Multiscale dynamics of ore body formation. Future discoveries of giant ore-bodies will undoubtedly be under surface cover. Modelling of new data from South Australia and Western Australia will define targeting criteria for new major ore-bodies, thus exploiting Australia's deep earth resource potential. New understanding of controls on mineralisation decrease exploration risk. Ore-bodies, such as Olympic Dam, have made major contributions to Australia's economy over past decades and promise to ad ....Multiscale dynamics of ore body formation. Future discoveries of giant ore-bodies will undoubtedly be under surface cover. Modelling of new data from South Australia and Western Australia will define targeting criteria for new major ore-bodies, thus exploiting Australia's deep earth resource potential. New understanding of controls on mineralisation decrease exploration risk. Ore-bodies, such as Olympic Dam, have made major contributions to Australia's economy over past decades and promise to add increased value over future decades. This project enhances the probability that at least one other ore-body of this type will be discovered. Such discoveries contribute directly to the wealth of Australia through export earnings and accelerate the development of regional infrastructure and new technological development.Read moreRead less
Tectonic evolution and lode gold mineralisation in the Southern Cross district, Yilgarn Craton (Western Australia): a study of the meso- to Neoarchaean missing link. In the December quarter 2008, Gold export earnings increased by 2 per cent to $3.9 billion. Over the past 20 years and despite an increase in exploration expenditure to around $50 million per year, the discovery rates have been declining. Although the easy targets have been found, there remains considerable potential for future ma ....Tectonic evolution and lode gold mineralisation in the Southern Cross district, Yilgarn Craton (Western Australia): a study of the meso- to Neoarchaean missing link. In the December quarter 2008, Gold export earnings increased by 2 per cent to $3.9 billion. Over the past 20 years and despite an increase in exploration expenditure to around $50 million per year, the discovery rates have been declining. Although the easy targets have been found, there remains considerable potential for future major discoveries. This project addresses the pressing need for new data and improved exploration techniques to enable industry to target new discoveries. As the Southern Cross district is located in remote communities such discoveries also have major benefits for regional Australia.Read moreRead less
Finite Strain with large rotations: A new hybrid numerical/experimental approach. Deformation up to large strains and rotations is important in rocks, metals, polymers, and biomaterials. Computational mechanics is a standard tool for modelling such deformations. However, in earth sciences, mechanical theories use small-strain formulations or large-strain approaches with classical stress rates. Classical stress rates can lead to incorrect stored energies. This project proposes to test a new large ....Finite Strain with large rotations: A new hybrid numerical/experimental approach. Deformation up to large strains and rotations is important in rocks, metals, polymers, and biomaterials. Computational mechanics is a standard tool for modelling such deformations. However, in earth sciences, mechanical theories use small-strain formulations or large-strain approaches with classical stress rates. Classical stress rates can lead to incorrect stored energies. This project proposes to test a new large-strain theory tailored to rocks experimentally, and to apply it to a pivotal geological problem: shear zone formation. The project will advance our fundamental understanding of the mechanics and energetics of rock deformation and provide a novel tool for the modelling of large deformations.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE130100053
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$190,000.00
Summary
An AZtec electron backscatter diffraction facility for state-of-the-art quantitative microstructural analysis. Establishing a state-of-the-art quantitative microstructural analysis facility will provide critical infrastructure to compliment existing high-spatial resolution microanalytical techniques and facilitate pure and applied research in the geoscience over the next decade.
Microscale evolution of deformed rocks and glaciers. Scientific outcomes from this research have significant implications for predictions on material properties and are applicable to rock behaviour in mineralised systems, a focus of Australia's minerals industry, and the development of new materials for the Australian manufacturing industries. It will help maintain Australia's excellent international research reputation in the fields of microstructural geology and glaciology.
Revisiting The Alpine Paradigm: The Role Of Inversion Cycles In The Evolution Of The European Alps. This project aims to evaluate a new theory that suggests mountain belts are repeatedly built and then destroyed, taking advantage of the youthful and classic natural laboratory offered by the European Alps. We will use geochronology, structural geology and metamorphic petrology to track individual rocks through time and space, and compare the results with predictions made by computer simulations. ....Revisiting The Alpine Paradigm: The Role Of Inversion Cycles In The Evolution Of The European Alps. This project aims to evaluate a new theory that suggests mountain belts are repeatedly built and then destroyed, taking advantage of the youthful and classic natural laboratory offered by the European Alps. We will use geochronology, structural geology and metamorphic petrology to track individual rocks through time and space, and compare the results with predictions made by computer simulations. The initiation of these episodes of immense destruction in mountain belts occurs at the same time as the creation of deep Earth resources. This project will, as its main outcome, provide the foundation for future theoretical understanding of these remarkable coincidences.Read moreRead less
Evolution of a two billion year subduction zone: Insights from the integration of microstructure and geochronology. The dynamic evolution of the earth is fundamentally linked to its thermal history. Since, the internal heat production of the earth has changed over time, plate tectonic processes may also have changed over earth history. The manner and timing of this change is highly controversial. We aim to address the nature of tectonic processes 2 billion years ago by studying one of the wor ....Evolution of a two billion year subduction zone: Insights from the integration of microstructure and geochronology. The dynamic evolution of the earth is fundamentally linked to its thermal history. Since, the internal heat production of the earth has changed over time, plate tectonic processes may also have changed over earth history. The manner and timing of this change is highly controversial. We aim to address the nature of tectonic processes 2 billion years ago by studying one of the world's oldest subduction zones (the Usagarian belt in Tanzania). The geometry, kinematics and deformation history of the subduction complex will be integrated with radiometric age dating to quantify the style and rates of ancient tectonic processes.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0775553
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$500,000.00
Summary
The Nanoscale Characterisation Centre WA Focussed Ion Beam Nanofabrication and Milling Facility. The advanced capabilities of the proposed nano-machining scanning electron microscope will facilitate research at the forefront of materials science and engineering. The proposed facility will play a key role in leading applied research across a wide range of areas including materials technology, nanochemistry, corrosion research, geology, sensor development, minerals processing and environmental re ....The Nanoscale Characterisation Centre WA Focussed Ion Beam Nanofabrication and Milling Facility. The advanced capabilities of the proposed nano-machining scanning electron microscope will facilitate research at the forefront of materials science and engineering. The proposed facility will play a key role in leading applied research across a wide range of areas including materials technology, nanochemistry, corrosion research, geology, sensor development, minerals processing and environmental research. The proposed facility to be used by scientific and industrial researchers will deliver applied interdisciplinary research of an international standard and allow Australian industries to remain internationally competitive.Read moreRead less
Exploration potential and implications for stress transfer modelling in fault-related mineral deposits. Following our success in the application of stress transfer modelling (STM) techniques to understand the clustered distribution of upper crustal, Archean gold deposits within crustal scale fault systems, this project seeks to test and develop the application of STM in (1) gold systems formed below the crustal seismogenic regime, (2) for deposit-scale targeting, and (3) in a range of fault-re ....Exploration potential and implications for stress transfer modelling in fault-related mineral deposits. Following our success in the application of stress transfer modelling (STM) techniques to understand the clustered distribution of upper crustal, Archean gold deposits within crustal scale fault systems, this project seeks to test and develop the application of STM in (1) gold systems formed below the crustal seismogenic regime, (2) for deposit-scale targeting, and (3) in a range of fault-related mineral deposits other than Archaean gold systems. The project will also develop methods to evaluate the combined roles of co-seismic stress transfer and post-seismic fluid redistribution in influencing deposit distribution. The approach provides a new conceptual framework in which to develop exploration strategies for deep earth resources.Read moreRead less
Flow characteristics of lower crustal rocks: developing a toolbox to improve geodynamic models. This project will investigate in detail how rocks flow in the lowest part of the Earth's crust. The results will be used to improve sophisticated computer simulations of large-scale geological processes, allowing a better understanding of earthquakes, the formation of volcanic areas and location of energy resources.