Links Between Modern and Fossil Microbes and the Evolution of Life in Earth's Extreme Early Environments. The quest to understand early and modern life in extreme environments tackles some of the most profound questions of humankind. The novel application of spectroscopic techniques to investigate modern and fossil microbes presents an unprecedented opportunity to establish the link between primitive living and fossil organisms, thus enriching our understanding of the early evolution of life and ....Links Between Modern and Fossil Microbes and the Evolution of Life in Earth's Extreme Early Environments. The quest to understand early and modern life in extreme environments tackles some of the most profound questions of humankind. The novel application of spectroscopic techniques to investigate modern and fossil microbes presents an unprecedented opportunity to establish the link between primitive living and fossil organisms, thus enriching our understanding of the early evolution of life and its interactions with Earth's early environments. The project links fundamental processes that shaped the Earth and thus fits into the National Research Priority 1: An Environmentally Sustainable Australia. Read moreRead less
Integrated dynamic models of subduction initiation, slab evolution, arc - back-arc deformation and mantle convection. A major debate in plate tectonics concerns the driving mechanism for formation of extensional back-arc basins in the overriding plate along a convergent tectonic boundary, where a subducting plate is thrust into the mantle underneath an overriding plate. One hypothesis states that such extension results from sinking and rollback of the subducting plate. The physical validity of t ....Integrated dynamic models of subduction initiation, slab evolution, arc - back-arc deformation and mantle convection. A major debate in plate tectonics concerns the driving mechanism for formation of extensional back-arc basins in the overriding plate along a convergent tectonic boundary, where a subducting plate is thrust into the mantle underneath an overriding plate. One hypothesis states that such extension results from sinking and rollback of the subducting plate. The physical validity of this hypothesis will be tested using both laboratory and numerical modelling techniques. The modelling will investigate overriding plate - subducting plate - mantle interaction in three-dimensional space and quantify the role of key physical parameters on the subduction process.Read moreRead less
Biosphere, hydrocarbon and ore fluid interactions in the Early Precambrian. Ore deposits and petroleum are important for economic and social areas of Australia's growth. New discoveries are needed to maintain Australia's wealth as mines reach the end of operations and petroleum supplies decrease. This project will demonstrate how ore fluids and hydrocarbons interact in the geological environment. It should, therefore greatly expand the conceptual framework in which to explore for both mineral an ....Biosphere, hydrocarbon and ore fluid interactions in the Early Precambrian. Ore deposits and petroleum are important for economic and social areas of Australia's growth. New discoveries are needed to maintain Australia's wealth as mines reach the end of operations and petroleum supplies decrease. This project will demonstrate how ore fluids and hydrocarbons interact in the geological environment. It should, therefore greatly expand the conceptual framework in which to explore for both mineral and hydrocarbon resources, particularly in old, deep and hot basins, which are considered to be the last frontiers of exploration. Outcomes concerning the nature of early life will be of global interest.Read moreRead less