Current Grants
ARC Discovery Grant
3D geospatial model Australian continent from geologically constrained inverse modeling of Earth's gravity and magnetic fields
Total ARC funding: $260,000 (2011-2013)
Chief Investgators: Dr PG Betts; Dr LA Ailleres; Professor Mark Jessell; Dr Eric deKemp
A 3D geospatial model of the crust for the Australian continent will be constructed at a resolution that has no counterpart on the planet. The model will be based on inverse modelling of the Earth's magnetic and gravity fields. The model will enable understanding of the geometry fundamental building blocks of the Australia continent, the distribution and geometry of crustal penetrating faults, and the connection between deep structures and surface geology. The innovative part of the geospatial model is that that the gravity and magnetic inverse models will be guided by uncertainty analysis of geological constraints. The model will reconcile geology and the geophysical constraints.
Australian Society of Exploration Geophysicists Research Foundation
Defining the margins of Australia’s ancient geological cratons from gravity and magnetic fields
Total funding: $30,000 (2009-2011)
Investigators: Dr PG Betts; Dr Laurent Ailleres; Mr Brenton Crawford (PhD student)
It has now been demonstrated that several of Australia’s most prominent mineral belts (e.g., Olympic IOCG domain in the Gawler Craton) occur along the major crustal boundaries that occupy the location of ancient collisional zones at the margin of cratonic boundaries. Craton boundaries may have been favoured sites for mineralisation because they are likely to reflect ancient plate margins characterised by elevated heat flow, have lithospheric penetrating faults systems able to tap the deep crust and mantle lithosphere, and in many case may have occupied the position of ancient arc, which have all shown on the modern Earth to favour mineral development of mineral districts.
This project aims to address the issue of the distribution and geometry of these plate margins using analysis of regional potential field datasets to constrain their 3D geometry and to determine the connectivity between faults at the surface and deep crust structure. This will assist regional targeting and also assist in the development of new geodynamic models that will assist understanding the setting of mineral systems.
|
