Wits expands earth science with new observatory and CORES center

by Sophie Jenkins
London, UK (SPX) Nov 07, 2025

The University of the Witwatersrand has launched two initiatives positioning Africa centrally in global earth-science advancement.

The Earth Observatory, housed at the Wits School of Geosciences, is Africa's only facility offering advanced isotopic and geophysical analysis. It supports geoanalytical applications including geometallurgy, sample preparation, automated mineralogy, and U-Pb age-determination. These capabilities allow researchers, students, and industry partners to explore Earth's deep history and assess mineral resources necessary for the clean-energy transition.

South Africa's mineral record lies in some of the world's oldest rocks - the Kaapvaal Craton, Barberton Greenstone Belt, and Vredefort Dome - chronicling 3.5 billion years of planetary evolution, meteorite impacts, and mineral formation. For over a century, Wits scientists have advanced understanding of how Earth's earliest crust formed and enabled today's mineral wealth. The Observatory continues this legacy, aiming to translate deep-time knowledge into sustainability.

At the launch, Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research and Innovation Professor Lynn Morris stated these launches "connect the past, present, and future through science that directly serves society." She said ethical, data-driven research in Africa's resource landscape "can drive innovation, sustainability, and opportunity for generations to come."

CORES, as a parallel initiative, leads the integration of economic geology, extractive processes, and data science. "Decarbonisation, energy security, and resilient supply chains hinge on critical minerals. Communities rightly demand that mining be safer, cleaner, and more transparent. CORES is our instrument for that work," said Professor Glen Nwaila, Director of CORES. "We aim to bridge the gap between ore, process, product, and waste through geoscience, engineering, and data science." Nwaila acknowledged the Economic Geology Research Institute's legacy in decoding ancient rocks, and positioned CORES to help make better decisions under uncertainty.

Professor Grant Bybee, Head of the Wits School of Geosciences, pointed to the climate crisis as a motivation for geoscience careers and described how ethical sourcing of critical metals including lithium, nickel, and copper will assist the energy transition. Bybee emphasized the contributions of the Observatory's scientific staff, noting their role in both research and the preparation of South Africa's next scientific leaders.

The launch event included participation from mining and technology industry partners and the Minerals Council South Africa. Guests toured the Earth Observatory and CORES laboratories, viewing Africa's only facility of this kind and the collaborative environment it fosters.

"These initiatives," Morris said in closing, "show how science, sustainability, and society can converge. Wits not only contributes to global knowledge, but leads it."