GEMOC ARC National Key Centre

Director's Preface

THIS REPORT is the official account to the government funding body, the Department of Education, Training and Youth Affairs (DETYA), of GEMOCís achievements and activities for 2000.  GEMOC has a wide brief spanning teaching (undergraduate and postgraduate), research and strategic applications with industry.  Therefore this report has many functions and we hope that you find sections of interest whether you are a collaborating scientist, an industry partner, a fellow researcher or teacher, an undergraduate or postgraduate student or simply someone seeking information.

In its first five years GEMOC has built up an impressive infrastructure of instrumentation for state-of-the-art geochemical analysis, with emphasis on high precision in situ analysis of trace elements and isotopic ratios by laser ablation microprobe inductively coupled mass-spectrometry (LAM-ICPMS) and multi-collector (MC) LAM-ICPMS, as well as solution isotopic analysis by multi-collector inductively coupled mass-spectrometry (MC-ICPMS) using simplified geochemical preparation.  In situ dating of mantle sulfides by Re-Os isotopic analysis and development of rapid and cost-effective in situ isotopic analysis of zircon for U-Pb ages and Lu-Hf signatures have been fully developed through 2000 (see Research Highlights) and provide an unprecedented opportunity to date the formation of crust and mantle lithospheric domains.  Full documentation of these methods is given on the GEMOC web site (www.es.mu.edu.au/GEMOC/AnMethods/anmeth.html).

Funding of the SPIRT Project with WMC for 2001 to 2003 (Lithospheric Architecture of Australia: Relevance to Location of Giant Ore Bodies) is evidence of the progress made for one of GEMOCís main original Research Aims.  This research project will test the concept that giant magmatic and hydrothermal ore bodies are localised by major structural discontinuities that extend through the Earthís lithosphere.
GEMOC has again been very visible nationally and internationally through 2000 with over 50 presentations at 12 conferences and 37 peer-reviewed publications.  The international postgraduate program remains vigorous, international collaboration is increasing and we have had an increasing number of international visitors undertaking collaborative projects during visits of 3-6 months.  Postgraduate commencements are healthy and undergraduate teaching goals are being maintained. GEMOC continues to benefit from the strong support of the Vice-Chancellor and the University Executive at Macquarie.

There were five GEMOC PhD graduations at Macquarie during 2000 (Elena Belousova, Oliver Gaul, Bertrand Moine, Xu Xisheng and Shixin Yao) and two at ANU (Colleen Bryant and Ulrike Troitzch), and Olivier Alard (Macquarie) submitted his thesis in December.
During 2001 we are looking forward to more frontline research and increasing industry interaction so that GEMOC remains viable after the Commonwealth funding finishes at the end of the year.
 
 

Suzanne Y. O'Reilly