Impacts of climate change on coastal floodplain wetland biogeochemistry and surface water quality. The most vulnerable Australian landscapes to global warming driven sea-level rise are our low-lying coastal floodplains. Seawater inundation dramatically affects soil chemistry and water quality. Over 74,000 km2 of the low-lying coastal floodplains of Australia contain acid sulfate soils. For these soils, seawater inundation has the potential to greatly enhance the release of acidity, with a high c ....Impacts of climate change on coastal floodplain wetland biogeochemistry and surface water quality. The most vulnerable Australian landscapes to global warming driven sea-level rise are our low-lying coastal floodplains. Seawater inundation dramatically affects soil chemistry and water quality. Over 74,000 km2 of the low-lying coastal floodplains of Australia contain acid sulfate soils. For these soils, seawater inundation has the potential to greatly enhance the release of acidity, with a high capacity to severely degrade wetlands, estuaries and farmland. This project will directly contribute to our national capacity to assess and manage impacts from climate change, providing greater protection of our coastal floodplains resources.Read moreRead less
The Southern Ocean's role in determining atmospheric CO2 levels: new insights from novel biogenic silica records of seawater pH. About half the emissions from the burning of fossil fuel since the Industrial Revolution have been absorbed by the oceans. However, considerable uncertainty surrounds the consequences of and the extent to which the oceans will continue to sequester CO2 into the future. This research will improve existing limited knowledge of the key biological and related ocean process ....The Southern Ocean's role in determining atmospheric CO2 levels: new insights from novel biogenic silica records of seawater pH. About half the emissions from the burning of fossil fuel since the Industrial Revolution have been absorbed by the oceans. However, considerable uncertainty surrounds the consequences of and the extent to which the oceans will continue to sequester CO2 into the future. This research will improve existing limited knowledge of the key biological and related ocean processes that transfer CO2 between the surface and depth, and the poorly understood effects on marine ecosystems of increasing ocean acidity due to CO2 absorption. This knowledge will contribute to predicting the course of future climate change and gauging the impacts on marine life and production systems.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0989680
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$300,000.00
Summary
Interuniversity Elemental and Structural Analytical Facility. The items in this proposal will form the first stage of a larger facility for Elemental and Structural analytical programs in materials engineering and the natural sciences. The vision is to create an analytical facility which will have at its core and at the outset true collaboration leading to great national benefit. The equipment will be available via on-line access management allowing equitable and transparent access for users fro ....Interuniversity Elemental and Structural Analytical Facility. The items in this proposal will form the first stage of a larger facility for Elemental and Structural analytical programs in materials engineering and the natural sciences. The vision is to create an analytical facility which will have at its core and at the outset true collaboration leading to great national benefit. The equipment will be available via on-line access management allowing equitable and transparent access for users from multiple institutions. The resulting facility will complement existing microstructural capabilities and networks and will be open for all researchers and collaborators to use, further enhancing the national benefit.Read moreRead less
Trace element analysis of diamond: new applications to diamond fingerprinting and genesis. The project will provide new insights into the processes by which diamond crystallises in the Earth's mantle. A better understanding of these processes can lead to improved models and techniques for diamond exploration, enhancing the prospect of finding new deposits in Australia and abroad. The project will test the potential of trace-element microanalysis to fingerprint diamonds by source. If successful ....Trace element analysis of diamond: new applications to diamond fingerprinting and genesis. The project will provide new insights into the processes by which diamond crystallises in the Earth's mantle. A better understanding of these processes can lead to improved models and techniques for diamond exploration, enhancing the prospect of finding new deposits in Australia and abroad. The project will test the potential of trace-element microanalysis to fingerprint diamonds by source. If successful, this technology will provide economic benefits by reducing theft and illegal mining, which represent significant losses to legitimate companies. Application of this Australian development could reduce the circulation of "conflict diamonds", which would have real social benefits worldwide, especially in some developing countries.Read moreRead less
Toward the use of metal stable isotopes in geosciences. Metal stable isotopes (MSI: Mg, Fe, Cu, Zn, Ga) have enormous potential applications (basic and applied) in Geosciences and beyond. However the use of these elements as geochemical tracers and petrogenetic tools requires: (1) the definition of their isotopic composition in Earth key reservoirs and in reference materials such as the chondritic meteorites; (2) Understanding and quantification of the causes of MSI fractionations during geolog ....Toward the use of metal stable isotopes in geosciences. Metal stable isotopes (MSI: Mg, Fe, Cu, Zn, Ga) have enormous potential applications (basic and applied) in Geosciences and beyond. However the use of these elements as geochemical tracers and petrogenetic tools requires: (1) the definition of their isotopic composition in Earth key reservoirs and in reference materials such as the chondritic meteorites; (2) Understanding and quantification of the causes of MSI fractionations during geological processes. By a unique combination of in-situ and solution geochemical analytical techniques avaliable now through frontier technology and method development we aim to establish a conceptual and theoretical framework for the use of MSI in Geosciences.Read moreRead less
Diamond genesis: cracking the code for deep-Earth processes. The project will provide new insights into the processes by which diamond crystallises in the Earth's mantle, and will deliver information directly relevant to interpreting the diamond prospectivity of the Australian continent. The development of a new diamond mine in Australia, or by Australian companies abroad, would be a major addition to the economy and Australian-based industry. Another outcome of this research will be further de ....Diamond genesis: cracking the code for deep-Earth processes. The project will provide new insights into the processes by which diamond crystallises in the Earth's mantle, and will deliver information directly relevant to interpreting the diamond prospectivity of the Australian continent. The development of a new diamond mine in Australia, or by Australian companies abroad, would be a major addition to the economy and Australian-based industry. Another outcome of this research will be further development of methodologies for identification of sources of individual diamonds, relevant to the international Kimberley Process for reducing theft and illegal diamond trade. The project will be a highly visible Australian contribution to this global social and economic problem.Read moreRead less
Geochemical, physical and microbiological controls on zinc mobility and implications for bioremediation strategies in Western Tasmanian acid mine drainage. We propose to study heavy metal pollution (e.g., zinc, arsenic, iron, tin) and biogeochemical processes operating in acid mine drainage at the abandoned Mt Bischoff tin mine in Western Tasmania. The drainage waters at this site have pH values as low as 2, but contain an extensive and thriving natural biological community. We will evaluate w ....Geochemical, physical and microbiological controls on zinc mobility and implications for bioremediation strategies in Western Tasmanian acid mine drainage. We propose to study heavy metal pollution (e.g., zinc, arsenic, iron, tin) and biogeochemical processes operating in acid mine drainage at the abandoned Mt Bischoff tin mine in Western Tasmania. The drainage waters at this site have pH values as low as 2, but contain an extensive and thriving natural biological community. We will evaluate whether the natural biogeochemical processes operating at Mt Bischoff have the potential to remediate mine waters under the full gamut of climatic conditions, so as to evaluate whether the biota could be exported to other mine sites to help in ameliorating acid drainage problems.Read moreRead less
Early Evolution of the Solar System: A Planetary Perspective. A geochemical study of early solar system materials will be conducted to investigate physical conditions leading to assembly of the terrestrial planets, and the chronology of early geological events that shaped the Earth and Moon. Objects from the solar nebula and samples from the Earth, Moon, Mars, and differentiated asteroids will be studied. This research will contribute toward understanding the astrophysical environment of the inn ....Early Evolution of the Solar System: A Planetary Perspective. A geochemical study of early solar system materials will be conducted to investigate physical conditions leading to assembly of the terrestrial planets, and the chronology of early geological events that shaped the Earth and Moon. Objects from the solar nebula and samples from the Earth, Moon, Mars, and differentiated asteroids will be studied. This research will contribute toward understanding the astrophysical environment of the inner solar system, establish a high-resolution absolute timescale for early geological events, and Identify the population of solid bodies present during the initial stages of planetary development.Read moreRead less
Hyper-accumulations of monosulfidic sediments: Exploring a biogeochemical extreme to resolve fundamental sulfur biomineralisation pathways. The hyper-accumulation of monosulfidic sediments has a directsocial, economic and environmental impact on communities in many parts of Australia, including highly valued wetland systems such as the Ramsar wetlands of the lower Murray Darling Basin and internationally recognised Peel-Harvey Estuary of WA. Maintenance dredging of these materials alone costs th ....Hyper-accumulations of monosulfidic sediments: Exploring a biogeochemical extreme to resolve fundamental sulfur biomineralisation pathways. The hyper-accumulation of monosulfidic sediments has a directsocial, economic and environmental impact on communities in many parts of Australia, including highly valued wetland systems such as the Ramsar wetlands of the lower Murray Darling Basin and internationally recognised Peel-Harvey Estuary of WA. Maintenance dredging of these materials alone costs the nation millions of dollars annually. The hyper monosulfidic sediments are also linked to severe environmental impacts. This project will inform how these materials develop and accumulate. This new knowledge will be of immediate relevance for the management of eutrophic estuaries.Read moreRead less
The Impact of Trawling on Nitrogen Removal through Sediment Denitrification in Western Moreton Bay. Nutrient enrichment of coastal waters is a national problem requiring urgent action. Sediment denitrification is one of the few natural processes capable of counteracting the process of eutrophication. Although trawling is undertaken in coastal water bodies around Australia the impact on sediment denitrification and the nitrogen budgets of coastal systems has never been considered. Many hundred's ....The Impact of Trawling on Nitrogen Removal through Sediment Denitrification in Western Moreton Bay. Nutrient enrichment of coastal waters is a national problem requiring urgent action. Sediment denitrification is one of the few natural processes capable of counteracting the process of eutrophication. Although trawling is undertaken in coastal water bodies around Australia the impact on sediment denitrification and the nitrogen budgets of coastal systems has never been considered. Many hundred's of millions of dollars are likely to be spent over the next ten years on the management of nitrogen enrichment of Australia's coastal waters. This study will quantify the impact of trawling on sediment denitrification; information which is critical for the efficient allocation of management resources.Read moreRead less