Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0346878
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$190,000.00
Summary
GeoWulf: An Inference Engine for Complex Earth Systems. The project is to build a `Beowulf' cluster as a platform for solving
complex data inference problems in the Earth sciences, and in
particular the fields of thermochronology, seismology, crustal and
mantle dynamics, and landform evolution. A Beowulf cluster is a
network-linked set of commonly available `off-the-shelf' PC-computers
configured to give unprecedented performance/cost ratio. Projects
using the Beowulf facility will combine ....GeoWulf: An Inference Engine for Complex Earth Systems. The project is to build a `Beowulf' cluster as a platform for solving
complex data inference problems in the Earth sciences, and in
particular the fields of thermochronology, seismology, crustal and
mantle dynamics, and landform evolution. A Beowulf cluster is a
network-linked set of commonly available `off-the-shelf' PC-computers
configured to give unprecedented performance/cost ratio. Projects
using the Beowulf facility will combine state-of-the-art computational
techniques recently developed at ANU, and high quality data sets
collected over the past decade to address fundamental questions in
the Geosciences.Read moreRead less
The eruption, emplacement and characteristics of extremely large volume pyroclastic flow deposits (ignimbrites). Pyroclastic flows are hot, turbulent, flows of volcanic gas, pumice, rock debris and fine ash often produced during major explosive volcanic eruptions. Most historic and researched events have been mostly small volume examples. In this research we propose to investigate the characteristics of 3 extremely large volume (>1,000 km3) pyroclastic flow deposits in the Andes of South America ....The eruption, emplacement and characteristics of extremely large volume pyroclastic flow deposits (ignimbrites). Pyroclastic flows are hot, turbulent, flows of volcanic gas, pumice, rock debris and fine ash often produced during major explosive volcanic eruptions. Most historic and researched events have been mostly small volume examples. In this research we propose to investigate the characteristics of 3 extremely large volume (>1,000 km3) pyroclastic flow deposits in the Andes of South America, to understand the eruption origins and the flow dynamics of such large volume and potentially far flowing (up to 200 km from the vent) pyroclastic flows. These are potentially more destructive than the Indian Ocean tsunami event, and eruptions of this magnitude could occur in Indonesia, PNG and New Zealand.Read moreRead less
Neotectonics of the Indo-Australian plate. This project will contribute fundamental insights into the dynamics of our planet, towards earthquake risk assessment and to evolution of Australia's distinctive landscapes. The benefit of this project can therefore be evaluated in light of its contribution to the social and economic repercussions of improved understanding of earthquake risk and our landscapes and our place in them.
Megafauna and mega-extinction: assessing palaeocommunity change using dental complexity and shape analyses. This research will address an important issue of national interest - the causes of the extinction of the Australian megafauna. By furthering research on the causes of this historic event, valuable insights will be gained into possible causes of current extinction events and the future impact of climate change. It will bring to Australia new technologies and methods developed overseas by an ....Megafauna and mega-extinction: assessing palaeocommunity change using dental complexity and shape analyses. This research will address an important issue of national interest - the causes of the extinction of the Australian megafauna. By furthering research on the causes of this historic event, valuable insights will be gained into possible causes of current extinction events and the future impact of climate change. It will bring to Australia new technologies and methods developed overseas by an Australian researcher, and put Australia at the forefront of several areas of research including 3D scanning and analysis. This project will form part of an international collaboration called the MorphoBrowser, an exciting advance in the study of biological diversity. This will help maintain Australia as a pre-eminent country for palaeontology research.Read moreRead less
Quantifying the Phanerozoic thermal evolution and long-term stability of cratonic lithosphere using integrated low temperature thermochronology. The Earth's most ancient crustal regions (i.e. cratons) are thought to have remained remarkably stable since their formation >2.5 billion years ago. This project will re-evaluate this paradigm by applying low temperature thermochronology by the fission track and (U-Th)/He methods to three key cratons, to detect and quantify previously unknown episodes o ....Quantifying the Phanerozoic thermal evolution and long-term stability of cratonic lithosphere using integrated low temperature thermochronology. The Earth's most ancient crustal regions (i.e. cratons) are thought to have remained remarkably stable since their formation >2.5 billion years ago. This project will re-evaluate this paradigm by applying low temperature thermochronology by the fission track and (U-Th)/He methods to three key cratons, to detect and quantify previously unknown episodes of significant cooling and denudation (i.e. low-level instability) which are invisible to other analytical techniques. The outcomes will open a new research avenue in these terrains, which host some of the world's most valuable mineral resources, underlie important petroleum basins and are potential long-term repositories for radioactive waste. Read moreRead less
Argon thermochronometers and the effects of recrystallization. Rocks exhumed from high temperatures in continental settings contain a record of cooling in potassium-bearing minerals, known as thermochronometers, due to the quantitative retention of radiogenic argon below some characteristic closure temperature. However, thermochronometers may be affected by recrystallization processes occurring below such temperatures, and in some cases argon data record the timing of crystallization rather tha ....Argon thermochronometers and the effects of recrystallization. Rocks exhumed from high temperatures in continental settings contain a record of cooling in potassium-bearing minerals, known as thermochronometers, due to the quantitative retention of radiogenic argon below some characteristic closure temperature. However, thermochronometers may be affected by recrystallization processes occurring below such temperatures, and in some cases argon data record the timing of crystallization rather than cooling. Field, microstructural and isotopic analysis will be used to evaluate the effects of recrystallization on the muscovite and potassium-feldspar thermochronometers, particularly in fault zones. Understanding the effects of recrystallization on thermochronometers is critical for studies of the assembly of the continental crust.Read moreRead less
From crystal to craton: unravelling the low-temperature thermal evolution and long-term stability of cratonic lithosphere. The project will expand Australia's knowledge base by increasing fundamental scientific knowledge about the evolution of cratons, the old nuclei of the continents. These areas are important for the resources they contain and their potential elsewhere as stable sites for long-term nuclear waste repositories. The project will also enhance our research capability by developin ....From crystal to craton: unravelling the low-temperature thermal evolution and long-term stability of cratonic lithosphere. The project will expand Australia's knowledge base by increasing fundamental scientific knowledge about the evolution of cratons, the old nuclei of the continents. These areas are important for the resources they contain and their potential elsewhere as stable sites for long-term nuclear waste repositories. The project will also enhance our research capability by developing new methods and help to build and sustain world leading research capability in Australia. In addition, the project will forge strong international links with researchers overseas. Whilst not focussed directly on the National Research Priorities the project will nonetheless provide important background information to 'deep-earth resources' and 'geoinformatics'.Read moreRead less
Integrated Chronologies and Dynamics of Continental Extension. Knowledge about how the Earth's crust is stretched and eventually broken apart to form new ocean basins is fundamental to understanding the evolution of the continents, their resources and the surface environment of our planet. This project combines new methods of analysing the temperature history of rocks to trace their progress towards the surface with direct measurements of the rate of surface erosion following extensional moveme ....Integrated Chronologies and Dynamics of Continental Extension. Knowledge about how the Earth's crust is stretched and eventually broken apart to form new ocean basins is fundamental to understanding the evolution of the continents, their resources and the surface environment of our planet. This project combines new methods of analysing the temperature history of rocks to trace their progress towards the surface with direct measurements of the rate of surface erosion following extensional movements. This integrated approach will be used to examine some of the best-characterised examples of continental extension in Arizona, Mexico and Africa to cast new light on the development of older extensional environments in Australia.Read moreRead less
Reconstructing the morphotectonic evolution of rifted continental margins from low-temperature thermochronology. Knowledge of how continental rifting occurs will improve our ability to predict the locations of important oil and gas resources on the margins of Australia and elsewhere, which is directly relevant to the National Research Priority goal of 'Developing Deep Earth Resources'. The project will enhance our national scientific standing by developing and maintaining key expertise and facil ....Reconstructing the morphotectonic evolution of rifted continental margins from low-temperature thermochronology. Knowledge of how continental rifting occurs will improve our ability to predict the locations of important oil and gas resources on the margins of Australia and elsewhere, which is directly relevant to the National Research Priority goal of 'Developing Deep Earth Resources'. The project will enhance our national scientific standing by developing and maintaining key expertise and facilities that can sustain a world-leading research capability in Australia. The project will also forge strong international links with researchers outside Australia, build our research profile in an area of significant worldwide scientific interest at the present time, and provide a training ground for a new generation of younger scientists in Australia.Read moreRead less