Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0346878
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$190,000.00
Summary
GeoWulf: An Inference Engine for Complex Earth Systems. The project is to build a `Beowulf' cluster as a platform for solving
complex data inference problems in the Earth sciences, and in
particular the fields of thermochronology, seismology, crustal and
mantle dynamics, and landform evolution. A Beowulf cluster is a
network-linked set of commonly available `off-the-shelf' PC-computers
configured to give unprecedented performance/cost ratio. Projects
using the Beowulf facility will combine ....GeoWulf: An Inference Engine for Complex Earth Systems. The project is to build a `Beowulf' cluster as a platform for solving
complex data inference problems in the Earth sciences, and in
particular the fields of thermochronology, seismology, crustal and
mantle dynamics, and landform evolution. A Beowulf cluster is a
network-linked set of commonly available `off-the-shelf' PC-computers
configured to give unprecedented performance/cost ratio. Projects
using the Beowulf facility will combine state-of-the-art computational
techniques recently developed at ANU, and high quality data sets
collected over the past decade to address fundamental questions in
the Geosciences.Read moreRead less
The dynamic strength of continents and how they break apart. Sedimentary basins formed as a result of continental extension are the source of many oil and gas and geothermal resources. The geometries of the deepest part of these basins and their temporal and thermal evolution, are essential for basin prospectivity, but can seldom be investigated directly. This Australia-based project is expected to overhaul how we understand continental deformation, which is a crucial, but relatively vaguely und ....The dynamic strength of continents and how they break apart. Sedimentary basins formed as a result of continental extension are the source of many oil and gas and geothermal resources. The geometries of the deepest part of these basins and their temporal and thermal evolution, are essential for basin prospectivity, but can seldom be investigated directly. This Australia-based project is expected to overhaul how we understand continental deformation, which is a crucial, but relatively vaguely understood, component of plate tectonics. By modelling continental extension, the project will improve our understanding of basin development, deep geometry, and heat distribution, providing the basis for new applied and specific research projects directed at enhancing energy resource exploration. Read moreRead less
Accessory Mineral Microstructure and Implications for Geochronology. U-Pb geochronology of accessory minerals is widely used to constrain the timing of igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary processes. However, our current knowledge of isotope mobility in these important minerals cannot readily explain some common features of U-Pb dating. Using new developments in quantitative microstructural analysis integrated with high spatial resolution geochronology we will constrain the relationship between ....Accessory Mineral Microstructure and Implications for Geochronology. U-Pb geochronology of accessory minerals is widely used to constrain the timing of igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary processes. However, our current knowledge of isotope mobility in these important minerals cannot readily explain some common features of U-Pb dating. Using new developments in quantitative microstructural analysis integrated with high spatial resolution geochronology we will constrain the relationship between accessory minerals deformation and its effect on radiometric ages. Our results will lead to a better understanding of geochemical modification of accessory minerals and may lead to the development of new applications of geochronology and improve the dating of rock deformation.Read moreRead less
Microbially induced calcium carbonate precipitation in different substrates. Carbonates in the form of limestone represent an important reservoir of carbon on earth. They are recorded in several natural geological formations as corals, stromatolites, beach rocks. Microbes play an important role in the formation as well as dissolution of carbonates during microbially induced calcium carbonate precipitation (MICP) reactions on different substrates in natural and built environments. Much of our kno ....Microbially induced calcium carbonate precipitation in different substrates. Carbonates in the form of limestone represent an important reservoir of carbon on earth. They are recorded in several natural geological formations as corals, stromatolites, beach rocks. Microbes play an important role in the formation as well as dissolution of carbonates during microbially induced calcium carbonate precipitation (MICP) reactions on different substrates in natural and built environments. Much of our knowledge on MICP is limited due to poor understanding of the reaction kinetics at a molecular level. This project will develop new methods to enable and advance the knowledge of MICP process with profound implications for understanding natural geological formations as well as widen the scope of current engineering applications.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE190101307
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$421,824.00
Summary
A new nano-geochronology approach to global Earth processes. This project aims to develop a new nano-geochronology tool. Geochronology is the science of determining the ages of rocks and geological events, and is key to answering fundamental questions of planetary evolution, the geological processes that shaped our Earth, and evolution of life and past climates. Many valuable mineral phases are too small to be dated by conventional methods. The potential that nano-geochronology has to unlock inf ....A new nano-geochronology approach to global Earth processes. This project aims to develop a new nano-geochronology tool. Geochronology is the science of determining the ages of rocks and geological events, and is key to answering fundamental questions of planetary evolution, the geological processes that shaped our Earth, and evolution of life and past climates. Many valuable mineral phases are too small to be dated by conventional methods. The potential that nano-geochronology has to unlock information otherwise untraceable remains largely unexplored. The development and application of nano-geochronology will improve our understanding of the Australian crust and the field of geological mapping, which largely supports mineral exploration.Read moreRead less
Mineral reaction, deformation, and accessory phases in migmatites: What controls monazite behaviour during high-grade metamorphism? Isotopic dating of rocks and minerals has revolutionized the way we view our planet, and allowed us to attach an absolute timescale to a range of Earth processes from the evolution of life to formation of mineral deposits. Australian technology has long been at the forefront of this field, but it is apparent that our ability to date Earth materials has overtaken our ....Mineral reaction, deformation, and accessory phases in migmatites: What controls monazite behaviour during high-grade metamorphism? Isotopic dating of rocks and minerals has revolutionized the way we view our planet, and allowed us to attach an absolute timescale to a range of Earth processes from the evolution of life to formation of mineral deposits. Australian technology has long been at the forefront of this field, but it is apparent that our ability to date Earth materials has overtaken our ability to interpret these ages in terms of geologic processes. The results of this study and the associated collaboration will ensure that Australian understanding of what isotopic ages mean keeps pace with our ability to measure them. This will allow us to resolve finer details of Earth history, and improve our understanding of the planet and how best to manage it.Read moreRead less
Integrated provenance analysis: towards better ways of interpreting the source of ancient sediments. Determining the provenance of sedimentary grains is a key element of testing competing geological hypotheses. Most provenance analyses are based on single-grain analytical techniques that may miss vital information. This project will develop an integrated, systematic approach to provenance analysis by applying a broad range of modal, geochemical and isotopic techniques to enable the effective i ....Integrated provenance analysis: towards better ways of interpreting the source of ancient sediments. Determining the provenance of sedimentary grains is a key element of testing competing geological hypotheses. Most provenance analyses are based on single-grain analytical techniques that may miss vital information. This project will develop an integrated, systematic approach to provenance analysis by applying a broad range of modal, geochemical and isotopic techniques to enable the effective identification of sources of grains in sedimentary rocks. The new system will be used to test hypotheses of when the Pilbara and Yilgarn cratons amalgamated to form the core of the Australian continent.Read moreRead less
Proterozoic tectonic evolution of Australia and India. Recent studies cast doubt on reconstructions of the Neoproterozoic supercontinent Rodinia, and on the tectonic coherence of East Gondwanaland (Australia, Antarctica and India). Within Australia, the relative positions of the major crustal blocks during most of the Proterozoic era remain largely unverified. Fossil magnetism in rocks of different ages from the major crustal blocks of Australia and India will be used to determine whether the ....Proterozoic tectonic evolution of Australia and India. Recent studies cast doubt on reconstructions of the Neoproterozoic supercontinent Rodinia, and on the tectonic coherence of East Gondwanaland (Australia, Antarctica and India). Within Australia, the relative positions of the major crustal blocks during most of the Proterozoic era remain largely unverified. Fossil magnetism in rocks of different ages from the major crustal blocks of Australia and India will be used to determine whether the blocks were together or were separated by large oceans during Proterozoic time. The results will place fundamental constraints on the geological, palaeogeographic, and palaeobiological evolution of Australia, Rodinia, and the early Earth as a whole.Read moreRead less
Ellipsoidal physical geodesy - improved global and local gravity field modelling. Improved techniques for gravity field modelling, using the ellipsoidal approach proposed in this research, will increase the accuracy of the Australian geoid model. A more accurate model of the geoid will bring great cost-benefits mainly to the Australian surveying, mapping and exploration community. For example, height determination from GPS [Global Positioning System] or similar satellite-based measurements is on ....Ellipsoidal physical geodesy - improved global and local gravity field modelling. Improved techniques for gravity field modelling, using the ellipsoidal approach proposed in this research, will increase the accuracy of the Australian geoid model. A more accurate model of the geoid will bring great cost-benefits mainly to the Australian surveying, mapping and exploration community. For example, height determination from GPS [Global Positioning System] or similar satellite-based measurements is only possible with the aid of an accurate geoid model. This will allow the use GPS to its full capacity and save valuable time and money (by as much as a factor of 10).Read moreRead less