Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE100100236
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$180,000.00
Summary
Facilities for spectroscopy and diffraction at high pressures. The provision of infrastructure for the study of novel materials under high pressures will enhance Australia's capability in creating new materials and in creating new devices that meet needs in communication, environment and medicine applications. The new facility will enable researchers to understand the response of structures to extreme pressures and will exploit the unique capabilities of the synchrotron light.
A virtual exploration of iron-sulphur-world in search of the precursors to life on earth. The greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide, that currently presents a threat to the continued existence of humanity, ironically represents the starting point from which life on Earth probably originated. This research will probe the chemistry of how this gas, dissolved in ancient oceans, came to be converted to molecules that form the basis of living organisms through interaction with minerals, such as iron sulphid ....A virtual exploration of iron-sulphur-world in search of the precursors to life on earth. The greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide, that currently presents a threat to the continued existence of humanity, ironically represents the starting point from which life on Earth probably originated. This research will probe the chemistry of how this gas, dissolved in ancient oceans, came to be converted to molecules that form the basis of living organisms through interaction with minerals, such as iron sulphide. Aside from answering a fundamental question, it will offer insights into processes that convert a pollutant into a useful chemical, as well as what might happen if carbon dioxide is placed in mineral deposits for long-term storage.Read moreRead less
Accessory Mineral Microstructure and Implications for Geochronology. U-Pb geochronology of accessory minerals is widely used to constrain the timing of igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary processes. However, our current knowledge of isotope mobility in these important minerals cannot readily explain some common features of U-Pb dating. Using new developments in quantitative microstructural analysis integrated with high spatial resolution geochronology we will constrain the relationship between ....Accessory Mineral Microstructure and Implications for Geochronology. U-Pb geochronology of accessory minerals is widely used to constrain the timing of igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary processes. However, our current knowledge of isotope mobility in these important minerals cannot readily explain some common features of U-Pb dating. Using new developments in quantitative microstructural analysis integrated with high spatial resolution geochronology we will constrain the relationship between accessory minerals deformation and its effect on radiometric ages. Our results will lead to a better understanding of geochemical modification of accessory minerals and may lead to the development of new applications of geochronology and improve the dating of rock deformation.Read moreRead less
Evolution of a two billion year subduction zone: Insights from the integration of microstructure and geochronology. The dynamic evolution of the earth is fundamentally linked to its thermal history. Since, the internal heat production of the earth has changed over time, plate tectonic processes may also have changed over earth history. The manner and timing of this change is highly controversial. We aim to address the nature of tectonic processes 2 billion years ago by studying one of the wor ....Evolution of a two billion year subduction zone: Insights from the integration of microstructure and geochronology. The dynamic evolution of the earth is fundamentally linked to its thermal history. Since, the internal heat production of the earth has changed over time, plate tectonic processes may also have changed over earth history. The manner and timing of this change is highly controversial. We aim to address the nature of tectonic processes 2 billion years ago by studying one of the world's oldest subduction zones (the Usagarian belt in Tanzania). The geometry, kinematics and deformation history of the subduction complex will be integrated with radiometric age dating to quantify the style and rates of ancient tectonic processes.Read moreRead less
The ins and outs of a Proterozoic supercontinent - what is the significance of 990-900 Ma orogenesis for the assembly of Rodinia? The hypothesis that all of Earth's continents came together one billion years ago to form a supercontinent known as Rodinia has invigorated debate about ancient continental distributions. Current models depict a flawed configuration for Rodinia, since they assume that continental fragments preserving evidence for quite different episodes of tectonic activity between ....The ins and outs of a Proterozoic supercontinent - what is the significance of 990-900 Ma orogenesis for the assembly of Rodinia? The hypothesis that all of Earth's continents came together one billion years ago to form a supercontinent known as Rodinia has invigorated debate about ancient continental distributions. Current models depict a flawed configuration for Rodinia, since they assume that continental fragments preserving evidence for quite different episodes of tectonic activity between 1350 and 900 million years ago developed at the same time. This project will make new correlations based upon careful observation and precise isotopic dating of rocks in Antarctica and Mexico, and will use these data to develop a more realistic picture of the ancient Earth.Read moreRead less
Crustal-Scale Fluid Flow in Deep Intracontinental Settings: Conditions, Sources and Deformational Responses. Fluids are important agents of heat and mass transport in the Earth's crust. They play a key role in the mobilisation of metals and as such play a crucial role in the generation of ore deposits. The outcomes of this project will result in a greater understanding of the mechanisms and sources of fluid generation and mobilisation in deep-crustal settings. These outcomes can be related direc ....Crustal-Scale Fluid Flow in Deep Intracontinental Settings: Conditions, Sources and Deformational Responses. Fluids are important agents of heat and mass transport in the Earth's crust. They play a key role in the mobilisation of metals and as such play a crucial role in the generation of ore deposits. The outcomes of this project will result in a greater understanding of the mechanisms and sources of fluid generation and mobilisation in deep-crustal settings. These outcomes can be related directly to the understanding of the controls on the transport and deposition of metals and hence the formation of mineral resources which are vital to maintaining a strong Australian economy.Read moreRead less
MACQUARIE ISLAND: A UNIQUE WINDOW INTO THE OCEAN BASEMENT AND THE LINK BETWEEN OCEAN RIDGES AND OPHIOLITES. Knowledge about the composition and structure of the oceanic crust is limited due to the inaccessibility of the deep-ocean floor. Macquarie Island is the only fragment of ocean crust and mantle exposed above sea-level in the world, providing a unique opportunity to study processes of oceanic floor generation in-situ. Our project will carry out detailed mapping of the lower crust and mantle ....MACQUARIE ISLAND: A UNIQUE WINDOW INTO THE OCEAN BASEMENT AND THE LINK BETWEEN OCEAN RIDGES AND OPHIOLITES. Knowledge about the composition and structure of the oceanic crust is limited due to the inaccessibility of the deep-ocean floor. Macquarie Island is the only fragment of ocean crust and mantle exposed above sea-level in the world, providing a unique opportunity to study processes of oceanic floor generation in-situ. Our project will carry out detailed mapping of the lower crust and mantle sections on the island, followed by an integrated microstructural, petrological, and geochronological analysis of samples. Such investigations may lead to fundamental advances in the understanding of formation, deformation, and emplacement of oceanic crust at mid-ocean ridge spreading centres.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0668345
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$390,700.00
Summary
A highly sensitive mass spectrometer for trace analysis of biomarker molecules to study changes in recent and ancient environments. Maintaining the quality of water and soil is a critically important issue for Australia's economic and social development. To be able to predict and plan the future of our natural assets, it is critical to understand their ecological past and their state before and after European settlement. We will utilize the new instrument to develop and apply innovative technolo ....A highly sensitive mass spectrometer for trace analysis of biomarker molecules to study changes in recent and ancient environments. Maintaining the quality of water and soil is a critically important issue for Australia's economic and social development. To be able to predict and plan the future of our natural assets, it is critical to understand their ecological past and their state before and after European settlement. We will utilize the new instrument to develop and apply innovative technologies providing Australia with new knowledge about the causes and effects of toxic cyanobacterial blooms, eutrophication, and contamination of reservoirs by bush-fires. The new facility will also supply advanced oil fingerprinting techniques to the petroleum industry minimizing exploration risk and increasing the chance of the discovery of new oil deposits.Read moreRead less
Driving Mechanisms of Mountain Building in Accretionary Orogens. Accretionary mountain belts constitute major portions of the Earth's continental crust including the Yilgarn in Western Australia and the area east of Broken Hill constituting a third of the Australian land mass. Understanding the origin of the Permo-Triassic (300-230 Ma) mountain range that lay along the margin of Gondwana from Eastern Australia to South America will provide a new insight into our environment and stimulate interna ....Driving Mechanisms of Mountain Building in Accretionary Orogens. Accretionary mountain belts constitute major portions of the Earth's continental crust including the Yilgarn in Western Australia and the area east of Broken Hill constituting a third of the Australian land mass. Understanding the origin of the Permo-Triassic (300-230 Ma) mountain range that lay along the margin of Gondwana from Eastern Australia to South America will provide a new insight into our environment and stimulate international interest through collaboration amongst researchers around the world. Accretionary orogens are of economic importance as they host the Earth's major orogenic gold deposits and our work has potential to provide a new framework for linking mineralization and deformation events within these important settings.Read moreRead less
Learning to predict polymorphism through simulation of nucleation and nanoparticle evolution. Many substances are capable of exhibiting a myriad of different structures despite having the same composition. This behaviour can have a significant impact on the production of new pharmaceuticals, since the sudden appearance of a new form can lead to instant withdrawal of the drug. By understanding how different forms grow, rather than focusing on just the stability of the product, this research will ....Learning to predict polymorphism through simulation of nucleation and nanoparticle evolution. Many substances are capable of exhibiting a myriad of different structures despite having the same composition. This behaviour can have a significant impact on the production of new pharmaceuticals, since the sudden appearance of a new form can lead to instant withdrawal of the drug. By understanding how different forms grow, rather than focusing on just the stability of the product, this research will lead to more reliable prediction of how pharmaceutical molecules might assemble. The same technology will potentially have impacts in many areas of nanoscience through improvements in efficiency, including the production of minerals, desalination and undersea gas recovery.Read moreRead less