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.