Dr Michael Anenburg is an ARC Linkage postdoctoral fellow studying magmatic ore deposit formation in the earth using advanced analytical methods, experimental petrology, and thermodynamics. Michael’s primary focus is on rare earth element (REE) mineralisation in carbonatites. Michael is an experimental petrologist, using high pressure and temperature apparatuses to recreate the natural magmatic process that led into the formation of these ore deposits. This permits the creation of deposit models which can be directly applied to exploration such that the grade and style of mineralisation in any individual deposit.

Michael is also using experimental methods to grow indicator minerals that occur in a wide range of ore deposits, from carbonatites to porphyry copper deposits, in order to calibrate a relationship between mineral compositions and formation conditions of these deposits. These relationships can then be used as an exploration tool to locate fertile deposits based on their detrital minerals.

Michael specialises in elemental microbeam analytical techniques such as SEM, EPMA, and automated mineralogical mapping tools (QEMSCAN, TIMA). In addition, Michael develops data analysis methods for REE and writes open online calculators free community use.

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