GEMOC ARC National Key Centre

Introducing GEMOC

 

 

MISSION

* to create a new paradigm for the formation of metallogenic provinces by undertaking fundamental research on the evolution of the upper 200 km of the Earth's crust-mantle system, integrating petrological, geochemical and geophysical information

* to give the Australian minerals exploration industry a competitive edge into the 21st century by transferring this new knowledge base and the methodologies to the industry and to the next generation of students

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 and Industry) of groups at Macquarie and ANU (Faculties), with collaborative links to CSIRO, AGSO and colleagues at other Australian Universities as detailed under "Participants".

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

The cover of the annual report symbolises the range of GEMOC's research activities: imaging the Earth from microns to craton dimensions through time. 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 the global, to a single volcano, to the micron-scale in minerals and rocks.

For example

 

* micron trace element zoning in mantle minerals defines mantle fluid processes
* links to geochemical transfer from the mantle to the crust
* links to thermal state and heat budgets
* links to Earth dynamics

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

GEMOC's original Mission Statement remains timely and relevant one year on.

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 reveal 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

 

Research
Teaching and Training
Technology Development
Industry Interaction

These are interdependent and of approximately equal importance.

strategic outcomes

* Fundamental insights into the processes that produce 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 will contribute to this.
* Results and concepts exportable to other terrains, especially Southeast Asia and the Pacific Rim, as well as other potentially resource-rich areas
* 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)
* International research, teaching and technology links of benefit to Australia