Tin deposits are formed from source rocks, not cooling
New research from the University of St Andrews has uncovered the primary drivers of tin mineralization, which will have significant implications for the discovery of tin deposits critical to the energy transition.
A new study from the University of St Andrews and the University of Oxford challenges traditional beliefs about how tin deposits form. Researchers found that the tin-rich granites, which account for most of the world's tin supply, are not formed through cooling and fractional crystallization of magmas, as previously thought. Instead, the study reveals that tin granites retain their reduced character and high tin content from the source rocks they originated from.
These source rocks must be inherently tin-rich and highly reduced prior to melting in order to give rise to tin deposits. Lead author Joseph Benson explained that the traditional view that fractional crystallization enriches the magma is incorrect—it actually oxidizes the magma. By modeling geochemical processes, the researchers demonstrated that tin granites inherit their reduced character and tin enrichment directly from the source rocks being melted.
This new understanding could help narrow down areas with the potential to host new tin deposits, benefiting mineral exploration efforts.
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