Aiding the Search for Diamonds in South Australia: Source and origin of Mesozoic kimberlite dyke swarms and their mantle samples. Because of significant, yet tantalising, alluvial diamond discoveries in the Adelaide Hills and Flinders Ranges over more than 100 years, South Australia can be viewed to have considerable potential as a diamond producer. Yet this potential is unresolved because little is known about the occurrence and diamond content of the kimberlite source rocks that have carried t ....Aiding the Search for Diamonds in South Australia: Source and origin of Mesozoic kimberlite dyke swarms and their mantle samples. Because of significant, yet tantalising, alluvial diamond discoveries in the Adelaide Hills and Flinders Ranges over more than 100 years, South Australia can be viewed to have considerable potential as a diamond producer. Yet this potential is unresolved because little is known about the occurrence and diamond content of the kimberlite source rocks that have carried the diamonds to the near surface and shed them into the weathering environment. This collaborative research project will use new uncommonly available samples provided by commercial diamond exploration to determine the structure , geochemistry and history of the mantle that underlies the Flinders Ranges and Adelaide Hills at depths between 40 and 250km.Read moreRead less
The Genesis and Tectonic Setting of Iron Oxide Associated Mineralisation in Germany and South Australia. FeOx associated mineralisations are not restricted to Olympic Dam and Ernest Henry types but occur in various geological settings, e.g. the Mt Painter and Olary region, S A. Ocurrences in Central Europe (Erzgebirge, Harz/Calvörde) contain U and other metals, their structural setting is well recorded. Together with the Bergakademie Freiberg, Germany, and the University of Nancy, France, these ....The Genesis and Tectonic Setting of Iron Oxide Associated Mineralisation in Germany and South Australia. FeOx associated mineralisations are not restricted to Olympic Dam and Ernest Henry types but occur in various geological settings, e.g. the Mt Painter and Olary region, S A. Ocurrences in Central Europe (Erzgebirge, Harz/Calvörde) contain U and other metals, their structural setting is well recorded. Together with the Bergakademie Freiberg, Germany, and the University of Nancy, France, these mineralisations shall be investigated with modern geological and geochemical methods to develop a unifying model for the genesis of iron oxide associated U-metal-REE deposits. This will help identifying exploration targets and distinguish different types of mineralisation upon their genetic setting.Read moreRead less
Mobility of metals in hydrothermal solutions: critical experiments and numerical modelling tools to improve exploration success and ore processing. After more than 100 years of intense prospecting, ore deposits with a surface expression or a characteristic geophysical signature have been discovered. As a result, the industry needs innovative and quantitative exploration techniques. Geochemical exploration suffers from a growing gap between ever more powerful geochemical analytical capabilities a ....Mobility of metals in hydrothermal solutions: critical experiments and numerical modelling tools to improve exploration success and ore processing. After more than 100 years of intense prospecting, ore deposits with a surface expression or a characteristic geophysical signature have been discovered. As a result, the industry needs innovative and quantitative exploration techniques. Geochemical exploration suffers from a growing gap between ever more powerful geochemical analytical capabilities and the poor understanding of fundamental processes in hydrothermal systems. By combining new experiments on important geochemical systems (association between the trace elements Te and As with Au) with advances in numerical modelling of H2O-CO2-NaCl fluids, the project aims to bring geochemical exploration in line with geophysical exploration.Read moreRead less
Cyclostome bryozoans: Their use as paleoceanographic, paleoclimatologic and paleoenvironmental proxies throughout the cenozoic of southern Australia. The unravelling of ocean evolution relies largely on data from fossils - geochemical proxies of ancient oceans. Southern Australia contains an inrivalled 45 million-year old record of cool-water carbonate sedimentation and thus global paleoceanography. Currently, the only proxies available in these extensive sediments are brachiopods and planktic f ....Cyclostome bryozoans: Their use as paleoceanographic, paleoclimatologic and paleoenvironmental proxies throughout the cenozoic of southern Australia. The unravelling of ocean evolution relies largely on data from fossils - geochemical proxies of ancient oceans. Southern Australia contains an inrivalled 45 million-year old record of cool-water carbonate sedimentation and thus global paleoceanography. Currently, the only proxies available in these extensive sediments are brachiopods and planktic foraminfers. However, these sediments contain prolific low-magnesium calcite bryozoans, particularly cyclostomes, that could be used instead. This research will assess such bryozoans and test their usefulness and reliability, utilising existing extensive modern marine and Tertiary samples, data bases and sections. Such potential proxies would be globally useful for limestones from the last 500My.Read moreRead less
Minerals replacement reactions: understanding mineral formation under hydrothermal conditions. Many geological processes involve the transformation of one mineral into another. By understanding molecular-level reaction mechanisms, we can predict how fast reactions progress, and what the final product will look like. This project focuses on a reaction mechanism called 'coupled dissolution-reprecipitation', in which the parent mineral is dissolved into a thin layer of fluid at the reaction front, ....Minerals replacement reactions: understanding mineral formation under hydrothermal conditions. Many geological processes involve the transformation of one mineral into another. By understanding molecular-level reaction mechanisms, we can predict how fast reactions progress, and what the final product will look like. This project focuses on a reaction mechanism called 'coupled dissolution-reprecipitation', in which the parent mineral is dissolved into a thin layer of fluid at the reaction front, and the daughter mineral subsequently precipitates. This concept will be applied to sulfide minerals for the first time. The results have many applications for the Australian mining industry, in particular in improving the efficiency of the processing of Ni- and Au-ores.Read moreRead less
Experimental studies on hydrothermal reaction processes at the molecular level: the role of mineral replacement reactions in ore formation. Most of the World's supply of metals such as copper (Cu), gold (Au), molybdenum (Mo), lead (Pb), zinc (Zn) or uranium (U) comes from hydrothermal ore deposits. The metals were deposited deep below the Earth's surface when hot fluids, carrying minute quantities of the metals, reacted with suitable rocks to form ore minerals. By understanding molecular-level ....Experimental studies on hydrothermal reaction processes at the molecular level: the role of mineral replacement reactions in ore formation. Most of the World's supply of metals such as copper (Cu), gold (Au), molybdenum (Mo), lead (Pb), zinc (Zn) or uranium (U) comes from hydrothermal ore deposits. The metals were deposited deep below the Earth's surface when hot fluids, carrying minute quantities of the metals, reacted with suitable rocks to form ore minerals. By understanding molecular-level reaction mechanisms at high pressure and temperature, we can predict the nature of the ore minerals formed for a given set of physical and chemical conditions. This multidisciplinary research project is devoted to understanding these chemical and physical processes and how this knowledge can be applied to improve mineral exploration, mining, and ore processing.Read moreRead less
Nickel iron sulphide mineralogy: the link between mineral transformations and microstructure and magnetic properties. This project is about measuring the rate at which minerals transform or react and how metal diffusion controls these reactions. Metal diffusion in sulphides is much more rapid that in silicates and is still very significant at low temperatures (< 300 C). In this project, we are trying to measure the rate at which the principal ore of nickel, pentlandite, transforms to violarite ....Nickel iron sulphide mineralogy: the link between mineral transformations and microstructure and magnetic properties. This project is about measuring the rate at which minerals transform or react and how metal diffusion controls these reactions. Metal diffusion in sulphides is much more rapid that in silicates and is still very significant at low temperatures (< 300 C). In this project, we are trying to measure the rate at which the principal ore of nickel, pentlandite, transforms to violarite, another important nickel rich sulphide that forms from it in the upper parts of ore bodies. The arrangement of the metal atoms in these minerals is sensitive to temperature, so it may be used as a geothermometer.Read moreRead less
Enabling three dimensional stochastic geological modelling. This project aims to develop technologies to mitigate three dimensional (3D) geological risk in resources management. This project expects to create new knowledge and methods in the field of 3D geological modelling through the innovative application of mathematical methods, structural geology concepts and probabilistic programming. The expected outcomes are an enhanced capability to model the subsurface, characterise model uncertainty a ....Enabling three dimensional stochastic geological modelling. This project aims to develop technologies to mitigate three dimensional (3D) geological risk in resources management. This project expects to create new knowledge and methods in the field of 3D geological modelling through the innovative application of mathematical methods, structural geology concepts and probabilistic programming. The expected outcomes are an enhanced capability to model the subsurface, characterise model uncertainty and test multiple geological scenarios. This enhanced capability is important for the future of Australia's subsurface management, including urban geology and our continuously growing sustainable resources industry.Read moreRead less
Three-dimensional Bayesian Modelling of Geological and Geophysical data. The project aims to develop technologies enabling rapid informed decision-making related to the management of natural resources, including critical metals, copper and water. This new technology will support a greener future, securing our energy future, our access to clean water and reduce the mining footprint. Expected outcomes include an enhanced capability in interoperable, integrated three-dimensional geological and geop ....Three-dimensional Bayesian Modelling of Geological and Geophysical data. The project aims to develop technologies enabling rapid informed decision-making related to the management of natural resources, including critical metals, copper and water. This new technology will support a greener future, securing our energy future, our access to clean water and reduce the mining footprint. Expected outcomes include an enhanced capability in interoperable, integrated three-dimensional geological and geophysical modelling in order to predictively characterise sub-surface geology. The outcome will be an open-source forecasting dashboard enabling decision making while considering underlying risk related to resource extractions and management with significant benefits to the Australian society (lower emissions, clean water).Read moreRead less
Critical metals from complex copper ores. The aims of this project address the critical mineral resource potential of complex copper ores. The research will generate new knowledge on the concentration, distribution, physical form and chemical speciation of critical minerals, including tellurium, cobalt and rare earth elements, in ores and processing streams using innovative approaches and utilising state-of-the-art analytical techniques. Expected outcomes include integrated models for critical e ....Critical metals from complex copper ores. The aims of this project address the critical mineral resource potential of complex copper ores. The research will generate new knowledge on the concentration, distribution, physical form and chemical speciation of critical minerals, including tellurium, cobalt and rare earth elements, in ores and processing streams using innovative approaches and utilising state-of-the-art analytical techniques. Expected outcomes include integrated models for critical element endowments in Australia's largest copper resource, Olympic Dam (S.A.). Future recovery of these elements would add significant value to existing operations, providing long-term economic and commercial benefits and would also contribute to Australia's transition to a low-carbon future.Read moreRead less