Scientists take long view on Australia’s mineral future

Imagine having a ‘downward-looking telescope’ that could look at least 300km beneath the Earth’s surface and unlock Australia’s hidden mineral wealth.

That is among several proposals in a 10-year plan for Australian Geoscience (2018-27) launched today by the Australian Academy of Science’s National Committee for Earth Sciences.

The plan highlights how the world’s shift towards mobile device technology, renewable energy sources and electric cars will involve massive increases in demand for copper, cobalt, gold, rare-earth elements and other specialty metals.

Committee chair, Professor Sue O’Reilly, said one of the challenges for Australian geoscience in the coming decade was to ensure the right infrastructure was in place to know how and where to explore for the critical resources needed for Australia’s future.

Professor Sue O’Reilly launches the report.

“This is where the downward-looking telescope comes in,” Professor O’Reilly said.

“A piece of infrastructure like this would transform our minerals sector by making deep Australia visible. It would give us a new understanding of the vertical makeup of the continent and allow us to direct our mineral exploration efforts in the two-thirds of Australia that aren’t currently cost-effective to explore.

“By 2030 global demand for cobalt will be 47 times what it was in 2016 so, unless we can become self-sufficient in this strategic metal, Australia may be held to ransom with massive price increases and chronic shortages.

“This exemplifies the need to generate new geoscience knowledge that will allow us to explore successfully in the covered areas of Australia.”

The plan also draws attention to the weakness in geoscience in Australia’s education system.

“Geoscience is largely absent in Australia’s school system because of a lack of teachers with qualifications in geoscience. Geoscience should be embedded as a core subject within every level of Australian STEM education and earth science graduates should be incentivised to obtain education qualifications,” Professor O’Reilly said.

The plan also calls for an expansion of Australia’s national computational capability to ensure that Australia retains and extends its lead in geoscience simulation and modelling capability.

The plan was launched today at the Australian Geosciences Council Convention in Adelaide.