Geochemistry of ore metals at very high temperatures. The world’s largest copper and gold mines occur in extinct volcanoes around the Pacific Rim. Understanding how these essential metals are mobilised from magmas in the roots of volcanoes to become ore deposits and how to recognize where this has occurred is crucial in exploration for new deposits.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE150101477
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$360,000.00
Summary
Identifying a new source of natural volatile organohalogens. Natural volatile organohalogens have recently been linked to significant atmospheric ozone depletion. The fundamental reactions controlling their emission and fate are unresolved within the international scientific literature. This project aims to use novel geochemical techniques to determine the role of ultraviolet radiation in organohalogen emissions from degraded saline and acidic landscapes. The expected outcome will shift our unde ....Identifying a new source of natural volatile organohalogens. Natural volatile organohalogens have recently been linked to significant atmospheric ozone depletion. The fundamental reactions controlling their emission and fate are unresolved within the international scientific literature. This project aims to use novel geochemical techniques to determine the role of ultraviolet radiation in organohalogen emissions from degraded saline and acidic landscapes. The expected outcome will shift our understanding of natural volatile organohalogens and predictions of stratospheric ozone recovery. The project also aims to systematically resolve the feedback between elevated ultraviolet radiation and ozone layer depletion, and is therefore highly innovative.Read moreRead less
ARC Centre of Excellence for Core to Crust Fluid Systems. Water is essential for human existence, indeed for life's beginning. The circulation of water between the surface and the deep interior lubricates the internal dynamics that keep Earth geologically alive; it is crucial to most Earth systems, including the evolution of the hydrospher/atmosphere/biosphere, and the development of giant ore deposits. However, the origin, abundance, speciation and movements of fluids inside Earth are largely u ....ARC Centre of Excellence for Core to Crust Fluid Systems. Water is essential for human existence, indeed for life's beginning. The circulation of water between the surface and the deep interior lubricates the internal dynamics that keep Earth geologically alive; it is crucial to most Earth systems, including the evolution of the hydrospher/atmosphere/biosphere, and the development of giant ore deposits. However, the origin, abundance, speciation and movements of fluids inside Earth are largely unknown, and represent key issues in modern geoscience. This CoE will integrate previously disparate fields - geology, tectonics, geochemistry, petrophysics, geophysics and dynamic modelling - to understand the workings of Earth's deep plumbing system.Read moreRead less
The structure and geochemistry of mineral interfaces in Earth's mantle. The interfaces between mineral grains are critical in determining rock properties and behaviour, yet we know little about them. This project uses emerging nano-technologies to establish the structure, chemistry and energy characteristics of interfaces in rocks from Earth’s mantle that control fundamental Earth processes such as plate tectonics and melting. The expected outcomes include a new understanding on one of the funda ....The structure and geochemistry of mineral interfaces in Earth's mantle. The interfaces between mineral grains are critical in determining rock properties and behaviour, yet we know little about them. This project uses emerging nano-technologies to establish the structure, chemistry and energy characteristics of interfaces in rocks from Earth’s mantle that control fundamental Earth processes such as plate tectonics and melting. The expected outcomes include a new understanding on one of the fundamental controls on rock properties and an enhanced ability to predict and model rock behaviour. The project provides research training in innovative research methodologies, will strengthen Australia’s leadership in nano-geoscience and will provide new methodologies for advanced rock characterisation.Read moreRead less
Hydrogen generation by subsurface iron mineral transformations. Aim
The aim of this project is to elucidate key factors responsible for natural hydrogen generation in Australian subsurface environments.
Significance
Large amounts of this valuable resource are produced naturally with estimates of production rates of this “gold” hydrogen at least 100 times the annual demand for this critical resource.
Expected Outcomes
Based on improved understanding of the source of natural hydrogen, predictive ....Hydrogen generation by subsurface iron mineral transformations. Aim
The aim of this project is to elucidate key factors responsible for natural hydrogen generation in Australian subsurface environments.
Significance
Large amounts of this valuable resource are produced naturally with estimates of production rates of this “gold” hydrogen at least 100 times the annual demand for this critical resource.
Expected Outcomes
Based on improved understanding of the source of natural hydrogen, predictive tools will be developed that will assist in assessing the viability in Australia of hydrogen exploration and engineered retrieval.
Benefits
Ready access to naturally produced hydrogen could enable Australia to replace hydrogen that is currently generated via the use of unabated hydrocarbons.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE120100156
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$250,000.00
Summary
A high precision, automated system for studying greenhouse gas cycling in coastal environments. This facility will perform automated, long-term greenhouse gas measurements in coastal waters. The expected outcome of research at this facility is a better understanding of how the coastal ocean acts as a source or sink of carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, methane, and volatile organic carbon.
The lost ocean of eastern Australia and its critical metals endowment. This project aims to unravel the tectonic origin and economic potential of ultramafic rocks (rocks which host elevated concentrations of nickel, cobalt, chromium, and platinum-group elements). Such rocks are outcropping in eastern Australia along a contorted ~1500 km long belt that may record relics of an ancient ocean. Through detailed mapping and cutting-edge analytical techniques, the project is expected to fill a crucial ....The lost ocean of eastern Australia and its critical metals endowment. This project aims to unravel the tectonic origin and economic potential of ultramafic rocks (rocks which host elevated concentrations of nickel, cobalt, chromium, and platinum-group elements). Such rocks are outcropping in eastern Australia along a contorted ~1500 km long belt that may record relics of an ancient ocean. Through detailed mapping and cutting-edge analytical techniques, the project is expected to fill a crucial knowledge gap in Australian tectonics, while providing information on ore mineralisation. The expected outcomes, including new tectonic models unveiling the scale, geometry, and economic potential of the ultramafic bodies, could benefit critical mineral exploration, carbon storage solutions, and geoecology conservation.Read moreRead less
Rich Cousin, Poor Cousin - What Controls the Formation and Size of Orogenic Gold Deposits? What are the geological and geochemical factors that control the formation and size of gold deposits in Phanerozoic mountain belts (?orogens?)? The answer to this question lies in a combination of methods we will use to establish the importance of source, absolute timing of mineralisation, genetic links to magmas, and geochemical processes that result in the transport, and deposition of gold in three separ ....Rich Cousin, Poor Cousin - What Controls the Formation and Size of Orogenic Gold Deposits? What are the geological and geochemical factors that control the formation and size of gold deposits in Phanerozoic mountain belts (?orogens?)? The answer to this question lies in a combination of methods we will use to establish the importance of source, absolute timing of mineralisation, genetic links to magmas, and geochemical processes that result in the transport, and deposition of gold in three separate, geologically young orogens. The wider implications of this research include a greatly improved understanding of lesser known Phanerozoic orogenic gold provinces, ore genesis at convergent plate margins, and the formation of gold deposits in older terrains.Read moreRead less
Effect of elevated nutrients on carbon and nitrogen cycles in seagrass beds. Seagrass beds play a crucial role in global carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycles. It is unknown how this role is affected by nutrient inputs caused by humans. This study aims to determine, onsite, how elevated nutrients affect seagrass bed C and N cycling. A novel suite of cutting-edge methods will be used, including whole-ecosystem stable isotope labelling. This project is significant because seagrass beds affect the qua ....Effect of elevated nutrients on carbon and nitrogen cycles in seagrass beds. Seagrass beds play a crucial role in global carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycles. It is unknown how this role is affected by nutrient inputs caused by humans. This study aims to determine, onsite, how elevated nutrients affect seagrass bed C and N cycling. A novel suite of cutting-edge methods will be used, including whole-ecosystem stable isotope labelling. This project is significant because seagrass beds affect the quantity and form of C and N exported to the ocean or buried, thereby impacting global budgets. The outcome will be major advances in understanding global C and N cycles. The benefit is that this will facilitate effective coastal management by improving our ability to predict how nutrients affect seagrass ecosystem services.Read moreRead less