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Tectonothermal and mineralization history of banded iron formations of the north Pilbara Craton. Iron ore is Australia's largest single export commodity, accounting for 8% ($12.8 billion) of total merchandise exports in 2006. Most of that value comes from the Pilbara region of Australia. Discovery rates of new deposits have declined over the past two decades, while many mines are nearing the end of production. Exploration expenditure has also declined. There is therefore an urgent need to reinvi ....Tectonothermal and mineralization history of banded iron formations of the north Pilbara Craton. Iron ore is Australia's largest single export commodity, accounting for 8% ($12.8 billion) of total merchandise exports in 2006. Most of that value comes from the Pilbara region of Australia. Discovery rates of new deposits have declined over the past two decades, while many mines are nearing the end of production. Exploration expenditure has also declined. There is therefore an urgent need to reinvigorate exploration to maintain an industry that underpins much of Australia's regional wealth. Outcomes of the project will provide exploration with improved geological tools with which to develop superior exploration models and thereby better direct exploration strategies.Read moreRead less
Low-grade metamorphic phosphate geochronology: High-precision dating of ancient crustal fluid flow, hydrothermal mineralisation and the "Great Oxidation Event". Reliable dating techniques are required to obtain precise ages for ancient crustal fluid flow. Current techniques suffer from inheritance and isotopic resetting, problems that are particularly pronounced in early Precambrian rocks. This project will employ new analytical techniques to date phosphate minerals recently identified as potent ....Low-grade metamorphic phosphate geochronology: High-precision dating of ancient crustal fluid flow, hydrothermal mineralisation and the "Great Oxidation Event". Reliable dating techniques are required to obtain precise ages for ancient crustal fluid flow. Current techniques suffer from inheritance and isotopic resetting, problems that are particularly pronounced in early Precambrian rocks. This project will employ new analytical techniques to date phosphate minerals recently identified as potentially important new chronometers of ancient fluid flow, providing the first precise tectonothermal history of the Archaean Pilbara Craton. The project will also establish the age of giant iron-ore deposits across the Hamersley Province, test the various models for iron-ore formation, and provide a minimum age for the oxidation of the Earth's surface. Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0989649
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$800,000.00
Summary
The Nanoscale Characterisation Centre WA Electron Microprobe Facility. A new-generation electron microprobe will support many fields of scientific endeavour that underpin Australia's future prosperity. The ability to map element distributions in minerals and derive quantitative analyses is essential for research into the formation of ore deposits, how to find them and how to develop them in a sustainable manner. Nanotechnology and materials science hold the keys to future developments in communi ....The Nanoscale Characterisation Centre WA Electron Microprobe Facility. A new-generation electron microprobe will support many fields of scientific endeavour that underpin Australia's future prosperity. The ability to map element distributions in minerals and derive quantitative analyses is essential for research into the formation of ore deposits, how to find them and how to develop them in a sustainable manner. Nanotechnology and materials science hold the keys to future developments in communications, computing, catalysis, medicine, environmental remediation and more. By increasing the performance of the unique WA ion probe suite, the electron microprobe will contribute to new basic science and to Australia's scientific reputation for this flagship instrumentation. Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0237490
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$715,000.00
Summary
X-ray mapping and trace element electron probe microanalysis. The new advances offered by the acquisition of a state-of-the-art electron microprobe will provide multiple high-precision chemical and mineralogical data sets that will represent a breakthrough in our capacity to recognise scientifically important compositional micro-scale variations in geological, archaeological, biological and manufacured (metallurgical) materials.
Developing a new tectonothermal and mineralization history for the Capricorn Orogen, Western Australia: Assisting mineral exploration in greenfields terrains. Successful exploration models rely on the development of a reliable geological framework through which to understand the specific processes responsible for the formation of economic ore deposits. A framework cannot be constructed without robust age data. This Project will apply advanced geochronology, combined with regional- and deposit-sc ....Developing a new tectonothermal and mineralization history for the Capricorn Orogen, Western Australia: Assisting mineral exploration in greenfields terrains. Successful exploration models rely on the development of a reliable geological framework through which to understand the specific processes responsible for the formation of economic ore deposits. A framework cannot be constructed without robust age data. This Project will apply advanced geochronology, combined with regional- and deposit-scale field mapping, to formulate a new and improved stratigraphic and tectonic framework for a prospective greenfields region in Western Australia. Outcomes from this Project will lead to more effective exploration models and thereby better exploration targeting. Reducing uncertainty and risk in exploration is key to the discovery and development of deep Earth resources. Read moreRead less
Neoproterozoic global geodynamic and climatic events: were they linked? This project will study a unique cluster of global geodynamic and climatic events 850-700 million years ago that will help us to understand the interactions between the Earth's deep mantle, its crust, and its atmospheric climate. Academic values aside, the work will bring direct benefit to the Australian industry. Knowledge on the distribution of the Neoproterozoic plume events will provide new exploration targets for Ni-Cu- ....Neoproterozoic global geodynamic and climatic events: were they linked? This project will study a unique cluster of global geodynamic and climatic events 850-700 million years ago that will help us to understand the interactions between the Earth's deep mantle, its crust, and its atmospheric climate. Academic values aside, the work will bring direct benefit to the Australian industry. Knowledge on the distribution of the Neoproterozoic plume events will provide new exploration targets for Ni-Cu-PGE and V-Ti deposits. Better constrained palaeogeography will help to locate mineral-rich crustal provinces that were once connected. Understanding climatic consequences of global geodynamic events will help to better understand and respond to climate changes. 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
Understanding the Sibao Orogenic Belt in South China: A Part of the Rodinian Supercontinent Assembly Adjacent to Australia. The Sibao Orogenic Belt (SOB) in South China is regarded as one of the worldwide 1300-1000 Ma mountain belts that record the assembly of the supercontinent Rodinia. However, recent work suggests that some of these mountain belts, including the SOB, were probably active until 900 Ma, thus questioning parts of the early Rodinia reconstructions. In this study we aim to deter ....Understanding the Sibao Orogenic Belt in South China: A Part of the Rodinian Supercontinent Assembly Adjacent to Australia. The Sibao Orogenic Belt (SOB) in South China is regarded as one of the worldwide 1300-1000 Ma mountain belts that record the assembly of the supercontinent Rodinia. However, recent work suggests that some of these mountain belts, including the SOB, were probably active until 900 Ma, thus questioning parts of the early Rodinia reconstructions. In this study we aim to determine the ages, and geochemical and structural characteristics of key tectonic units in the SOB. This will lead to a better understanding of the assembly process of Rodinia, and events occurring in continental blocks adjacent to Australia at that time.Read moreRead less
A Multi-Isotope, Multi-Mineral Approach to Chronology of Deformation, Metamorphism and Gold Mineralisation in the Eastern Goldfields Province, Western Australia. Following recent research, an excellent framework is emerging for the evolution of the Eastern Goldfields Province. However, the weak link remaining is the precise timing of post-depositional geological events. The majority of available ages are equivocal because only single ?non-robust? isotope systems were used. This project will be t ....A Multi-Isotope, Multi-Mineral Approach to Chronology of Deformation, Metamorphism and Gold Mineralisation in the Eastern Goldfields Province, Western Australia. Following recent research, an excellent framework is emerging for the evolution of the Eastern Goldfields Province. However, the weak link remaining is the precise timing of post-depositional geological events. The majority of available ages are equivocal because only single ?non-robust? isotope systems were used. This project will be the first to take a multi-isotope and multi-mineral approach to constrain the temporal framework for the geological history of the Province. It will also provide an unequivocal guide to the robustness of the various isotopic methods and enable a careful reassessment of existing data and identification of appropriate methodology for future research.Read moreRead less
Geodynamic evolution of the Banda Arc. The project will contribute to a better understanding of plate tectonic processes and will provide insights into the dynamics of the Indo-Australian plate. This information is fundamentally important for estimating seismic hazards and the potential for generating large magnitude earthquakes in Australia. Outcomes of this project will facilitate to unravel analogue tectonic systems that were active during the geological evolution of Australia (e.g. the Lachl ....Geodynamic evolution of the Banda Arc. The project will contribute to a better understanding of plate tectonic processes and will provide insights into the dynamics of the Indo-Australian plate. This information is fundamentally important for estimating seismic hazards and the potential for generating large magnitude earthquakes in Australia. Outcomes of this project will facilitate to unravel analogue tectonic systems that were active during the geological evolution of Australia (e.g. the Lachlan fold belt in eastern Australia), thus providing a new insight into the Australian environment. The project will also elucidate the nature of tectonic processes that are known to generate major ore deposits and is therefore likely to have important economic implications.Read moreRead less