Joy Youngblood’s Innovative Lithium Research to Be Showcased at GSA Connects 2024

CMU Student’s Lithium Research Promises New Exploration Insights at GSA Connects Conference

Joy Youngblood, a rising researcher in the field of Geosciences, is a student of the Summer Program in Applied Research (SPAR) at Central Michigan University (CMU). She is excited to showcase her innovative research on Lithium mineral occurrences in Northern Wisconsin at the Geological Society of America (GSA) Connects conference.

This is one of the largest and most influential gatherings for geoscientists globally, which takes place in Anaheim, California in September 2024 and is renowned for highlighting cutting-edge research from around the world. This conference provides a platform for CMU’s Earth and Atmospheric Science faculty and students to represent their research work. Youngblood has been awarded a prestigious travel grant from the Mineralogy-Geochemistry-Petrology-Volcanology (MGPV) Division of the GSA. This highly competitive grant is given to only 20% of applicants, and her success in securing it underscores the significance of her research. This grant will sponsor her participation in the conference so that she can present her research work.

Her paper, titled “Geochemical Dispersion Halos of Lithium Pegmatites as a Potential Exploration Tool: A Preliminary Comparative Study in Florence County, Northeastern Wisconsin, USA,” is co-authored with M.-L.C. Sirbescu, J. Meldrum, T. Cox, and T.R. Benson, and will be published in the Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs (Vol 56). She joined Dr. Sirbescu’s lithium exploration team in May 2023 as a field assistant, where she made a notable discovery of a new pegmatite on challenging, vegetation-covered slopes in Northeastern Wisconsin. Initially, the pegmatite appeared to lack spodumene, the primary lithium ore mineral. However, Youngblood’s determination led her to collect rock samples that eventually revealed promising lithium concentrations.

With support from a SPAR grant, Youngblood returned to the site in May 2024 for further investigation. Her subsequent sampling confirmed significant lithium concentrations in host rocks up to 10 metres away from the pegmatite, suggesting the potential presence of additional hidden lithium-rich pegmatite bodies. This field and lab work has led to the development of innovative prospecting methods for lithium pegmatites, which are now being prepared for publication. Youngblood’s research offers new insights into lithium exploration techniques and underscores the critical role of emerging scientists in advancing sustainable energy solutions.

Editor’s Note:

Geoscience is the field in which immense opportunities lie in research as numerous hidden critical resources are present that need to be discovered for the well-being of society. For a carbon-free sustainable future, Joy Youngblood’s remarkable study on lithium pegmatites opened a new door for using Lithium for sustainable energy solutions for the future. Youngblood’s research not only highlights her achievements but also underscores the importance of fresh perspectives in advancing geological science. 

Skoobuzz looks forward to Youngblood’s findings having the potential to influence future exploration strategies and contribute to global sustainability efforts.