Episode 294: The Hidden Opportunity in Critical Minerals That Geophysicists Can’t Ignore

Andrew Last updated 
Andrew
“We all realize that we need a lot more mineral resources in the next two decades. And we realized that geophysics can play a critical role.”

Sarah Devriese and Jiajia Sun explain why demand for critical minerals is rising fast while new discoveries are getting harder to make. They show how geophysics now supports the full mining life cycle, from early airborne surveys to advanced 3D modeling and decision making. New ideas like AI, UAV surveys, and smarter sampling are quietly changing how exploration works and who succeeds. This moment creates a rare mix of urgency and opportunity for geophysicists and students entering the field.