Prof Jon Blundy and Prof Tamsin Mather have been awarded a 3-year research grant from NERC to look at the behaviour of lithium in volcano-sedimentary systems.
The project ('LiVS: The fate of lithium during magmatic and volcanic processes in volcano-sedimentary systems'), has a total value of £0.95M and is a collaboration with Natural History Museum in London and University of Naples, Italy.
Researchers from Oxford and NHM will use a combination of fieldwork, mineralogy and laboratory experiments to understand how lithium is transferred from volcanic magmas through hydrogeological systems to sedimentary clay deposits and salt lakes and how understanding these processes will help identify new deposits of this important battery metal. The project involves collaboration with industry and will focus on field sites in South America and in western USA.
About 40% of the world’s lithium currently comes from salt lakes. Understanding how these systems form and how lithium can be recovered with minimal disturbance to the environment and the many animal species that thrive there are key questions as we look to transition away from a fossil fuel-led energy system. The project will begin in September 2026.
