration programmes.

Ongoing research includes new:

U-Pb zircon ID-TIMS geochronology on the TIC.
Use of zircon trace element geochemistry and Hf-isotope signatures to identify VMS-fertile felsic volcanic rocks across the Irish Caledonides and Newfoundland Appalachians.
Mineral chemistry (electron microprobe analysis) and lithogeochemical mapping to aid the discovery of VHMS mineralization.
Age and tectonic setting of the Ballantrae Ophiolite Complex, Scotland.
Distribution of ultramafic occurrences in the Proterozoic Dalradian Supergroup associated with the opening of the Iapetus Ocean

Project Supervision

PhD

Current

Ms Kay Turanski (sept. 2025 start) - Lead supervisor, with Godfrey Fitton (Edinburgh), Paul Spry (University of Nevada), Hannah Grant (British Geological Survey). Funded by E5 DTP. "Developing new mineral chemical halos as vectors to VMS deposits in high-grade metamorphic terranes"
Mr Sam Pickering (sept. 2025 start) - Co-supervisor, led by Ali Hassanpouryouzband. Funded by Decahydron. "Reactive Flow Dynamics and Reservoir Evolution for Coupled CO2 Storage and H2 Production in Ultramafic and Mafic Rocks".
Ms Laila Lotz (sept. 2025 start) - Co-supervisor, led by Ali Hassanpouryouzband. Funded by Decahydron. "Geochemical and Microbial Controls on Hydrogen Generation During CO2 Storage in Ultramafic and Mafic Rocks".
Mr Philippe Mongeau (yr3) - Lead supervisor, with Mark Cooper (Geological Survey of Northern Ireland), Stephen Piercey (Memorial University, Newfoundland), Ian Butler (Edinburgh) and Sean McClenaghan (Trinity College Dublin): University of Edinburgh. Funded by E4 DTP. "Controls on precious and critical metal enrichment in VMS deposits of the Caledonian-Appalachian orogen". Started September 2023.
Ms Isobel Nash (yr3) - Co-supervisor, led by Alan Hastie (Edinburgh), with David Holder and Liz Stock (Barrick Gold): University of Edinburgh. Funded by Barrick Gold. "Enhanced crustal fertility facilitates mineral endowment in Meso- to Neoarchaean cratons" Started August 2023.
Mr Cendi Dana (yr4) - Lead supervisor, with Darryl Podmore (Black Raven Mining), Ian Butler (Edinburgh), Adrian Boyce (SUERC), Florian Fusseis (Edinburgh): University of Edinburgh. Funded by E4 DTP, with top up from Black Raven Mining. “Developing geochemical vectors to aid the discovery of metamorphosed VMS deposits”. Started September 2022.

External supervisor

Ms Annie Yin (yr3) Co supervisor; Led by Karen Hudson-Edwards (Camborne School of Mines, University of Exeter), "Mineralogical Controls on Critical Metals in VMS Deposits: By-Product Resource Potential of Sulfide Minerals"

Completed

Dr Aileen Doran - Co-supervisor, led by Julian Menuge: University College Dublin. Funded by iCRAG/Science Foundation Ireland. “Geochemical investigations of mineralizing processes in the southern Irish Zn-Pb orefield: the combined application of isotope (S, clumped O-C, Sr, H) and mineral chemistry studies to track fluid flow”. September 2016 to June 2021 (viva).

MScR

Current:

Mr Abinet Zewde - Supervisor. University of Edinburgh; MScR. January to December, 2025. "Characterizing the age, host stratigraphy and geochemical halos associated with the Abetselo VMS deposit, Ethiopia"

Undergraduate / MSc

2024-2025 AY:

Ms Mari Engleby - Supervisor. University of Edinburgh; Geoenergy MSc. April to August, 2025. "Identifying the Feeder Zone of an Archean Volcanic Massive Sulphide deposit in the Gum Creek Greenstone Belt, Western Australia"
Mr Arthur Beare - Supervisor. University of Edinburgh; 5th year dissertation. September 2024 – May 2025 "Magnetic Field Characterisation of VMS deposits in the Gairloch Schist Belt"
Ms Michaela (Kay) Turanski - Supervisor. University of Edinburgh; 5th year dissertation. September 2024 – May 2025 "VMS exploration in Tallering Greenstone Belt, Western Australia"
Ms Alix Jego -Supervisor. University of Edinburgh; 5th year dissertation. September 2024 – May 2025 "Vectors and styles of Cu-Zn mineralisation of the Kerry Road volcanogenic massive sulphide deposit, Gairloch, NW Scotland.

2023-2024 AY:

Mr Ryan Wilson - Supervisor. University of Edinburgh; 5th year dissertation. September 2023 – May 2024 "Geochemical and mineralogical characterisation of volcanogenic massive sulfide mineralisation in the Gum Creek Greenstone belt, SW Australia.

2022-2023 AY:

Mr Jack Richardson - Supervisor. University of Edinburgh; 5th year dissertation. September 2022 – May 2023 “Au-Te mineralization within orogenic gold deposits of the Yilgarn Craton, Western Australia”
Mr Conal Rodgers - Supervisor. University of Edinburgh; 5th year dissertation. September 2022 – May 2023. “Hyperspectral and geochemical halos of white mica and chlorite for VMS exploration at King Zinc deposit, Yilgarn Craton, Western Australia”

2022-2023 AY:

Ms Robin Hilderman - Supervisor. University of Edinburgh; Geoenergy MSc. Feb. to August, 2022. “How did Cashel Rock form? Cu-Au and critical metal enrichment in a silica-flooded rhyolite”
Ms Amy Muir - Supervisor. University of Edinburgh; GeoEnergy MSc. Feb. to August, 2022. ”Pyrite trace element variations across the active Iheya North hydrothermal field, Japan: insights for Cu-Zn deposit formation”
Mr Patrick Brown - Supervisor. University of Edinburgh; GeoEnergy MSc. Feb. to August, 2022. “Copper mineralisation and hydrothermal alteration: implications for VMS activity in the Ballantrae Ophiolite Complex”

Other:

Mr Sabri Foury - Supervisor. (from UniLaSalle, France) undergraduate student internship project based at UCD. From 10th July to 18th August, 2017. “Characterizing geochemical halos surrounding the Nimbus Ag-Zn-(Au) VHMS deposit of Western Australia”
Mr Jamie Kelly - Co-supervisor (with Prof. Stephen Roberts): 4th year undergraduate project, University of Southampton, UK. Started 1st June, 2017. “Characterization of Cu-Au King North deposit, Yilgarn Craton, Western Australia”.