Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE100100127
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$300,000.00
Summary
High resolution liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (Orbitrap) for analyses of polar compounds in biomass, petroleum, potable and reclaimed water. Climate change and human impact can harm sensitive ecosystems, significantly threatening Australian biodiversity and water resources. Chemical and biological characterisation of aquatic and terrestrial environments is paramount to assessing and responding to these threats, as well as assisting natural resource utilisation. The high structural pola ....High resolution liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (Orbitrap) for analyses of polar compounds in biomass, petroleum, potable and reclaimed water. Climate change and human impact can harm sensitive ecosystems, significantly threatening Australian biodiversity and water resources. Chemical and biological characterisation of aquatic and terrestrial environments is paramount to assessing and responding to these threats, as well as assisting natural resource utilisation. The high structural polarity of many environmentally occurring organics from biological, petroleum and anthropogenic sources, unamenable to gas chromatographic resolution, can now be accommodated by the advanced organic analytical technology sought in this proposal. This project will enable scholars and young professionals to be skilled in state-of-the-art technology, and prepare quality scientists, ready for employment.Read moreRead less
Unraveling the nitrogen cycle in a periodically anoxic estuary. Climate change is likely to lead to reduced river inflows to estuaries which can lead to oxygen depletion and major changes in nutrient cycling. This project will help inform the public and policy makers about the role of environmental flows in maintaining estuarine function, and thus guide future decisions on environmental flow requirements in the Yarra River Estuary. The benefits of this understanding will also flow on to improv ....Unraveling the nitrogen cycle in a periodically anoxic estuary. Climate change is likely to lead to reduced river inflows to estuaries which can lead to oxygen depletion and major changes in nutrient cycling. This project will help inform the public and policy makers about the role of environmental flows in maintaining estuarine function, and thus guide future decisions on environmental flow requirements in the Yarra River Estuary. The benefits of this understanding will also flow on to improved understanding and management of nitrogen loads to Port Phillip Bay. This project will form a close collaborative partnership between Monash University, Melbourne Water and the EPA. This collaboration will ensure the integration of cutting edge science with innovative management regimes Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0882836
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$160,000.00
Summary
A novel isotope facility to characterise high-molecular-weight fractions of natural organic matter in soils, sediments, water, petroleum and coal. This facility will improve our ability to forecast environmental responses to future climate change, and help Australia manage current threats to its biodiversity. Furthermore, this research will increase the ability to identify crude oil sources, to the benefit of petroleum exploration in Australia. This facility will also contribute to an improved u ....A novel isotope facility to characterise high-molecular-weight fractions of natural organic matter in soils, sediments, water, petroleum and coal. This facility will improve our ability to forecast environmental responses to future climate change, and help Australia manage current threats to its biodiversity. Furthermore, this research will increase the ability to identify crude oil sources, to the benefit of petroleum exploration in Australia. This facility will also contribute to an improved understanding of controls on water quality and will help to protect our precious freshwater resources, already under intense pressure from climate change. Importantly, this project will enable students and young professionals to be trained in state-of-the-art technology, leading to quality scientists ready for employment in industry.
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In the Driver's seat: role of trace elements in enabling crustal fluid flow. This proposal aims to systematically investigate the role of trace elements in controlling the kinetics, product composition, and feed-back between fluid flow and the reaction interface, in fluid-driven mineral reactions. This project expects to provide a framework for the integration of activator trace elements in models of crustal fluid flow and their application in the recovery of base, precious, and critical metals, ....In the Driver's seat: role of trace elements in enabling crustal fluid flow. This proposal aims to systematically investigate the role of trace elements in controlling the kinetics, product composition, and feed-back between fluid flow and the reaction interface, in fluid-driven mineral reactions. This project expects to provide a framework for the integration of activator trace elements in models of crustal fluid flow and their application in the recovery of base, precious, and critical metals, using interdisciplinary approaches across geochemistry, mineral engineering and material sciences. Expected outcomes include improved prediction of the transport of metals and fluids in geo-systems. This should provide significant benefits towards integrating the mineral value chain from exploration to mining and metallurgy.Read moreRead less
Electron flow in iron hyper-enriched acidifying coastal environments: reaction paths and kinetics of iron-sulfur-carbon transformations. Iron hyper-enriched acidifying coastal lowlands have a direct social, economic and environmental impact on communities in many parts of Australia. This project will determine how iron transforms and accumulates. The new knowledge will be of immediate relevance for the remediation of coastal plains.
Unsaturated zone functioning in a semi-arid flash flood driven climate. Groundwater is the only perennial water source in arid and semiarid zones, which encompass 1/3 of the global landmass and 70 % of Australia. We still do not fully understand how the unsaturated zone contributes to groundwater recharge in semi-arid zone floodplains. We will study the dynamics of soil moisture, and its contribution to groundwater recharge respective to hydrological regimes and weather patterns. We will measure ....Unsaturated zone functioning in a semi-arid flash flood driven climate. Groundwater is the only perennial water source in arid and semiarid zones, which encompass 1/3 of the global landmass and 70 % of Australia. We still do not fully understand how the unsaturated zone contributes to groundwater recharge in semi-arid zone floodplains. We will study the dynamics of soil moisture, and its contribution to groundwater recharge respective to hydrological regimes and weather patterns. We will measure direct responses to flood events using loggers and compare them to indirect measurements inferred from hydrochemical and isotope tracer models to better understand recharge patterns, evaporative losses, and interactions between surface runoff, floodplains, and aquifers at different positions in the landscape.Read moreRead less
The Role of Water in Precambrian Ultramafic Magmatism: Insights from an In-Situ Microbeam and Nanobeam Assessment of Hydromagmatic Amphibole. Hydromagmatic amphibole in some Precambrian (>600 million years old) komatiites and other ultramafic rocks in Australia, Canada and Russia indicates >3% water in the parental magmas. This magmatic water could be crustal or mantle in origin. Constraints on the water source would profoundly impact concepts of Precambrian crustal evolution and water recycling ....The Role of Water in Precambrian Ultramafic Magmatism: Insights from an In-Situ Microbeam and Nanobeam Assessment of Hydromagmatic Amphibole. Hydromagmatic amphibole in some Precambrian (>600 million years old) komatiites and other ultramafic rocks in Australia, Canada and Russia indicates >3% water in the parental magmas. This magmatic water could be crustal or mantle in origin. Constraints on the water source would profoundly impact concepts of Precambrian crustal evolution and water recycling. The ultimate goal of this project is to provide constraints on the role of water in early Earth magmatism, through in situ microbeam and nanobeam analysis of the amphibole to produce an integrated trace element and isotopic dataset for geologically and chemically diverse types of Precambrian ultramafic rocks.Read moreRead less
Nature's mechanisms for leaching and remobilising metals. This project aims to understand the chemical and physical processes that govern reactive transport and metal scavenging in rocky environments. Much of Australia's mineral wealth is the result of the interaction of warm fluids with rocks deep in the Earth over geological timescales. The formation of ore deposits is governed by the physical chemistry of mineral dissolution and crystallisation, and by fluid flow through porous rocks and frac ....Nature's mechanisms for leaching and remobilising metals. This project aims to understand the chemical and physical processes that govern reactive transport and metal scavenging in rocky environments. Much of Australia's mineral wealth is the result of the interaction of warm fluids with rocks deep in the Earth over geological timescales. The formation of ore deposits is governed by the physical chemistry of mineral dissolution and crystallisation, and by fluid flow through porous rocks and fractures. This project integrates innovation in geology, chemistry, and mineral engineering, and will deliver mineral-scale reaction models that will increase efficiency of in-situ mining and leaching technologies. Knowledge generated can be applied to improve mineral exploration, mining, and processing, contributing to unlocking billions of dollars’ worth of resources tied up in low grade, mineralogically complex ores.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE180100185
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$464,531.00
Summary
Mass spectrometry for next generation isotope analysis of silicate minerals. This project aims to establish a facility for mass spectrometry and sample preparation to enhance Australian capacity to analyse the stable isotope composition of silicate minerals. The project seeks to implement innovations that will greatly enhance the use of stable isotopes in silicate minerals by increasing analytical throughput and reducing cost. This will provide better understanding of the trajectories of environ ....Mass spectrometry for next generation isotope analysis of silicate minerals. This project aims to establish a facility for mass spectrometry and sample preparation to enhance Australian capacity to analyse the stable isotope composition of silicate minerals. The project seeks to implement innovations that will greatly enhance the use of stable isotopes in silicate minerals by increasing analytical throughput and reducing cost. This will provide better understanding of the trajectories of environmental change, formation of mineral deposits and identifying trade networks in prehistoric societies.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0560868
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$552,475.00
Summary
SHRIMP SI - Microscale stable-isotope analysis in the Earth Sciences. Stable-isotope variations of elements such as oxygen, carbon, and sulphur, preserve the most profound records of environmental conditions during the geological, biological, and climatic evolution of Earth and planets. We will build a stable isotope ion microprobe (SHRIMP SI) to examine extraterrestrial and terrestrial systems in unprecedented detail. In terrestrial applications, the main issue is accuracy at the 0.01 percent ....SHRIMP SI - Microscale stable-isotope analysis in the Earth Sciences. Stable-isotope variations of elements such as oxygen, carbon, and sulphur, preserve the most profound records of environmental conditions during the geological, biological, and climatic evolution of Earth and planets. We will build a stable isotope ion microprobe (SHRIMP SI) to examine extraterrestrial and terrestrial systems in unprecedented detail. In terrestrial applications, the main issue is accuracy at the 0.01 percent level for 20-micron spots, which we can apply to studies of development of life on Earth, climatic records, weathering, and formation of ore bodies. Sample return missions of solar wind and comets will provide unique samples related to the formation of our solar system.Read moreRead less