Development of new and high precision noble gas techniques for dating Quaternary volcanic rocks and surfaces: a Thermochronology and Noble Gas Geochronology and Geochemistry Organisation initiative. This project will calibrate noble gas dating methods, providing powerful tools for dating young volcanic rocks, eroded or buried surfaces and glacier/ice retreat. This research has considerable social, national and economic benefits for research training, volcanic hazard assessment, landscape evoluti ....Development of new and high precision noble gas techniques for dating Quaternary volcanic rocks and surfaces: a Thermochronology and Noble Gas Geochronology and Geochemistry Organisation initiative. This project will calibrate noble gas dating methods, providing powerful tools for dating young volcanic rocks, eroded or buried surfaces and glacier/ice retreat. This research has considerable social, national and economic benefits for research training, volcanic hazard assessment, landscape evolution, paleoclimate change and mineral exploration.Read moreRead less
Active tectonics of East Timor: geomorphic responses to an evolving slab rupture. Through analysis of the landscape evolution of East Timor, this project will establish new insights into basic dynamic processes responsible for formation of mountain systems. By quantifying slip rates on active faults and erosion rates across its landscape, it will provide new constraints on natural hazards for East Timor, and the broader region.
Life and times of Beringian biota from luminescence and radiocarbon dating of sedimentary DNA: chronologies for palaeoenvironmental and archaeological archives. This study will yield important new data on the time of entry of humans into a previously uninhabited continent (North America) and the record of subsequent human-environment interactions. The same broad issues apply to Australia, so understanding the sequence and causes of events in Beringia will provide insights into human disruption o ....Life and times of Beringian biota from luminescence and radiocarbon dating of sedimentary DNA: chronologies for palaeoenvironmental and archaeological archives. This study will yield important new data on the time of entry of humans into a previously uninhabited continent (North America) and the record of subsequent human-environment interactions. The same broad issues apply to Australia, so understanding the sequence and causes of events in Beringia will provide insights into human disruption of the Australian ecosystem. The development of improved techniques in palaeogenetics and geochronology will benefit researchers worldwide, increase the capacity for commercial services, and enhance Australia's international standing in cutting edge science. We will train high-quality graduate students and create new collaborative initiatives and opportunities for research, exchange, training and education.Read moreRead less
Pleistocene evolutionary dynamics and past environments of Siberia: Reconstructions using luminescence dating of ancient DNA sedimentary archives. This study will yield critical new insights into faunal-environment interactions in Siberia and their long-term implications for the evolution and extinction of Siberia's biota. These fundamental issues are of relevance to Australian archaeology, palaeontology and biogeography, and so our discoveries are of direct interest to Australian researchers st ....Pleistocene evolutionary dynamics and past environments of Siberia: Reconstructions using luminescence dating of ancient DNA sedimentary archives. This study will yield critical new insights into faunal-environment interactions in Siberia and their long-term implications for the evolution and extinction of Siberia's biota. These fundamental issues are of relevance to Australian archaeology, palaeontology and biogeography, and so our discoveries are of direct interest to Australian researchers studying these disciplines. The methodological advancements in OSL dating and DNA techniques that will accompany this research will enhance Australia's international scientific standing and create new opportunities for collaborative initiatives in both cutting-edge scientific research and consulting activities.Read moreRead less
Australia's exceptional Palaeozoic fossil fishes, and a Gondwana origin for land vertebrates. The 370 million-year-old Gogo deposit in WA has produced the World's best-preserved fossil fishes of Devonian age. New discoveries of related forms in eastern and central Australia document the deep history of Australia's unique vertebrate fauna, and provide new evidence on the evolution of the first jaws and limbs in vertebrates. They indicate that the first land animals may have evolved on the Austral ....Australia's exceptional Palaeozoic fossil fishes, and a Gondwana origin for land vertebrates. The 370 million-year-old Gogo deposit in WA has produced the World's best-preserved fossil fishes of Devonian age. New discoveries of related forms in eastern and central Australia document the deep history of Australia's unique vertebrate fauna, and provide new evidence on the evolution of the first jaws and limbs in vertebrates. They indicate that the first land animals may have evolved on the Australian landmass. These remarkably preserved, information-rich skulls and braincases of some of the oldest known vertebrate fossils provide unique data on early evolution of the head and brain; they are held in national collections as a significant contribution to both National and World Heritage.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0237922
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$500,000.00
Summary
High Resolution Cryogenic Field Emission Environmental Scanning Electron Microscope Facility. A high resolution variable pressure scanning electron microscope will replace aging, heavily utilised facilities. It will be accessed by existing large and diverse user groups in a mature and internationally-recognised Centre. The novel combination of a cryogenic stage and the electrostatic beam blanking modification will support continuance of the local, world-leading research and application of new ....High Resolution Cryogenic Field Emission Environmental Scanning Electron Microscope Facility. A high resolution variable pressure scanning electron microscope will replace aging, heavily utilised facilities. It will be accessed by existing large and diverse user groups in a mature and internationally-recognised Centre. The novel combination of a cryogenic stage and the electrostatic beam blanking modification will support continuance of the local, world-leading research and application of new imaging techniques, particularly in the materials and mineral sciences. Both new nanotechnology and existing globally-significant industries will utilise the unique aspects of this instrument for product refinement and maintenance of commercial leadership, in partnership with local Universities and Government agencies.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE150100145
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$170,000.00
Summary
The South Australian Thermochronometry Hub (SA Thermo). A thermochronometry hub: This project aims to set up a thermochronometry hub which will complement existing Australian geo- and thermochronological facilities by focussing on zircon fission track dating. This method will enable characterisation of the evolution of Australia's landscape, uncovering of its mineral deposits and constraining the formation of its petroleum reservoirs. The facility will enhance capacity to undertake thermochronol ....The South Australian Thermochronometry Hub (SA Thermo). A thermochronometry hub: This project aims to set up a thermochronometry hub which will complement existing Australian geo- and thermochronological facilities by focussing on zircon fission track dating. This method will enable characterisation of the evolution of Australia's landscape, uncovering of its mineral deposits and constraining the formation of its petroleum reservoirs. The facility will enhance capacity to undertake thermochronological research and aid in securing the economic future of Australia.Read moreRead less
Building Central Asia: Linking the Growth of Asia to its Exhumation. The consumption of the Tethys Ocean and the associated collision of Gondwana-derived terranes with Eurasia resulted in the uplift of the highest mountain belt on Earth: the Himalayas. However, stresses from this collision zone propagated far into the Eurasian interior by reactivating faults and creating mountain belts along these fault zones. This project aims to map and model how and when fault (re)activation occurred by integ ....Building Central Asia: Linking the Growth of Asia to its Exhumation. The consumption of the Tethys Ocean and the associated collision of Gondwana-derived terranes with Eurasia resulted in the uplift of the highest mountain belt on Earth: the Himalayas. However, stresses from this collision zone propagated far into the Eurasian interior by reactivating faults and creating mountain belts along these fault zones. This project aims to map and model how and when fault (re)activation occurred by integrating multi-method thermochronological and structural data on major Meso-Cenozoic Central Asian fault systems. The resulting time-integrated tectonic model will aid in the understanding of the India-Eurasia collision, the building of the mountainous Central Asian landscape and its influence on the Asian climate.Read moreRead less
Fleshing out the fossil record: using organically preserved soft tissues and bone to explore the evolution of unique vertebrate characters. This study integrates developmental, molecular and morphological data in both fossil and living species to provide insights into the evolutionary mechanisms which formed the musculo/skeletal system. Uncovering these evolutionary pathways has the potential to describe mechanisms common to all vertebrate and informs us about our own evolution.
Breaking Gondwana: interplay between tectonics, climate and resources. The project aims to reconstruct 250 million years of landscape evolution in response to rifting and break-up of the Gondwana supercontinent, using the innovative approach of combining regional thermochronology with global plate tectonic models. From these reconstructions, the time-integrated record of exhumation and erosion at the continental margins will be revealed at an unprecedented scale. The main expected outcome will b ....Breaking Gondwana: interplay between tectonics, climate and resources. The project aims to reconstruct 250 million years of landscape evolution in response to rifting and break-up of the Gondwana supercontinent, using the innovative approach of combining regional thermochronology with global plate tectonic models. From these reconstructions, the time-integrated record of exhumation and erosion at the continental margins will be revealed at an unprecedented scale. The main expected outcome will be a deep time archive of the relationships between tectonic forcing, continental erosion and the global climate, which may assist predictions and debate on future climate change. The outcomes will also provide economic benefits as they will inform on the exhumation and preservation of (critical) mineral resources.Read moreRead less