Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE200100155
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$430,000.00
Summary
An Equilibrium Inlet-Proton Transfer Reaction-Mass Spectrometer. Biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOC) play a key role in earth system processes but little is known about the amount of BVOCs emitted, and the mechanisms underlying their production in marine habitats, despite these being potential hotspots for BVOC emissions. The aim of this proposal is to custom build a portable equilibrator inlet proton transfer reaction mass spectrometer for measurements of BVOC’s in coastal waters. This w ....An Equilibrium Inlet-Proton Transfer Reaction-Mass Spectrometer. Biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOC) play a key role in earth system processes but little is known about the amount of BVOCs emitted, and the mechanisms underlying their production in marine habitats, despite these being potential hotspots for BVOC emissions. The aim of this proposal is to custom build a portable equilibrator inlet proton transfer reaction mass spectrometer for measurements of BVOC’s in coastal waters. This will be the first such instrument in the southern hemisphere and it will enable us to make in situ, high-precision measurements which will lead to ground-breaking advances that will revolutionise our understanding of BVOC cycling in coastal environments and their influence on the global climate system.
Read moreRead less
Electron flow in iron hyper-enriched acidifying coastal environments: reaction paths and kinetics of iron-sulfur-carbon transformations. Iron hyper-enriched acidifying coastal lowlands have a direct social, economic and environmental impact on communities in many parts of Australia. This project will determine how iron transforms and accumulates. The new knowledge will be of immediate relevance for the remediation of coastal plains.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE240100305
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$434,042.00
Summary
Unravelling the pathways of methane production and oxidation in mangroves. This project addresses a long-standing conundrum of why high methane emissions are sustained in saline coastal wetlands by identifying and quantifying methane production and oxidation processes in mangrove ecosystems. Using a novel combination of cutting-edge instrumentation for greenhouse gases, radiocarbon/stable isotope analysis, this project will generate a first complete picture of the mangrove methane cycle, to accu ....Unravelling the pathways of methane production and oxidation in mangroves. This project addresses a long-standing conundrum of why high methane emissions are sustained in saline coastal wetlands by identifying and quantifying methane production and oxidation processes in mangrove ecosystems. Using a novel combination of cutting-edge instrumentation for greenhouse gases, radiocarbon/stable isotope analysis, this project will generate a first complete picture of the mangrove methane cycle, to accurately quantify, for the first time, Australia’s contribution to global coastal mangrove emissions. The outcomes will establish currently lacking fundamental understanding of wetland methane cycling, advance global biogeochemical models, and improve strategies for natural climate solutions of coastal wetlands in Australia.Read moreRead less
A new approach to quantitative interpretation of paleoclimate archives. Skeletons of marine organisms can be used to reconstruct past climates and make predictions for the future. The precondition is the knowledge of how climatic and environmental information is incorporated into the biominerals. This project will use cutting-edge nano-analytical methods to further our understanding of how organisms build their skeletons.
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE200100022
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$580,000.00
Summary
New frontier in Geoscience: A tandem trace element and isotopes facility. The project aims to integrate a multicollector mass spectrometer with the existing laser ablation laboratory at Southern Cross University to establish a unique facility offering tandem trace element and isotopes analysis. This will provide new methodological advancement by expanding the analytical range and obtaining information otherwise inaccessible to stand-alone instruments using traditional standardisation methods. Sp ....New frontier in Geoscience: A tandem trace element and isotopes facility. The project aims to integrate a multicollector mass spectrometer with the existing laser ablation laboratory at Southern Cross University to establish a unique facility offering tandem trace element and isotopes analysis. This will provide new methodological advancement by expanding the analytical range and obtaining information otherwise inaccessible to stand-alone instruments using traditional standardisation methods. Specifically, the integration of an innovative split stream system allows precise matching of elemental concentration with isotopic ratios, crucial for microscale resolution and data accuracy. The new infrastructure will confirm Australia’s leadership role and maintain its competitive advantage in geosciences.Read moreRead less
Shallow water carbonate sediment dissolution in the global carbon cycle. Carbonate sediment dissolution is a globally significant process, but poorly understood in shallow marine waters. This project will determine whether the combined effect of organic matter, ocean acidification and pore water flow in shallow water carbonate sediments increases the release of calcium and alkalinity to the ocean. This project is significant because this release has not previously been accounted for and may lead ....Shallow water carbonate sediment dissolution in the global carbon cycle. Carbonate sediment dissolution is a globally significant process, but poorly understood in shallow marine waters. This project will determine whether the combined effect of organic matter, ocean acidification and pore water flow in shallow water carbonate sediments increases the release of calcium and alkalinity to the ocean. This project is significant because this release has not previously been accounted for and may lead to an additional uptake of atmospheric carbon dioxide into the global ocean, maybe some additional buffering against ocean acidification, but unfortunately, maybe also a loss of carbonate ecosystems. The outcomes of this project will make a significant contribution to our understanding of the global carbon cycle.
Read moreRead less
Dissolution of CaCO3 in sediments in an acidifying ocean. Dissolution of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) in sediments in the context of ocean acidification is poorly understood. This project will use in situ advective benthic chamber incubations and experimental manipulations under future ocean acidification scenarios to determine the controls on the dissolution of CaCO3 in sediments. This project is significant because changes in the dissolution of CaCO3 in sediments in an acidifying ocean are at lea ....Dissolution of CaCO3 in sediments in an acidifying ocean. Dissolution of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) in sediments in the context of ocean acidification is poorly understood. This project will use in situ advective benthic chamber incubations and experimental manipulations under future ocean acidification scenarios to determine the controls on the dissolution of CaCO3 in sediments. This project is significant because changes in the dissolution of CaCO3 in sediments in an acidifying ocean are at least as important, and potentially more important, than calcification to the future accretion and survival of carbonate ecosystems. It is expected that outcomes of this project will significantly advance our understanding of the drivers of the dissolution of CaCO3 in sediments and the functioning of globally important carbonate ecosystems.Read moreRead less
Transforming residues from meat processing into engineered soil amendments. The aim of this project is to transform organic residues from meat processing into agricultural soil amendments that actively improve nutrient retention and reduce nitrous oxide (a potent greenhouse gas) emissions. Current disposal and treatment options for meat processing residues are economically and environmentally unsustainable. In this research, a modified hydrothermal carbonisation process will be developed to tran ....Transforming residues from meat processing into engineered soil amendments. The aim of this project is to transform organic residues from meat processing into agricultural soil amendments that actively improve nutrient retention and reduce nitrous oxide (a potent greenhouse gas) emissions. Current disposal and treatment options for meat processing residues are economically and environmentally unsustainable. In this research, a modified hydrothermal carbonisation process will be developed to transform organic residues into novel hydrochars. The influence of these hydrochars on soil nutrient retention and nitrous oxide production will then be assessed using stable isotope tracing, genetic characterisation, and numerical modeling. The project will reduce the economic and environmental costs of organic waste disposal.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
Unravelling how aquatic coastal networks regulate nitrogen removal . The aim of this project is to determine the nitrogen removal pathways of the coastal zone using a number of innovative field and modelling approaches. Little is known about how the complex coastal landscape controls trade-offs that maximise nitrogen removal but minimise nitrous oxide (a potent greenhouse gas) emissions. The outcomes of this study will significantly advance our understanding of the coastal zone in regional and g ....Unravelling how aquatic coastal networks regulate nitrogen removal . The aim of this project is to determine the nitrogen removal pathways of the coastal zone using a number of innovative field and modelling approaches. Little is known about how the complex coastal landscape controls trade-offs that maximise nitrogen removal but minimise nitrous oxide (a potent greenhouse gas) emissions. The outcomes of this study will significantly advance our understanding of the coastal zone in regional and global nitrogen budgets. This will provide significant benefits such as a new science-based quantitative framework to facilitate best practice management to reduce terrestrial nitrogen loads and associated downstream impacts such as eutrophication, and reduce nitrous oxide emissions and associated global warming.
Read moreRead less