Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE150100145
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$170,000.00
Summary
The South Australian Thermochronometry Hub (SA Thermo). A thermochronometry hub: This project aims to set up a thermochronometry hub which will complement existing Australian geo- and thermochronological facilities by focussing on zircon fission track dating. This method will enable characterisation of the evolution of Australia's landscape, uncovering of its mineral deposits and constraining the formation of its petroleum reservoirs. The facility will enhance capacity to undertake thermochronol ....The South Australian Thermochronometry Hub (SA Thermo). A thermochronometry hub: This project aims to set up a thermochronometry hub which will complement existing Australian geo- and thermochronological facilities by focussing on zircon fission track dating. This method will enable characterisation of the evolution of Australia's landscape, uncovering of its mineral deposits and constraining the formation of its petroleum reservoirs. The facility will enhance capacity to undertake thermochronological research and aid in securing the economic future of Australia.Read moreRead less
Out of Africa: human prehistory in southwestern China. This project aims to establish the timing and processes of human settlement in East Asia during the Middle and Late Pleistocene. Through studying a series of key archaeological sites in southwest China using the most recent innovative scientific approaches in luminescence dating, sedimentary DNA and lithic analysis, we expect to provide new insights into the human prehistory of East Asia over the last 300,000 years. This should provide signi ....Out of Africa: human prehistory in southwestern China. This project aims to establish the timing and processes of human settlement in East Asia during the Middle and Late Pleistocene. Through studying a series of key archaeological sites in southwest China using the most recent innovative scientific approaches in luminescence dating, sedimentary DNA and lithic analysis, we expect to provide new insights into the human prehistory of East Asia over the last 300,000 years. This should provide significant contribution to addressing major debates about the timing, rate and route of dispersal of modern humans out of Africa, across south Asia and into Australia. 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.
Glauconite: Archive Recording Timing and Triggers of Cambrian Radiation . This project aims to constrain the timing and speed of the Cambrian radiation of complex animals, and to test potential environmental triggers of this milestone bioevent. New laser mass spectrometry and mineral mapping technology will be integrated to precisely date glauconite – a silicate mineral commonly formed in Cambrian shallow marine animal habitats. This innovative and cost-effective approach will produce the first ....Glauconite: Archive Recording Timing and Triggers of Cambrian Radiation . This project aims to constrain the timing and speed of the Cambrian radiation of complex animals, and to test potential environmental triggers of this milestone bioevent. New laser mass spectrometry and mineral mapping technology will be integrated to precisely date glauconite – a silicate mineral commonly formed in Cambrian shallow marine animal habitats. This innovative and cost-effective approach will produce the first high-resolution timeline of early animal evolution, where the glauconite-based marine isotope record identifies the most likely environmental trigger for the Cambrian Radiation. Outcomes of this study include improved understanding of the drivers of animal evolution, and a new dating tool for basic and applied research.Read moreRead less
Deep time extinctions and environments in Australian underwater caves. This project aims to investigate the unique submerged Mt Gambier fossil deposits to determine the role environmental change had on large Australian mammal extinctions. By using a combination of technical diving and scientific expertise to study untouched fossil deposits from underwater caves, this project expects to provide greater understanding of past ecosystems and animals, advancements in geochronological techniques, and ....Deep time extinctions and environments in Australian underwater caves. This project aims to investigate the unique submerged Mt Gambier fossil deposits to determine the role environmental change had on large Australian mammal extinctions. By using a combination of technical diving and scientific expertise to study untouched fossil deposits from underwater caves, this project expects to provide greater understanding of past ecosystems and animals, advancements in geochronological techniques, and data critical to prepare Australians for action in protecting our biological heritage. Expected outcomes include insights into cave conservation and protection of underwater cave systems, updated policies on cave management, and promotion of our understanding of Australian geo-heritage through education and displays.Read moreRead less
Developing and testing a new dating tool for Quaternary science. This project plans to use cutting-edge instrumentation to develop a novel method for dating geological materials formed in a critical time window for which no dating technique currently exists. The last million years of Earth’s history has seen dramatic changes in global climate and environment, with catastrophic volcanic eruptions and numerous other natural processes shaping landforms and ecosystems. A major challenge for studying ....Developing and testing a new dating tool for Quaternary science. This project plans to use cutting-edge instrumentation to develop a novel method for dating geological materials formed in a critical time window for which no dating technique currently exists. The last million years of Earth’s history has seen dramatic changes in global climate and environment, with catastrophic volcanic eruptions and numerous other natural processes shaping landforms and ecosystems. A major challenge for studying these phenomena and their impacts is the dating of geological archives in the time window between 50 000 and 1 000 000 years. This project aims to develop a method for dating young volcanic rocks that can close this critical gap. The result would be a new dating tool with broad implications for the Quaternary sciences globally, including paleoclimate and paleoenvironmental reconstructions, natural hazards assessment, hominin evolution and archaeology.Read moreRead less
Lifting the veil on the Geological Dark Ages: The search for Hadean Crust on Earth. The project involves detailed field and isotopic study of some of the oldest known rocks and minerals to develop the first comprehensive picture of the earliest growth of the Australian continent. The data will reveal the timing and processes of continent formation and shed new light on the enigmatic early period of the Earth's evolution.
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE150100050
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$970,000.00
Summary
A new national electron microprobe facility. A new national electron microprobe facility: Precise chemical microanalysis underpins research on Earth materials. The Electron Microprobe (EMP) is the main instrument to achieve this. It performs rapid quantitative analysis and element mapping on solid materials at micron resolution. This facility will support an impressive variety of research including experimental, igneous and metamorphic petrology and geochronology. It will foster increased collab ....A new national electron microprobe facility. A new national electron microprobe facility: Precise chemical microanalysis underpins research on Earth materials. The Electron Microprobe (EMP) is the main instrument to achieve this. It performs rapid quantitative analysis and element mapping on solid materials at micron resolution. This facility will support an impressive variety of research including experimental, igneous and metamorphic petrology and geochronology. It will foster increased collaboration between partner organisations including universities and major geoscience institutes.Read moreRead less
The mighty ape’s last stand. This project aims to study the fate of primates in southern Asia, where evidence for megafaunal extinction is rare. Why Gigantopithecus blacki, the largest ever primate, disappeared is unknown, while humans in the region survived. This project will model dating techniques across sites to identify a precise extinction window and compare behaviour and past environmental conditions to determine why the ape failed and man persevered. Outcomes will generate a new understa ....The mighty ape’s last stand. This project aims to study the fate of primates in southern Asia, where evidence for megafaunal extinction is rare. Why Gigantopithecus blacki, the largest ever primate, disappeared is unknown, while humans in the region survived. This project will model dating techniques across sites to identify a precise extinction window and compare behaviour and past environmental conditions to determine why the ape failed and man persevered. Outcomes will generate a new understanding of past environmental change as a driver of megafaunal extinction in comparison with human adaption and survival.Read moreRead less
Geodynamics and continental extension in the East African Rift System: origin and evolution of the Turkana Depression in northern Kenya. The Lake Turkana region in northern Kenya, famous for its fossil evidence of human origins, occupies a critical position within the Great Rift Valley of East Africa. This project seeks to explain how this complex region evolved and also the dynamic earth processes responsible for its formation between two great uplifted domes in Ethiopia and Kenya.