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CET researchers and their partners from State Government organizations ( GSWA and PIRSA ) and Industry have been successful in the second round of 2010 ARC Linkage Funding.The Project, titled ‘Multiscale Dynamics of Orebody Formation’ was proposed by Klaus Gessner (pictured right), Cam McCuaig , Bruce Hobbs , Peter Cawood (UWA), Weronika Gorczyk (CSIRO), James Connolly, Taras Gerya (both Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich), Philippa O’Neill (UWA), and Daniel Lester (CSIRO). This exciting project will see researchers from UWA, CSIRO, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) attack controls on ore body formation from the lithosphere to the deposit scale. Alison Ord and Weronika Gorczyk will join the project within CET.

The project’s aim is to develop a model for hydrothermal mineralising systems where processes are coupled from the scale of the Earth’s lithosphere down to the scale of an ore body. A particular objective is to define measurable parameters that control the size of such systems and that can be used as mineral exploration criteria.

The project team will explore proposals that special lithospheric structural architectures associated with old craton margins are sites for influx of mass and energy into the lithosphere so that eventually these architectures control metal sources and fluid/melt pathways.

At the mineralising site diagnostic features result from strong interaction between deformation, fluid flow, thermal transport and chemical reactions. This system is analysed using the principles of non-equilibrium thermodynamics. The improved understanding of the relationship of mineralization processes and whole-lithosphere architecture will be key to improving targeting models for camp-scale area selection.

A strong industry advisory board will provide essential inputs to ensure strong links between the modeling and real mineral systems.

The project is backed by cash and in-kind contributions from Geocrust Pty Ltd, the Geological Survey of Western Australia , Golden Phoenix International Pty Ltd, Mineral Mapping Pty Ltd, Primary Industries and Resources South Australia (PIRSA), Silver Swan Group Ltd , Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich , Vearncombe & Associates Pty Ltd , and Western Mining Services (Australia) Pty Ltd .

Media references

Cindi Dunjey (Academic Coordinator)

Janine MacDonald (UWA Public Affairs) +61 8 6488 5563 / +61 4 32 637 716