A mineral systems analysis of Australia's largest gold producing deposit: Sunrise Dam Gold Mine, Western Australia. This project will augment existing mineral resources at Australia's largest current gold producing mine, and guide exploration for additional resources in the surrounding district. By understanding the genesis of this exceptional deposit, the study will spawn a new set of targeting criteria that can be used to explore for other world-class deposits in Western Australia and similar ....A mineral systems analysis of Australia's largest gold producing deposit: Sunrise Dam Gold Mine, Western Australia. This project will augment existing mineral resources at Australia's largest current gold producing mine, and guide exploration for additional resources in the surrounding district. By understanding the genesis of this exceptional deposit, the study will spawn a new set of targeting criteria that can be used to explore for other world-class deposits in Western Australia and similar geological terranes throughout the world. In the context of high and rising gold prices, the project has the potential to generate billion dollar revenues and substantial employment, and it will deliver advanced training at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Read moreRead less
Deformational controls on the dynamics of fluid flow, hydrothermal alteration and gold mineralisation, Argo Gold deposit, WA. Detailed structural analysis, combined with major and trace element geochemistry and stable isotope geochemistry, will be used to explore the 3D evolution of fluid pathways and their relationship to growth of shear zones, vein networks and alteration patterns in the Argo shear-hosted gold deposit. The research will be used to (1) maximise the efficiency of resource defini ....Deformational controls on the dynamics of fluid flow, hydrothermal alteration and gold mineralisation, Argo Gold deposit, WA. Detailed structural analysis, combined with major and trace element geochemistry and stable isotope geochemistry, will be used to explore the 3D evolution of fluid pathways and their relationship to growth of shear zones, vein networks and alteration patterns in the Argo shear-hosted gold deposit. The research will be used to (1) maximise the efficiency of resource definition and extraction, (2) refine resource exploration models, (3) explore the dynamics of gold mineralisation processes in shear zones, and (4) advance understanding of how coupling between deformation, fluid flow, and fluid-rock reaction influence the mechanical behaviour of the Earth's crust.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
Exploration potential and implications for stress transfer modelling in fault-related mineral deposits. Following our success in the application of stress transfer modelling (STM) techniques to understand the clustered distribution of upper crustal, Archean gold deposits within crustal scale fault systems, this project seeks to test and develop the application of STM in (1) gold systems formed below the crustal seismogenic regime, (2) for deposit-scale targeting, and (3) in a range of fault-re ....Exploration potential and implications for stress transfer modelling in fault-related mineral deposits. Following our success in the application of stress transfer modelling (STM) techniques to understand the clustered distribution of upper crustal, Archean gold deposits within crustal scale fault systems, this project seeks to test and develop the application of STM in (1) gold systems formed below the crustal seismogenic regime, (2) for deposit-scale targeting, and (3) in a range of fault-related mineral deposits other than Archaean gold systems. The project will also develop methods to evaluate the combined roles of co-seismic stress transfer and post-seismic fluid redistribution in influencing deposit distribution. The approach provides a new conceptual framework in which to develop exploration strategies for deep earth resources.Read moreRead less
The Golden Gift gold mineralisation, Stawell, Victoria. The structure and the nature of the fluid flow that produced the mineralisation in the newly discovered Golden Gift orebody at Stawell, Victoria, will be investigated. This project will provide reasons for the distribution of the gold lodes, the distribution of major quartz vein arrays and associated fractures. Using both the existing and new geologic data and numerical models it should be possible to establish the primary setting for the S ....The Golden Gift gold mineralisation, Stawell, Victoria. The structure and the nature of the fluid flow that produced the mineralisation in the newly discovered Golden Gift orebody at Stawell, Victoria, will be investigated. This project will provide reasons for the distribution of the gold lodes, the distribution of major quartz vein arrays and associated fractures. Using both the existing and new geologic data and numerical models it should be possible to establish the primary setting for the Stawell goldfield. The models will be applicable not only to the Golden Gift orebody but will provide insights into the importance of these processes in controlling the localisation of gold mineralisation in other terranes.Read moreRead less
Development and Application of Stress Transfer Modelling for Area Selection in Mesothermal Gold Systems. Many mesothermal gold systems are hosted by low displacement faults and shear zones which develop adjacent to high displacement, crustal-scale faults and shear zones. By analogy with modern, seismogenic fault systems, the gold-hosting structures are interpreted as aftershock arrays whose formation is related to stress redistribution and fluid flow after major slip events on high displacement ....Development and Application of Stress Transfer Modelling for Area Selection in Mesothermal Gold Systems. Many mesothermal gold systems are hosted by low displacement faults and shear zones which develop adjacent to high displacement, crustal-scale faults and shear zones. By analogy with modern, seismogenic fault systems, the gold-hosting structures are interpreted as aftershock arrays whose formation is related to stress redistribution and fluid flow after major slip events on high displacement faults. This project will test and develop Coulomb stress transfer modelling techniques, currently used for aftershock risk assessment, for predicting the distribution of low displacment, gold-hosting structures around crustal-scale shear systems. The technique is expected to provide a powerful tool to assist area selection in fault-related epigenetic ore systems.Read moreRead less
Where to find giant porphyry and epithermal gold and copper deposits. This project will determine when and where giant gold or copper deposits should form, consolidating links with Indonesia, and using South East Asia as a vast natural laboratory in which to examine the effect of large-scale tectonic processes. The project will produce a four-dimensional virtual exploration toolkit to show how to apply the methods.
Time- and Temperature-Dependence of the Fluid Transport Properties, Strength and Mechanical Behaviour of Crustal Faults - An Experimental and Modelling Study. High temperature rock deformation experiments will be performed in conjunction with high resolution, computer-aided x-ray microtomography to determine time-dependent and temperature-dependent effects on fluid transport properties, strength and mechanical behaviour during slip and interseismic healing of simulated fault rocks in hydrotherma ....Time- and Temperature-Dependence of the Fluid Transport Properties, Strength and Mechanical Behaviour of Crustal Faults - An Experimental and Modelling Study. High temperature rock deformation experiments will be performed in conjunction with high resolution, computer-aided x-ray microtomography to determine time-dependent and temperature-dependent effects on fluid transport properties, strength and mechanical behaviour during slip and interseismic healing of simulated fault rocks in hydrothermal environments. The results will be used with cellular automaton modelling approaches to develop a quantitative understanding of how coupling between fluid flow and rock deformation controls earthquake rupture and fluid migration in fault networks in the continental seismogenic regime. This work will provide new understanding of triggers for earthquake nucleation and controls on localisation of ore deposits.Read moreRead less
Driving Mechanisms of Mountain Building in Accretionary Orogens. Accretionary mountain belts constitute major portions of the Earth's continental crust including the Yilgarn in Western Australia and the area east of Broken Hill constituting a third of the Australian land mass. Understanding the origin of the Permo-Triassic (300-230 Ma) mountain range that lay along the margin of Gondwana from Eastern Australia to South America will provide a new insight into our environment and stimulate interna ....Driving Mechanisms of Mountain Building in Accretionary Orogens. Accretionary mountain belts constitute major portions of the Earth's continental crust including the Yilgarn in Western Australia and the area east of Broken Hill constituting a third of the Australian land mass. Understanding the origin of the Permo-Triassic (300-230 Ma) mountain range that lay along the margin of Gondwana from Eastern Australia to South America will provide a new insight into our environment and stimulate international interest through collaboration amongst researchers around the world. Accretionary orogens are of economic importance as they host the Earth's major orogenic gold deposits and our work has potential to provide a new framework for linking mineralization and deformation events within these important settings.Read moreRead less
Geological controls on high-grade oreshoots in the Wallaby gold deposit, Western Australia: Understanding the role of magmatic fluids in an Orogenic Au system. This project aims to understand the geological controls on high-grade (>2 g/t Au) oreshoots at the world-class Wallaby gold deposit (>7 Moz Au). In particular, the role of magmatic fluids in the transport and deposition of gold will be investigated. The Wallaby gold deposit is an ideal natural laboratory to investigate the complex relatio ....Geological controls on high-grade oreshoots in the Wallaby gold deposit, Western Australia: Understanding the role of magmatic fluids in an Orogenic Au system. This project aims to understand the geological controls on high-grade (>2 g/t Au) oreshoots at the world-class Wallaby gold deposit (>7 Moz Au). In particular, the role of magmatic fluids in the transport and deposition of gold will be investigated. The Wallaby gold deposit is an ideal natural laboratory to investigate the complex relationship between the geometry and timing of faults, influx of multiple hydrothermal fluid events and the deposition of gold. In particular, the study will investigate the relative importance of intrusion-related, and fault zone-related events in the formation of high-grade ore shoots. The outcomes of this study will include a clear understanding about the timing and relative contribution of magmatic and fault zone related events and their significance to the formation and geometry of high-grade oreshoots.Read moreRead less