Porphyry systems: Ores, critical elements, and volcanic connections

About the Project

The energy transition will require significant increases in the quantities of mined base metals and critical minerals to capture, transport, and store low-carbon energy. Global copper demand is estimated to increase between 50 and 100+ % above present levels over the next quarter century to meet the needs of the energy transition (Cathles and Simon, 2024). Porphyry copper deposits account for ~70 % of the global copper inventory and half of the global molybdenum inventory (Sillitoe, 2010) with primary ores of copper (Cu; 0.5-1.5 % Cu grades) and molybdenum (Mo; <0.01-0.4 % Mo grades), as well as gold and silver. Critical minerals such as platinum group elements, rhenium, tellurium, tin, tungsten, and zinc, are locally enriched to significant recoverable quantities in individual porphyry copper deposits, while critical elements such as tin, tungsten, fluorine, and beryllium are locally enriched in porphyry molybdenum systems (John and Taylor, 2016). Critical minerals can occur as particles of native species, solid solutions / exsolved species of sulfide and oxide minerals, and as substitutions within silicate minerals. The addition of a byproduct recovery circuit for tellurium at a single porphyry copper mine (Bingham Canyon) has been able to meet ~4 % of global demand for the element (McNulty et al., 2022). Porphyry deposits thus provide excellent opportunities to increase production of critical elements needed for the energy transition through the addition of secondary or tertiary recovery circuits to procure metals that would otherwise end up in waste piles after the mining process. However, our understanding of the distribution of critical elements within porphyry systems is generally poor. This lack of understanding inhibits rigorous assessment of the extractability of contained critical elements from mineral phases within porphyry systems, and subsequent processing studies that consider feasibility of their recovery.

This PhD project will combine fieldwork, sample characterization (hand sample, transmitted and reflected light petrography) to describe primary, hydrothermal, and ore mineralogy and construct a paragenetic sequence for one or more ore-forming systems, whole-rock (major, minor, and trace element) and mineral (EPMA, LA-ICP-MS, stable and radiogenic isotope) geochemistry to quantify elemental enrichment within bulk rock and individual minerals, constrain fluid source(s) and magmatic and hydrothermal conditions, and potentially geo-/thermochronology (via laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry or contract laboratories depending on sample mineralogy) to determine absolute timing of magmatism, mineralization, and post-mineralization exhumation. Several porphyry systems that could be studied as part of this project have strong volcanic connections, with a potential research avenue being to examine pre-/syn-post-mineralization eruptive phases and consider the partitioning of elements across the phases as a proxy for the geochemical evolution of the underlying magma chamber.

You will be based within the Geoscience research group in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, and work within a large and dynamic group of PhD students, postdocs and academics working across the fields of volcanology, petrology, geochemistry, planetary science, and ore deposits. We will support your professional development through formal and informal training, within the Department and the wider University, and encourage you to take part in teaching and outreach, and to share your findings at national and international conferences.

Eligibility

Applicants should have, or expect to achieve, at least a 2.1 honours degree or a master’s (or international equivalent) in geology, Earth sciences, or another related physical science discipline. Some research and/or work experience in igneous petrology, volcanology, or ore deposits, through undergraduate projects, placements, internships, or past employment, is desirable.

Funding

This 3.5 year PhD project is fully funded and home students. The successful candidate will receive an annual tax-free stipend set at the UKRI rate (£20,780 for 2025/26) and tuition fees will be paid. We expect the stipend to increase each year. The start date is October 2026.

We recommend that you apply early as the advert may be removed before the deadline.

Before you apply

We strongly recommend that you contact the project supervisor before you apply (carson.richardson@manchester.ac.uk). Please include details of your current level of study, academic background and any relevant experience and include a paragraph about your motivation to study this PhD project.

How to apply

You will need to submit an online application through our website here: https://uom.link/pgr-apply

When you apply, you will be asked to upload the following supporting documents:

• Final Transcript and certificates of all awarded university level qualifications
• Interim Transcript of any university level qualifications in progress
• CV
• You will be asked to supply contact details for two referees on the application form (please make sure that the contact email you provide is an official university/ work email address as we may need to verify the reference)
• Supporting statement: A one or two page statement outlining your motivation to pursue postgraduate research and why you want to undertake postgraduate research at Manchester, any relevant research or work experience, the key findings of your previous research experience, and techniques and skills you’ve developed. (This is mandatory for all applicants and the application will be put on hold without it.
• English Language certificate (if applicable). If you require an English qualification to study in the UK, you can apply now and send this in at a later date. Home students do not usually need to provide English.

If you have any queries regarding making an application please contact our admissions team FSE.doctoralacademy.admissions@manchester.ac.uk