Main research areas: 

1) Petrogenesis of magmatically-derived critical minerals and applications to exploration.

2) Determining the evolution of large crustal magma reservoirs and their eruption mechanisms.

3) Using machine learning to understand magmatic systems and regional volcanic deposits.

Brief CV

• 2025-              Senior Geologist for Economic Geology, North Carolina Geological Survey, Raleigh, NC

• 2025- Research Assistant Professor (adjunct), University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC

• 2023-25 Assistant Research Professor, Department of Marine, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, NCSU, Raleigh, NC

• 2021-23 Postdoctoral Research Scholar, Department of Marine, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, NCSU, Raleigh, NC

• 2020 Ph.D., Earth Science, University of Geneva, Switzerland

• 2013-16 Professional Geologist, AECOM, Raleigh, NC, and Austin, TX

• 2013 M.S., Geological Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC

• 2010 B.A., Geology, Pomona College, CA

News

2025

December

-Submitted the following proposal to the Army Research Office/Department of Defense: “Creating a reliable domestic Li supply chain: using isotope geochemistry and geochronology to understand Li-pegmatite formation in the Carolina Tin-Spodumene Belt, North Carolina, USA.” ~300,000 USD

November

-Submitted proposal to the Department of Energy entitled, “Using geochemistry and geochronology to understand formation mechanisms of pegmatites in the Spruce Pine Pegmatite District, North Carolina, USA: implications for the supply chain of high-purity quartz.” ~500,000 USD.

-New paper in Canadian Journal of Mineralogy and Petrology: "Discriminating Granitic Pegmatites by LIBS Analysis of Potassium Feldspar." doi: https://doi.org/10.3749/2500034. 

August

-New paper, "LIBS as a tool for Li-pegmatite exploration and prospect evaluation: Soil mica and soil analysis from the Carolina Tin-Spodumene Belt" published in Applied Geochemistry. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeochem.2025.106534.

July 

-Now hold an Research Assistant Professor (adjunct) position at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC, to keep one foot in academia and continue to publish and advise graduate students in critical minerals research.

May 

-Started a new job as the Senior Geologist for Economic Geology (Energy and Mineral Resources) at the North Carolina Geological Survey in Raleigh, NC. 

April

-Paper published in Special Volume on Lithium in Economic Geology: "Trace element geochemistry of Li-rich pegmatites in the Carolina Tin-Spodumene Belt, North Carolina, USA: implications for petrogenesis and exploration." Open access is here: https://doi.org/10.5382/econgeo.5144. 

March 

-Proof for paper "Trace element geochemistry of Li-rich pegmatites in the Carolina Tin-Spodumene Belt, North Carolina, USA: implications for petrogenesis and exploration" (accepted to the Special Volume on Lithium in Economic Geology) was received. One step closer to publication!

-Adam and undergraduate researcher Robert Ramos travelled to Harrisonburg, VA, for the Southeastern Section Meeting of the Geological Society of America to present Robert's poster "Determination of K/Rb-Li systematics of microcline from handheld LIBS Analysis." Adam was also on posters with coauthors from the North Carolina Geological Survey entitled "Preliminary results from a critical minerals characterization of Tungsten Queen Mine tailings, Vance County, North Carolina" and "New problems from new data - an example from the Carolina Terrane in North Carolina and bearing on interstate correlation."

February - Preparation continues for IAVCEI 2025 (https://sa2025.iavceivolcano.org/) in Geneva, Switzerland, where Adam is convening the  session "Tapping into magmas for the building blocks of the renewable energy infrastructure: from petrogenesis to exploration." Abstract presentations were confirmed with authors.

2024

December - At AGU 2024 in Washington, D.C.,  Adam will chair session V005: Critical Elements in Pegmatite Systems: From Petrogenesis to Exploration. In the same session, Adam will give an oral presentation entitled, "Using trace element geochemistry of spodumene to understand pegmatite petrogenesis and as a geochemical fingerprint."

November

-Paper submitted to the Canadian Journal of Mineralogy and Petrology (formerly Canadian Mineralogist) on the use of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy to discriminate between LCT and NYF pegmatites on the basis of K-feldspar chemistry. 

-Colleagues at the Duke University Soils Lab present collaborative research at the ASA, CSSA, SSSA International Annual Meeting in San Antonio, TX. Poster entitled, "The Fate of Lithium in Pedogenesis Above Spodumene-Rich Pegmatites at Carolina Tin-Spodumene Belt, North Carolina, USA."

September:

- Paper accepted to upcoming Special Volume on Lithium in Economic Geology. Paper concerns the trace element chemistry of Li-pegmatites in the historic Li-mining district of the Carolina Tin-Spodumene Belt: 

- Paper submitted to Journal of Geochemical Exploration concerning Li-pegmatite exploration using soil geochemical signatures and laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy in the Carolina Tin-Spodumene Belt.

July - Adam and coauthors submitted two abstracts for AGU 2024 in Washington, D.C. One (A. Curry first author) entitled, "Using trace element geochemistry of spodumene to understand pegmatite petrogenesis and as a geochemical fingerprint." Another (M. Wise first author) entitled, "Using trace element geochemistry of spodumene to understand pegmatite petrogenesis and as a geochemical fingerprint."

April - Adam presented two talks at the 73rd Annual Meeting of the Southeastern Section of the GSA in Asheville, NC. First talk title (A. Curry first author: "Trace element mineral chemistry of Li-rich pegmatites in the Carolina Tin-Spodumene Belt, North Carolina." Second talk title (R. Harmon first author: "Analysis of muscovite from the Spruce Pine Pegmatite District by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS)."

January - Paper accepted to Minerals entitled, "Reevaluation of the K/Rb-Li Systematics in Muscovite as a Potential Exploration Tool for Identifying Li Mineralization in Granitic Pegmatites." Open access: https://doi.org/10.3390/min14010117. 

2023

December - Adam presented a poster at AGU 2023 in San Francisco, CA, entitled, "Geochemistry of lithium-rich pegmatites in the Carolina Tin-Spodumene Belt, USA."

October - Undergraduate researcher Russell Murray presented a poster at GSA Connects in Pittsburgh, PA, entitled, "Soil Analysis by Handheld Laser-induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) for Identification of Buried Pegmatite."

July - Colleagues in the NC State University College of Veterinary Medicine present a talk at the 6th Galapagos Symposium on Research and Conservation in San Cristobal, Galapagos, Ecuador. Talk title: "Iguana rocks: the occurrence of enteroliths in Galapagos marine iguanas (Amblyrhynchus Cristatus)."

May - Paper accepted to Minerals entitled, "Rapid Analysis of Muscovites on a Lithium Pegmatite Prospect by Handheld LIBS." Open access: https://doi.org/10.3390/min13050697. 

© 2024 by Dr. Adam Curry