Earth & Environmental Sciences
Chris Wurster
- Adjunct Lecturer
- christopher.wurster@jcu.edu.au
Karen Joyce
- Adjunct Associate Professor
- karen.joyce@jcu.edu.au
Meira Mizrahi
- Adjunct Senior Research Fellow
- meira.mizrahi@jcu.edu.au
Peter Whitehead
- Adjunct Lecturer
- peter.whitehead@my.jcu.edu.au
Daniel Wiemer
- Lecturer - Economic Geology/Geology
- daniel.wiemer@jcu.edu.au
Sminto Augustine
- Technical Officer
- sminto.augustine@jcu.edu.au
She Flies: Using Drones to build STEM Confidence in Girls (Old ID 22974)
Karen Joyce
17 Feb 2017 - 31 Dec 2017
The ‘new drone economy’ is estimated to be worth US 20B pa by 2020, providing 10% of future jobs. Australia leads the world in non-defence applications of drone technology. Yet women and girls are largely missing from this important emerging sector (<1% female pilots). ‘She Flies’ will give girls confidence in a male dominated STEM field. We will create and deliver a hands on workshop for high school girls, their parents and teachers, teaching technical skills, safety, and environmental survey.
What is natural? Humans, megafauna and climate in northern Australia (Old ID 21664)
Michael Bird
01 Nov 2014 - 31 Dec 2020
This project will produce the first long-term (100,000 year), replicated, high-resolution terrestrial records of environmental change before, during and after the arrival of humans in Australian savannas. These records will be the first in the world to extract, from the same material, independent, cutting-edge organic and isotope geochemical records of changes in water balance, vegetation type and fire activity. This will enable natural and human drivers of change in northern Australia's climate and biodiversity to be disentangled on two timescales (i) millennial - before, during and after Aboriginal arrival in northern Australia and (ii) centennial - before, during and after European arrival in northern Australia.
Magmatic History, Fertility and Metallogenesis of the Mary Kathleen Domain of the Mt Isa Inlier (Old ID 24902)
Paul Dirks
28 Feb 2018 - 30 Jun 2021
This project aims to highlight the exploration potential in the Mary Kathleen Domain of the Mt Isa Inlier by providing key mineralisation insights that can assist mining companies to plan their exploration strategy for better targeting and enhance the potential for new discoveries. To achieve this, the project has three main objectives: (1) Establish the extent, character and timing of the dominant magmatic epochs in the Mary Kathleen Domain of the Mt Isa Inlier (2) Develop an understanding of the tectono-magmatic history of the Mary Kathleen Domain and its links to metallogenesis; (3) Explore the applicability of magma fertility concepts as a tool for exploration for a variety of deposit types.
Assessing the footprint, fingerprint, and vectoring potential towards Cu mineralization of trace elements in chalcopyrite and co-existing pyrite, and albite. (Old ID 30025)
Ioan Sanislav
01 Jun 2023 - 30 Jun 2026
This project aims to assess the footprint, fingerprint, and vectoring potential towards Cu mineralization by using trace element analyses of chalcopyrite, pyrite, and albite from Cu deposits in Mt Isa region. As part of this project co-existing chalcopyrite, pyrite and albite will be analysed from a suite of well characterised samples comprising a variety of mineral deposits from Mt Isa region. The role of host rock and deformation on mineral trace element geochemistry will be investigated in order to assess their influence on the vectoring potential.
Modelling unseen flow pathways of water and contaminants in the Wet Tropics: the role of alluvial palaeochannels (Old ID 27748)
HanShe Lim
01 Jul 2022 - 01 Aug 2023
Approximately 50% of nitrogen loss from agricultural landscapes in the Wet Tropics occurs via subsurface flow pathways. We know little about the partitioning of subsurface flows, especially through palaeochannels where field evidence shows them to be zones of preferential pathways of water movement and likely nutrients. This project, led by JCU, seeks to develop an adequate understanding of the role palaeochannels play in subsurface flow movement. We then make recommendations to the modelling community on how to model these landscapes better in order to guide intervention measures (e.g. bioreactors, constructed wetlands) to reduce nutrient release into environmentally sensitive coastal areas (GBR).
Resource Technology and Critical Minerals Trailblazer (Old ID 29000)
Ioan Sanislav
01 Aug 2022 - 30 Jun 2027
The Resource Technology and Critical Minerals Trailblazer is a partnership with Curtin University (Lead), University of Queensland and JCU along with over 25 industry partners. This program has been successful and funded under the Department of Education, Skills and Employment Trailblazer Universities Program. The Trailblazer aims to more effectively commercialise university innovations, accelerate industry technology readiness and open up access to university infrastructure and human resources to support growth of Australian businesses in the field of Resource Technology and Critical Minerals processing.
Improving the quality of water for release from land-based aquaculture in northern Australia (Old ID 26373)
Paul Nelson
01 Apr 2019 - 31 Mar 2020
Effluent from land-based aquaculture farms is problematic because of its nutrient content. This project will be the first in Australia and the tropics to assess the ability of 'denitrification bioreactors' (woodchip-filled trenches) to remove suspended solids and nitrogen from effluent leaving an aquaculture farm. It will be carried out on a barramundi farm the Great Barrier Reef catchment in North Queensland. Changes in quality of water flowing through bioreactors will be measured under a range of likely operating conditions, including differences in salinity and effluent retention rate. The results will be applicable to aquaculture farms throughout the tropics, enabling a reduction in negative environmental impacts, and facilitating intensification and expansion of fish production without increasing nutrient export.
Optimising mill mud and ash applications for soil improvement and carbon sequestration (Old ID 27540)
Hannah Green
01 Apr 2022 - 01 Feb 2026
Negative carbon dioxide emission technologies are urgently required to offset emissions from fossil fuel burning. Weathering of alkaline metal oxides such as those in ash is a promising technology as it consumes carbon dioxide. This project aims to determine carbon sequestration when sugar mill ash, either alone or mixed with mill mud, is applied to soil in sugarcane fields. The project expects to generate knowledge about the rates of carbon sequestration and the factors controlling it, employing field experiments and geochemical modelling. The main outcome expected is a carbon sequestration methodology that is permanent and unlimited (given continued application mill by-products), unlike soil organic carbon sequestration. Adoption will facilitate trade in carbon credits through the Emissions Reduction Fund and facilitate market access through increased ability of the sugar industry to meet consumer expectations regarding environmental responsibility.
The geochemistry of rare earth elements in carbonate melts. (Old ID 24862)
Carl Spandler
28 Jun 2019 - 27 Jun 2022
This project aims to determine why deposits of rare earth elements, which are critical for modern devices and technologies, such as phones, tablet and plasma screens, are associated with carbonate magmas. The global supply of these critical metals is geopolitically unstable and although Australia has significant reserves there is very limited production. By improving our understanding of the geochemical behaviour of the rare earths we aim to develop new reverse-engineering methods for their extraction, which will improve the security of supply of these elements and enhance Australia's role in high-tech industries.
An Innovative approach to documenting the largest floods in the Wet Tropics catchments and determining their effects on pollutant fluxes to the Reef. (Old ID 27515)
HanShe Lim
16 Feb 2022 - 15 Jun 2022
The project examines the magnitude and impacts of past extreme floods in the Barron and Daintree Rivers using a wide range of information types that includes geomorphic evidence (slackwater deposits), historical documents and indigenous knowledge. This information will be used to estimate the impacts of these extreme floods on material fluxes that are of concern for reef health. It also extends our knowledge of flooding impacts on the environment and societies beyond the modern gauged record. The outcomes of the project form the basis of a larger DES grant application aimed at modelling the impact of extreme floods in the Wet Tropics.
Organic matter, sodicity and soil structure
- 1998
- Oxford University Press
- Researchers:Paul Nelson
Seafloor morphology and acoustic facies of the George V Land shelf
- 2003
- Researchers:Rob Beaman
Title:
PhD, James Cook University
End Date:
01 Jan 2010
End Date:
01 Jan 2003
Start Date:
01 Jan 2020
End Date:
01 Jan 2025
Start Date:
01 Jan 2023
End Date:
01 Jan 2025
Title:
JCU Distinguished Professor
Start Date:
01 Jan 2010
Start Date:
01 Jan 2012
End Date:
01 Jan 2012
Start Date:
01 Jan 2019
Title:
Malayalam
Title:
English
Title:
Tamil