Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE100100064
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$450,000.00
Summary
A facility for sensitive and precise isotopic dating of the earth's and extraterrestrial rocks. SPIDE2R will be a new generation mass spectrometer for very precise and sensitive dating and forensics applications in earth and planetary sciences, hydrology, climate studies, and nuclear and archaeological fingerprinting. The unprecedented sensitivity of this unique instrument will provide enhanced capabilities for solving long-standing problems requiring precise geological time resolution, as well ....A facility for sensitive and precise isotopic dating of the earth's and extraterrestrial rocks. SPIDE2R will be a new generation mass spectrometer for very precise and sensitive dating and forensics applications in earth and planetary sciences, hydrology, climate studies, and nuclear and archaeological fingerprinting. The unprecedented sensitivity of this unique instrument will provide enhanced capabilities for solving long-standing problems requiring precise geological time resolution, as well as opening new areas of research. It will be the instrument of choice for analysing small, rare samples such as those returned by space missions. The Australian-built high sensitivity source and ion detection systems can be retrofitted onto other mass spectrometers, opening a new area of commercialisation.Read moreRead less
Carbon dioxide sequestration more than 3.7 billion years ago and the oldest climate cycles. More than 3.7 billion years ago atmospheric greenhouse CO2 was sequestered into limestone sedimentary rocks deposited in ice-free oceans. Why then, with the 30-25 per cent cooler sun in those times, was our earth not frozen over? Solving this oldest climate problem, will give the deepest-time perspective to the earth's changing climate feedback loops.
Engineering planetary habitability: Earth’s first billion years. This project aims to establish the critical physical-chemical factors in the early surface environment and tectonic regime that supported early life and continuing habitability. Life was established on Earth within the first billion years of its 4.56-billion-year history. This project’s integrated geological and geochemical study will investigate this period’s rare sedimentary and volcanic record, including the oldest fossiliferous ....Engineering planetary habitability: Earth’s first billion years. This project aims to establish the critical physical-chemical factors in the early surface environment and tectonic regime that supported early life and continuing habitability. Life was established on Earth within the first billion years of its 4.56-billion-year history. This project’s integrated geological and geochemical study will investigate this period’s rare sedimentary and volcanic record, including the oldest fossiliferous sequences discovered recently, to show how the early Earth’s chemistry supported life and evolution. The project expects to enhance understanding of why life prospers on some habitable zone planets but not on others.Read moreRead less
Revealing the deep Earth in deep time. This project aims to determine the nature of the chemical and dynamical transformation of the Earth’s interior at the end of the first 25 per cent of its history. This will provide a new understanding of the related establishment of modern surface features such as extensive continents and an oxygenated atmosphere, as well as investigate causal relationships with west Australia’s mineral resources. The expected outcome will be a significant new understandin ....Revealing the deep Earth in deep time. This project aims to determine the nature of the chemical and dynamical transformation of the Earth’s interior at the end of the first 25 per cent of its history. This will provide a new understanding of the related establishment of modern surface features such as extensive continents and an oxygenated atmosphere, as well as investigate causal relationships with west Australia’s mineral resources. The expected outcome will be a significant new understanding of the chemical and thermal history of our planet.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE100100095
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$700,000.00
Summary
Frontiers in integrated laser-sampled trace-element and isotopic geoanalysis. Until around 2005 Australia was a leader in the coupling of laser-ablation microprobes (LAM) with inductively-coupled-plasma mass spectrometers (ICPMS) for geochemical research. However, international developments in femtosecond LAM, sector field instruments and novel instrument coupling possibilities have leap-frogged these achievements. The proposed innovative facility will allow us to regain the leading edge in thi ....Frontiers in integrated laser-sampled trace-element and isotopic geoanalysis. Until around 2005 Australia was a leader in the coupling of laser-ablation microprobes (LAM) with inductively-coupled-plasma mass spectrometers (ICPMS) for geochemical research. However, international developments in femtosecond LAM, sector field instruments and novel instrument coupling possibilities have leap-frogged these achievements. The proposed innovative facility will allow us to regain the leading edge in this field, help maintain the high profile of Australian geoscience internationally, and to attract high-quality researchers and industry-related research funding. The research is relevant to the Deep Earth Resources National Priority and will include projects of direct relevance to mineral exploration and process technology.Read moreRead less