CAREER: Rare Earth Element Transport in Carbonatite Systems

Rare earth elements (REE) are essential for modern technologies like smartphones, electric vehicles, and wind turbines. However, it remains difficult to find new sources in nature. This is mainly because how these elements concentrate into rich deposits is not yet fully understood. This project focuses on a rare type of igneous rock, carbonatite, which hosts many of the world’s most important REE deposits. This research will study how these elements move and become concentrated as magma cools and releases fluids. The results of this work will improve our ability to discover new resources and support more responsible resource development. At the same time, the project will develop engaging, hands-on learning tools to help students build skills in quantitative reasoning and data analysis. These skills are increasingly important across science and engineering. This CAREER project aims to improve understanding of how rare earth elements are transported and concentrated in carbonatite magmatic systems. The project will combine high-temperature laboratory experiments with thermodynamic and petrologic modeling to examine how element partitioning and fluid–melt interactions evolve during magma differentiation and degassing. Experimental results will be used to calibrate quantitative models that describe fluid saturation, compositional evolution during degassing, chemical exchange between melt and fluid, and the conditions that favor rare earth element enrichment. These components will be integrated into a modeling framework capable of simulating rare earth element behavior under realistic geological conditions, providing a predictive tool for interpreting mineralization processes. In parallel, the project will develop a modular, software-supported educational platform that translates these concepts into interactive, inquiry-based learning. Through classroom implementation, the platform will strengthen students’ skills in thermodynamics, quantitative reasoning, and computational modeling, while helping train the next generation of geoscientists in approaches relevant to critical mineral research. 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. NSF Award ID: 2543030 | Program: 01002627DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT,01002930DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT,01003031DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT | Principal Investigator: Chenguang Sun | Institution: University of Texas at Austin, AUSTIN, TX | Award Amount: $583,449 View on NSF Award Search: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/show-award/?AWD_ID=2543030 View on Research.gov: https://www.research.gov/awardapi-service/v1/awards/2543030.html