GEMOC ARC National Key Centre
GEMOC participants
GEMOC is based at Macquarie University (in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences).
There is active national collaboration with state Geological Surveys, GA (Geoscience Australia), CSIRO, ANU/RSES and other national universities, and several major industry collaborators, across a broad range of projects related to GEMOC's strategic goals. A distinctive feature of GEMOC is the high level of active international collaborations and reciprocal links.
Collaborative research, teaching and technology development links have been established with universities nationally and internationally and these evolve as new alliances become relevant to new directions.
GEMOC has developed ongoing collaborative relationships with national and international industry and end-users such as Geological Surveys globally (e.g. some Australian states, Canada, Norway).
GEMOC has a wide network of international research and teaching development partners and collaborators.
A full list of GEMOC participants and their affiliations is given in Appendices 1 and 3 and at www.gemoc.mq.edu.au/
CHANGES IN 2009
2009 Arival in the EaPE CoRE
Dr Juan Carlos Afonso
Dr Juan Carlos Afonso arived at GEMOC in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences in early 2009. After graduating with a PhD from Carleton University (Ottawa), he undertook postdoctoral research at the Institute of Earth Sciences Jaume Almera (CSIC, Barcelona) on the development of new methods to study the thermal and compositional structures of the lithospheric/sublithospheric upper mantle. His background is in theoretical and computational geophysics/geodynamics. His current research integrates different disciplines such as mineral physics, potential field modelling, thermodynamics, and physics of the mantle in general, to explore and improve our understanding of plate tectonics. In particular, he is interested in the evolution of the lithospheric mantle, the mechanical and geochemical interactions between tectonic plates and the sublithospheric mantle, and their effects on small- and large-scale tectonic processes.
Other new arrivals and appointments in 2009
Dr Svetlana Tessalina
Dr Svetlana Tessalina joined GEMOC in 2009, to work on the PGE and Re-Os systematics of the most depleted mantle xenoliths – dunites and harzburgites – from the South African kimberlites. This project is part of the ARC Discovery Project on "Earth's internal system: deep processes and crustal consequences". Svetlana took her PhD in 1997 from Lomonosov Moscow State University, and followed this up with postdoctoral fellowships in France, Italy and England, concentrating mainly on isotopic analysis. Most recently she was Assistant Professor at the University of Pierre and Marie Curie, Paris, and brings expertise in several aspects of research, including the RE-Os systematics of ultramafic rocks.
Dr Dan Howell
Dr Dan Howell joined GEMOC in July 2009 as a post-doctoral Research Associate on the ARC Discovery Project "Diamond genesis: cracking the code for deep-Earth processes". He graduated from University College London with a PhD (March 2009) that investigated the stress related optical properties of both natural and synthetic diamonds. The work, which was part funded by the Diamond Trading Company, discovered a new geobarometry technique for measuring the source pressure and temperature conditions of diamond formation. He also conducted high pressure and temperature experiments to explore relationships between differential stress and diamond colour under simulated mantle conditions. His current work is focusing on developing a new quantitative infrared mapping technique, as well as building on the extensive geochemical databank of diamond trace-element analyses at GEMOC. This work involves collaborations with ARC Partner Investigators including Prof Oded Navon's group (Jerusalem, Israel), Prof Thomas Stachel's group (Edmonton, Canada) and Dr Jeff Harris (Glasgow, UK).
Dr Michael Turner
Dr Michael Turner arrived at GEMOC in September 2009 assisted by a New Zealand Foundation of Science and Technology three-year Post-Doctoral Fellowship. He graduated with a PhD from Massey University (New Zealand) in 2009, having studied physical volcanology and magma genesis of Mt. Taranaki (New Zealand). This research illustrated recognised cyclic variation in eruption frequency related to the magmatic processes. At GEMOC, he is using U-series isotopic studies to probe variations in magma degassing and its timescales. The isotopic approach will be complemented by continuous FTIR (Fourier Transfer Infrared Spectroscopy) on nominally anhydrous minerals to identify variations in water content. These techniques will allow the greatest potential to record magmatic water/volatile contents over a large range of magmatic conditions and therefore provide further information relevant to the processes that may be responsible for eruption variations.
Dr Norman Pearson
In April 2009 the position held by Dr Norman Pearson was translated from General to Academic Staff. The reclassification recognized Norm's international research profile and his continuing academic leadership in the development and management of the Geochemical Analysis Unit. Norm is now a Senior Lecturer in the Dept of Earth and Planetary Sciences.