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The Prof pegmatite is located NW of Revelstoke, British Columbia, Canada on Boulder Mountain. Due to the abundance of petalite, the pegmatite is classified as a petalite subtype Li-Cs-Ta pegmatite or a Group one pegmatite. The Prof pegmatite contains a suite of minerals indicative of a highly evolved pegmatite melt including petalite, elbaite, lepidolite and Nb-Ta oxides. Four textural zones are present: (1) border; (2) intermediate, including (2.1) graphic texture dominant and (2.2) overgrowth dominant, where diverse minerals form rims around one another; (3) central; and (4) quartz. The border zone has a similar mineralogy to the intermediate zone and is interpreted to represent a chilled margin. The intermediate zone has a feldspar, mica, garnet and dravite-schorl dominant composition. The central zone hosts an evolved pegmatite core, which contains the majority of the lithium mineralisation composed of petalite, elbaite and lepidolite. The tourmaline, Nb-Ta oxides and mica within the pegmatite record the geochemical evolution of the melt from more primitive Fe- and Mg-rich minerals to a Li-, Mn- and Nb-rich assemblage indicative of a highly evolved geochemical system. The various pegmatitic textures and extremely fractionated geochemical composition of the pegmatite indicate that the melt was undercooled and crystallised rapidly. Three phases of metasomatism are recognised in the Prof pegmatite: an albitisation event observed cutting primary orthoclase; followed by a transition to a Na-Li-F-rich event mostly containing secondary albite, trilithionite and elbaites; and a sericitisation event. The Prof pegmatite has a similar mineralogy to known pegmatites at Mount Begbie, 15 km to the south, in particular the notable presence of the rare mineral qitianlingite, petalite, lepidolite and elbaite. Together, these pegmatite bodies form part of an extensive, poorly mapped pegmatite field. Additional work is required to assess the extent and nature of mineralisation within this field.

Critical minerals, essential for the development and sustainability of clean energy technologies, are typically sourced through conventional CO 2 intensive mining methods. This paper evaluates the potential of geothermal brines as a sustainable alternative for mineral extraction after geothermal energy production. A detailed case study of a Canadian geothermal field provides insight into the potential economic advantages of mineral extraction from brines. Water chemistry data from the Mount Meager geothermal field, which has one of the highest geothermal potentials in Canada, demonstrates that the fluids are rich in dissolved minerals and metals. Using reservoir physical information, Monte Carlo simulations, and appropriate probability distributions, our study addresses uncertainties in volumetric resource calculations. Taking into consideration flow pathways through the rock matrix, and available technologies with rates of mineral recovery up to 90%, results show promising reserves for minerals such as lithium, magnesium, and silica. The findings highlight the dual benefits of geothermal energy in Canada providing both a green energy source and facilitating critical mineral production. This dual utility can generate additional revenue fostering the development of geothermal fields, even those that are not viable for energy generation on their own, supporting Canada’s transition to a low-carbon economy.

As global demand for critical minerals intensifies with the expansion of energy transition technologies and advanced manufacturing, developing sustainable and efficient exploration strategies has become a national priority. In this shift, AI-driven exploration technologies are emerging as a transformative force, reshaping how mineral resources are discovered, assessed, and managed. This study analyzes the global research landscape in critical mineral exploration by examining patent and scientific publication data to evaluate both research efficiency and knowledge spillover capacity. Using data envelopment analysis and super-efficiency modeling, we compare national R&D performance, identify leading countries, and quantify diffusion dynamics. The results reveal significant disparities: countries such as the United States, South Korea, and Canada demonstrate high research efficiency and strong spillover effects, supported by active innovation ecosystems and technological adoption. In contrast, resource-rich nations including China, Australia, and Russia show limited diffusion due to weaker AI-based innovation incentives and insufficient industry–academia collaboration. Italy stands out as an effective model of policy-driven R&D utilization and technological diffusion. These findings highlight the strategic importance of combining AI-enabled exploration, qualitative research impact, and international cooperation. The study offers policy implications for countries seeking to strengthen resource security and enhance competitiveness through sustainable and innovation-driven mineral exploration.

This study indicates that the volume and distribution of critical minerals’ final destination are essential for an objective decision to create a circular flow of critical minerals from national security and circular economy aspects in mineral resources policy. We demonstrate the estimation of critical minerals’ final destination and propose a decision flow framework to identify the prioritized products and their parts to be reused or recycled. We conclude that policymakers need to consider the final destination of critical minerals, not their economic importance or intermediate volumes or distributions alone, to implement effective actions to ensure critical minerals’ circularity. This study estimates the final destination of several critical minerals (lithium, cobalt, yttrium, lanthanum, cerium, neodymium and dysprosium) and base metals (iron, copper and aluminum) in the Japanese economy for 2015. A uniquely expanded and the latest input–output table is used for the estimation. The results reveal a detailed distribution of critical minerals and indicate prioritized implementation for creating and maintaining domestic and international circular flows of critical minerals. The developed decision flow framework provides a practical approach to national security and circular economy aspects for policymakers. For further actions, inclusive indicator development is required for policymakers to support the determination of implementation possibilities from social and technological aspects.

This study presents a novel AI method for extracting polygon and point features from historical geologic maps, representing a pivotal step for assessing the mineral resources needed for energy transition. Our innovative method involves using map units in the legends as prompts for one-shot segmentation and detection in geological feature extraction. The model, integrated with a human-in-the-loop system, enables geologists to refine results efficiently, combining the power of AI with expert oversight. Tested on geologic maps annotated by USGS and DARPA for the AI4CMA DARPA Challenge, our approach achieved a median F1 score of 0.91 for polygon feature segmentation and 0.73 for point feature detection when such features had abundant annotated data, outperforming current benchmarks. By efficiently and accurately digitizing historical geologic map, our method promises to provide crucial insights for responsible policymaking and effective resource management in the global energy transition.

Critical mineral resources (CMRs) are essential for emerging high-tech industries and are geopolitically significant, prompting countries to pursue resource exploration and development. Tibetan geothermal systems, recognized for their CMR potential, have not yet been systematically evaluated. This study presents a comprehensive investigation of the spatial distributions, resource flux, reserves, and resource effects of CMRs, integrating and analyzing hydrochemical and discharge flow rate data. Geochemical findings reveal significant enrichment of lithium (Li), rubidium (Rb), cesium (Cs), and boron (B) in the spring waters and sediments, primarily located along the Yarlung Zangbo suture and north–south rift zones. Resource flux estimates include approximately 246 tons of Li, 54 tons of Rb, 233 tons of Cs, and 2747 tons of B per year, underscoring the mineral potential of the geothermal spring waters. Additionally, over 40,000 tons of Cs reserves are preserved in siliceous sinters in Tagejia, Gulu, and Semi. The Tibetan geothermal systems thus demonstrate considerable potential for CMRs, especially Cs, through stable discharge and widespread distribution, also serving as indicators for endogenous mineral exploration and providing potential sources for lithium in exogenous salt lakes. This study evaluates the CMR potential of the Tibetan geothermal systems, advancing CMR exploration while contributing to the future security of CMR supplies.

Renewable energy poverty is a serious challenge for BRICS+ nations due to large geographical areas and uneven population distributions. Energy transition efforts in the bloc are further undermined by soaring prices of renewable technologies due to rising critical mineral costs. Simultaneously, the increasingly complicated geopolitical environment caused by recent geopolitical events, such as the Russia-Ukraine conflict and USA-China trade war, has further exacerbated the challenges of energy transition in the bloc by increasing uncertainty in the global energy and critical mineral markets. The combined effects of surging critical mineral costs and growing geopolitical risks hinder a fair and sustainable energy transition in the BRICS+ countries. Nevertheless, the subtle relationship between critical mineral prices, geopolitical risks, and renewable energy poverty remains underexplored. This paper extends the current literature by examining the indirect relationship between disaggregated critical mineral prices, geopolitical risks, and renewable energy poverty among BRICS+ nations. This study applies the two-step system generalized method of moments (GMM) estimator for the period 2012–2022. The findings show that zinc and cobalt prices have direct negative effects on renewable energy poverty. In terms of an indirect relationship, geopolitical risks significantly moderate the relationship between all selected critical mineral prices and renewable energy poverty. As a policy response, BRICS+ members should strengthen their critical mineral supply chain by boosting intra-bloc trade and diversifying trading partners outside the bloc. Besides, BRICS+ countries should promote cross-border research collaborations to reduce critical mineral intensity in renewable technologies to build a resilient renewable energy ecosystem against geopolitical tensions and external dependence.

The convergence of green and digital ʻTwin Transformationʼ, coupled with power competition and geopolitical tensions, highlighting the growing strategic significance of critical mineral supply chains. Central Asia, endowed with substantial critical mineral reserves and situated at the crossroads of strategic transit routes, occupies a pivotal role in the evolving geopolitical and geoeconomic landscape. However, its supply chains are increasingly exposed to security risks spanning multiple levels, dimensions, and actors within and beyond the region, thereby shaping a critical mineral supply chain security complex. This article adopts the comprehensive security perspective to investigate the security governance of critical mineral supply chains in Central Asia, analysing the region’s distinctive multi-layered governance approach encompassing bilateral engagements, regional and interregional cooperation mechanisms. The analysis identifies structural limitations including internal vulnerabilities and external dependencies and proposes policy recommendations to strengthen Central Asia’s strategic position. These include formulating harmonized standardizations, integrating resource complementarity, and mitigating adverse geopolitical pressures of power politics on supply chain security.

Background: The transition to renewable energy is intensifying demand for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), thereby increasing the need for sustainable lithium sourcing. Traditional mining practices pose environmental and health risks, which can be mitigated through efficient end-of-life recycling systems. Methods: This study proposes a modified lithium reverse logistics network that decentralizes black-mass production at distributed facilities before centralized extraction, contrasting with conventional models that transport raw LIBs directly to central processing sites. Using the United States as a case study, two mathematical optimization (mixed-integer linear programming) models were developed to compare the traditional and modified networks in terms of cost efficiency and carbon emissions. Results: The model indicates that the proposed network significantly reduces both operational costs and emissions. Conclusions: This study highlights its potential to support a greener economy and inform policy development.

Historically, resource conflicts have often centered on fuel minerals (particularly oil). Future resource conflicts may, however, focus more on competition for nonfuel minerals that enable emerging technologies. Whether it is rhenium in jet engines, indium in flat panel displays, or gallium in smart phones, obscure elements empower smarter, smaller, and faster technologies, and nations seek stable supplies of these and other nonfuel minerals for their industries. No nation has all of the resources it needs domestically. International trade may lead to international competition for these resources if supplies are deemed at risk or insufficient to satisfy growing demand, especially for minerals used in technologies important to economic development and national security. Here, we compare the net import reliance of China and the United States to inform mineral resource competition and foreign supply risk. Our analysis indicates that China relies on imports for over half of its consumption for 19 of 42 nonfuel minerals, compared with 24 for the United States—11 of which are common to both. It is for these 11 nonfuel minerals that competition between the United States and China may become the most contentious, especially for those with highly concentrated production that prove irreplaceable in pivotal emerging technologies.