Greenland is not the mining gem some think it is

{"text":[[{"start":null,"text":"

"}],[{"start":7.73,"text":"The writer is a science commentator"}],[{"start":12.280000000000001,"text":"Long before the glitter of Greenland’s ice caught the covetous eye of Donald Trump, the minerals beneath were bewitching others."}],[{"start":22.36,"text":"Among those dazzled was Karl Ludwig Giesecke, an actor-turned-mineralogist who became stranded on the island during the Napoleonic wars. Possessed of several pseudonyms during a colourful and globetrotting career, including as a minerals dealer, Giesecke travelled throughout Greenland in the early 19th century compiling an inventory of the island’s mineralogical treasures. His journal entries, which credit the prior knowledge of the Inuit, include descriptions of cryolite, mined there exclusively from the 1850s and known as “white gold” because of its industrial value as a chemical additive (synthetic alternatives are used today)."}],[{"start":68.36,"text":"Prospectors have been eyeing up the territory ever since, with Trump making clear that Greenland is still in his sights. Its strategic position in the western hemisphere, between Canada and Europe, would enhance the US sphere of influence and offer new shipping routes as Arctic ice melts, but many believe he has mining in mind. Greenland’s geology suggests evidence of critical mineral deposits, as well as gold, gemstones, platinum group metals (used in catalytic converters), lithium, titanium, tungsten, copper and graphite, among others. The prospect of offshore oil and gas reserves complete the prospectus."}],[{"start":120.71000000000001,"text":"But its image as a frozen gem-rich nirvana might be overblown. “Greenland is not unusually rich in minerals,” Kathryn Goodenough, principal geologist at the British Geological Survey and an expert on the geology of rare earth elements, told me. Neither, she added, were any of its mineral deposits unique."}],[{"start":145.24,"text":"Rather, the island is geologically analogous to Canada and mineral-rich countries in northern Europe, as well as mineral-rich regions of Africa, South America and Australia: “Quite simply, these countries are characterised by very long geological histories, stretching back billions of years, and . . . they have experienced a variety of geological events, such as continents colliding, that allow mineral deposits to form.”"}],[{"start":177.08,"text":"A 2023 survey by the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland concluded that, based chiefly on geology, the island — an autonomous Danish territory — held considerable untapped deposits of critical raw materials. These are materials defined by the EU as necessary for progress, including the green energy transition; subject to supply risk; and with no viable substitutes."}],[{"start":209.47000000000003,"text":"They are often found inside “intrusions”, geological formations created by magma pushing up through existing rocks and then cooling before reaching the surface. South Greenland has intrusions thought to contain impressive amounts of rare earths, a coveted group of elements that include terbium, neodymium, scandium and yttrium. These are used in smartphone screens, as well as in green and defence tech."}],[{"start":243.61,"text":"But processing them is a challenge; Goodenough describes the south Greenland ores as highly complex with an unusual mineralogy. The terrain is also hostile, with about 80 per cent of Greenland covered in ice. The island’s 57,000 residents are scattered across 2.2mn square kilometres, with scant infrastructure."}],[{"start":269.71000000000004,"text":"Many areas can only be reached by boat or helicopter in good weather. Several private companies are exploring licensed areas, she adds, but “no company has successfully opened a rare earth mine in the region, due to a combination of geological, environmental, engineering, economic and social acceptance challenges”."}],[{"start":296.09000000000003,"text":"Diogo Rosa, an economic geologist who helped to compile the 2023 Greenland mineral survey, told me that while the island was not significantly more endowed than other global mining destinations, its remoteness and lack of exploration made significant finds likely. Climate change, he pointed out, would also open new ore shipment routes, particularly from the northern frozen fjords. Even so, he acknowledged, a lack of fine-grained geological mapping makes commercial mining tricky for now."}],[{"start":337.39000000000004,"text":"After Greenland, Giesecke continued his curious path through life. He spent his twilight years as the self-styled Sir Charles Lewis Giesecke, reportedly following an honour from the King of Denmark. Somewhere along the line, he claimed to have written the libretto for Mozart’s The Magic Flute. Records show Giesecke was also accused of being a liar and a swindler."}],[{"start":365.58000000000004,"text":"One senses that the spirit of this mineralogical maestro, a restless former showman keen to capture the measure of Greenland, lives on today."}],[{"start":386.85,"text":""}]],"url":"https://audio.ftcn.net.cn/album/a_1767828168_5102.mp3"}