| NSF Org: |
EAR Division Of Earth Sciences |
| Recipient: |
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| Initial Amendment Date: | July 30, 2022 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | July 30, 2022 |
| Award Number: | 2217927 |
| Award Instrument: | Standard Grant |
| Program Manager: |
Jennifer Wade
jwade@nsf.gov (703)292-4739 EAR Division Of Earth Sciences GEO Directorate for Geosciences |
| Start Date: | August 1, 2022 |
| End Date: | July 31, 2026 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $257,214.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $257,214.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
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| History of Investigator: |
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| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
321-A INGRAM HALL AUBURN AL US 36849-0001 (334)844-4438 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
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| Primary Place of Performance: |
VPRED, Research & Innovation Ctr Auburn AL US 36832-0001 |
| Primary Place of
Performance Congressional District: |
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| Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
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| Parent UEI: |
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| NSF Program(s): |
Petrology and Geochemistry, EPSCoR Co-Funding |
| Primary Program Source: |
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| Program Reference Code(s): | |
| Program Element Code(s): |
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| Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.050, 47.083 |
ABSTRACT
Characterizing ore deposits, the sources of metal for our society, provides key information about the processes related to their formation. Iron is a metal that is vital for the infrastructure of developed countries and essential for those that are developing as it is the primary component of steel. Iron is also critical for the production of a more sustainable infrastructure that includes technologies such as wind turbines and electric cars. Therefore, an improved understanding of how and where iron ore deposits form works toward increased security for societal progress. This project will characterize three iron ore deposits in Puerto Rico, where ore deposits have remained largely unstudied. As these deposits are relatively unchanged after tens of millions of years, they will provide insight into the processes involved in their formation, which are generally lost due to extensive metamorphism and/or erosion. This work will provide field and research opportunities for at least ten undergraduate and four graduate students from Auburn University (AU) in Alabama and the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez (RUM) over three years. Students from these two universities will unite virtually on a monthly basis and in person for annual field seasons in Puerto Rico and analytical workshops at AU, fostering a diverse lab group called AURUM. Establishing and growing AURUM will cultivate long-lasting relationships between diverse early career scientists, setting the foundation for future collaborations and success of persons underrepresented in Geoscience. In the future, this research will help inform local management decisions related to these resources.
The scientific goals of this study are: 1) to characterize in detail the iron skarn deposits of Puerto Rico; 2) to track the timing and relationship between metal transport, fluid flow events, and magmatic activity. Ore deposits are excellent records of geologic processes and environments, yet detailed studies of most deposits on this island have never been published. In particular, the Tibes, Keystone, and Island Queen iron skarns were prospected and briefly mined decades ago. However, these potentially economic deposits have not been investigated since. These sites present a unique opportunity to study relatively undisturbed iron skarn examples because they have not experienced extensive post-depositional metamorphism. The research goals will be achieved through field mapping, microscopic observations, magnetite trace element and stable isotope (iron, Fe; oxygen, O) geochemistry, and garnet geochemistry and geochronology at each site. This project will further develop the use of Fe isotope ratios and paired Fe-O isotopes in magnetite as tools in skarn characterization by strategically generating data in these three unaccreted skarn systems. Expanding the existing Fe-O database is a critical step in establishing Fe-O isotope systematics as an effective tool in skarn research and magnetite-bearing deposits in general. Geochronology of garnets associated with the mapped ore bodies will provide an effective date for ore formation, while the geochronology of garnets throughout the skarn will constrain the duration of skarn-forming fluid events. Garnet geochemistry coupled with geochronology will allow for temporal and chemical discrimination between ore-forming versus non-ore-forming events. Considering the relative lack of research on the ore deposits of Puerto Rico and the opportunity to study in detail unaccreted iron skarn systems, the new data will contribute significantly to foundational knowledge on where and how iron ore deposits form.
This project is jointly funded by the Petrology & Geochemistry Program and the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR).
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.
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