Biography
Eoin joined iCRAG as a Post-Doctoral Researcher in 2019 to work with Prof. Murray Hitzman in the Raw Materials spoke. He completed an undergraduate degree in Geology at Trinity College, Dublin in 2010 followed by four years in industry working on Irish base metal projects and Turkish porphyry & epithermal systems. In 2014, Eoin undertook a PhD at the University of Manchester researching seismic and sequence stratigraphy of the Plio-Pleistocene succession of the Taranaki Basin. At iCRAG, Eoin’s research focuses on 3D structural and stratigraphic evolution of the Lower Carboniferous succession in SW Ireland.
A secure supply of metals is essential for creating sustainable infrastructure in all future energy scenarios. One important metal in this is Zinc. Zinc is important because it prolongs the life of steel structures such as windmills, buses and trains. Ireland is one of the most prospective countries in the world for Zinc exploration and employs over 1,400 people (mostly in rural regions).
Most deposits of Zinc in Ireland are found in limestones that are approximately 350 million years old. My research is aimed at understanding the regional “jigsaw” of these rocks to make discovering new deposits easier.
Technical description
Southwest Ireland is highly prospective for base metal exploration. Exploration since the 1960’s has defined numerous prospects and generated a large catalogue of borehole, geophysical and geochemical datasets. Much of this data has not been assembled and integrated as one large database. Consequently, the temporal and spatial evolution of the basin and it’s mineralising systems are poorly understood.
This project aims to assemble and organise a comprehensive exploration database in order to generate a reliable tectono-stratigraphic model describing how Carboniferous basins developed in SW Ireland. In partnership with stakeholders in the region, this work hopes to de-risk the exploration process and contribute to a secure supply of domestic raw materials in Ireland.
Role
- Postdoctoral Researcher
Institution
- UCD
Research Area
- Earth Resources
Expertise
- Mineral Exploration
