Pleistocene evolutionary dynamics and past environments of Siberia: Reconstructions using luminescence dating of ancient DNA sedimentary archives. This study will yield critical new insights into faunal-environment interactions in Siberia and their long-term implications for the evolution and extinction of Siberia's biota. These fundamental issues are of relevance to Australian archaeology, palaeontology and biogeography, and so our discoveries are of direct interest to Australian researchers st ....Pleistocene evolutionary dynamics and past environments of Siberia: Reconstructions using luminescence dating of ancient DNA sedimentary archives. This study will yield critical new insights into faunal-environment interactions in Siberia and their long-term implications for the evolution and extinction of Siberia's biota. These fundamental issues are of relevance to Australian archaeology, palaeontology and biogeography, and so our discoveries are of direct interest to Australian researchers studying these disciplines. The methodological advancements in OSL dating and DNA techniques that will accompany this research will enhance Australia's international scientific standing and create new opportunities for collaborative initiatives in both cutting-edge scientific research and consulting activities.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0882854
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$6,000,000.00
Summary
Australian Membership of the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program. Membership of the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) will provide high-leverage access to the largest, and most effective international geoscience program.
Results from drilling within Australia's marine jurisdiction will give understanding of the oceans' state under past climates through high resolution records of the range of oceanographic and biological responses to climate change, the role of the deep biosphere in shapin ....Australian Membership of the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program. Membership of the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) will provide high-leverage access to the largest, and most effective international geoscience program.
Results from drilling within Australia's marine jurisdiction will give understanding of the oceans' state under past climates through high resolution records of the range of oceanographic and biological responses to climate change, the role of the deep biosphere in shaping oil and gas deposits, hydrothermal and igneous processes involved in ore genesis, and enhanced understanding of some of the world's largest earthquake- and tsunami-generating processes.
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Investigating mineral alteration and infilling of discontinuities in naturally deformed rocks as a guide to rock mass rheology. Structural analysis of naturally deformed rock will be used to investigate the origin, physical characteristics and frictional behaviour of naturally formed discontinuity surfaces. Discontinuities in naturally deformed rock masses are typically altered and infilled with complex combinations of mineral matter and are a major control on the rheology, including strength a ....Investigating mineral alteration and infilling of discontinuities in naturally deformed rocks as a guide to rock mass rheology. Structural analysis of naturally deformed rock will be used to investigate the origin, physical characteristics and frictional behaviour of naturally formed discontinuity surfaces. Discontinuities in naturally deformed rock masses are typically altered and infilled with complex combinations of mineral matter and are a major control on the rheology, including strength and stability, of rock masses in engineering excavations. By combining structural geology techniques and laboratory experiments, and with reference to existing data on field-scale rock mass deformation derived from engineering rock mechanics investigations, a methodology for predicting rock mass rheology from fundamental geological observations will be devised and tested.Read moreRead less
A one million year record of relative sea-level, climatic and environmental changes - Aeolianites of the southern Australian continental margin. This project will (1) further refine two dating methods that will revolutionize Australia's capacity to date geological and archaeological events; (2) ensure that Australia remains in the forefront in applied geochronology and that a sufficient level of technical expertise remains within the country; (3) examine the sensitivity of coastal environments t ....A one million year record of relative sea-level, climatic and environmental changes - Aeolianites of the southern Australian continental margin. This project will (1) further refine two dating methods that will revolutionize Australia's capacity to date geological and archaeological events; (2) ensure that Australia remains in the forefront in applied geochronology and that a sufficient level of technical expertise remains within the country; (3) examine the sensitivity of coastal environments to rapid climate and sea-level changes; (4) increase public awareness of the scientific basis for the unique nature of Australia's coastal landscapes; and (5) may also assist in the exploration of strategically important minerals. Read moreRead less
Precise global time scale for the oxidation of Earth's atmosphere between 2.6 and 2.0 billion years ago. The rock record from 2600 to 2000 million years ago preserves evidence for dramatically fluctuating greenhouse and icehouse climates at the same time as, and possibly caused by, change from an oxygen-deficient to an oxygen-rich atmosphere. Although the global changes are well-documented, correlation of their timing and duration between continents is poorly constrained. This project aims to re ....Precise global time scale for the oxidation of Earth's atmosphere between 2.6 and 2.0 billion years ago. The rock record from 2600 to 2000 million years ago preserves evidence for dramatically fluctuating greenhouse and icehouse climates at the same time as, and possibly caused by, change from an oxygen-deficient to an oxygen-rich atmosphere. Although the global changes are well-documented, correlation of their timing and duration between continents is poorly constrained. This project aims to redress that problem by producing a precise calibration of the global changes by analysis of the rock records in Australia, Canada and South Africa. It will provide a much needed time framework within which long-term feedback between atmospheric composition and climate can be understood.Read moreRead less
Submarine explosive eruptions of silicic magma: constraints on products and processes from modern sea-floor examples, ancient successions and experiments. Volcanoes are common on the sea-floor. Many have been the sites of devastating explosive eruptions throughout Earth history, producing thick layers of pumice and volcanic ash in both modern and ancient ocean basins. None of these events has been witnessed, hence, little is known about submarine explosive eruptions and the associated volcanoes. ....Submarine explosive eruptions of silicic magma: constraints on products and processes from modern sea-floor examples, ancient successions and experiments. Volcanoes are common on the sea-floor. Many have been the sites of devastating explosive eruptions throughout Earth history, producing thick layers of pumice and volcanic ash in both modern and ancient ocean basins. None of these events has been witnessed, hence, little is known about submarine explosive eruptions and the associated volcanoes. This detailed, multidisciplinary study will link exploration of modern explosive sea-floor volcanoes (western Pacific Ocean), field-work on older, submarine volcanic formations (Japan, Greece) and experiments that simulate explosive eruptions and their products. The results will elucidate sea-floor explosive volcanism and its contribution to the geology of ocean basins.Read moreRead less
How responsive are continental interiors to the geodynamic evolution of plate margins? An Australian case study. The outcomes of this project will advance our understanding of the evolution and dynamics of the Australian plate by improving knowledge of the way plate driving forces shaped the continental interior. This will lead to a refinement of existing geological models describing the history of the Australian continent, and will provide a valuable backdrop for the current focus on the cont ....How responsive are continental interiors to the geodynamic evolution of plate margins? An Australian case study. The outcomes of this project will advance our understanding of the evolution and dynamics of the Australian plate by improving knowledge of the way plate driving forces shaped the continental interior. This will lead to a refinement of existing geological models describing the history of the Australian continent, and will provide a valuable backdrop for the current focus on the contemporary state of the Australian plate. The study will also provide a framework for petroleum exploration models in the central Australian basins, since they rely crucially on the thermal and structural datasets that will be produced in this project.Read moreRead less
Thermal regimes, flexure and duration: establishing the framework for intracratonic orogeny in central Australia. Intracratonic orogeny is a confronting phenomena because it contradicts the plate tectonic paradigm, which highlights the apparently rigidity of the lithospheric plates. Central Australia contains an exceptional record of intracratonic orogeny, expressed by the formation of the Petermann and Alice Springs orogens. This project will quantify the duration, and thermal conditions assoc ....Thermal regimes, flexure and duration: establishing the framework for intracratonic orogeny in central Australia. Intracratonic orogeny is a confronting phenomena because it contradicts the plate tectonic paradigm, which highlights the apparently rigidity of the lithospheric plates. Central Australia contains an exceptional record of intracratonic orogeny, expressed by the formation of the Petermann and Alice Springs orogens. This project will quantify the duration, and thermal conditions associated with the comparatively poorly known Petermann Orogen. Given the importance of intracratonic deformation in shaping the lithospheric architecture of central Australia, understanding the history of the Petermann Orogeny is essential to developing models that describe the evolution of the Australian continent, and continental interiors in general.Read moreRead less
Murray Basin: A unique archive of late Neogene global change. Salinization, soil erosion, groundwater depletion and surface water degradation are but a few of the inter-related environmental problems facing the Murray-Darling Basin. These problems require an understanding of the way in which shallow groundwater, salts and surface water interact with near-surface sediments. This project is aimed at a better understanding the nature of those near-surface sediments in the Murray Basin and how th ....Murray Basin: A unique archive of late Neogene global change. Salinization, soil erosion, groundwater depletion and surface water degradation are but a few of the inter-related environmental problems facing the Murray-Darling Basin. These problems require an understanding of the way in which shallow groundwater, salts and surface water interact with near-surface sediments. This project is aimed at a better understanding the nature of those near-surface sediments in the Murray Basin and how they were formed. If we can understand how the basin came to be the way it is (in the modern setting), we may better understand the way it might behave when subject to man-made changes like increased groundwater usage, etc.Read moreRead less
Trace element geochemistry of microbialites: towards an independent record of biogenicity, microbial communities, and seawater chemistry. A vast amount of Australia's mineral wealth is held in rocks of Precambrian age, yet those rocks are notoriously difficult to date and correlate owing to the rarity of fossils. Successful discrimination of different microbialites using biochemically sensitive trace elements will provide a firm basis and rationale for stromatolite biostratigraphy and greatly in ....Trace element geochemistry of microbialites: towards an independent record of biogenicity, microbial communities, and seawater chemistry. A vast amount of Australia's mineral wealth is held in rocks of Precambrian age, yet those rocks are notoriously difficult to date and correlate owing to the rarity of fossils. Successful discrimination of different microbialites using biochemically sensitive trace elements will provide a firm basis and rationale for stromatolite biostratigraphy and greatly increase our ability to understand the geological evolution and distribution of Precambrian rocks and resources. Additionally, a better understanding of the information content of stromatolites will yield considerable insight into the origin of life on Earth and its relationship to Earth's evolving chemistry and environment. Read moreRead less