GEMOC ARC National Key Centre

Introducing GEMOC

background

The National Key Centre for the Geochemical Evolution and Metallogeny of Continents (GEMOC) formally commenced in January, 1996. Funding started from July 1995 on very short notice, so GEMOC is operating on a 6-month delay with fund rollover. GEMOC was based on the existing expertise and strong funding profile (dominantly ARC) of groups at Macquarie and ANU (Faculties), with collaborative links to CSIRO, AGSO and colleagues at other Australian Universities as detailed under "Participants" in Appendix 1.

This existing base provided the springboard to both broaden and deepen GEMOC's activities, targeting large-scale problems related to understanding lithosphere evolution and the relevance of different types of crust-mantle domains to area selection for mineral exploration.

Major strengths are the diversity of the individual strands and the range of scales being used in an integrated way to interpret fundamental Earth processes. The scales range from global, to regional, to outcrop, to the micron.

The cover symbolises the major role of technology development within GEMOC and the progress through 1997. Advances in cutting-edge hardware, software and novel geological applications of microbeam analysis have been driven by end-user needs and the knowledge required to solve major geological problems. GEMOC aims to image the lithosphere from micron to craton scales through time.

The integration of petrological and geophysical data is aimed to provide data and models to enable exploitation of the full potential of the geophysical databases on which exploration companies rely.

GEMOC's original Mission Statement remains timely and relevant two years on.

Mantle processes meet crustal genesis
The volcano echoes GEMOC's logo and symbolises the links between the four Research Strands: Lithosphere Mapping, Crustal Genesis, Metallogenesis and Geotectonics.

scientific philosophy

GEMOC's distinctiveness lies in its interdisciplinary and integrated approach to interpreting Earth's lithosphere as a 4-dimensional dynamic system (space and time).

This approach links petrology and geochemistry
geophysics
petrophysics
tectonics

within the important contexts of time (4th dimension)
thermal state

to understand the significance of large-scale mantle and crustal domains and the processes that have formed and modified them.

scope of GEMOC's
activities

GEMOC's strategic plan identifies four core activities aligned with DEETYA's "Aims of the Key Centres Programs" Research
Teaching and Training
Technology Development
Industry Interaction

These are interdependent and of approximately equal importance.

strategic outcomes

• Fundamental insights into the processes that create and modify the continental mantle and crust through time
• A better understanding of the assembly of the Australian continent and its geological architecture to 100-200 km depth. Analogue studies in other regions are essential to this.
• Results and concepts exportable to other terrains, including Southeast Asia and other potentially resource-rich areas of interest to Australian exploration companies
• A new conceptual framework for understanding the localisation of economic deposits, which will influence exploration strategies for new world-class ore deposits, and improve the competitiveness of the Australian exploration industry both on- and off-shore
• A realistic 3-D geological framework for the interpretation of lithospheric-scale geophysical datasets
• A training program for senior undergraduate and postgraduate students (and continuing education) that will help maintain the technological edge of the Australian mineral industry and improve the industry's ability to rapidly assimilate new concepts and methodologies
• New analytical strategies for determining the chemical and isotopic compositions of geological materials (including fluids)
• Strategic and collaborative alliances with technology manufacturers in design and application innovation
• International research, teaching, industry and technology links of benefit to Australia