Crustal Growth in the Northern Tasmanides. The Australian and Queensland governments have invested over $3 million to undertake deep crustal seismic imaging in northern Queensland, providing an extensive new geophysical dataset capable of modelling crustal architecture and geological evolution to unprecedented levels. However, such models will remain untested unless the data is groundtruthed by analysis of rocks at the surface, providing a geological framework for extrapolation into the deep Ea ....Crustal Growth in the Northern Tasmanides. The Australian and Queensland governments have invested over $3 million to undertake deep crustal seismic imaging in northern Queensland, providing an extensive new geophysical dataset capable of modelling crustal architecture and geological evolution to unprecedented levels. However, such models will remain untested unless the data is groundtruthed by analysis of rocks at the surface, providing a geological framework for extrapolation into the deep Earth. The framework critically describes when and how crustal blocks were assembled, and the integrated information will generate evolutionary 3D models that will substantially improve mineral exploration targeting in the region.Read moreRead less
Tetconic feedback and the long-term evolution of the continents. The continents are shaped through complex interactions between the primary tectonic processes of magmatism, metamorphism, deformation, erosion and sedimentation. Because these processes modify the distribution of heat producing elements, and are themselves temperature sensitive, they must be subject to important feedback loops. This project will use constraints on heat producing element distributions in the Australian crust, and th ....Tetconic feedback and the long-term evolution of the continents. The continents are shaped through complex interactions between the primary tectonic processes of magmatism, metamorphism, deformation, erosion and sedimentation. Because these processes modify the distribution of heat producing elements, and are themselves temperature sensitive, they must be subject to important feedback loops. This project will use constraints on heat producing element distributions in the Australian crust, and the way in which these distributions have evolved during various tectonic processes, to elucidate the nature and significance of "tectonic feedback" and its role in shaping the continents.Read moreRead less
Global Lithospheric Architecture Mapping II. The continents have been rifted, or broken up, and collided, or re-assembled, along major zones of weakness many times throughout Earth's history. Boundaries between such continental domains focus large-scale movements of fluids that can produce giant ore deposits. This study will provide new perspectives on the localisation of world-class economic deposits, the Earth resources on which society depends. Innovations in imaging the deep Earth beneath co ....Global Lithospheric Architecture Mapping II. The continents have been rifted, or broken up, and collided, or re-assembled, along major zones of weakness many times throughout Earth's history. Boundaries between such continental domains focus large-scale movements of fluids that can produce giant ore deposits. This study will provide new perspectives on the localisation of world-class economic deposits, the Earth resources on which society depends. Innovations in imaging the deep Earth beneath continents, and in numerical modelling, will maintain our high international profile in research relevant to National Priority 1.6 (Developing Deep Earth Resources). Unique 3D geological maps of regions down to 250km will make the composition of deep Earth regions newly accessible to geoscientists and all potential endusers.Read moreRead less