Resolving the influence of intraplate orogenesis on continental margin tectonics. Novel, multi-dating of continental sedimentary rocks will be undertaken to examine the effects of a high sediment flux from an enigmatic, major mountain-building event on a distant continental margin. This will expand our understanding of the range of tectonic influences between continental interiors and margins and onshore resource potential.
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE110100047
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$420,000.00
Summary
Events through time: eruptions, extinctions, impacts, ore-bodies and orogenies - upgrading the national argon geochronology network. Nine universities and the CSIRO will replace aged and obsolete equipment with new mass spectrometers which will be strategically placed at opposite ends of our continent to improve access for Australian researchers to these instruments for which there is high demand. These instruments will allow more exact dating of events such as eruptions, impacts, climate change ....Events through time: eruptions, extinctions, impacts, ore-bodies and orogenies - upgrading the national argon geochronology network. Nine universities and the CSIRO will replace aged and obsolete equipment with new mass spectrometers which will be strategically placed at opposite ends of our continent to improve access for Australian researchers to these instruments for which there is high demand. These instruments will allow more exact dating of events such as eruptions, impacts, climate change, biological extinctions, mineral deposits and mountain building.Read moreRead less
Prospectivity of late Archean basaltic and gabbroic rocks associated with major gold and base-metal deposits. This project will establish a new set of criteria for the discovery of hidden deposits of gold, lead, zinc, copper and silver in rock aged between 2.8 and 2.6 billion years old. In 2009, the mining of these deposits contributed $5.5 billion dollars to Australia’s export earnings and provided the financial backbone for many regional communities.
Where to find giant porphyry and epithermal gold and copper deposits. This project will determine when and where giant gold or copper deposits should form, consolidating links with Indonesia, and using South East Asia as a vast natural laboratory in which to examine the effect of large-scale tectonic processes. The project will produce a four-dimensional virtual exploration toolkit to show how to apply the methods.
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE180100070
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$966,283.00
Summary
Cutting-edge electron probe microanalysis driving Western Australia’s resource geosciences. This project aims to provide a new generation electron microprobe, with advances in trace element mapping and cathodoluminescence analysis to enable superior characterisation of a wide range of materials. The overwhelming demand for electron probe microanalysis from research groups in Western Australia requires renewal of over-subscribed, ageing facilities to drive innovation and alleviate bottlenecks in ....Cutting-edge electron probe microanalysis driving Western Australia’s resource geosciences. This project aims to provide a new generation electron microprobe, with advances in trace element mapping and cathodoluminescence analysis to enable superior characterisation of a wide range of materials. The overwhelming demand for electron probe microanalysis from research groups in Western Australia requires renewal of over-subscribed, ageing facilities to drive innovation and alleviate bottlenecks in advanced geosciences multi-capability workflows. The electron probe will drive underpinning geoscience, resources science and economic geology, as well as support a broad range of disciplines and diverse fields, such as nanotechnology, microelectronics and aquatic sciences.Read moreRead less
The copper-gold fertility of mountain belts. This project aims to identify the timing of, and understand the causes of, sulphide saturation in granitic suites to test the hypothesis that sulphide saturation controls the fertility of copper-gold deposits. More than half of the world’s copper and gold comes from granitic rocks, but most granitic suites are barren. As copper-gold deposits become increasingly difficult to find, and exploration budgets have been slashed, it is critical to reliably di ....The copper-gold fertility of mountain belts. This project aims to identify the timing of, and understand the causes of, sulphide saturation in granitic suites to test the hypothesis that sulphide saturation controls the fertility of copper-gold deposits. More than half of the world’s copper and gold comes from granitic rocks, but most granitic suites are barren. As copper-gold deposits become increasingly difficult to find, and exploration budgets have been slashed, it is critical to reliably distinguish ore bearing from barren systems. Platinum group element geochemistry could make this distinction by pinpointing the timing of sulphide saturation in evolving magma systems. Eliminating barren suites as exploration targets will save Australia’s exploration dollars which can be directed to where the prospects of success are greatest.Read moreRead less
Global Scale Cycling of Noble Gases and Halogens. A novel approach for combined measurement of halogens and noble gases will be used to provide the first constraints on the concentrations of these elements in key reservoirs within subduction zones. The data will revolutionise our understanding of how noble gases and halogens transfer between the Earth's atmosphere and mantle, which has profound implications for our planet's origin and evolution. In addition, the study will provide practical info ....Global Scale Cycling of Noble Gases and Halogens. A novel approach for combined measurement of halogens and noble gases will be used to provide the first constraints on the concentrations of these elements in key reservoirs within subduction zones. The data will revolutionise our understanding of how noble gases and halogens transfer between the Earth's atmosphere and mantle, which has profound implications for our planet's origin and evolution. In addition, the study will provide practical information about how economically important hydrothermal ore deposits form on the seafloor and it will test models for orogenic gold mineralisation. Read moreRead less
Continents in the Mantle Transition Zone? Sediment Recycling and the Geochemical Fertilization of the Deep Mantle. Because of its intrinsic compositional buoyancy, continental crust has traditionally been considered to be unsubductable in the denser underlying mantle. Yet some ocean island basalts carry a geochemical signature of recycled continental material in their plume source in the deep mantle. This project will reconcile this paradox through high-pressure experiments that will simulate su ....Continents in the Mantle Transition Zone? Sediment Recycling and the Geochemical Fertilization of the Deep Mantle. Because of its intrinsic compositional buoyancy, continental crust has traditionally been considered to be unsubductable in the denser underlying mantle. Yet some ocean island basalts carry a geochemical signature of recycled continental material in their plume source in the deep mantle. This project will reconcile this paradox through high-pressure experiments that will simulate subduction of continental sediments into the deep mantle. These experiments will provide the first empirical constraints on the role of sediment-derived fluids in mantle metasomatism and the origin of economically-rich potassic magmas, and the nature of the ultrarefractory continental component that ultimately reaches the plume source for ocean-island basalts.Read moreRead less
The Role Of Halide Melts In Platinum-Group Element Mobility. The proposed research will introduce a new, high profile application of analytical and experimental facilities at ANU, thereby maintaining Australia's standing as a world leader in the global geoscience community. The data generated in the proposed study may critically impact exploration models and assist the Australian mining industry in locating new reserves of platinum-group elements (PGE). Therefore, the study will benefit the peop ....The Role Of Halide Melts In Platinum-Group Element Mobility. The proposed research will introduce a new, high profile application of analytical and experimental facilities at ANU, thereby maintaining Australia's standing as a world leader in the global geoscience community. The data generated in the proposed study may critically impact exploration models and assist the Australian mining industry in locating new reserves of platinum-group elements (PGE). Therefore, the study will benefit the people of Australia by providing the means to find an important resource base for sustainable society. The research will be timely as Australia's future demand for the environmentally-safe PGE metals in medicine, transportation, and energy production will be very significant.Read moreRead less
From organo-mineral nanocomposite to Australian basins; an integrated approach to unconventional gas exploration and development. Gas production from unconventional shale reservoirs is a potential major energy boom in Australia that will lower carbon emissions over comparable coal and oil use. The geological controls of shale are currently too poorly understood to direct effective exploration. This project will be the largest international effort to develop this knowledge.