Robert DunstPhD student

About me

I am a PhD student in ore geology at the Department of Geological Sciences (IGV). My research focuses on the mobility of critical metals in the Bergslagen ore district in central Sweden. Critical metals are defined by the EU as elements essential for the development of modern technologies, but whose future supply is considered at risk. Using the geologist’s full toolkit – from fieldwork and petrography to geochemistry – I investigate the processes that took place in Sweden’s bedrock nearly two billion years ago and led to the formation of rich ore deposits containing iron, zinc, lead, copper, gold, and silver, as well as critical metals such as the rare earth elements.

What makes my research especially rewarding is the interplay between past and future – between scientific specialisation and global societal challenges – as well as the contrast between demanding fieldwork and meticulous laboratory work at the institute.