The German Mineralogical Society honors the GFZ doctoral candidate for her presentation on multiple sulfur isotopes to unravel zinc ore formation in the Barney Creek Formation (Australia).
The German Mineralogical Society (DMG) has awarded Candice Filoche the "Best Talk Award" for the best presentation at the annual meeting of the Geochemistry and Petrology/Petrophysics sections of the DMG, held on June 6–7, 2025, at the GFZ. Her talk, entitled “The multiple sulfur isotope composition of diagenetic and hydrothermal sulfides from the Barney Creek Formation (McArthur Basin, Australia): implications for Zn metallogenesis”, focused on the use of multiple sulfur isotopes to better understand the formation of sediment-hosted ore deposits.
Zinc and lead are critical metals essential for the low-carbon energy transition and are mainly extracted from sediment-hosted ore deposits. The formation of these deposits is controlled by the reduction of sulfate minerals. While previous studies have interpreted variability in δ34S values, they have not been able to clearly distinguish between different sulfide precipitation pathways. Candice’s research explores how multiple sulfur isotopes can be used to trace the processes leading to sulfide precipitation. She then modelled different scenarios of increasing complexity to constrain the dynamics of sulfate reduction via microbial pathways.
Candice is a PhD candidate at the GFZ since April 2024, within Section 3.1 Inorganic and Isotope Geochemistry. The project is jointly conducted at the GFZ and the University of Potsdam and is supervised by Dr. Joseph Magnall (GFZ) and Professor Sarah Gleeson (Professor at University College Dublin and Director of the Research Ireland centre for applied geosciences since March 2025, and former Head of Section 3.1 at the GFZ).
Previously, Candice completed her Master’s thesis at ETH Zurich in Switzerland, following Master’s degrees in Geochemistry from the Paris Institute of Planetary Physics and in Geosciences and Environmental Engineering from UniLaSalle in Beauvais, France. Through her research, at the intersection of geochemistry and georesources, Candice aims to advance our understanding of the processes controlling the formation of sediment-hosted Zn-Pb ore deposits, contributing to the development of responsible and secure supply of critical raw materials for the future.
About the DMG
The German Mineralogical Society (DMG) is a scientific and non-profit organization aimed at promoting mineralogical science in all its fields of teaching and research, as well as fostering personal and scientific relationships among its members through annual meetings. It currently has approximately 1,450 members. This year's exchange was primarily aimed at early-career scientists (Master’s students, doctoral candidates, and postdocs).