Spotlight on Graham Pearson

Spotlight on

Graham Pearson

Creating sustainability for Canada’s diamond industry

New diamond exploration program enables Graham Pearson to develop the next generation of diamond hunters

From their long-held appeal as jewelry to increasing industrial applications, there is nothing more symbolic of strength and endurance than diamonds. There is also no denying the strength of Canada’s roughly $2B annual diamond industry. With two of three Canadian mines in their final phases of production, the time is now to source new exploration sites to ensure Canada remains at the forefront of the industry.

With this in mind, a new Diamond Exploration Research and Training School (DERTS) is opening at the University of Alberta. The school will help train and produce the next generation of highly qualified diamond explorers. Operating in collaboration with The University of British Columbia, DERTS is funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council through a six-year, $1.65M Collaborative Research and Training Experience Program grant.

Diamond mining has put hundreds of millions of dollars into the economy of the North. That economic investment and momentum needs to be sustained going forward in the long term.

“There is a desperate need to sustain more discoveries if Canada is going to maintain its position as the world’s number three diamond producer by value,” says Graham Pearson, principal investigator of DERTS and Canada Excellence Research Chair in Arctic Resources at the U of A.

“Diamond mining has put hundreds of millions of dollars into the economy of the North,” he says. “That economic investment and momentum needs to be sustained going forward in the long term. The discovery of new deposits will be technologically challenging, so we are creating the next generation of industry-ready geoscientists.”

DERTS has industrial collaborations with 10 partners—including De Beers, Diavik Mines and Dominion Diamond Ekati Corporation—all committed to working with students on prospecting new mines.

“We are directly aligning our research with industry needs,” says Pearson. “It is essential that new graduates are able to move seamlessly into industry.”

This transition will be facilitated with annual industrial internships, field work and community engagement in the Canadian Arctic, and “soft-skills” training. Students will also have access to some of the finest research facilities in the world, with training and mentorship by world leaders in diamond research and exploration.

Photo: Ian Jackson for the University of Alberta

With two of three Canadian mines in their final phases of production, the time is now to source new exploration sites to ensure Canada remains at the forefront of the diamond industry.

Situated in the “Gateway to Canada’s North,” with arguably the world’s largest assembly of highly specialized diamond research equipment, the University of Alberta—long known for its strength in diamond-related research—is the ideal leader for the new diamond exploration program.

“We are uniquely positioned to provide very broad-ranging, highly specialized training,” says Pearson. “We have a large group of specialized research staff focused on diamond exploration who are very complementary to each other. We have also partnered with researchers at UBC, meaning we have a team that covers all areas of diamond research.”

Eight U of A faculty members, plus two from UBC, round out the research areas of kimberlite volcanology, geochronology, geophysics modelling, remote sensing, and experimental mineralogy and petrology.

Launching in September 2016, DERTS will annually host 15 fully-funded students to engage in research related to diamonds and diamond exploration. Pearson says he and his colleagues are recruiting students, from across Canada and around the world, who are not only academically strong, but are also innately curious about diamonds and the world beneath our feet—a passion he shares.

“There’s a specialness attributed to diamonds. For me, beyond the scientific interest and physical attraction, the biggest part of the appeal of diamonds is the unique time capsule they offer. Diamonds have been forming throughout Earth’s history, and they give us this unique window to the deep Earth that’s available in no other way.”

Pearson hopes that, in addition to strengthening Canada’s industrial longevity, this new graduate program ensures that people everywhere continue to have access to these enduring symbols.

A version of this article first appeared on the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Science website.


Related links:

Diamond Exploration Research and Training School (DERTS)

Graham Pearson, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Alberta

Photo: Ian Jackson for the University of Alberta