Novel tools for dating explosive volcanic eruptions in the critical window. This project will develop novel dating methods necessary for precise reconstruction of the eruption histories of super-volcanoes in the Asia-Pacific region over the last million years. The project outcomes will provide better models for predicting super-eruptions, thereby informing global climate change research, urban planning, and transport and telecommunications infrastructure engineering. Results will also improve ex ....Novel tools for dating explosive volcanic eruptions in the critical window. This project will develop novel dating methods necessary for precise reconstruction of the eruption histories of super-volcanoes in the Asia-Pacific region over the last million years. The project outcomes will provide better models for predicting super-eruptions, thereby informing global climate change research, urban planning, and transport and telecommunications infrastructure engineering. Results will also improve existing volcanic risk models used by insurers to quantify volcanic risks and calculate expected losses from volcanic eruptions, and greatly improve our ability to use eruption deposits as time markers for important events in human evolution.Read moreRead less
Developing and testing a new dating tool for Quaternary science. This project plans to use cutting-edge instrumentation to develop a novel method for dating geological materials formed in a critical time window for which no dating technique currently exists. The last million years of Earth’s history has seen dramatic changes in global climate and environment, with catastrophic volcanic eruptions and numerous other natural processes shaping landforms and ecosystems. A major challenge for studying ....Developing and testing a new dating tool for Quaternary science. This project plans to use cutting-edge instrumentation to develop a novel method for dating geological materials formed in a critical time window for which no dating technique currently exists. The last million years of Earth’s history has seen dramatic changes in global climate and environment, with catastrophic volcanic eruptions and numerous other natural processes shaping landforms and ecosystems. A major challenge for studying these phenomena and their impacts is the dating of geological archives in the time window between 50 000 and 1 000 000 years. This project aims to develop a method for dating young volcanic rocks that can close this critical gap. The result would be a new dating tool with broad implications for the Quaternary sciences globally, including paleoclimate and paleoenvironmental reconstructions, natural hazards assessment, hominin evolution and archaeology.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE200101361
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$403,866.00
Summary
The Australian tectonic stress state: Far-field forces and local impacts. This project aims to investigate the present-day tectonic stress field of Australia using detailed analysis of stress magnitude data and state-of-the-art 3D geomechanical-numerical modelling across spatial scales. Tectonic stresses control the Earth’s deformation and are a primary cause of collapse of subsurface structures. This project expects to improve our knowledge of the causes of the tectonic stress field of Australi ....The Australian tectonic stress state: Far-field forces and local impacts. This project aims to investigate the present-day tectonic stress field of Australia using detailed analysis of stress magnitude data and state-of-the-art 3D geomechanical-numerical modelling across spatial scales. Tectonic stresses control the Earth’s deformation and are a primary cause of collapse of subsurface structures. This project expects to improve our knowledge of the causes of the tectonic stress field of Australia and its consequences for earthquake risk assessment, safe and sustainable usage of underground environments for groundwater exploration and production, CO2 sequestration, waste disposal, mine stability, exploration and production of hydrocarbon and geothermal resources.Read moreRead less
Beach Erosion and Recovery: Quantifying the Hazard. Coastal erosion is confronting societies and the natural environment. The economic value in Australia of built assets at risk includes roads ($60 billion), commercial buildings ($81 billion) and homes ($63 billion). Hard engineering entire coastlines is rarely feasible, with beaches providing the best coastal defence along the great majority of sandy coastlines. But how wide should a buffer zone be to provide adequate protection from storms? An ....Beach Erosion and Recovery: Quantifying the Hazard. Coastal erosion is confronting societies and the natural environment. The economic value in Australia of built assets at risk includes roads ($60 billion), commercial buildings ($81 billion) and homes ($63 billion). Hard engineering entire coastlines is rarely feasible, with beaches providing the best coastal defence along the great majority of sandy coastlines. But how wide should a buffer zone be to provide adequate protection from storms? And critically, how reliable are the present modelling tools used to predict this, and can they be improved? Underpinned by innovative field observations to fill fundamental knowledge gaps, this project aims to deliver advanced understanding and the best available solution to storm erosion prediction.Read moreRead less
Timescales of mixing and volatile transfer leading to volcanic eruptions. The short-lived lead isotope, 210Pb, has the unique ability to place timescale constraints on volcanic processes, such as the input, mixing and degassing of magma. These processes are believed to be of fundamental importance in the triggering of volcanic eruptions. This project will measure 210Pb isotopic compositions and elemental diffusion profiles in crystals of volcanic rocks that represent the end members of mixed ma ....Timescales of mixing and volatile transfer leading to volcanic eruptions. The short-lived lead isotope, 210Pb, has the unique ability to place timescale constraints on volcanic processes, such as the input, mixing and degassing of magma. These processes are believed to be of fundamental importance in the triggering of volcanic eruptions. This project will measure 210Pb isotopic compositions and elemental diffusion profiles in crystals of volcanic rocks that represent the end members of mixed magmas to constrain the volume and timescale of volatile transfer from magmatic recharge and also the time between magma mixing events and eruptions. The project aims to test the paradigm that magma recharge triggers volcanic eruptions and aims to yield significant outcomes for understanding eruption triggers at hazardous volcanoes.Read moreRead less
The Cambrian Population Explosion of Arthropods in Australia: Ediacaran origins, evolution and biodiversity. This project addresses key questions on the origin and diversification of life, by investigating the evolution of the most important fossil group (arthropods) across arguably the most important event after the origin of life (the Cambrian explosion of macroscopic life). It will also excavate, promote and conserve two key geological resources of national importance, in the Flinders Ranges ....The Cambrian Population Explosion of Arthropods in Australia: Ediacaran origins, evolution and biodiversity. This project addresses key questions on the origin and diversification of life, by investigating the evolution of the most important fossil group (arthropods) across arguably the most important event after the origin of life (the Cambrian explosion of macroscopic life). It will also excavate, promote and conserve two key geological resources of national importance, in the Flinders Ranges and Kangaroo Island. Also, it will lead to increased knowledge of the palaeoecology and geology of the economically-important Adelaide geosyncline, and benefit rural SA communities through ecotourism, a rural schools education program, and public outreach.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.
The impact of reactive fluids on fault mechanics near the seismic-aseismic transition in the continental crust and subduction zones. This project explores how fluids influence the strength and behaviour of earthquake-producing faults. The results will contribute to understanding processes controlling nucleation and recurrence of earthquakes on large faults near tectonic plate boundaries.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE160100128
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$368,131.00
Summary
Tectonic drivers of extreme metamorphism in Eastern Indonesia. This project intends to investigate the tectonic drivers of (ultra-)high temperature metamorphism in eastern Indonesia. Subduction zones – where one of Earth's plates collapses beneath another – drive the formation of mountain belts and produce high pressure and high temperature metamorphic rocks. However, it is typically very difficult when investigating mature mountain belts to interpret how subduction was exactly involved. Eastern ....Tectonic drivers of extreme metamorphism in Eastern Indonesia. This project intends to investigate the tectonic drivers of (ultra-)high temperature metamorphism in eastern Indonesia. Subduction zones – where one of Earth's plates collapses beneath another – drive the formation of mountain belts and produce high pressure and high temperature metamorphic rocks. However, it is typically very difficult when investigating mature mountain belts to interpret how subduction was exactly involved. Eastern Indonesia is one of the few places where active subduction can be linked directly to recent mountain building. Better understanding of how complex subduction dynamics and how mountain belts form is intended to assist natural hazard assessment in earthquake-prone areas.Read moreRead less
Evolutionary dynamics in deep time: faunal turnover during the Ediacaran. This project aims to investigate the world’s oldest faunal succession in the fossil record by determining the presence and extent of a sedimentary gap and confirming the role of time in the control of fossil distribution. Significant breakthroughs and capacity building are expected in the areas of palaeontology, evolutionary biology and geology using a hitherto unrecognised hiatus in the rock succession. Project outcomes i ....Evolutionary dynamics in deep time: faunal turnover during the Ediacaran. This project aims to investigate the world’s oldest faunal succession in the fossil record by determining the presence and extent of a sedimentary gap and confirming the role of time in the control of fossil distribution. Significant breakthroughs and capacity building are expected in the areas of palaeontology, evolutionary biology and geology using a hitherto unrecognised hiatus in the rock succession. Project outcomes include enhanced understanding of the first animal communities on Earth – these should provide significant benefits, such as revealing Australia's unique record of oldest complex organisms, while bringing additional tourism to the region, and increasing the strength of the Flinders Ranges UNESCO World Heritage nomination.Read moreRead less