The main goal of this project is to develop a detailed map, geochemical description, and process-based understanding of pegmatites in central Massachusetts (Sterling and Fitchburg quads) that have historically yielded lithium and other critical minerals. While industrial-scale resource extraction may be unlikely in densely populated Massachusetts, our state is home to world class exposures of rocks that are rich in critical minerals, affording us the opportunity to make discoveries about these mineral systems that are essential to the Energy Transition.
Driving questions:
(I) Are there structural, age, or positional differences that explain why some pegmatites in this region are rich in rare earth metals, while others are relatively simple pegmatites in terms of their composition?
(II) What are the tectonic controls on the present day location of complex pegmatites, and what is their relationship to past orogenic plateau formation in New England?
Funding from the EarthMRI program within USGS