Washington State University Targets the Next Mountain Pass With NSF-Funded Rare Earth Research

Highlights

• WSU geologist Erin Benson received NSF funding to study rare earth accumulation in carbonatite rocks using Mountain Pass as a geological model
• Research focuses on how fluids containing water, CO2, fluorine, and sulfate concentrate rare earths, with the goal of reducing pre-drill exploration uncertainty
• Mountain Pass primarily yields light rare earths, meaning replicating its geology won't address critical shortages of heavy rare earths like dysprosium and terbium
• No validated predictive model or newly discovered deposit has yet been announced, and geological promise alone cannot guarantee a profitable supply chain