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From Synchrotron Characterisation of Single Fluid Inclusions to Archaean Geodynamics: An Integrated Study of Fluid-Rock Interaction in the Primitive Crust. In the primitive Earth, a wide range of phenomena including the initiation of biological activity and the formation of ore deposits were related to the mobilisation of mineralised fluids through the crust. In the Archaean craton of the Pilbara (WA), we have identified, within its tectonic framework, a crustal-scale plumbing system that channe ....From Synchrotron Characterisation of Single Fluid Inclusions to Archaean Geodynamics: An Integrated Study of Fluid-Rock Interaction in the Primitive Crust. In the primitive Earth, a wide range of phenomena including the initiation of biological activity and the formation of ore deposits were related to the mobilisation of mineralised fluids through the crust. In the Archaean craton of the Pilbara (WA), we have identified, within its tectonic framework, a crustal-scale plumbing system that channelled large volumes of mineralised hydrothermal solutions. Our objective is to understand the development of this plumbing system in relation to Archaean crustal geodynamics using a combination of structural geology, metamorphic petrology, geochronology, geochemistry, and the analysis of single-fluid inclusion using synchrotron and other X-ray sources.Read moreRead less
Controls on Gold Mineralisation in Central Victoria: Towards New Exploration Models. The proposed project will develop and evaluate new exploration models with implications for gold exploration and mining/investment in Victoria. The frontier research techniques to be employed will ensure that Australian geoscience remains at the forefront of international research. This project will also provide unprecedented research training opportunities for the next generation of Australian Earth Scientists. ....Controls on Gold Mineralisation in Central Victoria: Towards New Exploration Models. The proposed project will develop and evaluate new exploration models with implications for gold exploration and mining/investment in Victoria. The frontier research techniques to be employed will ensure that Australian geoscience remains at the forefront of international research. This project will also provide unprecedented research training opportunities for the next generation of Australian Earth Scientists. As prospective gold terranes are located in regional Australia, enhanced exploration and mining activity in future years may have significant economic and infrastructure benefits for rural and regional communities.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0560786
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$495,000.00
Summary
A ThermoFinnigan Triton high-sensitivity thermal ionisation mass spectrometer for constraining geoscience rates and environmental processes via Ra and Os analysis. The short-lived isotope 226Ra provides a powerful new tool for constraining the nature of melting and magma/fluid transport processes within the Earth. Conversely, Os isotopes can track ancient recycled components, core-mantle boundary interaction and date organic-rich sediments. The installation of a high-sensitivity thermal ionisati ....A ThermoFinnigan Triton high-sensitivity thermal ionisation mass spectrometer for constraining geoscience rates and environmental processes via Ra and Os analysis. The short-lived isotope 226Ra provides a powerful new tool for constraining the nature of melting and magma/fluid transport processes within the Earth. Conversely, Os isotopes can track ancient recycled components, core-mantle boundary interaction and date organic-rich sediments. The installation of a high-sensitivity thermal ionisation mass spectrometer at Macquarie University will enable research in these exciting endeavours and enhance a world-class analytical facility with widespread and lasting utility. Planned research will constrain deep earth processes, magma/water transport processes, magma-mantle/chromatography, volcanic hazards, ore deposit formation, controversial climatic models, soil erosion and early planet differentiation.Read moreRead less
Molecular fossils, the evolution of Earth's early oceans and the origin of the oldest oil. Australia retains undiscovered oil reserves. We believe that a change in primitive marine life forms may have fundamentally changed the chemistry of the Earth's oceans and is responsible for the world's oldest oil reserves. While these reserves have been found, and successfully commercialised, overseas, similar reservoirs in Australia remain elusive. The project will develop and apply technologies based on ....Molecular fossils, the evolution of Earth's early oceans and the origin of the oldest oil. Australia retains undiscovered oil reserves. We believe that a change in primitive marine life forms may have fundamentally changed the chemistry of the Earth's oceans and is responsible for the world's oldest oil reserves. While these reserves have been found, and successfully commercialised, overseas, similar reservoirs in Australia remain elusive. The project will develop and apply technologies based on hydrocarbon biomarkers to help determine the oil-producing rock types of Precambrian sedimentary rocks. This allows us to estimate the oil's age and predict where petroleum reservoirs may be hidden. PhD students involved in the project will gain valuable knowledge about the link between changes in ecology and the carbon cycle.Read moreRead less
Biogeochemical characterisation of Archaean microfossils, biomarkers and organic matter: Probing the nature and diversity of early life on Earth. Recognizing biological signatures in ancient rocks poses the single greatest challenge to our understanding of the origin and evolution of life. This Project will use new advanced technology to reveal when and where life first appeared and assess its impact on the environment, atmosphere and climate. Results are essential for understanding the transfor ....Biogeochemical characterisation of Archaean microfossils, biomarkers and organic matter: Probing the nature and diversity of early life on Earth. Recognizing biological signatures in ancient rocks poses the single greatest challenge to our understanding of the origin and evolution of life. This Project will use new advanced technology to reveal when and where life first appeared and assess its impact on the environment, atmosphere and climate. Results are essential for understanding the transformation of our planet into a suitable habitat for humankind. The work will place Australia among world leaders in one of the most exciting topics of current scientific research, raising Australia's reputation in this high profile and competitive field. The Project tackles profound questions and seeks to attract, inspire and train future scientists in an ideal location and research environment.Read moreRead less
Monsoons and migrations: Quaternary climates, landscapes and human prehistory of the Arabian peninsula and the Indian subcontinent. By providing important new data on the initial dispersal of Homo sapiens from Africa to Australia via Arabia and India, this project will improve our knowledge of the time-depth of cultural connections between indigenous Australians and other societies. It will provide a long-term perspective on the impact of climate change on hunter-gatherer communities, and will c ....Monsoons and migrations: Quaternary climates, landscapes and human prehistory of the Arabian peninsula and the Indian subcontinent. By providing important new data on the initial dispersal of Homo sapiens from Africa to Australia via Arabia and India, this project will improve our knowledge of the time-depth of cultural connections between indigenous Australians and other societies. It will provide a long-term perspective on the impact of climate change on hunter-gatherer communities, and will contribute to NRP Safeguarding Australia by increasing our understanding of cultures in Arabia and India. Technical advances made in this study will benefit researchers worldwide, increase capacity for commercial services, and enhance Australia's international standing in the geosciences. We will also train high-quality research students and create new collaborative initiatives.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0560725
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$127,042.00
Summary
Enhancing the Monash-VIEPS Stable Isotope Facility. This proposal is to enhance the Monash-Victorian Institute of Earth and Planetary Sciences (VIEPS) Stable Isotope Facility to expand our capacity for state-of-the-art research in hydrogeology, hydrology, aqueous chemistry, modern and palaeoclimatology, sedimentology, geochemistry, economic geology, and biological sciences. This facility will then have an analytical capability that is at least the equal of those elsewhere in Australia and which ....Enhancing the Monash-VIEPS Stable Isotope Facility. This proposal is to enhance the Monash-Victorian Institute of Earth and Planetary Sciences (VIEPS) Stable Isotope Facility to expand our capacity for state-of-the-art research in hydrogeology, hydrology, aqueous chemistry, modern and palaeoclimatology, sedimentology, geochemistry, economic geology, and biological sciences. This facility will then have an analytical capability that is at least the equal of those elsewhere in Australia and which will maintain our position as a World Class stable isotope research facility. The enhanced facility will permit new research to be carried out that will lead to new collaborations both within the traditional Earth Sciences and across disciplines.Read moreRead less
Precise constraints on the timing and nature of late Quaternary glacial-interglacial climatic transitions in the Southwest Pacific region. An accurate understanding of major climatic transitions during the recent geological past is critical to efforts to understand global climate. This project seeks to investigate precisely when the most recent ice ages began and ended in the Southwest Pacific region relative to other regions of the world, by examining chemical and isotopic records contained in ....Precise constraints on the timing and nature of late Quaternary glacial-interglacial climatic transitions in the Southwest Pacific region. An accurate understanding of major climatic transitions during the recent geological past is critical to efforts to understand global climate. This project seeks to investigate precisely when the most recent ice ages began and ended in the Southwest Pacific region relative to other regions of the world, by examining chemical and isotopic records contained in New Zealand cave deposits. Using state-of-the-art analytical technology, precisely dated records of glacier activity and environmental change will be produced.Read moreRead less
Early Archaean Ecology - Exploring the Evidence and Habitats for Early (3.6-3.85 billion year old) Life. The prime scientific quest of the 21st century will be the origin of life. The earliest evidence for life is at 3.85 Ga (billion-years) in the world's oldest-known sediments from Akilia, Greenland. These rocks were contorted and heated during later crustal upheavals, and the evidence for life at 3.85 Ga is controversial. Such life would be highly significant, because then first, primitive li ....Early Archaean Ecology - Exploring the Evidence and Habitats for Early (3.6-3.85 billion year old) Life. The prime scientific quest of the 21st century will be the origin of life. The earliest evidence for life is at 3.85 Ga (billion-years) in the world's oldest-known sediments from Akilia, Greenland. These rocks were contorted and heated during later crustal upheavals, and the evidence for life at 3.85 Ga is controversial. Such life would be highly significant, because then first, primitive life arose before the known stratigraphic record. The project will extend the methods used to detect earliest life, and use Greenland rocks to explore other possible early habitats (submarine volcanic rocks and hot springs) and understand its environment.Read moreRead less
Cracking the sulfate isotopic composition problem in ancient hydrothermal systems: application of the Carbonate-Associated Sulfate (CAS) method. Successful exploration of the deep Earth for valuable ores requires better knowledge of ore formation conditions, to feed to predictive deposit models. Our work shows great promise of improving the quality of this raw data. Smarter ore deposit prediction would likely exert its influence over the next ten years, rather than be immediate. It will increase ....Cracking the sulfate isotopic composition problem in ancient hydrothermal systems: application of the Carbonate-Associated Sulfate (CAS) method. Successful exploration of the deep Earth for valuable ores requires better knowledge of ore formation conditions, to feed to predictive deposit models. Our work shows great promise of improving the quality of this raw data. Smarter ore deposit prediction would likely exert its influence over the next ten years, rather than be immediate. It will increase exploration efficiency, saving tens of millions of dollars currently devoted to unproductive exploration. Exploration and mining are conducted primarily in regional Australia, and a healthy mining industry is therefore directly benefits hinterland communities. It also benefits all Australians through the payment of royalties and contributions to Australia's GDP from mineral exports.Read moreRead less