How responsive are continental interiors to the geodynamic evolution of plate margins? An Australian case study. The outcomes of this project will advance our understanding of the evolution and dynamics of the Australian plate by improving knowledge of the way plate driving forces shaped the continental interior. This will lead to a refinement of existing geological models describing the history of the Australian continent, and will provide a valuable backdrop for the current focus on the cont ....How responsive are continental interiors to the geodynamic evolution of plate margins? An Australian case study. The outcomes of this project will advance our understanding of the evolution and dynamics of the Australian plate by improving knowledge of the way plate driving forces shaped the continental interior. This will lead to a refinement of existing geological models describing the history of the Australian continent, and will provide a valuable backdrop for the current focus on the contemporary state of the Australian plate. The study will also provide a framework for petroleum exploration models in the central Australian basins, since they rely crucially on the thermal and structural datasets that will be produced in this project.Read moreRead less
Constraining the snowball earth: timing and duration of neoproterozoic glaciations using precise Re-Os geochronology. This project aims to investigate the onset and duration of major global glacial events during the period of Earth history when metazoan life first appeared. Understanding such processes will enable insights into both the rate and nature of evolutionary processes, and place constraints of ancient and modern climate models. This will be achieved by establishing a facility to obtain ....Constraining the snowball earth: timing and duration of neoproterozoic glaciations using precise Re-Os geochronology. This project aims to investigate the onset and duration of major global glacial events during the period of Earth history when metazoan life first appeared. Understanding such processes will enable insights into both the rate and nature of evolutionary processes, and place constraints of ancient and modern climate models. This will be achieved by establishing a facility to obtain precise Re-Os isotope age data from sediments at Adelaide University (only the second such in the world), and studying sedimentary rocks preserved in the Centralian Superbasin. A basis for global stratigraphic correlation will also result from the intended program of work.Read moreRead less
Thermal regimes, flexure and duration: establishing the framework for intracratonic orogeny in central Australia. Intracratonic orogeny is a confronting phenomena because it contradicts the plate tectonic paradigm, which highlights the apparently rigidity of the lithospheric plates. Central Australia contains an exceptional record of intracratonic orogeny, expressed by the formation of the Petermann and Alice Springs orogens. This project will quantify the duration, and thermal conditions assoc ....Thermal regimes, flexure and duration: establishing the framework for intracratonic orogeny in central Australia. Intracratonic orogeny is a confronting phenomena because it contradicts the plate tectonic paradigm, which highlights the apparently rigidity of the lithospheric plates. Central Australia contains an exceptional record of intracratonic orogeny, expressed by the formation of the Petermann and Alice Springs orogens. This project will quantify the duration, and thermal conditions associated with the comparatively poorly known Petermann Orogen. Given the importance of intracratonic deformation in shaping the lithospheric architecture of central Australia, understanding the history of the Petermann Orogeny is essential to developing models that describe the evolution of the Australian continent, and continental interiors in general.Read moreRead less
Tectonic links between the Musgrave Province and the North Australian Craton: correlations, event chronology, and tectonothermal regimes. Developing effective mineral exploration strategies relies on data-rich tectonic models that seek to explain the full history of a terrain. In the Australian context the tectonic evolution of the Musgrave Province is a key focus of the minerals industry due to its widely recognised potential for base-metal mineralisation. This project will develop tectonic mod ....Tectonic links between the Musgrave Province and the North Australian Craton: correlations, event chronology, and tectonothermal regimes. Developing effective mineral exploration strategies relies on data-rich tectonic models that seek to explain the full history of a terrain. In the Australian context the tectonic evolution of the Musgrave Province is a key focus of the minerals industry due to its widely recognised potential for base-metal mineralisation. This project will develop tectonic models that encompass the evolution of the Musgrave Province and the adjacent North Australia Craton. The outcomes of the project will reduce risk to mineral explorers and make an important contribution to the broader question Australia's Proterozoic evolution.Read moreRead less