Four dimensional lithospheric evolution and controls on mineral system distribution in Neoarchean to Paleoproterozoic terranes. This project will resolve important questions about the links between the evolution and preservation of continents and important mineral deposits in Australia and West Africa between 2.7 and 1.8 billion years ago. The results will improve the understanding of a key period of Earth history and make a major contribution to mineral exploration.
Toppling the Boring Billion: Biomarkers, orbital cycles and primordial life. This project aims to discover microbiological processes involved in ore formation in order to understand how zinc and lead minerals formed in the sediments of Australia’s ancient seas. The apparent ‘Boring Billion’ – the geological period 1800 to 800 million years ago – may have harboured seas of fluctuating colours. Fossil biomolecules, unearthed from 1.6 billion years old sediments, draw a picture of ancient seas osci ....Toppling the Boring Billion: Biomarkers, orbital cycles and primordial life. This project aims to discover microbiological processes involved in ore formation in order to understand how zinc and lead minerals formed in the sediments of Australia’s ancient seas. The apparent ‘Boring Billion’ – the geological period 1800 to 800 million years ago – may have harboured seas of fluctuating colours. Fossil biomolecules, unearthed from 1.6 billion years old sediments, draw a picture of ancient seas oscillating between blooms of purple and green bacteria, with waters rapidly alternating between toxic and sulphidic and rich in dissolved iron. Based on these observations, the project aims to discover the dynamic nature of primordial ecosystems, investigate how ancient seas were controlled by the Earth’s orbit around the sun, and explore how microorganisms may have formed the world’s largest zinc deposits.Read moreRead less
Earth's best-preserved Archean boninites: do they finally resolve the Archean mantle plume - plate tectonics controversy? Subduction typically starts on the modern Earth with the eruption of chemically distinctive rocks known as boninites. This project will study remarkably well preserved 2.85 billion year old boninites from Western Australia that may finally establish whether modern-style plate tectonics operated in the first half of Earth's history.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE150101190
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$350,259.00
Summary
The role of hydrostatic pressure in modulating submarine silicic eruptions. Exploration on the modern seafloor reveals the deposits of deep (greater than 1 000 metres) silicic explosive eruptions, yet theory predicts that explosivity at these depths is largely suppressed. In 2012 the largest and deepest silicic submarine explosive eruption ever recorded took place at depths up to 1 600 metres, also challenging this theory. This project leverages a United States of America research expedition to ....The role of hydrostatic pressure in modulating submarine silicic eruptions. Exploration on the modern seafloor reveals the deposits of deep (greater than 1 000 metres) silicic explosive eruptions, yet theory predicts that explosivity at these depths is largely suppressed. In 2012 the largest and deepest silicic submarine explosive eruption ever recorded took place at depths up to 1 600 metres, also challenging this theory. This project leverages a United States of America research expedition to the eruption site. This project aims to constrain the physical and chemical factors that control explosivity using cutting-edge technologies. Australia's ancient submarine volcanoes host highly economic ore deposits. This project aims to enhance the ability to interpret ancient volcanic settings, thereby improving the potential for new ore deposit discoveries.Read moreRead less
Improving airborne electromagnetic surveying for minerals and groundwater. Groundwater is vital in many parts of Australia due to low surface water availability while much of Australia’s mineral wealth is obscured by conductive cover. Airborne surveys are key to mapping minerals and water over large areas. This project aims to enhance the resolution of airborne electromagnetic surveying technology by developing advanced new aircraft transmitters and receivers. The project expects to enable compl ....Improving airborne electromagnetic surveying for minerals and groundwater. Groundwater is vital in many parts of Australia due to low surface water availability while much of Australia’s mineral wealth is obscured by conductive cover. Airborne surveys are key to mapping minerals and water over large areas. This project aims to enhance the resolution of airborne electromagnetic surveying technology by developing advanced new aircraft transmitters and receivers. The project expects to enable complex groundwater structures to be mapped more accurately and increase the depth to which conductive ore bodies can be detected. Expected outcomes include the discovery of new economic mineral and water resources. This should provide significant benefits to the mining and agricultural industries.Read moreRead less
Advanced gravity and electromagnetic methods for uncovering the deep Earth. Advanced gravity and electromagnetic methods for uncovering the deep Earth. This project aims to improve the sensitivity of airborne gravity gradiometers and electromagnetic sensors so airborne surveys can detect underground structures at greater depths. Aircraft motion and turbulence limit the effectiveness of existing instruments. Advanced vibration isolation and noise reduction algorithms will allow instruments to ima ....Advanced gravity and electromagnetic methods for uncovering the deep Earth. Advanced gravity and electromagnetic methods for uncovering the deep Earth. This project aims to improve the sensitivity of airborne gravity gradiometers and electromagnetic sensors so airborne surveys can detect underground structures at greater depths. Aircraft motion and turbulence limit the effectiveness of existing instruments. Advanced vibration isolation and noise reduction algorithms will allow instruments to image to significantly greater depths, to map geology more accurately. This is expected to contribute to the discovery of new economic mineral and hydrocarbon resources.Read moreRead less
Oxygenation history of the Earth and the evolution of complex life. This project will investigate how and when the atmosphere became oxygen-rich by analyzing ancient barrier reefs and other rocks that formed between 1000 to 300 million years ago, spanning the appearance and diversification of animals and plants. The project is significant because the buildup of oxygen in the atmosphere was arguably the most important chemical process ever to have occurred on Earth and controlled the evolution of ....Oxygenation history of the Earth and the evolution of complex life. This project will investigate how and when the atmosphere became oxygen-rich by analyzing ancient barrier reefs and other rocks that formed between 1000 to 300 million years ago, spanning the appearance and diversification of animals and plants. The project is significant because the buildup of oxygen in the atmosphere was arguably the most important chemical process ever to have occurred on Earth and controlled the evolution of environments, climate and life. A major outcome will be an improved understanding of how the Earth's atmosphere and climate are regulated by geological processes. This project will generate new knowledge about how sedimentary zinc, lead and copper ore deposits form, which may guide exploration for these commodities.Read moreRead less