How Metals Can Be Extracted From Volcanoes

Scientists at the University of Oxford have demonstrated how it is possible to directly extract valuable metals from hot salty fluids (‘brines’) trapped in porous rocks at depths of around 2km below dormant volcanoes. They propose this radical green-mining approach to provide essential metals for a net zero future – copper, gold, zinc, silver and lithium – in a sustainable way. Magma beneath volcanoes releases gases that rise towards the surface. These gases are rich in metals. As the pressure drops, the gases separate into steam and brine. Most metals… Read More Here