Alex Gysi

Dr. Alex Gysi is an Associate Professor at New Mexico Tech with dual appointments in the Department of Earth and Environmental Science and the Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources. He leads the Ore Deposits and Critical Minerals research group and directs experimental laboratories focused on hydrothermal systems and critical mineral formation. His research examines fluid-mineral interactions in magmatic-hydrothermal environments, particularly concerning rare earth element mobility and mineralization.

His primary research investigates geochemical mechanisms controlling rare earth element transport and deposition in critical mineral deposits, using integrated field studies, laboratory experiments, and thermodynamic modeling approaches. Current NSF and DOE-funded projects focus on quantifying REE partitioning between minerals and hydrothermal fluids under varying physicochemical conditions.

Recent publications demonstrate methodological advances in determining REE speciation through UV-Vis spectrophotometry, Raman spectroscopy, and solution calorimetry. His experimental work has established new protocols for high-temperature hydrothermal solubility measurements and contributed to developing the MINES thermodynamic database for simulating ore-forming processes.

He maintains active collaborations with Los Alamos National Laboratory, University of Indiana, and international partners. Field research focuses on REE deposits in New Mexico's Gallinas Mountains and Cornudas Mountains. Future work will address thermodynamic properties of REE complexes in supercritical fluids and mineral exploration applications.