From crust to core: probing the heterogeneity of the Earth with seismic arrays. Seismic array deployments will be used for a variety of studies including tomographic mapping of upper mantle structure, coda analysis for crustal properties and delineation of deeper Earth structure. The high resolution information on crustal and upper mantle structure will provide important detail on the building blocks of the Australian plate at depth. This class of information helps to refine our understanding o ....From crust to core: probing the heterogeneity of the Earth with seismic arrays. Seismic array deployments will be used for a variety of studies including tomographic mapping of upper mantle structure, coda analysis for crustal properties and delineation of deeper Earth structure. The high resolution information on crustal and upper mantle structure will provide important detail on the building blocks of the Australian plate at depth. This class of information helps to refine our understanding of the way that the Australian continent has been assembled with regard to the interaction of the crust and mantle and the emplacement of mineral resources.Read moreRead less
The neo- and seismo-tectonics of northwestern Australia. Australia's two largest earthquakes occurred in NW Australia (magnitudes 7 and 7.9 in 1941 and 1906). Onshore and offshore geologic evidence indicates other such events in recent geological history. Our present seismic database records no such events. We propose to document the nature, frequency, intensity, distribution and possible causes of seismicity in NW Australia, through deployment of seismograph arrays. We will test the effects ....The neo- and seismo-tectonics of northwestern Australia. Australia's two largest earthquakes occurred in NW Australia (magnitudes 7 and 7.9 in 1941 and 1906). Onshore and offshore geologic evidence indicates other such events in recent geological history. Our present seismic database records no such events. We propose to document the nature, frequency, intensity, distribution and possible causes of seismicity in NW Australia, through deployment of seismograph arrays. We will test the effects of basement reactivation, determine the crustal structure beneath the cratonic mass, examine onshore and offshore faults, determine local and regional stress orientations and investigate implications for petroleum production in the region, and whether natural resource extraction causes local seismicity.Read moreRead less
Seismic tomography using signal and noise: A new window into deep Earth. This project will combine traditional imaging techniques based on earthquake records, and state of the art ambient noise tomography, which exploits oceanic and atmospheric disturbances, to construct detailed models of the crust and upper mantle beneath southeast Australia. The national benefits of this research include: a vastly improved understanding of the deep architecture of the Australian Plate, and how it has evolved ....Seismic tomography using signal and noise: A new window into deep Earth. This project will combine traditional imaging techniques based on earthquake records, and state of the art ambient noise tomography, which exploits oceanic and atmospheric disturbances, to construct detailed models of the crust and upper mantle beneath southeast Australia. The national benefits of this research include: a vastly improved understanding of the deep architecture of the Australian Plate, and how it has evolved over time; a paradigm shift in the interpretation of seismic data, which will enhance Australia's reputation in the international scientific community; and important new constraints on the broad scale geology of prospective regions that host world class mineral deposits.Read moreRead less
Three-dimensional evolution of the Banda Arc: effects of the collision of the Indo-Australian plate with the active Banda volcanic arc. National benefits are associated with the advance of basic science by addressing fundamental tectonic problems on the geodynamics of convergent plate boundaries. In particular, the specific study area would provide a better understanding on the tectonic environment of Australia in the context of the Asia-Pacific region. In the future, outcomes of this research ....Three-dimensional evolution of the Banda Arc: effects of the collision of the Indo-Australian plate with the active Banda volcanic arc. National benefits are associated with the advance of basic science by addressing fundamental tectonic problems on the geodynamics of convergent plate boundaries. In particular, the specific study area would provide a better understanding on the tectonic environment of Australia in the context of the Asia-Pacific region. In the future, outcomes of this research could potentially be used to reconstruct the tectonic history of Australia using the Banda region as a modern analogue.Read moreRead less
Exploring deep Australia: 3-D imaging of the lithosphere beneath south-east Australia using multiple high density seismic arrays. The successful completion of this project will significantly improve our knowledge of the seismic structure of the Australian lithosphere, and hence improve our understanding of how the Australian continent came to be formed. In addition, the tomographic imaging methods that will be developed and applied to the individual and combined seismic arrays have a direct rele ....Exploring deep Australia: 3-D imaging of the lithosphere beneath south-east Australia using multiple high density seismic arrays. The successful completion of this project will significantly improve our knowledge of the seismic structure of the Australian lithosphere, and hence improve our understanding of how the Australian continent came to be formed. In addition, the tomographic imaging methods that will be developed and applied to the individual and combined seismic arrays have a direct relevance to the seismic imaging techniques used by the exploration industry. Finally, the creation of a combined dataset comprising records from ~300 stations will help keep Australia at the leading edge of observational seismology, as other countries (e.g. U.S.) begin to deploy very large seismic arrays.Read moreRead less
CRATON EDGES AND SUTURES IN THE AUSTRALIAN MANTLE. A major seismic experiment using recording of distant earthquakes will be used to provide images of 3-D structure in the Earth's crust and mantle along the length of the edge of the Precambrian Australian Shield and across the suture between the South and North Australian cratons within the Shield. Seismic structures derived from different classes of geodynamic models will be compared with seismic results derived from a variety of styles of dat ....CRATON EDGES AND SUTURES IN THE AUSTRALIAN MANTLE. A major seismic experiment using recording of distant earthquakes will be used to provide images of 3-D structure in the Earth's crust and mantle along the length of the edge of the Precambrian Australian Shield and across the suture between the South and North Australian cratons within the Shield. Seismic structures derived from different classes of geodynamic models will be compared with seismic results derived from a variety of styles of data interpretation, including seismic tomography. The experiment will improve understanding of the range of physical processes associated with rifting and building of continents.Read moreRead less
Seismic constraints on the assembly of cratons. Improved definition of the 3-D seismological structure and nature of the major lithospheric blocks in Australia and their assembly to form the present-day continent will be sought from seismological data. The inclusion of information on the depth extent and character of the lithosphere will improve geological understanding of the evolution of the continent, with relevance to the interaction of the crust and mantle and the placement of mineral res ....Seismic constraints on the assembly of cratons. Improved definition of the 3-D seismological structure and nature of the major lithospheric blocks in Australia and their assembly to form the present-day continent will be sought from seismological data. The inclusion of information on the depth extent and character of the lithosphere will improve geological understanding of the evolution of the continent, with relevance to the interaction of the crust and mantle and the placement of mineral resources.Read moreRead less
Caught in a vice: Modelling crustal deformation in Papua New Guinea. Papua New Guinea is trapped between the collision of the Australian and Pacific Plates. This proposal uses GPS methods to measure and model the tectonic motion across Papua New Guinea, identifies and quantifies areas undergoing regional deformation near plate boundaries and within tectonic blocks, and evaluates the tectonic processes associated with such deformation. Numerical models will be developed to match the observed site ....Caught in a vice: Modelling crustal deformation in Papua New Guinea. Papua New Guinea is trapped between the collision of the Australian and Pacific Plates. This proposal uses GPS methods to measure and model the tectonic motion across Papua New Guinea, identifies and quantifies areas undergoing regional deformation near plate boundaries and within tectonic blocks, and evaluates the tectonic processes associated with such deformation. Numerical models will be developed to match the observed site motions, thereby revealing the nature of the active plate boundaries and the characteristics of the Earth's crust and mantle. The project will produce new results necessary for assessing the tectonic hazards of Papua New Guinea.
Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0668155
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$350,000.00
Summary
Instrumentation for combined seismic and electromagnetic Earth sounding. The set of geophysical recorders will provide the means to enhance understanding of the structure of the Australian continent in 3-D. The interpretation of multiple images of Earth structure will help to link features in the crust and mantle beneath, and provide controls on the evolution and assembly of the present continent, with a major contribution to possible geotransects as recommended in the 2003 National Strategic Pl ....Instrumentation for combined seismic and electromagnetic Earth sounding. The set of geophysical recorders will provide the means to enhance understanding of the structure of the Australian continent in 3-D. The interpretation of multiple images of Earth structure will help to link features in the crust and mantle beneath, and provide controls on the evolution and assembly of the present continent, with a major contribution to possible geotransects as recommended in the 2003 National Strategic Plan for the Geosciences. Combining seismic and electromagnetic methods will provide both geochemeical and geophysical constaints, e.g., on zones of alteration and shear with the potential for deep mineralisation. Read moreRead less
Relationship between subduction zone geometry, trench kinematics and great subduction earthquakes. The devastating Boxing Day 2004 earthquake near Sumatra and the four other largest earthquakes in recorded history all occurred along subduction zones. This research will compare the geodynamic setting of these subduction zones with those surrounding the Australian continent and assess whether the Australian subduction zones are capable of producing great earthquakes and tsunamis that might pose a ....Relationship between subduction zone geometry, trench kinematics and great subduction earthquakes. The devastating Boxing Day 2004 earthquake near Sumatra and the four other largest earthquakes in recorded history all occurred along subduction zones. This research will compare the geodynamic setting of these subduction zones with those surrounding the Australian continent and assess whether the Australian subduction zones are capable of producing great earthquakes and tsunamis that might pose a risk for the east and northwest coast of Australia. Also, Eastern Australia is a composite of fossil arcs rich in ore deposits and the Tasman Sea region is composed of basins that host hydrocarbons, all of which formed by subduction processes. The proposed research will thus improve the basis for mineral and hydrocarbon exploration.Read moreRead less