A novel approach for economic uranium deposit exploration and environmental studies. Outcomes of this project will be: (i) the discovery of new economic uranium ore deposits; (ii) development of a new exploration technology allowing for improved ore deposit targeting. Information gained on the behaviour of radioactive elements at the Earth's surface will be critical for the study of safety issues related to radioactive waste storage and obtaining reliable time constraints on the evolution of the ....A novel approach for economic uranium deposit exploration and environmental studies. Outcomes of this project will be: (i) the discovery of new economic uranium ore deposits; (ii) development of a new exploration technology allowing for improved ore deposit targeting. Information gained on the behaviour of radioactive elements at the Earth's surface will be critical for the study of safety issues related to radioactive waste storage and obtaining reliable time constraints on the evolution of the Australian landscape.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE100100229
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$160,000.00
Summary
Time-of-flight mass spectrometer for analysis of complex mixtures in oils, ancient rocks, recent sediments, natural products and atmospheric aerosols. Research benefits will be:1. More effective remediation of petroleum spills through better understanding of degradation pathways, and ecotoxicological impact of spills.
2. Better understanding of the role of urban aerosols in human health impacts and climate change.
3. More effective development of finite petroleum resources by better understand ....Time-of-flight mass spectrometer for analysis of complex mixtures in oils, ancient rocks, recent sediments, natural products and atmospheric aerosols. Research benefits will be:1. More effective remediation of petroleum spills through better understanding of degradation pathways, and ecotoxicological impact of spills.
2. Better understanding of the role of urban aerosols in human health impacts and climate change.
3. More effective development of finite petroleum resources by better understanding of processes altering crude oil in the sub-surface.
4. Identification of natural products from algae, cyanobacteria, plants and mushrooms as new sources of pharmaceutical agents. 5. Improved knowledge of early evolution of life on Earth, helping maintain Australian scientists as world leaders in this field. 6. Greater understanding of the source and migration of petroleum in frontier areas.Read moreRead less
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
Application of very short-lived Uranium-series isotopes to constraining Earth system processes. This proposal is directly concerned with the continuing aim of building a sustainable Australia through knowledge of deep earth resources. Uranium series isotopes are relevant to the very recent history of the planet (< 350 000 years) - time scales which are often over-looked. The more we know about the rates of processes the better we will be able to inform models for volcanic hazard mitigation, soil ....Application of very short-lived Uranium-series isotopes to constraining Earth system processes. This proposal is directly concerned with the continuing aim of building a sustainable Australia through knowledge of deep earth resources. Uranium series isotopes are relevant to the very recent history of the planet (< 350 000 years) - time scales which are often over-looked. The more we know about the rates of processes the better we will be able to inform models for volcanic hazard mitigation, soil sustainability and resource exploration and safeguarding. It is to these techniques we must look if we are to understand the immediate past as a clue to the immediate future of our planet.Read moreRead less
The timescales of Earth-system processes. This project will advance our understanding of the timescales of Earth processes using short-lived (22 to 380,000 years) isotopes. The results will provide better constraints on the timescales of magmatic processes and frequency of large-scale eruptions for volcanic hazard mitigation and also soil production rates for landscape erosion studies.
Antimony geochemistry and Earth's dynamic near-surface iron cycle. This project aims to advance our fundamental understanding on the geochemistry of antimony – a critical mineral resource and environmental pollutant of growing concern. This will be achieved by pioneering an innovative combination of advanced synchrotron-based tools and sophisticated isotopic approaches to unravel important interactions between antimony geochemistry and the iron cycle in soils, sediments and aquatic systems. The ....Antimony geochemistry and Earth's dynamic near-surface iron cycle. This project aims to advance our fundamental understanding on the geochemistry of antimony – a critical mineral resource and environmental pollutant of growing concern. This will be achieved by pioneering an innovative combination of advanced synchrotron-based tools and sophisticated isotopic approaches to unravel important interactions between antimony geochemistry and the iron cycle in soils, sediments and aquatic systems. The expected outcomes will provide novel insights into refined strategies to manipulate coupling between antimony mobility and iron cycling for improved rehabilitation of degraded landscapes, safe disposal of hazardous wastes and sustainable exploitation of Australia’s valuable antimony reserves.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE150100007
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$170,000.00
Summary
Metal speciation for complex studies in changing environments. Metal speciation for complex studies in changing environments: The Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer with a High Performance Liquid Chromatography front end (HPLC-ICP-MS) for metal speciation studies is a highly valuable extension of existing cutting edge infrastructure for geochemical research. Existing invertebrate culturing capacity will also enable unique opportunities for experimental studies driven by understanding m ....Metal speciation for complex studies in changing environments. Metal speciation for complex studies in changing environments: The Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer with a High Performance Liquid Chromatography front end (HPLC-ICP-MS) for metal speciation studies is a highly valuable extension of existing cutting edge infrastructure for geochemical research. Existing invertebrate culturing capacity will also enable unique opportunities for experimental studies driven by understanding metal speciation and uptake by organisms. This facility will be housed within a highly productive research environment providing new and novel capabilities to study abiotic and biotic interactions in changing environments.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE120101290
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$375,000.00
Summary
Unravelling the transformation pathways and fate of dissolved organic carbon and nitrogen in shallow coastal sediments. This project will significantly advance our understanding of the cycling of dissolved organic carbon and dissolved organic nitrogen in shallow coastal sediments, a potentially major part of global carbon and nitrogen cycles. This will have direct implications for the management and protection of Australian coastal systems and the world's oceans.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE160100628
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$368,394.00
Summary
Dissolved organic carbon quality influences metal toxicity in freshwaters. This project aims to characterise the types of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) found within Australian freshwaters and investigate how these influence metal toxicity to organisms. DOC has the ability to decrease the toxicity of metals to organisms in natural waters, and the intensity of the decrease is related to the type of DOC. Information regarding the types of DOC commonly found within Australian waters is lacking, and ....Dissolved organic carbon quality influences metal toxicity in freshwaters. This project aims to characterise the types of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) found within Australian freshwaters and investigate how these influence metal toxicity to organisms. DOC has the ability to decrease the toxicity of metals to organisms in natural waters, and the intensity of the decrease is related to the type of DOC. Information regarding the types of DOC commonly found within Australian waters is lacking, and their impact on metal toxicity to Australian biota is unknown. This project aims to characterise DOC from different Australian ecoregions and investigate the influence of different DOCs on metal toxicity. The expected outcomes are better predictive toxicity models and better assessment of risks associated with metal contamination.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE130100145
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$150,000.00
Summary
Three-dimensional analysis of important organic components in energy, environmental and earth systems. Australia’s ecosystems and water resources are sensitive to climate change and anthropogenic activities. A third degree of separation provided by this technique will improve our abilities to monitor the role of organic matter in modern systems. The characterisation of organics of petroleum mineral systems will sustain Australia's energy demand.