Geomechanics.io

  • Free Tools
Sign UpLog In

Geomechanics.io

Geomechanics, Streamlined.

© 2026 Geomechanics.io. All rights reserved.

Geomechanics.io

CMRR-ioGEODB-ioHYDROGEO-ioQCDB-ioFree Tools & CalculatorsBlogLatest Industry News

Industries

MiningConstructionTunnelling

Company

Terms of UsePrivacy PolicyLinkedIn
    AllGeotechnicalMiningInfrastructureMaterialsHazardsEnvironmentalSoftwarePolicy
    Projects
    Research
    Sustainability

    Krypton in zircon grains: storage timescales and mineral sands insight for miners

    January 16, 2026|

    Reviewed by Tom Sullivan

    Krypton in zircon grains: storage timescales and mineral sands insight for miners

    First reported on MINING.com

    30 Second Briefing

    Krypton trapped in zircon grains from ancient Australian beach sands has been used by Curtin University’s Timescales of Mineral Systems Group, with the Universities of Göttingen and Cologne, as a “cosmic clock” to quantify how long sediments stayed near the surface before burial. Measurements of cosmogenic krypton show that under tectonically stable conditions with high sea levels, erosion rates drop sharply and sediments can be stored and reworked for millions of years in river basins, coastlines and continental shelves. The work links prolonged sediment storage to the concentration of durable heavy minerals, helping explain Australia’s large mineral sand deposits and offering new constraints for resource prospectivity models under changing climate and sea-level regimes.

    Technical Brief

    • Krypton is generated in zircon by high‑energy cosmic‑ray interactions while grains reside at or near surface.

    Our Take

    Within the 643 Mining stories in our database, zircon usually appears in the context of heavy mineral sands and processing, so krypton-in-zircon work from Curtin University and German partners points to an emerging geochronology tool rather than a conventional ore story.

    For lithium, most of the 1012 keyword-matched pieces focus on brines, hard‑rock spodumene and downstream battery supply chains; using durable zircon grains to reconstruct million‑ to billion‑year landscape evolution could help explorers better target preserved lithium‑bearing basins and weathering profiles in Australia.

    Traxys showing up alongside research‑focused institutions in this item signals that trading and offtake houses are tracking upstream geoscience tools, which can influence how they assess long‑term security of supply and jurisdictional risk for critical minerals such as lithium.

    Geotechnical Software for Modern Teams

    Centralise site data, logs, and lab results with GEODB-io, CMRR-io, and HYDROGEO-io.

    No credit card required.

    • Save and export unlimited calculations
    • Advanced data visualisation
    • Generate professional PDF reports
    • Cloud storage for all your projects

    Prepared by collating external sources, AI-assisted tools, and Geomechanics.io’s proprietary mining database, then reviewed for technical accuracy & edited by our geotechnical team.

    Related Articles

    Sprott’s 2026 outlook: metals, debt and tariffs – key signals for mine planners
    Mining
    about 8 hours ago

    Sprott’s 2026 outlook: metals, debt and tariffs – key signals for mine planners

    Deglobalisation, fractured metal inventories and the “debasement trade” into hard assets are expected by Sprott to drive 2026 markets, with US public debt above $38 trillion and copper in the US trading up to 30% higher than London prices in 2025 as tariffs and stockpiling distorted flows. Central banks, led by China, are projected to keep buying gold heavily after reserves freezes in 2022, while silver’s dual role as monetary hedge and critical input for clean energy and AI infrastructure supports its bull cycle. Uranium, copper and rare earths remain key watchpoints, with $80 billion in new US reactor support, 17‑year average copper mine lead times, and rare earth supply still dominated by China.

    Maaden’s US$110bn Saudi build-out: project and infrastructure notes for mine planners
    Mining
    about 9 hours ago

    Maaden’s US$110bn Saudi build-out: project and infrastructure notes for mine planners

    Maaden will invest US$110 billion over the next decade to triple its phosphate and gold output and double aluminium production, centred on eight megaprojects including the US$22.7 billion Wa’ad Al Shamal phosphate complex and its US$7.7 billion Phosphate 3 expansion due in 2027. Current capacity stands at about 500,000 oz. gold and 7 million tonnes per year of phosphate and aluminium, with phosphate output from Wa’ad Al Shamal and Ras Al Khair alone rated at 6 million tonnes per year. The build-out will drive major new pipelines, ports and rail links in Saudi Arabia and deepen processing partnerships with both MP Materials/US DoD and Chinese firms.

    Kinross greenlights three US builds: capex, output and design notes for mine planners
    Mining
    about 12 hours ago

    Kinross greenlights three US builds: capex, output and design notes for mine planners

    Kinross Gold has approved three US projects—Round Mountain Phase X, Bald Mountain Redbird 2 (Nevada) and the Kettle River–Curlew restart (Washington)—aimed at adding about 3 million oz between 2028 and 2038 and holding group output near 2 million oz per year. Round Mountain will shift to 3,000 t/d bulk underground mining of 11 Mt at 3.2 g/t (1.2 Moz) with initial capex of US$400 million, while Curlew will feed the 1,800 t/d Kettle River mill using dry-stack tailings and US$485 million upfront spend. Bald Mountain’s Redbird 2 pushback and five satellite pits will leverage existing leach infrastructure to deliver roughly 155,000 oz per year to 2031, with a US$490 million build and a SART plant to handle higher-copper ore.

    Related Industries & Products

    Mining

    Geotechnical software solutions for mining operations including CMRR analysis, hydrogeological testing, and data management.

    CMRR-io

    Streamline coal mine roof stability assessments with our cloud-based CMRR software featuring automated calculations, multi-scenario analysis, and collaborative workflows.

    HYDROGEO-io

    Comprehensive hydrogeological testing platform for managing, analysing, and reporting on packer tests, lugeon values, and hydraulic conductivity assessments.

    GEODB-io

    Centralised geotechnical data management solution for storing, accessing, and analysing all your site investigation and material testing data.