Exploring for critical chromium, from the ground up (to space!)
About this episode
This episode explores the journey of chromium from field samples in India to space technology used for analysis.
Critical Chromium: From Field Samples to Space Technology: How Do We Secure Supply? Exploring for critical chromium, from the ground up (to space!) Aerospace alloys, industrial protective coatings, stainless steel - chromium is literally everywhere in critical technology and in our kitchens, yet global supplies are stretched. So how do you hunt for chromium deposits? In this episode we journey through the world of chromium and find the answer takes us from dusty fieldwork in Odisha, India, to satellites reading rocks from orbit. We explore the chromium: from the mantle rocks of India collected during some incredible fieldwork, to the Mars rover-equivalent technology used to analyze it, to space-based remote sensing that helps us locate new deposits. And we're doing it alongside Anwesha Nasreen, research student from Adelaide University, who ventured into Odisha to collect foundational field samples, and Dr Raphael Baumgartner from CSIRO, who's using space-age analytical techniques to understand how chromium hides in plain sight. This is the story of how modern exploration works: starting with boots on the ground, moving to cutting-edge labs, and finishing with eyes in the sky…
More episodes of Wonder
- Carbonatites: to REE or not to REE?
- This critical metal is only found in mine waste? Dr Olivia Mejias Gonzalez on indium...
- Looking for Lithium: from rocks in Rajasthan to laboratories in Western Australia
- The Australia-India Partnership: CSIRO on Critical Minerals Exploration Across Continents
- Shared origins for the Yilgarn's precious metals?
- Why the Earth's surface yo-yos: Dr Mark Hoggard on the flowing mantle
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Wonder podcast page.