Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE100100064
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$450,000.00
Summary
A facility for sensitive and precise isotopic dating of the earth's and extraterrestrial rocks. SPIDE2R will be a new generation mass spectrometer for very precise and sensitive dating and forensics applications in earth and planetary sciences, hydrology, climate studies, and nuclear and archaeological fingerprinting. The unprecedented sensitivity of this unique instrument will provide enhanced capabilities for solving long-standing problems requiring precise geological time resolution, as well ....A facility for sensitive and precise isotopic dating of the earth's and extraterrestrial rocks. SPIDE2R will be a new generation mass spectrometer for very precise and sensitive dating and forensics applications in earth and planetary sciences, hydrology, climate studies, and nuclear and archaeological fingerprinting. The unprecedented sensitivity of this unique instrument will provide enhanced capabilities for solving long-standing problems requiring precise geological time resolution, as well as opening new areas of research. It will be the instrument of choice for analysing small, rare samples such as those returned by space missions. The Australian-built high sensitivity source and ion detection systems can be retrofitted onto other mass spectrometers, opening a new area of commercialisation.Read moreRead less
The behaviour of geochemical tracers during differentiation of the Earth. This project is aimed at providing fundamental data which Earth Scientists will use to understand the processes by which the Earth separated into its chemically-distinct layers (core, mantle, crust, atmosphere, oceans) and to determine the nature of the continuing interactions between the surface environment in which we live and the deep interior. It will provide training in modern high temperature-high pressure materials- ....The behaviour of geochemical tracers during differentiation of the Earth. This project is aimed at providing fundamental data which Earth Scientists will use to understand the processes by which the Earth separated into its chemically-distinct layers (core, mantle, crust, atmosphere, oceans) and to determine the nature of the continuing interactions between the surface environment in which we live and the deep interior. It will provide training in modern high temperature-high pressure materials-science techniques for Ph.D. students and postdoctoral researchers. This will provide Australia with Earth Scientists who have both traditional skills and the ability to work with Materials Scientists on the synthesis of novel materials under extreme conditions.Read moreRead less
Origin and Evolution of the Earth's Chemical Reservoirs. The scientific aims of this project are to understand the processes by which the Earth separated into its chemically-distinct layers (core, mantle, crust, atmosphere, oceans) and to determine the nature of the continuing interactions between the surface environment in which we live and the deep interior. Experimental study of these processes will involve establishment of a world-class facility for materials synthesis at high pressures and ....Origin and Evolution of the Earth's Chemical Reservoirs. The scientific aims of this project are to understand the processes by which the Earth separated into its chemically-distinct layers (core, mantle, crust, atmosphere, oceans) and to determine the nature of the continuing interactions between the surface environment in which we live and the deep interior. Experimental study of these processes will involve establishment of a world-class facility for materials synthesis at high pressures and temperatures. This facility will provide the means to simulate the processes occurring within the Earth and will enable synthesis of new high density materials of technological interest.Read moreRead less
Next-generation luminescence dating techniques for Earth and archaeological science applications. Chronology is a critical component of geological and archaeological studies. To reconstruct the evolutionary histories of Homo sapiens and other hominin species in their environmental context, we must establish reliable age estimates for key archaeological sites and Quaternary deposits. This project aims to develop new-generation sediment dating techniques using the non-fading infrared stimulated lu ....Next-generation luminescence dating techniques for Earth and archaeological science applications. Chronology is a critical component of geological and archaeological studies. To reconstruct the evolutionary histories of Homo sapiens and other hominin species in their environmental context, we must establish reliable age estimates for key archaeological sites and Quaternary deposits. This project aims to develop new-generation sediment dating techniques using the non-fading infrared stimulated luminescence (IRSL) signal from potassium feldspars. These improved methods will be able to be applied to sites in Africa, Europe and Asia that contain important human fossils and artefacts, including the unique type localities of ‘Denisovans’ and ‘Hobbits’, to answer fundamental questions about the timing of key turning points in human evolution and dispersal.Read moreRead less
Developing a geophysically relevant conduction model for the upper mantle. The aim of this project is to develop a geophysically relevant proton conduction model for the Earth’s upper mantle. This would allow the robust interpretation of conductivity maps of the interior of the Earth and the discovery of major new mineral deposits. This advance is designed to be achieved through four major initiatives based on recently developed experimental and computational facilities. The project aims to deve ....Developing a geophysically relevant conduction model for the upper mantle. The aim of this project is to develop a geophysically relevant proton conduction model for the Earth’s upper mantle. This would allow the robust interpretation of conductivity maps of the interior of the Earth and the discovery of major new mineral deposits. This advance is designed to be achieved through four major initiatives based on recently developed experimental and computational facilities. The project aims to develop new methods for determining rock conductivities and subsurface mapping from combined datasets. This may provide new insights into the structure and dynamics of the upper mantle as well as providing key data necessary for a national effort aimed at re-establishing Australia as a primary target for mineral exploration.Read moreRead less
Testing the Australian Megatsunami Hypothesis. More than 300000 lives and property worth more than $150bn on the NSW coast are vulnerable to large tsunamis but at present we do not have a clear idea about how often such tsunamis occur and how big they might be. This project will identify and date evidence for past tsunamis on the coasts of NSW and west New Zealand which will help us understand regional tsunami risk. This will provide knowledge that will guide tsunami risk management practice in ....Testing the Australian Megatsunami Hypothesis. More than 300000 lives and property worth more than $150bn on the NSW coast are vulnerable to large tsunamis but at present we do not have a clear idea about how often such tsunamis occur and how big they might be. This project will identify and date evidence for past tsunamis on the coasts of NSW and west New Zealand which will help us understand regional tsunami risk. This will provide knowledge that will guide tsunami risk management practice in vulnerable areas of NSW and help underpin the developing Australian Tsunami Warning System. Read moreRead less
Spreading ridge sedimentation processes: a novel approach using Macquarie Island as a natural laboratory. This research will examine the south eastern tectonic plate boundary of Australia, providing analogues for seafloor spreading related crustal processes that relate to present plate boundaries and ancient examples now joined to the Australian continent. The scientific innovation represented by this project will help Australian scientists to better understand an important part of the plate tec ....Spreading ridge sedimentation processes: a novel approach using Macquarie Island as a natural laboratory. This research will examine the south eastern tectonic plate boundary of Australia, providing analogues for seafloor spreading related crustal processes that relate to present plate boundaries and ancient examples now joined to the Australian continent. The scientific innovation represented by this project will help Australian scientists to better understand an important part of the plate tectonic cycle. This project will be of direct relevance to the Australian minerals exploration industry and will provide better constraints on rift-related metallogenesis.Read moreRead less
Early Palaeozoic radiolarian evolution. This project will apply a new transformative technology, X-ray micro computed tomography, to the study of Early Palaeozoic (530-300 million year old) radiolarian microfossils. It is expected that this will allow, for the first time, non-destructive examination to elucidate the internal skeletal architecture of these fossils that is critical to understanding their evolution. Computer reconstruction of three-dimensional images will reveal details upon which ....Early Palaeozoic radiolarian evolution. This project will apply a new transformative technology, X-ray micro computed tomography, to the study of Early Palaeozoic (530-300 million year old) radiolarian microfossils. It is expected that this will allow, for the first time, non-destructive examination to elucidate the internal skeletal architecture of these fossils that is critical to understanding their evolution. Computer reconstruction of three-dimensional images will reveal details upon which an understanding of early phylogenetic relationships within this phylum can be developed. This in turn will allow realisation of the full biostratigraphic potential of this important long-ranging group of marine protozoans that commonly occur in great abundance in deep marine sedimentary rocks.Read moreRead less
The reptile-mammal jaw transition as revealed by 3D imaging, embryology, and computational biomechanics: new approaches to some age old questions. The extraordinary transformation of the mammalian middle ear through biomechanical 're-tooling' of the ancestral reptilian jaw joint, also recapitulated in mammalian development, yielded the greatly improved feeding and hearing efficiency that are key to the mammalian success story. Building on recent methodological advances, this project will employ ....The reptile-mammal jaw transition as revealed by 3D imaging, embryology, and computational biomechanics: new approaches to some age old questions. The extraordinary transformation of the mammalian middle ear through biomechanical 're-tooling' of the ancestral reptilian jaw joint, also recapitulated in mammalian development, yielded the greatly improved feeding and hearing efficiency that are key to the mammalian success story. Building on recent methodological advances, this project will employ cutting-edge two-dimensional protocols to explain these mechanical details of this transition. This includes integration of the first undistorted embryological soft-tissue evidence for muscular arrangements in the transitioning jaw. Through vastly improving on conventional two-dimensional approaches, the project will maintain Australia's leading position in the fast developing field of virtual biomechanics.Read moreRead less
Tectonic versus biological processes: What controls the long-term global carbon cycle? A major debate in Earth system analysis concerns two competing hypotheses on the driving forces behind dramatic changes in atmospheric CO2 over geological time. One hypothesis considers tectonic/geological processes to be the major driving force. The other argues that it is the competition between plants and animals that drives the long-term CO2 cycle. We propose to test these hypotheses using a novel set of g ....Tectonic versus biological processes: What controls the long-term global carbon cycle? A major debate in Earth system analysis concerns two competing hypotheses on the driving forces behind dramatic changes in atmospheric CO2 over geological time. One hypothesis considers tectonic/geological processes to be the major driving force. The other argues that it is the competition between plants and animals that drives the long-term CO2 cycle. We propose to test these hypotheses using a novel set of global oceanic palaeo-age grids and subduction models for the last 180 million years. This will allow us to appraise key tectonic carbon cycle components such as mantle degassing, seafloor weathering and sediment subduction.Read moreRead less