The Rare Earth Elements (REE) are a group of seventeen metallic elements. Their use in high-tech applications such as plasma screens, electronics, medical imaging and low carbon technologies including wind turbines and hybrid vehicles has led global demand to increase by more than 50% in the last decade, and this is expected to rise further. 

Resources

Geological Society Briefing Note: Rare Earth Elements

Critical, Strategic and Rare Earth Minerals

• BGS: What makes a smart phone - Video
• Life at deep sea hydrothermal vents: biodiversity in a new resource frontier - Shell Lecture, Dr Adrian Glover, Natural History Museum, May 2013