Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE200100022
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$580,000.00
Summary
New frontier in Geoscience: A tandem trace element and isotopes facility. The project aims to integrate a multicollector mass spectrometer with the existing laser ablation laboratory at Southern Cross University to establish a unique facility offering tandem trace element and isotopes analysis. This will provide new methodological advancement by expanding the analytical range and obtaining information otherwise inaccessible to stand-alone instruments using traditional standardisation methods. Sp ....New frontier in Geoscience: A tandem trace element and isotopes facility. The project aims to integrate a multicollector mass spectrometer with the existing laser ablation laboratory at Southern Cross University to establish a unique facility offering tandem trace element and isotopes analysis. This will provide new methodological advancement by expanding the analytical range and obtaining information otherwise inaccessible to stand-alone instruments using traditional standardisation methods. Specifically, the integration of an innovative split stream system allows precise matching of elemental concentration with isotopic ratios, crucial for microscale resolution and data accuracy. The new infrastructure will confirm Australia’s leadership role and maintain its competitive advantage in geosciences.Read moreRead less
The application of clumped isotope thermometry to the terrestrial environment. Clumped-isotope geochemistry, a novel method for measuring the temperature of formation of carbonate minerals, will be applied to terrestrial materials (soil carbonates, lake deposits and speleothems) from Australia and New Zealand. The method relates the abundance or 'clumping' of rare isotopes (for example, carbon dioxide of mass 47 as carbon-13, oxygen-18, oxygen-16) extracted from carbonates to their formation tem ....The application of clumped isotope thermometry to the terrestrial environment. Clumped-isotope geochemistry, a novel method for measuring the temperature of formation of carbonate minerals, will be applied to terrestrial materials (soil carbonates, lake deposits and speleothems) from Australia and New Zealand. The method relates the abundance or 'clumping' of rare isotopes (for example, carbon dioxide of mass 47 as carbon-13, oxygen-18, oxygen-16) extracted from carbonates to their formation temperature and is independent of the oxygen-18:oxygen-16 value of the host water from which the mineral precipitated. The materials to be investigated span the Last Glacial-Interglacial Transition and will provide robust past temperature estimates and the delta-oxygen-18 values of waters, thereby permitting hydrological balances (for example, precipitation/evaporation) to be constructed. Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE140100088
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$150,000.00
Summary
A coupled high temperature elemental analyser - gas chromatograph - mass spectrometer for climate, water and ecological research. A coupled high temperature elemental analyser - gas chromatograph - mass spectrometer for climate, water and ecological research: This project is for a high temperature, elemental analysis, gas chromatography, isotope mass spectrometry facility. This would permit the analysis of the isotopes of up to four elements in a range of environmental samples such as tree cell ....A coupled high temperature elemental analyser - gas chromatograph - mass spectrometer for climate, water and ecological research. A coupled high temperature elemental analyser - gas chromatograph - mass spectrometer for climate, water and ecological research: This project is for a high temperature, elemental analysis, gas chromatography, isotope mass spectrometry facility. This would permit the analysis of the isotopes of up to four elements in a range of environmental samples such as tree cellulose, ecological samples and dissolved nutrients in surface and ground waters. Results will help improve our understanding of climate - surface water - ground water interactions, ecosystem function, and past climate and environmental change. The new facility will meet the need for organic isotope analyses to better understand the underlying physical processes.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE140100023
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$360,000.00
Summary
Innovative isotopic techniques to study the response of soil and water resources to modern and past climate change. Innovative isotopic techniques to study the response of soil and water resources to modern and past climate change: The emergence of innovative isotopic tools has provided unprecedented opportunities to improve our understanding of the processes that shape the earth's resources and environment. The plasma-source mass spectrometer will be dedicated to applying these techniques to ea ....Innovative isotopic techniques to study the response of soil and water resources to modern and past climate change. Innovative isotopic techniques to study the response of soil and water resources to modern and past climate change: The emergence of innovative isotopic tools has provided unprecedented opportunities to improve our understanding of the processes that shape the earth's resources and environment. The plasma-source mass spectrometer will be dedicated to applying these techniques to earth surface processes, and establishing unique capabilities to decipher how soil and water resources respond to modern and past climate change in Australia.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE180100185
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$464,531.00
Summary
Mass spectrometry for next generation isotope analysis of silicate minerals. This project aims to establish a facility for mass spectrometry and sample preparation to enhance Australian capacity to analyse the stable isotope composition of silicate minerals. The project seeks to implement innovations that will greatly enhance the use of stable isotopes in silicate minerals by increasing analytical throughput and reducing cost. This will provide better understanding of the trajectories of environ ....Mass spectrometry for next generation isotope analysis of silicate minerals. This project aims to establish a facility for mass spectrometry and sample preparation to enhance Australian capacity to analyse the stable isotope composition of silicate minerals. The project seeks to implement innovations that will greatly enhance the use of stable isotopes in silicate minerals by increasing analytical throughput and reducing cost. This will provide better understanding of the trajectories of environmental change, formation of mineral deposits and identifying trade networks in prehistoric societies.Read moreRead less
Electron flow in iron hyper-enriched acidifying coastal environments: reaction paths and kinetics of iron-sulfur-carbon transformations. Iron hyper-enriched acidifying coastal lowlands have a direct social, economic and environmental impact on communities in many parts of Australia. This project will determine how iron transforms and accumulates. The new knowledge will be of immediate relevance for the remediation of coastal plains.
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
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE150100770
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$358,536.00
Summary
Solving the mystery of natural carbon mineralisation in Australian lakes. Some lakes, such as the Coorong lakes in South Australia, naturally sequester carbon dioxide in magnesium carbonate minerals. These minerals, which form in association with microorganisms in lake water, represent the safest possible long-term traps for carbon dioxide pollution. This project aims to determine the essential geochemical constraints on formation of magnesium carbonate minerals in the Coorong lakes, which are u ....Solving the mystery of natural carbon mineralisation in Australian lakes. Some lakes, such as the Coorong lakes in South Australia, naturally sequester carbon dioxide in magnesium carbonate minerals. These minerals, which form in association with microorganisms in lake water, represent the safest possible long-term traps for carbon dioxide pollution. This project aims to determine the essential geochemical constraints on formation of magnesium carbonate minerals in the Coorong lakes, which are unique natural laboratories for studying carbon dioxide sequestration. By delivering fundamental understanding of how microbial populations alter water chemistry for carbonate production, this project aims to inform the design of efficient and sustainable technologies for carbon dioxide sequestration that emulate natural processes in lakes.Read moreRead less
Maximising carbon sequestration in freshwater wetlands. Maximising carbon sequestration in freshwater wetlands. This project aims to determine how manipulation of wetland hydrology can alter sulphur and iron cycling to inhibit methane emission and improve wetland net-carbon sequestration. Wetlands are among earth's most efficient ecosystems for carbon sequestration, but methane emission can offset this capacity. Redox cycling of sulphur and iron in wetlands can inhibit methane emission, but the ....Maximising carbon sequestration in freshwater wetlands. Maximising carbon sequestration in freshwater wetlands. This project aims to determine how manipulation of wetland hydrology can alter sulphur and iron cycling to inhibit methane emission and improve wetland net-carbon sequestration. Wetlands are among earth's most efficient ecosystems for carbon sequestration, but methane emission can offset this capacity. Redox cycling of sulphur and iron in wetlands can inhibit methane emission, but the precise biogeochemical processes and their efficiency are very poorly constrained due to a lack of studies—especially in Australian freshwater wetlands. This project is expected to inhibit methane emission in freshwater wetlands and maximise their net carbon sequestration efficiency.Read moreRead less
The molecular record in extraordinarily preserved plants and insects. This project aims to unlock a hidden record of our planet’s past and the life it supported, using a novel approach with benefits for environment and industry. Fossilised soft tissues of plants and insects preserved in sedimentary concretions will be analysed, extending the traditional inorganic fossil framework of major evolutionary events. Understanding the biofilm entombment and preservation mechanisms responsible for this u ....The molecular record in extraordinarily preserved plants and insects. This project aims to unlock a hidden record of our planet’s past and the life it supported, using a novel approach with benefits for environment and industry. Fossilised soft tissues of plants and insects preserved in sedimentary concretions will be analysed, extending the traditional inorganic fossil framework of major evolutionary events. Understanding the biofilm entombment and preservation mechanisms responsible for this unique organic fossil archive will extend our knowledge of microbial functionality. Expected outcomes are a new way for interpreting our planet’s past, with improved understanding of extinction, disease, environmental change and consequent adaptation of plants and insects. Read moreRead less