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SchoolofEarthSciencesPotentialresearchprojectsofferedforLevel4(Honours)andLevel5(Masters)studentscommencingin2018.
• Geology
• Geochemistry
• Geophysics
• MineralGeoscience
• PetroleumGeoscience
• Hydrogeology
• CoralReefsandCoastalSystems
Theprojectsoutlinedinthisbookletarenotnecessarilyallofthoseavailable.Pleasefeelfreetotalktostaffmembersaboutdesigningprojectsaroundyourinterests.
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GeoscienceProjectsThisdocumentdescribesprojectssuitableforstudentsundertakinga24pt
researchprojectaspartofanHonoursorMastersdegree.
Twokeypointstonote:
Weencourageyoutoconsiderwhatgeoscienceresearchproblemsinterestyouandtochooseaprojecttopicthatwillmotivateyoutodoyourbestworkthroughouttheyear.Theaimofthe24ptprojectistoprovideanopportunitytolearnhowresearchworksandtobegindevelopingyourresearchskills.The24-ptprojectisapathwaytohigherdegreebyresearch(MSc,MPhil,PhD).
ThisdocumentdoesnotsummariseallavailableprojectsandyouarewelcometospeakwithanystaffintheSchoolwhosuperviseprojectsintheareasofinteresttoyou.WerecommendthatyouhaveaUWAsupervisorandageneralideaofyourprojectbytheendofthisyear.Donotleaveorganisingaprojectuntilthefirstteachingweekof2018!RememberthatmanyofthestafftakeleavethroughJanuary.
GeoscienceisabroaddisciplinethatincludesGeology,Geophysics,Geochemistry,GeobiologyandComputation/NumericalModelling.ThebreadthofresearchactivityintheSchoolofEarthSciences1meansthatstudentshaveopportunitiestoundertakediverseresearchprojects.ResearchmaybefocusedonresolvingquestionsrelatedtofundamentalEarthprocessesandknowledgeorhavevariouslevelsofapplicationtospecificresourcesincludingmineraldeposits,petroleumandgroundwater.
Youarewelcometocontactstaffdirectly(contactdetailsareprovidedinthebooklet)todiscussprojectswheretheyarelistedasthemaincontact.IfyouareinterestedinanMSc(bythesis&coursework)degree,someoftheprojectsoutlinedinthisbookletcanbeextendedintoorsetupaslargerprojects(e.g.36ptprojects).Youarewelcometocontactsupervisorstodiscussasrequired.
_______________________1. Newschoolnamefrom2017resultingfromdemergeroftheSchoolofEarth&Environment
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Project: Thesulfatecapacityofsilicateliquids
Majorsincluding:
Geology
Supervisor: MarcoFiorentini,marco.fiorentini@uwa.edu.au,64883465,MalcolmRoberts,JasonBennett,HughO’Neill
Description: Sulfurplaysanimportantroleinthedistributionandconcentrationofmanymetalswitheconomicandstrategicimportance.Anunderstandingofhowsulfurcontrolsvariousmineralisedsystemsallowsforbettertheoreticalmodelsthatcanpredictandtargetfutureorebodies.Ourcurrentunderstandingofhowsulfurbehavesinmagmaticsystemsisbasedonempiricalanalysesofnaturalsamples,aswellasthermodynamicvariablesmeasuredincontrolledexperiments.Oneofthesethermodynamicvariablesisthesulfatecapacity(𝐶!"!!! ),whichallowsforthecalculationofsulfursolubility.ThesulfatecapacitycanbethoughtofastheequilibriumconstantbetweenSO2gasandSO4
2-anionsdissolvedinasilicateliquid.Thisisimportantinunderstandinghowmuchsulfurisavailableforthetransportanddepositionofmetalsinoxidisedmagmaticenvironments,andtheirassociatedhydrothermalsystems.
Theaimofthisprojectistoaccuratelyandpreciselymeasurethesulfurcontentinaseriesof43one-atmospheregasfurnaceexperiments.Eachexperimentcontains3-7syntheticsilicateliquidcompositionsequilibratedat1200-1500°Cwithvariableoxygenandsulfurfugacities.AnalysisoftheseexperimentswillbeviaEPMA,withpossiblescopeforSIMSworkonsamplesclosetoorbelowthedetectionlimitforEPMA.Thesulfurcontentsofeachglasswillthenbeusedtocalculatethe‘sulfatecapacity’foreachexperiment,whichwillinturnallowforathermodynamicmodelofsulfatecapacityforanysilicatemagmaofagivencomposition.
Project: Petrologyandgeochemistryofmajorite-bearingperidotiteasasourceofBarberton-typekomatiitevolcanism
Majorsincluding:
Geology
Supervisor: MarcoFiorentini,marco.fiorentini@uwa.edu.au,64883465,LaureMartin
Description: Komatiitesareultrabasicmagmasthatformedthroughhighdegreesofpartialmeltingofthemantleandthereforeprovidethemostreliableinformationonbulkmantlecompositions.Komatiiteshavebeensubdividedintotwomaingroups:Barberton-typekomatiitesareAl-depletedandhavetraceelementpatternsthatareundepletedinthemostincompatibleelements,whereasMunro-typekomatiitesareAl-undepletedandshowincompatible-element-depletedtraceelementpatterns.ItisalsonotablethatBarberton-typekomatiitesaregenerallydepletedinplatinum-groupelement(PGE)contentsinrelationtoMunro-typekomatiites.
ThecompositionaldifferencesbetweenBarberton-andMunro-typekomatiitesreflecttheconditionsunderwhichthemeltsseparatedfrom
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theirplumesources.Barberton-typekomatiitesformedby30%batchmeltingofamantlesourceenrichedorslightlydepletedinCa–Alatadepthexceeding300km,andaredepletedinAlowingtomajoritegarnetretentioninthesource,whereasMunro-typekomatiitesformedby50%fractionalmeltingofaCa–Al-depletedmantlesourceatashallowerdepth.However,thegenesisofkomatiitemagmatismisstillhighlydebatedasveryfewreliablemantlesourceshavebeenidentified.
Theaimofthisstudyistodeterminethepetrologicalandgeochemicalfeaturesofaseriesofmajorite-bearingperidotitesfromtheOtroyComplexinwesternNorway.TheseperidotitesarethoughttorepresentthemantlerestiteofArcheanBarberton-typekomatiitevolcanism.Hence,throughthisstudyitwillbepossibletoinvestigatefurtherthegenesisofkomatiitevolcanismandaddressthequestionwhethermajoritegarnetplaysaroleinPGEfractionationandconcentrationduringmagmaticprocesses.
Thisresearchwillbuildonexistingmaterialthatwascollectedduringpreviousstudiescombining:
• Petrologyusingopticandelectronicmicroscopicmethods.• Microprobeanalysis(dependingonresults)• LaserAblationICPMS(dependingonresults)• Ionprobe(dependingonresults)
Thisprojectdoesnotincludeafieldworkcomponentandrequiresastudentinterestedindoingdetailedanalyticalwork.Asuccessfuloutcomehasthepotentialtoresultinapublication.
Project: CAMPingintheIvreaZone,Italy
Majorsincluding:
Geology
Supervisor: MarcoFiorentini,marco.fiorentini@uwa.edu.au,64883465,GregDering,SteveDenyszyn
Description: TheIvreaZoneisasectionofthelowercontinentalcrustexposedintheSouthernAlpsthathaslongservedasanaturallaboratorytoexamineigneousandmetamorphicprocessesinthedeepcrust.RemarkablepreservationandexposureofdeepcrustalrocksthatformedintheMesozoicandPalaeozoicwasachievedbyexhumationalongamajorlithosphericsuturebetweentheEuropeanandAdriaplates,demarcatedbyalong-livedandcomplexfaultzone,referredtoastheInsubricLine.Duringexhumationthisintactcrustalsectionwastilted~90°,effectivelyprovidingararecross-sectionalviewofthelowercontinentalcrust.
Mantle-derivedmaficandultramaficintrusionshavebeenthefocusofmanyIvreaZonestudies,yieldinginsightintofundamentaligneousprocesses,whicharethoughttooccurinmanyotherterranes.ProtractedlatePaleozoicmagmatismmodifiedandweakenedthecontinentalcrustviatheaccumulationandemplacementofmantle-derivedmagma,aprocessreferredtoasmagmaticunderplating.Themostvoluminouspulseofmagmaticunderplatingoccurredatca.288Ma,resultinginamaficpluton(theMaficComplex).Thiswasfollowedbyaseriesofalkalinepipesthatcross-cuttheuppermagmaticstratigraphyoftheMaficComplexand
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werelocallyemplacedwithinthelowercontinentalcrustbetween275-249Ma.
MuchlessunderstoodisMesozoicmagmatismintheIvreaZone.RecentgeochronologicalresultsfromultramaficintrusionshaveyieldedTriassic-Jurassicages.ThissurprisingresultopensuptheexcitingpossibilitytostudyaheretoforeunrecognisedmagmaticeventintheIvreaZone.Onepossibilityisthattheseintrusionsarerelatedtoafar-reachinglargeigneousprovince,theCentralAtlanticMagmaticProvince(CAMP).CAMP-relatedrocksarerecognisedtoextendasfarasBrazil,Ghana,NewYorkstate,andSpain.ThepossibilityofCAMP-relatedintrusionsemplacedatthebaseofthecontinentalcrustintheIvreaZoneofNWItaly,wouldsignificantlyextendfarthertotheeastthepresentlyknownfootprintofthislargeigneousprovince.
ThetargetoftheproposedstudyisaseriesofattenuatedmaficandultramaficbodiesthathavehistoricallybeenthoughtofasaproductofthePaleozoicmagmaticunderplatingevent.ThelargestbodyamongtheseistheLaBalma-MonteCapiointrusion(LBMC),whichismadeupofalayeredsequenceofdunites,peridotites,pyroxenitesandgabbrosthatcontainsignificantNi-Cu-PGEsulfidemineralisation.PreviousworkerssuggestedthattheLBMCintrusionformedbyin-situdifferentiationofahigh-magnesiummagmaemplacedcoevallywiththeMaficComplexatca.288Ma.However,thenewgeochronologyandmappingmotivatesareappraisaloftheLBMCintrusionandrelatedmafic-ultramaficbodies.
Theproposedstudyaimstobuildonrecentpetrological,isotopicandstructuralworkandinvestigatethepetrographic,geochemicalandmineralogicalmakeupofaseriesofsamplescollectedultramaficbodiesfromtheIvreaZone,withthepurposetoelucidatetheirspatialandgeneticrelationshipwiththeotherknownmagmaticeventsinthearea.
Project: Oxygenisotopemake-upoftheArcheanmantle
Majorsincluding:
Geology
Supervisor: MarcoFiorentini,marco.fiorentini@uwa.edu.au,64883465,LaureMartinDescription: Komatiites are remarkable rocks. These crystallised products of the
hottest lava flows ever erupted on the surface of the planet provide asnapshotoftheEarlyEarthandaglimpseoftheplanet’sorigin.MostofthepreservedkomatiitesareArchaeanandProterozoicinage,althoughafew rare but notable examples formed in the Phanerozoic, such as theonesoutcroppingonGorgonaIslandoffthecoastofColumbia.Komatiitesare thought to be associated with mantle plumes sourced from deepmantlereservoirs,possiblyatthecore-mantleboundary.Thus,theselavasprovide invaluable insights intothecompositionof thedeepmantle, thenatureofcore-mantledifferentiationprocessesandthechemical,physicalandthermalstateoftheEarlyEarth.
The modern mantle has an inferred bulk oxygen isotope composition(δ18O) of about 5.5‰. Hadean and Archaean magmatic zircons derivedfrom sources in the upper mantle have δ18O compositions in a similar
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range,implyingthattheoxygenisotopiccompositionoftheuppermantlehasremainedrelativelyconstant,andcomparabletothemodernmantlethroughout Earth’s history. Conversely, the composition of the deepmantle - inferred from δ18O measurements on olivine crystals fromkomatiites -appearstohavechangedthroughtime.Whereasthesourceof theGorgona lavas exhibits signatures between 4.4 and 5.5‰, recentworksshowsthatthesourceofca.3.3GakomatiitesfromtheBarbertongreenstonebeltofSouthAfricaissignificantlylighter,about3to4‰.
ThisdiscoveryispuzzlingbecausetherewaspreviouslynoindicationthattheArchaeanmantlemayhavehadadifferentoxygenmake-uptoitsmoderncounterpart.ThisprojectaimstounderstandwhetherthelightoxygenisotopesignaturerecordedistheSouthAfricankomatiitesisanisolatedphenomenonorwhetheranysecularevolutionintheoxygenisotopecompositionofArchaeanandProterozoickomatiitesgloballycanbeascertained.Toaddressthisconundrum,theprojectinvolvespetrographic,minero-chemicalandisotopicstudyoffresholivinegrainsfromaselectedrangeof2.7GaAustraliankomatiitesand1.9GaRussianferropicrites.
Project GravitymonitoringofKingsParkhydrology
Majorsincluding:
Geology,Geophysics,Hydrogeology,ComputerScience
Supervisor: AlanAitken,alan.aitken@uwa.edu.au,64887147
Description: Gravitydatacanbeusedtomonitorsubsurfacestorageofwater,andcanhelptounderstandimpactsonecologicalchange.ThisprojectseekstobetterunderstandthehydrologyofKing’sParkthroughgravitymonitoring(includingfielddatacollection)andmodelling.Thisprojectsuitsthosewithaninterestinenvironmentalapplicationsofgeophysics.Somecomputingexperienceandreasonablemathsabilityarerequired.
Project: Amethodologyoflarge-scale3Djointgravity&magneticinversion
Majorsincluding:
Anygeosciencerelateddegree,physics,computerscience
Supervisor: AlanAitken,alan.aitken@uwa.edu.au,64887147
Description: Geophysicalinversionisamodellingprocessthatgeneratesaspatialpropertymodel(e.g.density)directlyfromgeophysicaldata.Severalprojectsareavailabletoapplynewtechnologiestogravityandmagneticinversionproblems.WorkwillbecompletedmakingfulluseofPawseyCentresupercomputerinfrastructureandwillinvolvetestingnewcodesagainstexistingapproaches,assessingperformanceandhelpingtofurtherdeveloptheapproach.
Thisprojectsuitsthosewithaninterestingeophysics.Softwareisdesignedtobeusedbynon-specialists,however,somecomputingexperienceandreasonablemathsabilityarerequired.
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Project: AntarcticGeologyandEastAntarcticIceSheetvulnerability
Majorsincluding:
Geology,Geophysicsorrelated
Supervisor: AlanAitken,alan.aitken@uwa.edu.au,64887147
Description: ThevulnerabilityoftheEastAntarcticIceSheet(EAIS)isthebiggestuncertaintyinprojectionsoffuturesea-levelrisedrivenbyclimatechange.Recentstudiesshowthatitmaybemuchmorevulnerabletochangethaniscommonlysupposed(seehttp://theconversation.com/antarctic-glaciers-unstable-past-reveals-danger-of-future-melting-59589;http://www.nature.com/news/antarctic-model-raises-prospect-of-unstoppable-ice-collapse-1.19638).
GeophysicaldatasetsfromtheUS-UK-AUSICECAPprogramhaverevealedforthefirsttimethegeologyofWilkesLandinEastAntarctica.Severalprojectsareavailablethatwillutilisethesenewdatatoreconstructandunderstandsubglacialgeology,includingmappingkeycontrolsonEAISfloworganisationandevolution.TheseprojectsarebestsuitedtowardsstudentswithanacademicfocusatMSclevelastheresultsarehighlypublishableifwellexecuted.Somefamiliaritywithgeophysicalmethodsandawillingnesstounderstandcross-disciplinaryconceptsareessential.
Project: HowtheWestwasOne…TheRodona-TottenShearZone
Majorsincluding:
Geology,Geophysicsorrelated
Supervisor: AlanAitken,alan.aitken@uwa.edu.au;64887147
Description: ThereconfigurationofMesoproterozoicAustraliaoccurredbetweenca.1400Maandca.1300Ma,throughacomplexseriesofplatemarginprocesses.TheculminationofthiswasthecollisionoftheSouthandWestAustraliancontinents.PastandrecentstudiesindicatethatthiscollisionmayhaveoccurredalongtheRodonaShearZone,whichliesoffshoreeastofIsraeliteBayinWA.
Thisprojectinvolvestheuseofhigh-resolutionaeromagneticandgravitydatafromAustraliaandAntarcticatounderstandshear-zonestructureandkinematics.ThisnewmapoftheshearzonewillbetiedinwithnewgeochronologicalandisotopicdataemergingfrombeneaththeEuclaBasin,fromtheAlbanyFraserOrogen,andfromAntarctica.
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Project: Petrologicalinvestigationofrecentmeteoritefinds
Majorsincluding:
Geology,Geochemistry
Supervisor: TonyKemp,tony.kemp@uwa.edu.au,64887846RayPickard,BathurstObservatoryResearchFacility
Description: Meteoritesareextremelyrareobjectsthatareofimmensescientificvalueforunderstandingtheearlyhistoryofthesolarsystemandthedevelopmentoftherockyplanets.Eachyearanumberofmeteoritesare‘discovered’byavid(typicallyeccentric!)collectorsscouringtheEarth’ssurface.Itiscriticallyimportanttoestablishwhetherthesearefragmentsrelatedtoknownmeteoritefalls,orareindeednewtoterrestrialscience.Inthefirstinstance,thisisdonebydeterminingmeteoritetype(stony,stony-ironoriron)followedbydocumentationofmicrostructure,chemicalcomposition,degreeofthermalmetamorphism(forstonymeteorites),intensityofshockmetamorphismandthedegreeofweathering.Projectsareavailabletoexaminerecentmeteoritefinds,forcharacterisationandclassification.Techniquestobeemployedincludeopticalmicroscopy,secondaryandbackscatteredelectronmicroscopy,andelectronprobemicroanalysis.Shouldanewfindbeindicated,themeteoritewouldbeformallynamedandcategorised.TheresultswouldbesubmittedforpublicationintheBulletinoftheInternationalMeteoriticSocietywhichmaintainsacomprehensivedatabaseonallmeteoritesfoundonEarth(seehttp://meteoriticalsociety.org).Theprojectswouldprovideanopportunityforstudentstocontributetoourknowledgeofmeteoritesandtheparentbodiesfromwheretheywereejected.
Project: High-PrecisionUranium-LeadGeochronologyappliedtoIgneousProcessesandTectonics
Majorsincluding:
Geology,Geochemistry
Supervisor: SteveDenyszyn,steven.denyszyn@uwa.edu.au,64887329
Description: Theuseofthermal-ionisationmassspectrometrytodeterminetheisotopiccompositionofuraniumandleadinmineralssuchaszirconandbaddeleyitecanprovidethemostaccurateandpreciseagesavailableforigneousevents.Thisenablesthedeterminationofthetiming,rate,andcorrelationofallsortsofgeologicalprocesses,suchasmagmachamberdevelopment,ore-formingevents,tectonicactivityfromthelocaltocontinentalscales,orglobalbioticeventssuchasmassextinctions.
Avarietyofprojectsareavailablethatwillusethismethodology,whichinvolvescarefullaboratorypractice,incombinationwithpetrographyandgeochemistrytoanswerimportantquestionsinthesefieldsusingrocksalreadycollected.Mostcurrentlyavailableprojectsinvolvethestudyofmaficintrusiverocks(dykesandsills,oftenfromLargeIgneousProvinces)andthetimingoftheiremplacement,withimplicationsforore-depositgenesis,andthereconstructionofpastclimateandplatemotion.Projectstostudygranitesandtheirmodeofemplacement,andmetamorphicrockstodeterminethetimingofformationandmetamorphism.
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Project: GeologicalmappingofVenus
Majorsincluding:
Geology
Supervisor: MyraKeep,myra.keep@uwa.edu.au,64887198
Description: OurrecordoftheearlyevolutionofEarthislimitedbyerosion,burial,tectonicdismembermentandperiodsofimpactcratering.TheVenusiansurfacepreservesarareandpristinerecordofterrestrialplanetevolution.WeaimtomapindetailpartsoftheAtalantaPlanitiaQuadrangle(V4)ofthenorthernhemisphere.OurproposedareacontainsvastareasofVenusian“tesserae”thatisthoughttorepresenttheoldestsurvivingVenusianlandscapes,andwhichprovidesarichanddetailedhistoryoftheevolutionoftheVenusianplanetarysurface.ThisprojectwillinvolveinterpretingSARdataandusingfirst-ordergeologicalrelationshipstounderstandthekinematicevolutionoftheancienttesseraterrainsinthisblock.Studentsmusthaveagoodunderstandingofstructuralgeologyandtectonicsto3rdyearlevel.ThescopeoftheprojectiscompatiblewithextensiontoMasterslevel.
Project: NeotectonicsandmasstransportdepositsinoffshorepetroleumbasinsofnorthernWA
Majorsincluding:
Geology,PetroleumGeoscience
Supervisor: MyraKeep,myra.keep@uwa.edu.au,64887198JulienBourget
Description: ThenorthwestofWAhostsAustralia’slargestrecordedearthquakes(ML7.3,Meeberrie,1941).Identificationofmodernsurfaceoffsets(faultscarps)anddrainagecapture,togetherwithrecentlyacquiredearthquakefocalmechanismdatafor28recentevents,suggeststhatmoderngeomorphologymayyieldevidenceastorecentearthquakeactivitythroughoutnorth-westernWA,whichmayhavetriggeredmasstransportdeposits.ThisprojectseekstomapmodernstructuralorientationsandfaultreactivationinoffshoreareasintheCarnarvonandBrowsebasinswithaviewtounderstandingthepre-reactivationgeometriesandtiming,andrelatingthemtothemoderntectonicsetting.Twoprojectsareavailable,andthescopeiscompatibleforcontinuationtoMasterslevel.
Project: Generalprojectsinseismicstructuralinterpretation
Majorsincluding:
Geology,PetroleumGeoscience
Supervisor: MyraKeep,myra.keep@uwa.edu.au,64887198
Description: ProjectsareavailableinseismicstructuralinterpretationacrosstheNorthWestShelf,onarangeoftopicsincluding:faultreactivationandinversion,neotectonics,igneousdistributions,crosssectionrestorationandothers.PleaseseeMyrafordetails.
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Project: Tectono-stratigraphyoftheRoebuckBasinfrom3Dseismicdataanalysis
Majorsincluding:
Geology,PetroleumGeoscience
Supervisor: JulienBourget,julien.bourget@uwa.edu.au,64882679
MyraKeep,myra.keep@uw.edu.au
Description: Themainobjectivesofthisresearcharetounderstandthetectonicevolutionof the Roebuck Basin on the NorthWest Shelf of Australia. This basin hasgainedanincreasingattentionduringthelastdecadeduetosuccessfuloilandgasdiscoveries.Howeverithasbeenfarlessstudiesthantheotherbasinsofthe North West Shelf, and its structural and sedimentological evolutionremainpoorlyunderstood.Thankstothenewlyavailable,extensiveseismicdatasetsdonatedtoUWAbythe industry,anumberofprojectscanbeaccommodatedandco-supervisedbyMyraKeepandJulienBourget.Focuswillbeon3DSeismicinterpretationwithadditionalwellbiostratigraphyandwirelinelogdata.Aimswillbetomapthe main seismic sequences of the Mesozoic and Cenozoic intervals, alongwith the main faults and structures that formed during multiple phases ofrifting and inversion. Students will aim at reconstructing the tectonicevolution of the basin and investigate the links between tectonics andsedimentation(e.g.,depositionofpossiblesource,reservoirandsealrocksinthebasin).
Project: Depositionalhistoryandpetroleumreservoircharacterisation,NorthWestShelfbasins
Majorsincluding:
Geology,PetroleumGeoscience
Supervisor: AnnetteGeorge,annette.george@uwa.edu.au,64881923
Description: AwidevarietyofpetroleumreservoirsareencounteredintheoffshorebasinsoftheNorthWestShelfofAustralia.Petroleum-focusedprojectscanbeundertakeninshallowordeepmarinedepositionalsystemstoreconstructdepositionalandtectonichistoryofspecificbasinsorthroughspecificstratigraphicunits(notablyreservoirs).Theseprojectstypicallyinvolveintegrationofcorework(sedimentology,faciesanalysis±petrography±biostratigraphy)withseismicand/orwirelinelogdatainasequence-stratigraphicframework.Therearespecificprojectsfocusingonseismicsequence-stratigraphicinterpretationofbasin-marginhistoryandcharacterisationofreservoirintervals.Theseprojectsarealsosuitablefor36-42ptMastersprojects.
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Project: Characterisationofsiliciclastic-orcarbonate-dominatedreservoirsassociatedwithconventionalandunconventionalresourcesinonshoreWABasins(e.g.CanningBasin,PerthBasin)
Majorsincluding:
Geology,PetroleumGeoscience
Supervisor: AnnetteGeorge,annette.george@uwa.edu.au,64881923
Description: Understandingreservoirqualityisafundamentalaspectofpetroleumsystemanalysis.TheonshorebasinsofWAhavebeenthesitesofearliestpetroleumexplorationinWA,anddespitethedominanceoftheNWSasthemajorpetroleumproducer,theonshorebasinshavehadsomeexcitingoildiscoveriesinthelastfewyears(e.g.CliffHead,PerthBasin,andUnganiintheCanningBasin).Projectswillfocusonconventionalandunconventionalreservoirdevelopmentusingcoretopetrographic-scaledescriptionandinterpretationtoestablishdepositionalsetting/environmentsandmajorcontrolsonreservoirquality(i.e.principallydistributionofporosityandpermeability).SomeoftheseprojectsincludeHylogger®analysisandportableXRFanalysisofcoretoobtaingeochemicaldataforcharacterisingfaciesanddiageneticeffects.Someprojectscouldinvolveapplicationofhigherlevelmicroscopictechniques(scanningelectron,cathodeluminescence).
Project: Characterizationoffluvial,lacustrineanddeltaicdepositionalsettingsoftheMungarooFormation(NorthernCarnarvonBasin,NWAustralia)bypalynofaciesanalysis
Majorsincluding:
Geology
Supervisor: DanielPeyrot,daniel.peyrot@uwa.edu.au,64882672
Description: TheUpperTriassicMungarooFormationrepresentsamega-deltaicsystemintheoffshoreNorthernCarnarvonBasin(NWAustralia)andhostshydrocarbonreservoirsinworld-classLNGprojects.Adetailedunderstandingofthearchitectureandstratigraphicframeworkoftheformationisrequiredtoestablishthemostefficientwell-to-wellreservoircorrelations.Theprojectwillfocusonusingpalynofaciesanalysisofselectedintervalsdepositedunderawidearrayofsettingswillhelptounderstandthemainfactorscontrollingthedepositionoforganicsedimentaryparticles.Thisprojecthasimportantimplicationsforbiostratigraphiccorrelationbecausemanyofthekeymicrofossilmarkersusedforcorrelationarefacies-controlled.
Project: TaxonomicdescriptionofLeptodiniumFMsensuBackhouseanditsbiostratigraphicsignificancefortheLowerCretaceousdinoflagellatecystsuccessionofWesternAustralia
Majorsincluding:
Geology
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Supervisor: DanielPeyrot,daniel.peyrot@uwa.edu.au,64882672
Description: DinoflagellatecystsareimportantbiostratigraphicmarkerstodateandcorrelateBerriasian-Valanginian(LowerCretaceous)hydrocarbon-bearingstratafromtheNorth-WestShelfofAustralia.Amongothernumerousinformaltaxadefinedbyconsultants,LeptodiniumFMsensuBackhousehasbeenwidelyusedtorefinetheregionalstratigraphybuthasneverbeenformallydescribed.TheprojectwillfocusonthemorphologiccharacterizationandtaxonomicformalizationofthistaxonanditssignificancetoimprovethebiostratigraphicframeworkofWesternAustralia.
Project: Landscapeevolution:impactsoncoralreefsandseascapes
Majorsincluding:
Geology
Supervisor: MoyraWilsonmoyra.wilson@uwa.edu.au
Description: Sediment-,nutrient-andfreshwater-influxarewidelyconsidereddeleterioustocoralreefsandcarbonatedevelopment.YetintheglobalreefalbiodiversityhotspotofAustralasiasuchimpactsarecommononmodernandCenozoicreefs,butremainpoorlyunderstood.Twoseparateprojectsareavailabletoevaluateimpactsofterrestrialweatheringandrunoff,togetherwithoceanographicprocessesoncarbonateproductionandreefaldevelopment.Systemsstudiedwillbeeitheranarrowfringingreefsystem,orreefsonabroaderclastic-dominatedshelf,bothadjacenttoweatheringtropicallandmass.Anintegratedapproachwillutilisesedimentandfaciesanalysis,environmentalanalysis,experimentalweatheringstudies,withthepotentialtoinvolvepetrology,scanningelectronmicroscopyandgeochemistry.
Thishighlypublishableresearchhasimplicationsforbetterunderstandingthe:thresholdsforreefaldevelopment,futuresurvivalofreefsunderincreasedanthropogenic-inducedrunoff,anddynamicinteractionsbetweenclasticandcarbonatesystems.ThescopeofeachprojectcanbeextendedtoMasters.
Project: Evaluatingheterogeneityincarbonatereservoirsandtheircontrollinginfluences
Majorsincluding:
Geology
Supervisor: MoyraWilsonmoyra.wilson@uwa.edu.au
Description: Carbonatesystemshost~50%oftheworld’shydrocarbonreservoirsandformmajorsubsurfaceaquifers,yettheirporopermcharacteristicsremainnotoriouslyfickleanddifficulttopredict.Unlikeclasticreservoirs,carbonatesonescommonlyshowagreaterrangeofporetypes(e.g.intragranular,biomouldic),significantsecondaryporosity,bi-totri-modalporesystems,aswellasconnectedandunconnectedpores.Betterunderstandingoftheheterogeneityincarbonatereservoirsisreliantonevaluatingtheconsiderable
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depositionalanddiageneticvariabilityincarbonatesystems.Anumberofoftenindustry-supportedprojectsareavailable,includingatMasterslevel.Theseprojectswillvariablyinvolvetraininginthestudyandintegrationof:core,outcrop,seismic,sequencestratigraphic,facies,microscopy,geochemicalandpetrophysicaldatasets.Allresultsareanticipatedtobehighlypublishablewhenexecutedtohighstandard.
Project: Environmentalchangeduringperiodsofglobalclimaticshifts
Majorsincluding:
Geology
Supervisor: MoyraWilsonmoyra.wilson@uwa.edu.au
Description: Environmentalchangeduringglobalclimaticshiftsmaybemanifestinmarinecarbonatesuccessionsthroughchanging:biota,mineralogy,facies,platformstructure,earlydiagenesisandgeochemistry.Projectsareavailabletoinvestigatecontrolsonregionalversuslocalchangeduringtimesofmajorclimaticshifts.TheseperiodsincludetheshiftfromgreenhousetoicehouseconditionsduringtheCenozoicandtheswitchesfromglacialstointerglacialsthatareparticularlymarkedinthePlio-PleistocenetoRecent.Theseprojectswillvariablyinvolvetraininginthestudyandintegrationof:core,outcrop,seismic,sequencestratigraphic,facies,microscopyandgeochemicaldatasets.AllprojectsmaybeextendabletoMasterslevel.Whereexecutedtoahighstandardresultsareanticipatedtobehighlypublishable.
Project: ResponseofWesternAustralia’scoastlinetonon-tidalsealevelvariations
Formajorsincluding:
Geophysics,MarineScience
Supervisors: JeffHansenjeff.hansen@uwa.edu.au,64883724,RyanLowe
Description: ThecoastlineofWesternAustralia(WA)isuniqueinthatitfeaturesapolewardflowingwarmwatercurrent,theLeeuwinCurrent(typicallywarmwatercurrentsoccurontheeasternsideofcontinents).ThestrengthoftheLeeuwinCurrentfluctuatesseasonallyandthisfluctuationresultsinincreasesanddecreasesinthesealevelalongWAthatcanreach+/-0.25mandlastforseveralweeks.Thesenon-tidalsealevelvariationscanbeaslargeasthetideinmanypartsofSouthwestWA.AnalysisofsevenyearsofshorelinepositionscollectedatGardenIsland,SWofPerthindicatethattheshorelinerespondsmorestronglytothesenon-tidalsealevelvariationsthantoseasonalvariationsinwaveheight(whichtypicallydriveseasonalshorelinechanges).TheaimofthisprojectistoextendtheseresultstoanumberofotherbeachesinWAandcomparetheshorelineresponseduetonon-tidalsealevelfluctuationsbetweenreef-fringedandsandybeaches.Shorelineswillbeextractedfromhigh-resolutionaerialphotostakenapproximatelybi-monthlyandavailablefrom2009onwards.
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Project: Do“representative”coastalsitesexists?
Formajorsincluding:
Geophysics,MarineScience
Supervisors: JeffHansenjeff.hansen@uwa.edu.au,64883724,RyanLowe
Description: Inordertomitigatethecoastalhazardsassociatedwithclimatechange,includingrisingsealevelsandpotentiallyincreasingstormintensity,wefirstneedtounderstandhowthepresentdaybeachrespondstostormsandseasonalvariationsinwaveenergy.Typically,coastalresponseismeasuredusingavarietyofintensivefieldorremotesensingtechniques.However,itisnotfeasibletomeasurelargeswathsofcoastwithoutconsiderablecostandeffort,anditmayindeedbeunnecessary.Theobjectiveofthisprojectistoinvestigatetheideaofa“representative”coastalsite.Anumberofresearchershavesuggestedthatinmanylocationsbeachesalongstretchesofcoastlineextending10sofkmormorerespondinasimilarmannertostormsandseasonalvariationsinwaveenergy.Thus,detailedobservationmayonlyneedtobecollectedatasinglesite,withtheseobservationsbeingrepresentativeofthecoastalresponsesomedistanceaway.TheprojectwilltestthishypothesisbyquantifyingbeachchangesfromanumberofstormeventsalongtheWAcoastlineatdifferentlocationsusingexitinghigh-resolutionaerialphotography.
Project: DecadalscalevariabilityofPerth’sbeaches
Formajorsincluding:
Geophysics,MarineScience
Supervisors: JeffHansenjeff.hansen@uwa.edu.au,64883724,RyanLowe
Description: A60-yearrecordofshorelinepositionhasbeencompiledformuchofthePerthmetropolitancoastandprovidesanopportunitytoexaminetheinter-annualanddecalvariabilityofPerth’scoastline.Forexample,recentresearchhasshownthatportionsofPerth’scoastlineerodemoreduringLaNinaevents,whichoccureveryfewyears,asaresultofhigherwaterlevels.Theprojectwillextendtheseresultsbyexaminingtheshorelineresponseatanumberofcoastalsitesandcorrelatetheresponsetoanumberofclimateindices,someofwhichvaryonthedecadaltimescale.Asmostclimateeventscanbereasonablywellforecasted(e.g.ElNino/LaNinaconditionscanusuallybepredictedmonthsinadvance)anylinksbetweenshorelinepositionandvariousclimateindicescanbeusedtopredictthelikelystateoftheshoreline(i.e.moreorlesserodedthanaverage),thusprovidingusefulinformationforlocalcoastalmanagers.
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Project: Investigatingcoralsensitivitytoclimatechangeviageochemistry
Majorsincluding: Geology,Geochemistry
Supervisor: AlekseySadekov,aleksey.sadekov@uwa.edu.au,64884384,MalcolmMcCulloch;ThomasDeCarlo
Description: AnthropogenicemissionsofCO2poseseverethreatstotheoceansandtheirinhabitants.Futurehighconcentrationsofcarbondioxideintheatmosphereareprojectedtoincreaseglobaltemperaturesupto1-4°Cbytheendofthiscenturyandleadtoacidificationofshallowmarinerealms.Marinecalcifiers,suchascorals,areamongthemostsensitivemarineorganismstothesechanges.Thisprojectwilladdressthequestionhowcoralsareaffectedbyincreasedtemperaturesandacidificationofseawater.Thestudentwillstudygeochemistryofcoralskeletonscollectedinthefieldandculturedinthelaboratorytounderstandtheirgrowthmechanisms.Thestudentmusthaveastrongbackgroundingeochemistryandwillalsobenefitfromsomeknowledgeinmarinegeologyormarinebiology.
Project: Useofforaminiferageochemistryformonitoringanthropogenic
pollutionofseagrassmeadowsMajorsincluding: Geology,Geochemistry
Supervisor: AlekseySadekov,aleksey.sadekov@uwa.edu.au,64884384,MalcolmMcCulloch
Description: Seagrassmeadowsareoneofthemostproductiveecosystemsintheworldandarepresentalongcoastlinesofalmosteverycontinent.Urbanisationofmarinecoastlinesoverthelastcenturyposessignificantchallengesinsustainingtheseuniqueecosystems.Reductioninwaterqualityduetoagriculturalandurbanrunoffisoneofthemajorfactorscontributingtoseagrassdeclinearoundtheworld.Theprojectisaimedatdevelopingnovelapproachesinmonitoringwaterqualityaroundthemeadowsbystudyingthegeochemistryofforaminifera,whichareabundantinseagrassmeadows.ThestudentwillcollectandstudyforaminiferashellsalongRockinghamcoast(oneofthemostpollutedareasofWAcoast)tounderstandhowgeochemicalsignaturesoftheseshellscorrespondtohumanpollutionbyheavyandtoxicmetals.Thestudentmusthaveastrongbackgroundingeochemistryandwillalsobenefitfromsomeknowledgeinmarinegeologyormarinebiology.
Project: TracingvariabilityoftheLeeuwinCurrentthroughthelastglacialtointerglacialclimatetransition.
Majorsincluding: Geology,Geochemistry
Supervisor: AlekseySadekov,aleksey.sadekov@uwa.edu.au,64884384,JulieTrotter
Description: TheLeeuwinCurrentflowsalongtheWAcoastlinestartingfromtropicalregioninthenorth,extendingsouthintotheGreatAustralianBight.Itsvariabilityislinkedwithmajorclimatesystems,suchasENSOandtheAsianmonsoon,anditplaysacrucialroleinclimateandrainfallpatternsaroundAustralia.Thisvariability,observedfrominstrumentaldatathatcoversonlythelastfewdecades,ispoorlyunderstood.Thisprojectis
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focusedonreconstructingchangesintheLeeuwinCurrentoverthelast30kyrusingthegeochemistryofplanktonicforaminifera.Thestudentwillusedeep-seasedimentsfromcorescollectedalongtheNWAustralianmargintoreconstructchangesincirculationduringthelastglacialtointerglacialclimatetransition.Thestudentmusthaveastrongbackgroundingeochemistryandwillalsobenefitfromsomeknowledgeinmarinegeologyorpaleoceanography.
Project: TracingenvironmentalchangerecordedbydeepwatercoralsfromtheRedSea.
Majorsincluding: Geology,Geochemistry
Supervisor: AlekseySadekov,aleksey.sadekov@uwa.edu.au,64884384,JulieTrotter
Description: Deepwater(azooxanthellate)coralsinhabitawiderangeofdepths,fromhundredstothousandsofmetres,throughouttheoceanbasins.Theyareveryslowgrowingandlong-lived,andtheirskeletonscanbeexcellentarchivesofambientseawaterconditions.Asuiteoflive-caughtandfossildeepwatercoralscollectedfromtheRedSea(~500to~1000m)willbethebasisforthestudentproject,withtheaimtoreconstructenvironmentalrecordsfromcoralskeletonsusinggeochemicalproxies.TheRedSeaisaregionwithsomeofthewarmest,mostsaline,andoligotrophicconditionsontheplanet,characterisedbyhightemperaturessustainedyear-round.Thestudentmusthaveastrongbackgroundingeochemistryandwillalsobenefitfromsomeknowledgeinpaleoceanographyormarinebiology.
Project: Linkingbiomineralisationofmarinecalcifierswithmicroscalegeochemistryoftheirmineralisedskeletons
Majorsincluding: Geology,Geochemistry
Supervisor: AlekseySadekov,aleksey.sadekov@uwa.edu.au,64884384,MalcolmMcCulloch,MattKilburn
Description: Shellgeochemistryofmarinecalcifiers(e.g.coral,mussels,foraminifera)areoftenusedasproxyforreconstructingpastenvironmentalconditionsorimpactofhumanpollution.However,biomineralisationofthesecalcifiersisnotwellunderstoodandthereforelimitstheapplicabilityoftheseproxies.Thisprojectaimstolinkhigh-resolutionmicroscopywithnano-scalegeochemistrytounderstandhowdifferentbiologicalprocessesaffecttheshellgeochemistryofmarinecalcifiers.StudentwillstudybiomineralisationprocessesinforaminiferaattheIORMCculturingfacilitiesanduseCMCAfacilitiestomapdistributionofdifferenttracemetalsintheculturedshells.Studentmusthaveastrongbackgroundingeochemistryandwillalsobenefitfromsomeknowledgeinmarinebiology.
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Project: Rechargeresponsestoadryingclimateandlandusechange
Formajorsincluding:
Hydrogeology
Supervisors: SarahBourke(sarah.bourke@uwa.edu.au),DepartmentofWaterandEnvironmentalRegulation
Description: Anunderstandingofgroundwaterrechargeiscriticalforsustainablemanagementofgroundwaterresources.Climatechangeandlandusechangesbothhavethepotentialtosubstantiallyaltergroundwaterrecharge.ThisprojectwilluseexistingdatatoevaluaterainfallrechargethroughtheunsaturatedzoneonGnangaraMound.AnextensivedatasetexistsfromaresearchstationestablishedbyCSIROin2011throughthefederalresearchprogramTerrestrialEcosystemResearchNetwork(TERN).Measureddataincludesgroundwaterlevelsfromnestedpiezometers,soilmoistureandweatherdataandanOzFluxtower.Additionaldatacollectionduringthisprojectmaybepossible,andcouldincludemeasurementofunsaturatedzonehydrochemistryandplantwateruse.
Project: Hydrogeologicmodellinginachangingclimate,andanuncertainworld
Majorsincluding:
Hydrogeology
Supervisor: AdamSiade(adam.siade@uwa.edu.au),Jon-PhilippePigois(DepartmentofWaterandEnvironmentalRegulation,DWER)
Theprimaryobjectiveofhydrogeologicalmodellingistomakepredictionsabout how aquifer systems respond to anthropogenic influences. Suchpredictions are predicated on knowledge of aquifer properties, modelconstruction, and future climate evolution,which are often unknownorhighly uncertain. These factors are defined using expert knowledge,climate model results, etc., and can also be indirectly estimated usingrelatively sparse data observed in the field. However, potentiallysignificanterrorsmaypersist,whichoftenresultsinasignificantdegreeofuncertaintyassociatedwithfuturepredictions.Forexample,theabilityfora particular groundwatermodel to predict the drawdown in a sensitivewetland could be highly uncertain for a number of reasons. Therefore,quantifying this “predictiveuncertainty” is paramount forunderstandinghow the natural environmental will respond to future anthropogenicinfluences such as groundwater pumping. Furthermore, reducing thisuncertainty can dramatically improve our ability to develop low-riskgroundwatermanagementsolutions.Thisprojectwill focusonadvancedmethods of numerical groundwater modelling, along with the
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quantification of uncertainty associated with model predictionsthroughoutthePerthregionandbeyond.
StudentswillgainexperienceworkingwiththePerthRegionalAquiferManagement(PRAMS)modelingframework,whichistheprimarymanagementtoolforgroundwaterintheGnangaraarea,andextendsfromCervantestosouthofMandurah,WA.Studentsshouldhavesomeexperiencewithlinearalgebraandstatisticsbeforestartingthisproject.
Project: Regionalgroundwaterresourcemanagementandallocationplanning
Majorsincluding:
Hydrogeology
Supervisor: AdamSiadeadam.siade@uwa.edu.au,Jon-PhilippePigois(DepartmentofWaterandEnvironmentalRegulation,DWER)
Description: Asclimatechanges,manypopulatedregionsoftheworld,includingPerth,will experience decreases in rainfall, which is essential for recharginggroundwater systems.This reduction inavailablegroundwater resourcesresults in a need for more precise, quantitative methods for managinggroundwater, especially when population and industry are expected toincrease. Groundwater managers and decision-makers must makeimportant decisions in order to create the best balance between (i)providing secure sources of fresh water to all of our taps, and (ii)maintainingthehealthofgroundwater-dependentecosystems.Thisstudyfocusesonthemethods,andgroundwatermodelingtechniques,usedtodeveloppracticalmanagementsolutionsthatachievebothofthesegoals.Topicsmayincludemanagedaquiferrecharge,allocationplanning,multi-objective management solutions, and the improved development ofimportant performance criteria including, seawater intrusion controls,waterqualityevolution,waterdistributionnetworks,land-useadaptation,etc.With theappropriate controls, and theaidof sophisticated solutionprocedures,we can improve the security of Perth’swater resources forgenerationstocome.
StudentswillgainexperienceworkingwiththePerthRegionalAquiferManagement(PRAMS)modelingframework,whichistheprimarymanagementtoolforgroundwaterintheGnangaraarea,andextendsfromCervantestosouthofMandurah,WA.Studentsshouldhavesomeexperiencewithlinearalgebrabeforestartingthisproject.
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Project: Hyporheicandparafluvialexchangeinephemeralstreams
Majorsincluding:
Hydrogeology
Supervisor: SarahBourkesarah.bourke@uwa.edu.au,RioTintoIronOre
Hyporheicandparafluvialflowpaths(waterflowinthesubsurface,beneathandadjacenttostreams)areimportantdeterminantsofnutrientdistributionsinstreams.Asyetthereareveryfewstudiesquantifyingtheseprocessesinephemeralstreams.ThisprojectwillinvolvedatacollectioninthePilbara,WAtoassessthespatialscaleandmagnitudeofthesefluxes,withparticularfocusonhowtheychangeduringandafterfloweventsinephemeralstreams.Datacollectionwillincludeenvironmentaltracers(222Rn),nutrientconceitrationsandwaterlevelswithinthestreamandalluvialaquifer.Theinterpretationofthesedatamaybedoneinanumericalmodellingframework.ThisprojectispartofaboraderARCLinkageprojectontheecohydrologyofephemeralstreams.Theoutcomesofthisprojectwillhelpimproveourunderstandingofwaterfluxesnutrientcyclinginsemi-aridenvironmentsandephemeralstreams.
Project: HydrogeochemistryoftheFortescueMarsh
Majorsincluding:
Hydrogeology,Geoscience
Supervisor: SarahBourke(sarah.bourke@uwa.edu.au),GregSkrzypek(UWA),ShawanDogramaci(RioTinto)
Description: TheFortescueMarshisanephemeralwetlandsysteminthePilbara(NWAustralia)thatcancoveranareaof1000km2wheninundated.AspartofacollaborativeresearchprojectbetweenUWAandRioTintoIronOre,hundredsofmetresofcontinuouscorewerecollectedalongtwotransectsacrosstheFortescueMarshTheprojectwillfocusonmeasuringhydrogeochemicalprofileswithinasub-setofthesecoresthathavebeensealedinlinersandstoredinacoolroom.Thestudentwilllogthecoreandconductlaboratoryanalysisofmultipleparameters,including,butnotlimitedto,moisturecontent,stableisotopiccompositionofwaterandmajorioncomposition.ThesedatawillbeinterpretedtodelineatehydrogeochemicalprocessesoperatingwithintheFortescueBasin.
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Project: ArsenicmobilisationduringreductivedissolutionofFe-oxides
Majorsincluding:
Hydrogeology
Supervisor: HenningPrommer(CSIRO/UWA,henning.prommer@csiro.au)
Currently,morethan100millionpeopleinS/SEAsiaareexposedtoarseniccontaminatedgroundwaterabovetheWHOdrinkingwaterlimitof10µgL-1.Arsenicoccursnaturallyinsediments,particularlyinlow-lyingfloodplaintypeenvironmentswithmostofthenoteworthyoccurrencesinpartsofArgentina,Bangladesh,Chile,China,Hungary,India,Mexico,Romania,Taiwan,andVietnam.Understandingthecoupledgeochemicalandhydrologicalprocessesthatcontrolarsenicmobilityisvitalforminimizinghealthimpactsthroughthedevelopmentofsuitablemitigationstrategies.ManyofthemajorfieldstudiesthatwereperformedoverthelastdecadesuggestthatthereductivedissolutionofFe-oxy(hydr)oxidesbylabileorganiccarbonsourcesistheprimaryprocesstocausearsenicmobilisation.Totestthishypothesisasmallnumberofdedicatedfieldexperimentshaveinvestigatedthegeochemicalresponsetothededicatedinjectionofdegradableorganicsubstratessuchaslactateorsucrose.Thisprojectwillreviewandcomparepreviousexperimentsandselectoneofthedatasetstoguidethedevelopmentofanumericalmodeloftheflow,soluteandgeochemicalprocesses.
Project: Heattransportduringaquiferstorageandrecovery
Majorsincluding:
Hydrogeology
Supervisor: HenningPrommerCSIRO/UWA,henning.prommer@csiro.au
Description: Aquiferstorageandrecovery(ASR)isanimportantandincreasinglyusedoptionforwatermanagementinwater-scarceregions,duringwhichsurpluswaterisinjectedintoatargetaquiferforstorageandlaterrecovery.Inthisprojectnumericalmodellingofsolutesandheattransportwillbeperformedtoanalysethedatafromathree-yearlongASRexperimentintheLeedervilleaquifer.Theprojectwillspecificallyexplorehowtemperaturedataobtainedthroughtime-lapsetemperatureloggingcanbeusedtobetterdefineaquiferheterogeneityandhowusingtemperaturedatawillimprovetherobustnessofahigh-resolutionmodeloftheASRexperiment.
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Project: Modellingimpactsofwastewaterinfiltration
Majorsincluding:
Hydrogeology
Supervisor: HenningPrommerCSIRO/UWA,henning.prommer@csiro.au
Description: Infiltrationof(treated)wastewaterisacommonpractiseatmanyplacesinWesternAustraliaandelsewhere.Duetochangesinthewastewatertreatmentprocessandotherfactorsthecompositionoftheinfiltratedwaterhasdistinctcharacteristicsforspecificperiods.Thisprojectaimsat(i)analysingandidentifyinghistoricwastewatercharacteristicsand(ii)amodel-basedinvestigationifthesecharacteristicscanbeusedaseventmarkerstodefineresidencetimesandtraveldistanceswithinwastewaterplumes.
Project: Model-basedanalysisofanuraniuminsituleachfieldexperiment
Majorsincluding:
Hydrogeology
Supervisor: HenningPrommerCSIRO/UWA,henning.prommer@csiro.au
Description: Insituleachingisanimportanttechniquetorecovermineralsfromorebody.Itreliesonadetailedunderstandingofthecomplextransportandreactionmechanismsthatinfluenceitsefficiency.Acomprehensiveuraniuminsituleachexperimentwasconductedin1985nearManyingee/WA.A5-spottestwellconfigurationwassetupandaleachsolutioncontainingNaOCl,CO2andO2wasinjectedthroughthecentralwelltoleachuraniumfromtheorebodyandtorecoveritthroughthe4extractionwellssurroundingthecentralwell.Theobjectiveofthisthesisprojectistointegrateandanalysethedatasetcollectedduringthisexperimentandusereactivetransportmodellingtoidentifythehydrogeologicalandmineralogicalcontrolsonuraniumtransportandonoverallrecovery.
Project: Modellingthefateof14CtoimproveconceptualisationandparameterisationofgroundwaterflowintheCowaramupgroundwatersubarea
Majorsincluding:
Hydrogeology
Supervisor: HenningPrommerCSIRO/UWA,henning.prommer@csiro.auandDavidSchafer(DepartmentofWaterandEnvironmentalRegulation,DWER)
Description: PreviousgroundwaterinvestigationsintheCowaramupgroundwatersubareainvolvedtheinstallationofgroundwatermonitoringborestodevelopanunderstandingofthehydrogeologyandgroundwaterresourcesofthearea.Anumberofcomplementarystudiesongroundwateragedatingandhydrochemistrywerealsoundertakenanda
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numericalgroundwatermodelwasconstructedandcalibrated.Thisstudentprojectaimstoincorporatethetransportof14CandCFCsintothemodelsimulationsandcomparetheresultswithmeasuredenvironmentaltracerconcentrationsinordertoevaluatethecurrentconceptualhydrogeologicalmodel,includingrechargeratesandgroundwaterresidencetimes.
Project: Newapproachesto3Dgeologicalmodelling-CasestudyoftheAshburtonBasin,WesternAustralia
Majorsincluding:
GeologyGeophysics,Physics,Engineering,ComputerScience
Supervisor: MarkJessell,mark.jessell@uwa.edu.au,64885803,MarkLindsay
Description: Thisprojectwillcomparetwoapproachestobuilding3Dgeologicalmodelsofdeformedterrains.Theaimoftheprojectistocharacterisetheoutcomesoftraditional3Dmodellingapproacheswithanewsystemthatextractsthenecessaryinputdatadirectlyfromdigitalmapsanddatabases.ThetestareawillbetheAshburtonBasin,anarcuatebeltofPaleoproterozoicsedimentaryandvolcanicrockswhichformsthenorthernmarginoftheCapricornOrogen,amajororogeniczonebetweenthePilbaraandYilgarnCratons.
Thisprojectwouldbesuitableforstudentswithaninterestin3DgeologicalmodellingandGIS.Programmingexperiencewouldbeabenefit,butisnotessential.
Project: Topologicaluncertaintyin3Dgeology
Majorsincluding:
GeologyGeophysics,Physics,Engineering,ComputerScience
Supervisor: MarkJessell,mark.jessell@uwa.edu.au,64885803,MarkLindsay
Description: Thegeometryofgeologicalmodelshaslongbeenrecognisedtobeanimportantconstraintonthevalidityofforwardprocessmodellingandgeophysicalinversions,howeverinmanyinstancesthetopologyofthemodelisasimportantifnotmoreso,especiallyinsituationswherethecontinuityoflithologies,ortheconnectivityofstructurescontrolstheoutcome,suchasinfluidfloworsometypesofelectricalmeasurements.Thisprojectwillexaminemethodstocharacterisethe3Dtopologyofgeologicalmodelsasapathwaytoclassifyingend-membermodelsthatcanbeusedingeophysicalinversionschemes.
ThisprojectissupportedbytheWAgovernment-fundedWA_In3Dproject,andthescopeiscompatibleforcontinuationtoMastersorPhDlevel.Computerexperienceandsomemathsarerequired.
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Project: Webmappingsolutionsforpre-competitivegeoscientificdatadistribution
Majorsincluding:
ComputerScience,EnvironmentalScience/GIS
Supervisor: DavidGlance,MarkJessell,mark.jessell@uwa.edu.au,64885803,
Description: Webmappingapplicationsarenowastandardtoolfordelivering,sharing,analysing,ordistributingspatialdataworldwide.DuringtheWAXI(WestAfricanExplorationInitiative)projectaweb-mappingtoolcalled“waxiexplorer”wasdeveloped.Thistoolwasalsousedforanopen-accesssystemcalledtheIM4DCOpenDataaccessibleathttp://opendata.im4dc.org.Bothofthesewebapplicationsenableuserstovisualizeanddownloadanyspatiallyenableddatathatweregatheredthroughthelifeoftheparticularproject.Theseapplicationsbuildonopen-sourcewebmappingsolutionssuchasGeoserverandPostgreSQLwiththePostGISextensionaswellanumberofJavaScriptlibrarieslikeExtJS,OpenLayers,GeoExt,andGXP.
Theproposedprojectwillaimtoupgradethecurrentplatformwithnewfunctionalitiesandimprovingtheplatformefficiencyandarchitecturemainlyusingnewlydevelopedtoolsavailableintheopensourcecommunity.Thepotentialstudentswillgainknowledgeofopensourcewebmappingsolutionsandtheirapplicationtothedistributionofgeoscientificdata.
Thisprojectwouldbesuitableforstudentswithaninterestinwebmapping,databaseapplicationsandopen-sourcesoftware.ProgrammingexperienceinJavaScript,HTML,isrequired(experiencewithPythonwouldbeabenefit).
Project: Gyrocopterbasedimagingoftheregolith
Majorsincluding:
Geology,Geophysics,Physics,Engineering,ComputerScience
Supervisor: MarkJessell,mark.jessell@uwa.edu.au,64885803,LaurentAmeglio(GyroLAGPtyLtd)
Description: Gyrocopterplatformsprovideanopportunitytobridgethespatialdividebetweentraditionalairbornegeophysicalsurveysandgroundbasedsystems.SWIR,LIDAR,Radiometricsensorsattachedtogyrocoptersallowlowelevation(10m)flyingoverlargedistances(arangeof400kmbetweenrefuelling).IncollaborationwithGyroLAGPtyLtd,thisprojectwillacquirehighresolutiongeophysicaldataasinputstosemi-automatedanalysisofregolithforatestregioninWesternAustralia.
Thisprojectwillsuitastudentwhoiskeentobeinvolvedinboththeacquisitionandthedataanalysisphasesoftheproject,withtheaimoftestingthisnewtechnologyanditsapplicationtoregolithcharacterisation.
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Project: GeophysicalExpressionofREE-BearingCarbonatitesandPeralkalineIgneousComplexes
Formajorsincluding:
SuitableforHons(4thyear)orM.Sc(5thyear)researchproject.
GeosciencedegreeincludingEART3353GeologicalMappingandGEOS4411MineralisingSystems(UWAgraduates)
Supervisor: MikeDentith,michael.dentith@uwa.edu.au,TonyKempDescription: Peralkalineigneousrocksandcarbonatitesareimportantsourcesof
REE.Thegeophysicalexpressionoftheigneouscomplexeswheretheserocksmostlyoccurareveryeasytorecognise,especiallyinpotentialfieldandradiometricdatasets.The‘intra-complex’controlsongeophysicalcomplexesaremuchlesswellunderstood.ThefirstphaseofthisprojectisaliteraturereviewtocompiledensityandmagnetismandK-Th-Ucontentdatafortheseunusualrocktypes.ThiswillformthebasisforanalysingthegeophysicalresponsesofvariousigneouscomplexesfromAfrica,Greenland,Canadaand,Brazil.Significantquestionstobeconsideredinclude:(i)whichalkalinerocktypeshavedistinctivegeophysicalexpressions,(ii)canthediversemagneticresponsesbegroupedandbetterunderstoodgeologically,(iii)isitpossibletomapfenitisationandotherkindsofalterationusinggeophysicaldatasets.
Project: InterpretingMagneticDatafromSedimentaryBasins:RecognisingResponsesfromEvaporites
Formajorsincluding:
SuitableforHons(4thyear)orM.Sc(5thyear)researchproject.
GeosciencedegreeincludingEART3353GeologicalMapping,EART3344BasinAnalysisandGEOS4412PetroleumSystems(UWAgraduates)
Supervisor: MikeDentith,michael.dentith@uwa.edu.au;64882676,AnnetteGeorge
Description: RecentlycompiledaeromagneticdatafromtheCanningBasinshowresponseswhich,basedontheirgeometry,arepossiblyrelatedtosaltdiapirs.Althoughrarelyreported,the‘textbook’magneticresponseofsaltisanegativeanomaly,howevertheseresponsesaremostlypositiveanomalies.
Corefromtwodrillholesfromthestudyareaisavailableonwhichtomakemagneticpropertymeasurements.Seismicdataisalsoavailable.
Theresearchprojectcomprisesanintegratedinterpretationoftheavailabledata,includingqualitativeandquantitativeinterpretationofthemagneticdataleadingtoanunderstandingofhowsaltappearsinaeromagneticdata.
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Project: RadiometricResponsesofMineralDeposits:AreAlteration-ZoneResponsesActuallyDuetoChangesinGeochemistry?
Formajorsincluding:
SuitableforHons(4thyear)orM.Sc(5thyear)researchproject.
GeosciencedegreeincludingEART3353GeologicalMappingandGEOS4411MineralisingSystems(UWAgraduates)
Supervisor: MikeDentith,michael.dentith@uwa.edu.au;64882676
Description: Severalcommontypesofmineraldepositsareassociatedwithalterationhaloeswhere the concentrationof the three radioelements (K,U, Th) isknown to vary. Examples include VMS, epithermal precious metal andporphyry-style deposits. Some important kinds of host rocks fordiamonds and REE are also anomalous with respect to radioelementcontent,notablycarbonatitesandkimberlites.
An initial assessment of the extensive database of geochemical datasuggeststhatmeasuredchangesinradioelementconcentrationsareoftentoosmalltobedetectedbyradiometricsurveys.Furtherdataneedstobecompiled and modelling of radiometric responses undertaken toinvestigate whether, for example, responses are being significantlyaffectedbysupergeneenrichment,densityvariationsortopography.
There is no significant database of the radiometric responses fromalteration haloes or mineralisation. A literature search is needed toaddressthisproblem,withthedimensionsoftheseanomaliescomparedwith common survey configurations, allowing for the effects of ‘systemfootprints’, todetermine theprobabilityofdetectionof these responsesduringreconnaissanceexploration.
Thisprojectislaboratorybasedandinvolvesdatacompilationandgeophysicaldatainterpetationinageologicalcontext.
Project: GeophysicalMappingofMineralSystemComponentsofCarbonateHostedSedimentaryBasinMineralSystems
Formajorsincluding:
SuitableforHons(4thyear)orM.Sc(5thyear)researchproject.
GeosciencedegreeincludingEART3353GeologicalMappingandGEOS4411MineralisingSystems,EART3344BasinAnalysisandGEOS4412PetroleumSystems(UWAgraduates)
Supervisor: MikeDentith,michael.dentith@uwa.edu.au;64882676
Description: Thecarbonate-hostedbasemetalsisasubsetofthesedimentarybasin-hostedmineralsystemandincludestheMississippiValleytype(MVT)andIrish-styledeposits.Keycomponentsofthissysteminclude‘basementhighs’(wherethebasinislocallythinnerandmetal-bearingfluidsaredirectedtowardsthesurface),evaporitedeposits(the?sourceofthesulphurforthebasemetalminerals)andpossiblyalsodolomitisationfronts(aspatialassociationwithdepositsofdisputedgeneticsignificance).
TheproposedprojectwillusenewlyreleasedgravityandmagneticdatafromoneormoreoftheCanningBasin(WesternAustralia),theIrishMidlandsBasin(Eire)andthemid-continentalbasin(USA)tostudythe
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geophysicalresponseofvariouscarbonate-hostedmineralsystemcomponentsatabasin-scale.Also,attheareascale,dolomitisationfrontsare,inprinciple,detectable/mappablewithgeophysicalmethods.Thepetrophysicalconsequencesofdolomitisationhavebeenintenselystudiedbythepetroleumindustryandtheopportunityexiststotransfertheseresults/ideastoamineralsystemcontextandpotentialdevelopentirelynewarea-scaleexplorationcriteriaforcarbonate-hostedmineralsystems.
Theproposedprojectwilluseentirelypublicdomaindatasetsbutcollaborationwithinterestedexplorationcompaniesandgeologicalsurveysisverylikely.
Project: HydrothermalalterationmineralogyandzonationinshallowsurfaceZn-Pb-Ag-VmineralizationattheWolfprospect,Pilbara
Majorsincluding:
Geology,Mineralogy,Geochemistry
Supervisor: SteffenHagemannandLeighBettenaycontactviaphone:6488-1517oremail:steffen.hagemann@uwa.edu.au
Description: ThisprojectwillconstraintthemineralogyandzonationinthehighlyunusualZn-Pb-Ag-VstylemineralizationatthePrairieandWolfprospects.Fieldworkwillincludethecarefuldocumentationofmineralizationandalterationindiamondcoreandmappingofthelithostratigraphyandstructuresacrosssomeselectedtraversesthroughthemineralizedareas.Laboratoryworkwillemphasisepetrography,mineralchemistry(viaSEMandEMP),andfluidinclusionaswellasinsitulaserICP-MSonselectedsulphidesandsilicatesincludingtheunusualZn-chloritebaileychlore.Wholerockmajoroxideelements,traceelementsandREEanalyseswillbeconductedonselectedhydrothermallyalteredsamples.TheoutcomesofthisprojectwillbeadescriptivehydrothermalalterationmodelwithconstraintsonthePandTofthemineralisingsystemaswellasasetofpathfindermineralsandelements.
Theprojectissuitablefora36ptsMScthesisandHonoursthesis.PrerequisitesaregoodmineralogyandgeochemistrybackgroundandsuccessfulcompletionoftheSEMcourseearlyin2018(asadvertisedbyCMCA).
Project: GarnetandclinopyroxenechemistryoftheO’CallaghanspolymetallicW-Zn-Pb-Cuskarn,PatersonOrogen,WesternAustralia:Constrainingthephysico-chemicalconditionsofprogradeskarnformation
Majorsincluding:
Geology
Supervisor: SteffenHagemann:contactviaphone:6488-1517oremail:steffen.hagemann@uwa.edu.au
Description: TheO’CallaghanspolymetallicskarnislocatedinthePatersonProvinceinWesternAustraliaandisoneoftheworld’slargestWdepositintheworld.Garnetsandpyroxenearepartoftheprograde,hightemperaturehydrothermalsilicatealterationwhichconsistsofgarnet-clinopyroxene-
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quartz,minorsulphidesandscheelite.Thisinvestigationwilldefinethegarnetandpyroxenespecies;defineintra-garnetandpyroxenezonationandprovideP-Testimatesbasedone.g.,thegarnet-pyroxenegeothermometer.Thepetrographicandgeochemicalresultsofthegarnet-pyroxeneassemblagewillbeusedtobettercharacterizestage1progradehydrothermalalterationandmineralizationattheO’Callaghansskarndepositand,thereby,furtherrefinetheclassificationofthisskarntype.
Theprojectissuitablefora36ptsMScthesisandHonoursthesis.PrerequisitesaregoodmineralogyandgeochemistrybackgroundandsuccessfulcompletionoftheSEMcourseearlyin2018(asadvertisedbyCMCA).
Project: FluidchemistryoftheKarounigolddeposit,Guyana,SouthAmerica
Majorsincluding:
Geology,Geochemistry
Supervisor: SteffenHagemanonlyviaemail:steffen.hagemann@uwa.edu.au
Description: TheKarouniorogenicgolddepositisTroyResourcesnewflagshipgolddepositwithproductionstartingin2015.Theprojectinvolvesdetailedpetrographyofquartzveinsandbreccias,cathodoluminescenceofquartz-carbonatecrystalsandidentificationofsuitablefluidinclusionassemblages.ThecarefullyconstrainedfluidinclusionswillbeanalysedusingtheinhousefullyautomatedLinkhamheating-freezingstageandlaser-Ramanspectroscopy.Theresultswillbeusedtoconstrainthephysico-chemicalparameters(P-T-X)ofthepaleohydrothermalsystemthatisresponsibleforthegoldmineralization.AP-T-tcurvewillalsobeconstructedthatwillillustratetheevolutionofthehydrothermalfluidswithintheevolutionofthestructural-metamorphic-magmaticandhydrothermalalterationandmineralizationsystem.
Theprojectissuitablefora36ptsMScthesisandHonoursthesis.PrerequisitesaregoodmineralogyandgeochemistrybackgroundandsuccessfulcompletionoftheSEMcourseearlyin2018(asadvertisedbyCMCA).
Project: FluidchemistryoftheSertãoandCascavelorogenicgolddeposits,Goiás,Brazil
Majorsincluding:
Geology,Geochemistry
Supervisor: SteffenHagemanonlyviaemail:steffen.hagemann@uwa.edu.au
Description: TheSertãoandCascavelorogenicgolddepositsarelocatedinanArchean/PaleoproterozoicgreenstonebeltinGoiás,Brazil.TheCascaveldepositwillstartproductionendof2016anditwillbetheonlygoldminestartingproductioninBrazilinthepastthreeyears.Theprojectinvolvesdetailedpetrographyofgold-quartz-carbonateveins,cathodoluminescenceofquartzcrystalsandidentificationofsuitablefluidinclusionassemblagesin
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bothdeposits.ThefluidinclusionswillbeanalysedusingthefullyautomatedLinkhamheating-freezingstageatCET.Theresultswillbeusedtoconstrainthephysico-chemicalparameters(P-T-X)ofthepaleohydrothermalsystematSertãoandCascavel.Theoutcomeofthisprojectwillbethecharacterisationoforefluidsinbothdepositsandinterpretationoffluidinclusionassemblageswithrespecttofluidboiling,mixingand/orcoolingasagoldprecipitationmechanism.IsochoreswillbecalculatedandP-TconditionsofgoldmineralizationestimatedinordertoconstructaP-T-tevolutionofthesepaleohydrothermalsystems.ThisprojectwillbepartofalargerinvestigationongoldandbasemetalmineralizationintheGoiásgreenstonebelt.
Theprojectissuitablefora36ptsMScthesisandHonoursthesis.PrerequisitesaregoodmineralogyandgeochemistrybackgroundandsuccessfulcompletionoftheSEMcourseearlyin2018(asadvertisedbyCMCA).
Project: Characterisationofproximaltodistalalterationfootprintoftheworld-classCalliegolddeposit
Majorsincluding:
Geology,OreDepositGeology,Petrography,Geochemistry
Supervisor: NicolasThébaud,nicolas.thebaud@uwa.edu.au,64887139,LauraPetrella
Description: TheCalliegoldmineislocated650kmNWofAliceSpringswithintheGranites-TanamiOrogeninNorthernTerritory,Australia.Despitebeingaworld-classdeposit,thealterationfootprintoftheCalliedepositisnotwelldefinedduetothelackofspecificstudydedicatedtothesubject.Thereforetheaimofthisprojectwillbetostudytheproximaltodistalalterationsassociatedwithhigh-grademineralisationemplacement.
ThehostrockstothehighgradeAumineralisationatCalliearefinelylaminatedsiltstones.Thecompositionofsedimentsgenerallyvarieswithinthesameunitthereforeitischallengingtoquantifythegeochemicalchangesresultingfromhydrothermalalteration.ToovercomethisdifficultyweproposetoconductanalterationfootprintstudyondoleritesillspresentthroughoutthestratigraphicsequenceatCallie.ThedoleritesillswereemplacedparalleltothebeddingandareaffectedbythesamedeformationeventsthanthesedimentsincludingthehydrothermaleventsresponsiblefortheformationofthehighgradeAuoreshoots.Thegeochemicalcompositionofthedoleritesills(beforealteration)isassumedtoremainconstantthroughoutthelengthofthesillandconsequentlywouldprovideareliablereferencematerialtoassessgeochemicalchangesinducedbyhydrothermalalteration.
Thisprojectaimsatdefininggoldmineralisationcontrolstofurthersupporttheexplorationstrategyintheregion.Thestudyreliesonamulti-disciplinaryapproachcombiningstructuralcorelogging,mineralogyandlithogeochemistry.
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Project: GoldmineralisationintheNuukprovince,WestGreenland
Majorsincluding:
Geology,OreDepositGeology,Petrography,Geochemistry
Supervisor: NicolasThébaud,nicolas.thebaud@uwa.edu.au,64887139,MarcoFiorentini
Description: ThepurposeofthisprojectistocharacterizethemineralogyandgeochemicalalterationassociatedwithauriferousquartzveinsfromtheArchaeanhighmetamorphicNuukarea,southernWestGreenland.Sulfurisotopedataforhydrothermalmineralswillshedlightonthepossiblefluidsource,thenatureofthepathwayandprecipitationmechanism.Abetterunderstandingwillenhanceourcomprehensionoflarge-scalefluidmigrationandmasstransferinhighmetamorphicterranesand,bythat,thedeepercrustoftheEarth.TheprojectwillbebasedprimarilyonsamplescollectedinthefieldinAugust2016.
Project: U-PbagedistributionofDetritalZirconpopulationsacrosstheBirimianTerrane/ManShieldboundary,WestAfrica
Majorsincluding:
Geology,Geochronology
Supervisor: NicolasThébaud,nicolas.thebaud@uwa.edu.au,64887139,LuisParraAvillaandElenaBelousova
Description: TheWestAfricanCratonconsistsofanArcheancore,theso-calledManShield,andaPaleoproterozoicBirimianTerranethatisessentiallycomposedofvolcanicbeltsandinterveningsedimentarybasins.TheoverallrelationandtheboundarybetweentheManShieldandtheBirimianTerranefurthertotheNorthremainspoorlyconstrained.InordertounderstandtheregionaltectonostratigraphicevolutionandassociatedmineralisationoftheBirimianTerraneinWesternAfrica,itisimportanttodevelopagoodunderstandingofthetimingofemplacementofthevariouslitho-stratigraphicpakagesandintrustionsformingtheCraton.Atpresent,verylittleisknownaboutthestratigraphicvariationwithintheBirimianSedimentaryBasins,whichformsalargeportionoftheBirimianSequenceandevenlessisknownabouttherelationofthisbasinwiththeunderlyingArcheanManShield.In2012afieldcampaignwasconductedinGuineaacrosstheboundarybetweentheProterozoicandArcheanTerranes.Duringthisfieldcampaign,sedimentsfromstreamsandriverswerecollectedwiththepurposeofconductingaTerraneChron®reconnaissancestudyoverthearea.TerranChron®isauniquemethodologyintegratinginsituanalysisofzirconsforU-Pbage,Hf-isotopecompositionandtrace-elementcompositionusingLAM-ICPMS,LAM-Multi-Collector(MC)ICPMSandelectronmicroprobe(EMP)providingapowerfultoolforthestudyofcrustalevolutionandevaluationofthemetallogenicpotentialofterranes.Themethodologywillbeappliedtodetritalzirconsrecoveredfromdrainagesamples.Theuseofdrainagesampleshasmanyadvantages:naturehasseparatedandconcentratedastatisticallymoremeaningfulsamplethanisachievablebyconventionalsinglerocksamplingandmethods,andthiscanprovideamorecomprehensivecoverageofrocktypesparticularlyintheareaswheretherockoutcropsarescarce.
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Project: FinitestrainanalysisofaregionalscalegoldcontrollingstructureinthegoldfieldsofWesternAustralia:theBoulderLefroyShearZone
Majorsincluding:
Structuralgeology
Supervisor: NicolasThebaud,Nicolas.thebaud@uwa.edu.au,JordanMcDivitt
Description: TheBoulderLefroyShearZoneintheEasternGoldfields(WesternAustralia)iscommonlyproposedtorepresentalarge-scaleplumbingsystemresponsibleforthemineralisationofthewell-endowedKalgoorliearea.Thedetailkinematicandstrainrecordedinthefaultremainshoweverpoorlyconstrained.UsingfieldmappingandfinitestrainanalysisoftheBoulderLefroyfieldlocalitynearKambaldacombinedwithgeophysicaldatainterpretation,thisprojectaimsatcharacterisingfurtherthismajorstructuralpathwayin-ordertobetterunderstanditsroleduringthedeformationleadingtothemineralisationintheregion.
Project: LufilianfoldbeltmodellingMajorsincluding:
Geology,3Dmodelling
Supervisor: NicolasThebaudNicolas.thebaud@uwa.edu.au,WeronikaGorczyk,AurelienEglinger
Description: Intheearthsciences,pressureisoftenassumedtobeawell-definedvariabledependentondepthanddensity.Localpressuregradientsandmagnitudescanhoweverchangewithoutanyassociatedchangeindepth.DetailmetamorphicpetrologystudiesofthewhiteschistunitoftheLufilianfoldbeltofZambia(Africa),haveshownthattheunitwasmetamorphosedatatemperaturecomprisedbetween600and700°Candpressuresbelow1.1-1.2GPa.Theamountofstructuralthickeningderivedfromstratigraphiccompilationsconductedintheareaseemshoweverinsufficienttogeneratemetamorphicconditionssuitableforformationofthehigh-pressurewhiteschistmetamorphicassemblages.Usingexistingpressureandtemperatureestimatesandpetrographicanalysesconductedonthewhiteschistunittogetherwiththeaidofnumericalsimulations,theaimsofthisprojectistoevaluatetheroleoftectonicoverpressureintheformationofwhiteschistunitexistingintheLufilianfoldbelt.