Scientists have discovered how a promising niobium deposit formed deep beneath central Australia more than 800 million years ago. The findings link the metal's origins to the ancient supercontinent Rodinia's breakup. Niobium plays a key role in strengthening steel and advancing clean energy technologies.
In central Australia's Aileron Province, rare carbonatite rocks have provided new insights into the formation of niobium deposits. Research led by Curtin University shows these rocks emerged during the early rifting of the supercontinent Rodinia, around 830 to 820 million years ago.
Tectonic forces created deep fractures in Earth's crust, allowing niobium-rich magma from the mantle to rise through active fault zones. This molten material solidified into unusual igneous rocks, trapping the critical metal near the surface. Niobium strengthens steel for applications in aircraft, pipelines, and electric vehicles, and supports batteries and superconducting technologies.
Lead author Dr. Maximilian Dröllner, from Curtin University's Timescales of Mineral Systems Group and the University of Göttingen, highlighted the uniqueness of these carbonatites. "These carbonatites are unlike anything previously known in the region and contain important concentrations of niobium, a strategic metal used to make lighter, stronger steel for aircraft, pipelines and EVs and a key component in some next-generation battery and superconducting technologies," he said.
The team analyzed drill core samples using multiple isotope-dating methods and high-resolution imaging. Their work reconstructed over 500 million years of geological history, distinguishing original formation events from later changes. Co-author Professor Chris Kirkland noted the challenges in dating such rocks. "Carbonatites are rare igneous rocks known to host major global deposits of critical metals such as niobium and rare earth elements. But determining when and how they formed has historically been difficult due to their complex geological histories," he explained. "By analyzing isotopes and using high-resolution imaging, we were able to reconstruct more than 500 million years of geological events that these rocks experienced."
The study, published in Geological Magazine, underscores how continental rifting delivered metal-rich melts to the crust, offering clues to Earth's mineral resources.
