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Presented by University of Adelaide PhD students. This is an opportunity for graduate students from the Department of Earth Sciences to describe the exciting work that they are doing, and for the audience to learn how these young and enthusiastic researchers are chipping away at the frontiers of earth science. The forum will take the form of three 15-minute presentations followed by discussion with the audience.
Garnet sands in South Australia uncover an ancient mountain range in East Antarctica
Sharmaine Verheart
The Fleurieu and Yorke Peninsula coasts host a number of garnet-bearing beach sand patches which were winnowed from nearby Permo-Carboniferous glacial sediments of the Cape Jervis Formation and afterwards concentrated on the beach by wave action. Over 500 of these garnet grains were dated using a novel technique which was developed at the University of Adelaide and were found to have ages ranging between 620 and 580 million years (Ediacaran). However, these ages cannot be linked to any garnet-grade metamorphic rocks in southern Australia., My research suggests that these garnets were instead eroded from an ancient mountain range in East Antarctica, which is now almost completely hidden underneath a thick ice sheet.
Mound springs: arid Australia’s palaeothermometers
Fletcher Nixon
Quantitative records of past temperature variability in arid environments are crucial to understanding the full range of the Earth’s climatic regions. However, temperature reconstructions are rare for arid and semi-arid environments, particularly in the Southern Hemisphere, including Australia. This talk will cover how the novel ‘clumped isotope’ technique can be used for carbonates from the iconic central Australian mound springs to reconstruct past temperature variability during the last ~300,000 years. I’ll also share some of the preliminary findings from my PhD, as well as their implications for past climates in Australia’s continental interior.
Tektites: from impact to glass
Jake Jolly
Tektites are fragments of the upper crust that are ejected into the atmosphere during high energy meteorite impacts. While the details of tektite formation are still largely unclear, they are commonly assumed to be homogeneous. Examination of these tektites has revealed intricate structures on a micron scale that hold unique information linked to the behaviour of elements at very high temperatures. My research aims to explore the shaping and early development of tektites to better understand their formation, composition, and behaviour of elements under high temperatures.
Refreshments will be served in the tea room following the meeting.
Members and visitors are warmly invited to attend.
For further information visit: www.fieldgeologyclubsa.org.au
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Mawson Lecture Theatre, Adelaide,SA,Australia