A new Journey to the Earth's Inner Core: a Planet Within a Planet. This project aims to address critical unsolved problems in global geophysics by probing the structure and dynamics of the inner core, the Earth’s time capsule. It focuses on elucidating the inner core’s nature with the improved tomographic images, critically testing our current understanding of how the inner core is assembled and grows, its thermodynamic state, crystallographic structure, and connection with the Earth’s upper lay ....A new Journey to the Earth's Inner Core: a Planet Within a Planet. This project aims to address critical unsolved problems in global geophysics by probing the structure and dynamics of the inner core, the Earth’s time capsule. It focuses on elucidating the inner core’s nature with the improved tomographic images, critically testing our current understanding of how the inner core is assembled and grows, its thermodynamic state, crystallographic structure, and connection with the Earth’s upper layers and geomagnetic field. Answering these questions can have far-reaching consequences for the current knowledge of fundamental geophysics. Expected benefits include training students and researchers in geophysics and data processing, contributing to a skilled STEM workforce and creating leadership for Australia.Read moreRead less
The link between cratonic roots, redox state, and mantle geodynamics. This project aims to understand the role of Earth's redox state on the geodynamic evolution of continental cratonic roots. Cratonic roots form strong, buoyant rafts upon which Australia's oldest crust and mineral deposits survived. Cratons preserve a record of planetary-scale chemical shifts, including the rise of surface oxygen, but it is unclear how these redox shifts themselves affected lithospheric processes. This project ....The link between cratonic roots, redox state, and mantle geodynamics. This project aims to understand the role of Earth's redox state on the geodynamic evolution of continental cratonic roots. Cratonic roots form strong, buoyant rafts upon which Australia's oldest crust and mineral deposits survived. Cratons preserve a record of planetary-scale chemical shifts, including the rise of surface oxygen, but it is unclear how these redox shifts themselves affected lithospheric processes. This project integrates new developments in geochemistry, geophysics, and geodynamics, to map the geochemical state and structure of cratonic roots, aiding mineral exploration, and also shedding light on the processes that modify, mineralise, and sometimes destroy cratonic roots.Read moreRead less
Single-sample unmixing with machine learning: a rock magnetic frontier. Magnetic rock-forming minerals can record important information about Earth’s magnetic field and climatic changes. In rock magnetism, we seek to quantify magnetic property variations in geological materials. Existing quantification methods are limited and provide bulk characterisation of all magnetic particles in a material rather than diagnostic information concerning individual mineral components. This Project aims to deve ....Single-sample unmixing with machine learning: a rock magnetic frontier. Magnetic rock-forming minerals can record important information about Earth’s magnetic field and climatic changes. In rock magnetism, we seek to quantify magnetic property variations in geological materials. Existing quantification methods are limited and provide bulk characterisation of all magnetic particles in a material rather than diagnostic information concerning individual mineral components. This Project aims to develop a machine-learning framework to “unmix” and quantify each magnetic mineral component in single natural samples, and will unlock a new quantitative era in rock magnetism. It is expected to have impact beyond Earth science by enabling magnetic characterisation in physics, materials science, and industry.Read moreRead less
Tracking flood waters over Australia using space gravity data. This project aims to assess the utility of near-real-time data from the currently operating space gravity satellite mission to quantify and track flood waters in Australia. Through analysis of the satellite data and fusion of observed signals with rainfall, river flows and conventional hydrological modelling, it expects to create new knowledge of soil moisture and movement of flood waters. Expected outcomes include a capability to im ....Tracking flood waters over Australia using space gravity data. This project aims to assess the utility of near-real-time data from the currently operating space gravity satellite mission to quantify and track flood waters in Australia. Through analysis of the satellite data and fusion of observed signals with rainfall, river flows and conventional hydrological modelling, it expects to create new knowledge of soil moisture and movement of flood waters. Expected outcomes include a capability to improve hydrological models by including the information of water signals obtained from the near-real-time observations. This should provide significant benefits such as more accurate land saturation maps and better predictions of runoff and flood risk.Read moreRead less
East Antarctica: subglacial heat flux constraints for ice sheet modelling. This project aims to quantify the heat flux from the East Antarctic continent into the base of the ice sheet via the derivation of a large geochemical database, together with elevation-based modelling and new heat flux measurements in regions formerly contiguous with East Antarctica. This subglacial heat flux is poorly constrained in current ice sheet models, but directly affects ice sheet behaviour. The output of this pr ....East Antarctica: subglacial heat flux constraints for ice sheet modelling. This project aims to quantify the heat flux from the East Antarctic continent into the base of the ice sheet via the derivation of a large geochemical database, together with elevation-based modelling and new heat flux measurements in regions formerly contiguous with East Antarctica. This subglacial heat flux is poorly constrained in current ice sheet models, but directly affects ice sheet behaviour. The output of this project will be a greatly improved heat flux map for East Antarctica that can be used in ice sheet modelling studies. This should drive significant improvement in models for the evolution of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet, resulting in more accurate projections of ice discharge and associated sea level change.Read moreRead less
The global consequences of subduction zone congestion. This project will use a combination of 3D geodynamic modelling, plate kinematic reconstruction and geological and geophysical synthesis to determine how congested subduction zones influence plate kinematics, subduction dynamics and tectonic evolution at orogen and global scales. The project aims to deliver a transformation change in understanding the links between congested subduction, mantle flow, trench migration, crustal growth, transitio ....The global consequences of subduction zone congestion. This project will use a combination of 3D geodynamic modelling, plate kinematic reconstruction and geological and geophysical synthesis to determine how congested subduction zones influence plate kinematics, subduction dynamics and tectonic evolution at orogen and global scales. The project aims to deliver a transformation change in understanding the links between congested subduction, mantle flow, trench migration, crustal growth, transitions between stable convergent margin configurations and deformation in the overriding plates of subduction zones. Determining these relationships is significant because it will provide dynamic context to interpret the geological record of ancient convergent margins, which host a large percentage of Earth's metal resources.Read moreRead less
Unlocking Earth’s inner secrets in deep time using palaeointensities. The geomagnetic field, generated in Earth's liquid outer core, provides Earth's biosphere and atmosphere with a critical protective shield from the bombardment of the solar wind. However, we still know little about the evolution of the geomagnetic field or the deep-time secrets it keeps. This project aims to study the varying intensity of the geomagnetic field during Earth’s middle life. The results will help decipher how the ....Unlocking Earth’s inner secrets in deep time using palaeointensities. The geomagnetic field, generated in Earth's liquid outer core, provides Earth's biosphere and atmosphere with a critical protective shield from the bombardment of the solar wind. However, we still know little about the evolution of the geomagnetic field or the deep-time secrets it keeps. This project aims to study the varying intensity of the geomagnetic field during Earth’s middle life. The results will help decipher how the Earth’s core responded to evolving tectonic and dynamic systems, including the supercontinent cycles, and when Earth’s solid inner core initiated. Such knowledge will help us to better understand how the Earth System evolved as a whole, and how such an evolution has led to the present day life and environment on Earth.Read moreRead less
Measuring the seismic pulse of the Earth using fibre optics . Distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) is a newly emerging passive seismic technique that converts telecommunication fibre-optic cables (dark fibres) into thousands of individual ground motion sensors. This project aims to harness DAS and the big data arising from it to develop unprecedented high-resolution images of the Earth’s structure, detect micro-seismicity, and thereby relate geological observations to Earth processes. Outcomes of ....Measuring the seismic pulse of the Earth using fibre optics . Distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) is a newly emerging passive seismic technique that converts telecommunication fibre-optic cables (dark fibres) into thousands of individual ground motion sensors. This project aims to harness DAS and the big data arising from it to develop unprecedented high-resolution images of the Earth’s structure, detect micro-seismicity, and thereby relate geological observations to Earth processes. Outcomes of this powerful technique include fine-scale seismic imaging of the Earth’s subsurface as the best proxy for geological processes and geochemistry. Benefits include transforming exploration of mineral resources, water, changes in subsurface structure, as well as geohazard assessments for Australia and worldwide.Read moreRead less
Probing the Australian-Pacific plate boundary: Macquarie Ridge in 3-D. This project aims to advance understanding of the Australia-Pacific plate boundary - the Macquarie Ridge Complex - in the Southern Ocean.
It will be the first study to elucidate the processes generating the world's largest submarine earthquakes not associated with active subduction, which may lead to understanding of how subduction initiates, the mechanism of earthquakes occurring at convergent margins, and more accurate est ....Probing the Australian-Pacific plate boundary: Macquarie Ridge in 3-D. This project aims to advance understanding of the Australia-Pacific plate boundary - the Macquarie Ridge Complex - in the Southern Ocean.
It will be the first study to elucidate the processes generating the world's largest submarine earthquakes not associated with active subduction, which may lead to understanding of how subduction initiates, the mechanism of earthquakes occurring at convergent margins, and more accurate estimates of earthquake and tsunami potential.
This study will put Australia at the forefront of Earth Science research into the evolution of tectonic plates and has the potential to better inform hazard assessment efforts in the region, benefiting policy-makers and at–risk communities along the Australia coastline.Read moreRead less
The fluid dynamics of intrusions. This project aims to investigate intrusions, the primarily horizontal flows of well-mixed fluid into density-stratified surroundings. Such flows are fundamental in the atmosphere and oceans, but they are little understood because they are controlled by strong feedback between the intrusion and internal waves generated in the stratified ambient. Existing studies rely on computationally intensive simulations, analogue experiments or ad-hoc models of limited appl ....The fluid dynamics of intrusions. This project aims to investigate intrusions, the primarily horizontal flows of well-mixed fluid into density-stratified surroundings. Such flows are fundamental in the atmosphere and oceans, but they are little understood because they are controlled by strong feedback between the intrusion and internal waves generated in the stratified ambient. Existing studies rely on computationally intensive simulations, analogue experiments or ad-hoc models of limited applicability. This project expects to develop and validate a new, broadly applicable and rigorous mathematical model for such flows. Expected benefits include improved volcanic ash dispersal modelling and improved understanding of climate-critical oceanic and atmospheric flows.Read moreRead less