Coastal permeable sediments as a novel source of greenhouse gases. Emissions of the greenhouse gases nitrous oxide and methane are increasing from unknown sources. High concentrations of these gases have been observed in coastal waters which bear the brunt of nutrient pollution (primarily nitrogen) from cities and agriculture. This project aims to investigate the sources of these gases within these environments and the processes that lead to their formation. This new knowledge is expected to ....Coastal permeable sediments as a novel source of greenhouse gases. Emissions of the greenhouse gases nitrous oxide and methane are increasing from unknown sources. High concentrations of these gases have been observed in coastal waters which bear the brunt of nutrient pollution (primarily nitrogen) from cities and agriculture. This project aims to investigate the sources of these gases within these environments and the processes that lead to their formation. This new knowledge is expected to develop new models which aim to enable us to better predict the emissions of greenhouse gases within coastal waters. Expected benefit of this will be strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.Read moreRead less
Glauconite: Archive Recording Timing and Triggers of Cambrian Radiation . This project aims to constrain the timing and speed of the Cambrian radiation of complex animals, and to test potential environmental triggers of this milestone bioevent. New laser mass spectrometry and mineral mapping technology will be integrated to precisely date glauconite – a silicate mineral commonly formed in Cambrian shallow marine animal habitats. This innovative and cost-effective approach will produce the first ....Glauconite: Archive Recording Timing and Triggers of Cambrian Radiation . This project aims to constrain the timing and speed of the Cambrian radiation of complex animals, and to test potential environmental triggers of this milestone bioevent. New laser mass spectrometry and mineral mapping technology will be integrated to precisely date glauconite – a silicate mineral commonly formed in Cambrian shallow marine animal habitats. This innovative and cost-effective approach will produce the first high-resolution timeline of early animal evolution, where the glauconite-based marine isotope record identifies the most likely environmental trigger for the Cambrian Radiation. Outcomes of this study include improved understanding of the drivers of animal evolution, and a new dating tool for basic and applied research.Read moreRead less
High resolution timeframe for hominin evolution in the Turkana Basin, Kenya. This project aims to establish a high-resolution timeframe for hominin evolution in the famed Omo-Turkana Basin, Kenya. The Basin hosts a vast array of hominin fossils that cover more than four million years of human evolution, and interbedded volcanic deposits within the Basin sediments has provided much of our current constraints on the timing of hominin evolution. However critical knowledge gaps remain. Using new ins ....High resolution timeframe for hominin evolution in the Turkana Basin, Kenya. This project aims to establish a high-resolution timeframe for hominin evolution in the famed Omo-Turkana Basin, Kenya. The Basin hosts a vast array of hominin fossils that cover more than four million years of human evolution, and interbedded volcanic deposits within the Basin sediments has provided much of our current constraints on the timing of hominin evolution. However critical knowledge gaps remain. Using new instrumentation and dating methods, this project will provide an ultra-precise chronological framework for the basin. This is critical for transforming our understanding of hominin evolution and migration, under changing climatic and environmental conditions.Read moreRead less
The application of clumped isotope thermometry to the terrestrial environment. Clumped-isotope geochemistry, a novel method for measuring the temperature of formation of carbonate minerals, will be applied to terrestrial materials (soil carbonates, lake deposits and speleothems) from Australia and New Zealand. The method relates the abundance or 'clumping' of rare isotopes (for example, carbon dioxide of mass 47 as carbon-13, oxygen-18, oxygen-16) extracted from carbonates to their formation tem ....The application of clumped isotope thermometry to the terrestrial environment. Clumped-isotope geochemistry, a novel method for measuring the temperature of formation of carbonate minerals, will be applied to terrestrial materials (soil carbonates, lake deposits and speleothems) from Australia and New Zealand. The method relates the abundance or 'clumping' of rare isotopes (for example, carbon dioxide of mass 47 as carbon-13, oxygen-18, oxygen-16) extracted from carbonates to their formation temperature and is independent of the oxygen-18:oxygen-16 value of the host water from which the mineral precipitated. The materials to be investigated span the Last Glacial-Interglacial Transition and will provide robust past temperature estimates and the delta-oxygen-18 values of waters, thereby permitting hydrological balances (for example, precipitation/evaporation) to be constructed. Read moreRead less
Mantle evolution and the origin of Earth's atmosphere. This project aims to investigate Earth’s early evolution and the origin of our atmosphere. Using state-of-the-art instrumentation the project will measure noble gas and tungsten isotopes in unique volcanic glasses that record the composition of the Earth’s mantle. These measurements are expected to clarify the relationship between the formation of Earth’s atmosphere, mantle and core, and to generate new knowledge about convective currents ....Mantle evolution and the origin of Earth's atmosphere. This project aims to investigate Earth’s early evolution and the origin of our atmosphere. Using state-of-the-art instrumentation the project will measure noble gas and tungsten isotopes in unique volcanic glasses that record the composition of the Earth’s mantle. These measurements are expected to clarify the relationship between the formation of Earth’s atmosphere, mantle and core, and to generate new knowledge about convective currents in the modern mantle. The project aims to train the next generation of Earth scientists and to provide new knowledge to assist in overcoming the challenges in mitigating climate change and sustaining a resource-based economy.Read moreRead less
The Australian expression of the Pliocene warm period, an analog for future greenhouse conditions. Records of the planet's response to past climate are important for predicting the future under conditions of global warming. This project will assemble one such record but, in contrast to much existing data, it emphasises the palaeoclimate of southern Australian through a time interval widely regarded as an analog for our climate in the year 2100.
Diamonds – Time Capsules of Ancient Mantle Volatiles and the Key to Dynamic Earth Evolution. This project aims to reconcile the radically different views on the structure of the Earth’s mantle, based on geochemical (mostly noble gas) and geophysical data. This objective will be addressed through innovative noble gas analyses of well-characterised diamond samples, including gem-stones used for previous dating studies. In combination with carbon isotopic results, this information will be used to c ....Diamonds – Time Capsules of Ancient Mantle Volatiles and the Key to Dynamic Earth Evolution. This project aims to reconcile the radically different views on the structure of the Earth’s mantle, based on geochemical (mostly noble gas) and geophysical data. This objective will be addressed through innovative noble gas analyses of well-characterised diamond samples, including gem-stones used for previous dating studies. In combination with carbon isotopic results, this information will be used to constrain the structure and temporal/spatial evolution of the Earth’s mantle. A related outcome will be an improved understanding of the mantle source regions of diamonds and diamond formation.Read moreRead less
The molecular record in extraordinarily preserved plants and insects. This project aims to unlock a hidden record of our planet’s past and the life it supported, using a novel approach with benefits for environment and industry. Fossilised soft tissues of plants and insects preserved in sedimentary concretions will be analysed, extending the traditional inorganic fossil framework of major evolutionary events. Understanding the biofilm entombment and preservation mechanisms responsible for this u ....The molecular record in extraordinarily preserved plants and insects. This project aims to unlock a hidden record of our planet’s past and the life it supported, using a novel approach with benefits for environment and industry. Fossilised soft tissues of plants and insects preserved in sedimentary concretions will be analysed, extending the traditional inorganic fossil framework of major evolutionary events. Understanding the biofilm entombment and preservation mechanisms responsible for this unique organic fossil archive will extend our knowledge of microbial functionality. Expected outcomes are a new way for interpreting our planet’s past, with improved understanding of extinction, disease, environmental change and consequent adaptation of plants and insects. Read moreRead less
Fleshing out the fossil record: using organically preserved soft tissues and bone to explore the evolution of unique vertebrate characters. This study integrates developmental, molecular and morphological data in both fossil and living species to provide insights into the evolutionary mechanisms which formed the musculo/skeletal system. Uncovering these evolutionary pathways has the potential to describe mechanisms common to all vertebrate and informs us about our own evolution.