Research projects

River systems hold information on tectonic history in their sediment load and their morphology.
Coupled models of tectonics, topography and surface evolution help us to understand continental deformation patterns.
This project uses state-of-the-art tools in models of collision, basin formation and plate boundaries.

This project involves quantifying changes in water resources in Australia. The student will learn all aspects of processing space gravity data from the GRACE Follow-On mission and how to integrate remotely sensed observations into hydrology models. Maths/physics and programming skills are highly desired for the study.

The recent over-ice seismic deployments in Antarctica provide datasets that enable exciting opportunities for seismological research. This project involves innovative development in passive seismology methods adapted for challenging icy conditions to unravel ice and solid Earth structure in Antarctica.

Some of the oldest continental building blocks (e.g. cratons) are found in Australia. At depth, the ancient rock record has invaluable information about the dynamics of the Earth. Seismology can provide remarkable views into the deep lithospheric structure using imaging techniques on broadband seismic data.

Biomarkers
Life in the Precambrian was dominated by bacteria and archaea, organisms that rarely leave diagnostic cellular remains in the fossil record. However, hydrocarbon biomarkers, the molecular fossils of natural products such as lipids and pigments, can yield a wealth of infor­mation about...

These projects aim to monitor how environmental processes change chemistry and mineralogy both in the field and in lab simulations using spectroscopy. The projects can be adjusted for different levels of students.

Use your skills in physics, mathematics or computational science to better understand our climate system.

Volcanics (alkali basalts, kimberlites…) have brought up a large number of mantle xenoliths and xenocrysts throughout geological times and across the Australian continents. Those samples allow to study the composition of the mantle lithosphere.  The newer Volcanic Provinceserve as a bench mark for the 2.0 version of the 4D Lithosphere mapping [link-Ref O’Reilly].

How can physical models and observations reveal the evolving Earth?

Project to analyse the pattern of seismic anisotropy beneath the continent utilising data from temporary broadband networks deployed across Australia

Which mantle deformation mechanisms best explain Earth's time-dependent evolution?

Using Porites coral cores to examine elemental and isotopic proxies to develop proxy reconstructions of the environment.

This research program uses laboratory experiments and geophysical imaging techniques to constrain the thickness and density structure of continental crust and investigate its relationship to mineral systems.

Utilize elemental, isotopic and radiometric proxies trapped in deep sea coral skeletons to examine past climate.

The project aims to reconstruct deep water carbonate ion and nutrient contents at millennial timescales using high sedimentation cores from the Atlantic Ocean.