Scientific Program > SYMPOSIA AND SESSION DESCRIPTIONS

Mineral Resources:

a. Mineral exploration case histories
Conveners: John Bishop and Ross Large (Supported by the Society of Economic Geologists)

Papers will be presented showing successful, not-so-successful and unsuccessful exploration programs applied to mineral exploration. The last session will be an open forum to discuss the results and, perhaps, to draw some conclusions on how best to reduce the risk and improve the mineral industry’s success rate.

b. Mining case studies and resource development
Conveners:Ron Morland and Colin Palethorpe (Supported by the AUSIMM Melbourne branch)

This session will concentrate on aspects of geology related to mining. Relevant papers will consider the geological aspects of operating mines, case histories of in-mine and brownfields exploration, and issues related to the reporting of geological resources and ore reserves

c. Diamonds: genesis and discovery
Convener: Steven Cooper

This session will focus on aspects of diamond science and exploration, with emphasis on the Australian continent. Relevant topics include understanding the current and past lithosphere and mantle beneath Australia using geophysics and xenoliths, through to studies on Australia's diamonds, whether sourced from kimberlites, lamproites, or subduction pressure windows. Papers presenting advances in the development and application of exploration targeting tools that can further diamond exploration in an environment where future diamondiferous rocks will rarely outcrop, and are usually extremely altered, are particularly encouraged, as are studies of new diamondiferous deposits or prospects.

d. Proterozoic base-metal deposits
Convener: Andy Wilde

Proterozoic base-metal deposits provide the lions' share of the world's lead and zinc, and significant amounts of copper and cobalt. These include the massive sediment-hosted ("sedex") deposits of the north Australian Proterozoic, iron-oxide copper-gold deposits (exemplified by the super-giant Olympic Dam deposit) and Zambian-style copper-cobalt deposits. This session is intended as a forum for recent research into the deposits, both in Australia and beyond, particularly that which might lead to more cost-efficient discovery of new resources, and to stimulating and fruitful discussion. Contributions are encouraged from industry geoscientists as well as representatives of academia.

e. Electrical and electromagnetic methods
Convener: James Macnae

Sessions will address developments in modelling, application and interpretation of electrical and electromagnetic data. While this session is included under the mineral resources theme, papers addressing energy, environmental and engineering applications are equally welcome. 

f. Potential fields
Convener:Shanti Rajagopalan

This session will include papers demonstrating the continued popularity of the potential field methods and their widespread use in geological mapping, exploration and environmental issues.  Recent advances including airborne gravity gradiometry and the full magnetic tensor will be covered.  The session will include papers on techniques, rock properties & case histories.  

g. Predictive mineral discovery: from mineral systems to modeling
Convener: Andy Barnicoat

As the search for ore deposits becomes more difficult, smarter exploration is needed. One approach is to attempt to be predictive, based upon a firm understanding of mineral systems. These means integrating understanding of the geodynamic context, architecture, fluid sources, pathways and drivers as well metal and sulphur transport and deposition. Validating mineral systems concepts is best done using numerical simulation. We seek contributions addressing these topics.  

h. Gold - new advances from deposit- to t errane-scale, field and laboratory studies and exploration implications
Conveners: Frank Bierlein and David Groves

The symposium is intended to showcase new developments in research on epigentic/orogenic gold; it will provide a fertile forum for the presentation and discussion of wide-ranging industry-, academic, and government organisation-based collaborative research. Relevant topics range from the mine to terrane-scale and include - but are not limited to - geological, geochemical and geophysical ore system investigations, the development and application of exploration targeting tools, and metallogenic studies.

i. Magmatic ore forming environments and processes
Conveners : Reid Keays and Steve Beresford

This symposium will address all aspects of physical and chemical controls on the genesis of magmatic ore deposits. Specific topics that are encouraged include new advances in the lithospheric and mantle controls on magmatic ore provinces/systems, role of crustal contamination in Ni-PGE ore genesis, physical controls on nickel sulphide deposit genesis and mobilisation, role of staging chambers in the genesis of giant Ni-PGE deposits, and affects of mantle heterogeneity on PGE, NiS and diamond deposit genesis. Papers that involve studies of new districts/belt, deposits, or deposit styles are particularly encouraged.

Energy Resource Geoscience:

a. Oil and Gas: SE Australia Fights Back
Convener: Roger Thornton

The oil and gas industry in SE Australia has entered a phase of substantially increased exploration and development activity.  Over the past two years petroleum exploration spending has reached record levels and activity is expected to continue as exploration drilling hits a 20 year high.  The combination of 'new ideas in old basins' from established major players combined with the entry of aggressive independents has led to this resurgence.  On the development front, new gas developments are either producing, under construction or in the planning phase for the Gippsland, Bass and Otway basins.  Large scale, modern 3D seismic datasets have been crucial to providing the impetus for both the exploration and development programs.
This session will address new work and recent successes in the petroleum industry from SE Australia.

b. Coal - a revitalised resource
Convener:Guy Holdgate

This session will focus on the evolution of coal rank from peat through brown to black coals, their comparative utilization and future potentials in an increasingly oil-short world. It is nearly 25 years since the 1982 GSA Specialist Coal Geology Group conference on low rank coals was held in Melbourne, Victoria - home to the largest brown coal reserves in the World. We are looking for papers covering what has happened in the interim both in the brown and black coal fields in Australia and overseas. Coal utilization has significantly expanded, new technologies are improving on greenhouse gas issues, potential for CBM, underground gasification and coal to oil.  

c. Geothermal Energy
Conveners: Graeme Beardsmore and Richard Hillis

Australia is the current world-focus of hot rock geothermal energy developments with Geodynamics' Habanero project in the Cooper Basin and, at the time of writing, 27 geothermal exploration licences in South Australia alone. Recently Petratherm became Australia 's second ASX-listed hot rock company and is seeking high geothermal gradients in permits around the northern Flinders Ranges, in relative proximity to the electricity grid.  Australia also has interests in low temperature geothermal electricity generation (from the Eromanga Basin aquifer at Birdsville) and in direct geothermal heating (such as at Portland, Victoria ). This session will  draw together developments in all aspects of hot rock geothermal energy: exploration for hot rocks; subsurface circulation; long term characteristics of thermal reservoirs, and; above ground engineering. We also welcome contributions on low temperature and direct heating geothermal topics and on legal/licencing aspects of geothermal developments (which vary significantly between states and are a major influence on geothermal activity).

d. Uranium geoscience
Convener: Richard Brescianini

Substantial increases in uranium prices over the past two years – from US$10/lb in 2003 to more than US$25/lb in 2005 – has led to a global revival in the search for this commodity. Several economic, financial, political and social factors are on balance contributing to an atmosphere of healthy growth for the nuclear industry.

This session seeks to encourage discussion on currently documented styles of uranium (± precious metal) mineralisation, including genetic considerations. These include unconformity-related, breccia complex, sandstone, surficial, volcanic, intrusive, metamorphic, quartz-pebble conglomerate and vein hosted. Contributions are invited on the regional and tectonic setting of the world’s uranium-rich provinces, deposit-scale geology and mineralogy, controls on ore formation and emplacement, geochemical and geophysical characteristics, contemporary methods for district- and prospect-scale exploration targeting, and discovery case histories.

e. Geological Storage of Carbon Dioxide
Convener: Andy Rigg

The geological storage of CO2 has been proposed widely as an important contributor to the portfolio of technologies that needs to be considered in addressing deep cuts in global CO2 emissions. International research into the topic has been increasing rapidly over the last decade, and several countries, including Australia, have substantial integrated research programmes looking at the many aspects involved. Earth science has a major role to play in geological storage of CO2 from the selection of the most suitable sites, modelling of the expected behaviour of the site once CO2 is injected, developing the technologies which are best suited for risk assessment, monitoring and verification, providing a technical basis for suitable regulation, through to providing evidence to all stakeholders that the process is safe and secure.

f. Mesozoic and Cainozoic tectonics, basins and hydrocarbon resources
Conveners: Myra Keep and Mat Harrowfield

From forams, facies and hydrocarbons, to climate change, Gondwana dispersal and our place in the Pacific.  This symposium encompasses the tectonics architecture, stratigraphy and prospectivity of Australia 's Mesozoic-Cenozoic basins.

Environmental and Engineering Geosciences:

a. Assessing and mitigating the geological and environmental risks to Australia’s natural resources, environments and urban and rural communities
Conveners: Ken Lawrie and Martin Williams (Supported by CRCLEME)

Geoscience and multi-disciplinary insights and solutions for an environmentally sustainable Australia
Australia possesses a range of complex natural environments and resources that have evolved over millions of years. These environments and resources, and the population centres that depend on them, are vulnerable to a range of natural geological hazards, and to global environmental changes including accelerating human impacts.

The geosciences play a vital role in understanding how biophysical systems have evolved and function, and are crucial for mapping their extent, monitoring changes, and engineering solutions to mitigate adverse impacts. Geoscientific studies, often within a multi-disciplinary framework that integrates bio-physical (geological, geophysical, hydrological, climate, biological) studies and environmental engineering within a socio-economic context, are central to providing reliable hazard risk assessments, underpin holistic natural resource management decision making, and guide infrastructure planning and investment strategies.

This symposium will highlight recent advances in tackling these issues, and will identify the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead if we are to minimise these risks and achieve an environmentally sustainable australia.

A special publication based on invited and contributed papers will be produced from the symposium. Topics covered will include:

• Hazard mapping and characterisation, and a risk assessment framework for australia
• Geological hazard and risk assessments: case studies of ‘rapid onset’ events with the potential to impact on australia, including volcanic, tectonic (earthquake), tsunami, landslide, fire and flood risks
• Global climate change (past, present and future):
• Observed and projected impacts on the australasian region. This will include current climate models and predictions, calibration issues, and past perturbation responses
• Projected responses of varying resources to climate change (on land, in coastal zones, in ocean environments and in australia’s antarctic territory)
• Providing environmental engineering solutions to managing geological and environmental risks: eg co 2 geo-sequestration, salinity mitigation
• Environmental health
• Catchment health: issues covered will include salinity, water quality and water resources (surface and groundwater), and soil.
• Urban and regional centres: land, water and air pollution (including dust)
• Coastal zone and ocean environments
• Near-surface geophysics: mapping and characterisation of near-surface materials and environments
• Mine site rehabilitation

b. Environmental and engineering geophysics
Convener: Mike Asten

All aspects of geophysics relevant to the near surface will be covered in these sessions. We particularly encourage papers covering new technology, novel applications and case histories.

 c. Quaternary climate change
Conveners: Roland Maas, John Hellstrom and Peter Kershaw

A sound knowledge of Quaternary environmental change in and around Australia is critical to understanding our climate as it functions today, and enhances our ability to constrain possible future change. This symposium aims to bring together researchers working on all aspects of palaeoenvironmental change in the Australasian region, over time-scales from the late Neogene to the recent past.  

d. Oceanic and climatic change in the sedimentary record
Conveners: Malcolm Wallace and Stephen Gallagher

The earth has been subject to enormous environmental change over the past 3.5 billion years. The ocean-climate system has varied from a snowball-type earth through to extreme hot house conditions. The causes for these long term global changes are poorly understood. This symposium is aimed at researchers investigating any aspect of global change in the sedimentary record. Specific themes might include the Cenozoic greenhouse-ice house transition, evolution of Cenozoic aridity, Neoproterozoic snowball earth, geochemical and isotopic evolution of the oceans.  

e. Major Advances on the Earth's Dynamic Biosphere through Time
Conveners: Jeffrey Stillwell and Claudia Del Rio

The Symposium highlights the major biotic changes in Earth history from the Precambrian to Recent by targeting advances on our knowledge of the Southern Hemisphere faunal and floral fossil record.  Thematic papers will emphasise the use of fossils in 'big picture' science that directs study to a diverse spectrum of hot topics in palaeontology.  Specific themes comprise/encompass intervals of rapid evolution and deciphering complex evolutionary histories, major biotic crises and recovery, quantitative methods in palaeobiodiversity studies, and the interplay of climate and changing geography on the course of biotic evolution and distribution of ancient animals and plants.   

Geodynamics of Earth’s Evolution

a. Advances in regional-scale mapping through integration of geoscience information: reality or illusion?
Convener: Richard Lane

Seismic, gravity, magnetic and EM data are commonly used to constrain regional geological maps, especially in the 3rd dimension. Do these data eliminate certain hypotheses or does ambiguity allow these data to support virtually any hypothesis? Contributions are invited that present methods and examples that illustrate the value (or otherwise) obtained by integrating different data sources into regional-scale mapping applications.

b. Accretionary orogens: their composition, structure and evolution
Conveners: Peter Cawood and Bill Collins

Classic orogens involve a Wilson cycle of ocean opening and closing, culminating in continental collision. However, this scenario fails to explain the evolution of many orogenic belts in which deformation, metamorphism and crustal growth took place in an environment of ongoing plate convergence. These belts are termed accretionary orogens and have formed throughout Earth history. They constitute major sites of continental growth and mineralization and include Archaean gneiss-granite-greenstone terrains, Proterozoic to Palaeozoic orogens, including the Tasmanides of eastern Australia, and Recent orogens of the circum Pacific and Caribbean. Accretionary orogens form at sites of subduction and consist of magmatic arcs systems along with material accreted from the downgoing plate and eroded from the upper plate. The processes for the initiation and development of accretionary orogens, including their cratonization and incorporation into continental nuclei, are poorly understood, and this symposium aims to determine mechanisms of crustal accretion through Earth history through a multi-disciplinary presentations.

c. The Young Earth: evolution of the Earth System during the Precambrian
Conveners: Mark Barley and Roberto Weinberg

The Archaean and Proterozoic saw some of the most significant events in Earth history; the growth and breakup of the first continents and supercontinents, the emergence of life, the transition from anoxic to oxygenated conditions in the ocean and atmosphere and periods of global glaciation in the Paleoproterozoic and Neoproterozoic. The Proterozoic also saw the rise of eukaryotic organisms and complex plants and animals. This interdisciplinary, integrative symposium will explore the interactions of Earth's lithosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere and biota during the Archaean and Proterozoic, with the general aim of linking field studies of tectonics, environmental conditions and the evolving biosphere with geodynamic and climate modeling.

d. Antarctic geology
Conveners: Chris Wilson and Damian Gore

The aim of the symposium is to focus on the processes of continental growth, the evolution of the palaeoenvironment and their impact on landform development in Antarctica and bearing on global models. To this end the oral and poster presentations are encouraged to look outward from Antarctica to the adjacent continents and to the surrounding oceans, in the context of global models that may explain the coupling of geological processes and climate change.

e. Granites as the Products of Crust-Mantle Interaction
Convener: John Foden

It is increasingly clear that granite magma production in many Phanerozoic orogens is the result of mantle melt-crust interaction. This seems to take place either: 1. when hot mantle and crust remain coupled during convergent deformation or 2. during interludes of lithospheric extension and mantle up-welling either before or after compressional orogeny. This symposium will promote examination of granite in these settings and their geodynamic significance.

f. Mesozoic-Recent basaltic magmatism in eastern Australia and New Zealand - relationships to Gondwana breakup, opening of the Tasman Sea, Southern Ocean
Conveners: Ian Nicholls and Bruce Schaefer

There has been a ~200 million year history of dominantly basaltic magmatism in eastern Australia, sometimes with associated more felsic activity. In the early Mesozoic, this area was distal to the major large igneous provinces along the Gondwana margin, e.g. the Ferrar LIP, and occurrences are small and scattered. From the late Cretaceous, the extent of occurrences increased greatly, and they have continued almost to the present day. This session will examine the geology and geochemistry of dominantly basaltic provinces in Eastern Australia and New Zealand, their relationships to major tectonic events prior to, during and after the opening of the Tasman Sea and Southern Ocean, and associated processes of mantle evolution.

g. Size and duration of magmatic systems
Conveners: Roberto Weinberg and Simon Turner

This session will investigate the physical and temporal evolution of plutonic and volcanic systems. For example, how long do magma chambers last? Do they exist at all? How do plutonic and volcanic systems relate to each other? How long does melt transport take from source melting to extrusion? How does transport velocity affect melt evolution, and volcanism? And can we unravel the complex histories recorded by melt inclusions?

h. Volcanic processes and products
Conveners: Karin Orth and Rick Squire (Supported by the GSA Volcanology Specialist Group, LAVA)

Correct interpretation of the complex association of textures displayed by modern and ancient volcanic rocks requires a sound understanding of the volcanic processes and settings responsible for their formation. This symposium invites papers that will provide insights into the techniques and processes that may be used to interpret volcanic successions and how this understanding may be used to interpret the evolution of complex volcanic systems.

i. Diagenesis to low grade metamorphism in different tectonic settings
Convener: Ian Graham (Supported by the GSA Specialist Group in Geochemistry, Mineralogy and Petrology)

The 'Geochemistry, Mineralogy and Petrology' session of 'the SGGMP Symposium', will cover these broad fields and enable those who are not conducting research in the specialist fields of the other symposia at the 2006 AGC to present the results of their research. It is open to all areas of investigation in any of the fields of geochemistry, mineralogy and petrology. Once abstracts are forthcoming, the timetabling of the symposium will be based on the abstract s themselves, with similar areas of research occurring in the same session when possible.  

j. The SGGMP Symposium
Convener: Ian Graham (Supported by the GSA Specialist Group in Geochemistry, Mineralogy and Petrology)

The 'Geochemistry, Mineralogy and Petrology' session of 'the SGGMP Symposium', will cover these broad fields and enable those who are not conducting research in the specialist fields of the other symposia at the 2006 AGC to present the results of their research. It is open to all areas of investigation in any of the fields of geochemistry, mineralogy and petrology. Once abstracts are forthcoming, the timetabling of the symposium will be based on the abstract s themselves, with similar areas of research occurring in the same session when possible.

k. Basins, breakup and continental evolution
Convener: David Giles

This session will address the products and processes of continental extension with particular reference to the record of global tectonics that can be found in ancient basins. We encourage contributions from a range of sub-disciplines within the Earth Sciences. From their magmatic and sedimentary evolution, to their structural architecture, to their palaeomagnetic record, ancient basins provide important constraints on the evolution and distribution of the continents and the nature of tectonics on the ancient Earth.

l. Advances in understanding of the tectonic and metallogenic evolution of the margins of the Australasian plate
Conveners: Richard Arculus and Chris Yeats

Recent research expeditions to the waters surrounding Australia have provided new insights into the complex nature and tectonic setting of volcanism and associated hydrothermal activity and mineralisation at the margins of the Australasian plate. This symposium is an opportunity for researchers working in the submarine and terrestrial volcanic-magmatic sequences of the Southwestern Pacific and Indonesia to present recent findings into the volcanic, tectonic and metallogenic evolution of these terranes.

Resourcing and Innovation

a. The Future starts with Resourcing Geoscience Education
Conveners: Greg McNamara and Michael Roach (Supported by the GSA Education Specialist Group )

This symposium focuses on the challenge of resourcing human and social capital through education . Papers will be accepted on all aspects of school[K-12+ ], university and public education, outreach and training that addresses the need to keep and raise the importance and profile of the geosciences with the public, the media, the educators, and the future decision makers of Australian society – today’s students.

b. Heritage and Conservation in Earth Sciences
Conveners: Sue White and Mel Mitchell (Supported by the GSA Conservation Specialist Group)

Public perceptions of earth science are often focussed on the minerals industry and the diversity of geology can be under - valued by the community. This is despite many of our parks and reserves containing significant geological sites. This session will cover the range of issues involved, focussing on how geology is the basis of the Australian Landscape and how we can promote this further within the community. Speakers will cover a wide range of topics including the UNESCO Geoparks project, the National Heritage List and the interpretion of geological sites for the public and methodologies for assessing significance.

c. Airborne gravity
Convener: Mark Dransfield

Airborne gravity and gravity gradiometry continue to be the most rapidly developing technologies applied in mineral exploration, and are being evaluated for other purposes such as fault zone characterization and earthquake prediction. This session will focus on recent developments in airborne gravity.

d. Spectral Sensing for Exploration Geoscience
Convener: Tom Cudahy

New spectral sensing technologies can now enable exploration geoscientists to explore and mine more effectively using mineralogy, which complements the use of geochemical and geophysical data. Spectral sensing of mineralogy can be collected at the mine-scale, using systems like core loggers, face scanners and hand-held spectrometers, through to prospect-scale using airborne hyperspectral systems, through to the continental-scale using satellite systems. This symposium will focus on how these spectral sensing technologies can be of value in exploration and mining.

e. Parallel computing for simulation, inversion and analysis of Earth Science data sets
Conveners: Malcolm Sambridge and Louis Moresi

The aim of this symposium is to solicit papers on techniques and studies which utilize the new breed of local medium sized PC-cluster computing hardware now becoming commonly available, as well as the high performance centrally  supported parallel architectures. e.g. for simulation of geophysical  phenomena, inversion and data inference problems across the Earth sciences. 

f. Challenging paradigms – whereto for the geosciences?
Convener: Bruce Hobbs

This symposium is an opportunity for researchers to present radically different ideas or techniques that might lead to the development of new paradigms in geoscience. Examples might include the numerical modeling studies that have in recent years shed new light on crust and mantle-scale processes or the development of advanced analytical tools, such as the synchrotron that will allow us to better understand process at the opposite end of the spatial scale.

g. New geophysical methods
Convener: Asbjorn Christensen

This session will be devoted to innovative geophysical techniques and instrumentation developments, covering measurements made from boreholes, from ground surveys, from airborne platforms and from space.

h. Geophysical modeling, inversion and visualisation
Convener: Art Raiche

This session invites papers covering real advances in the techniques of modelling, inversion and visualisation as well papers demonstrating the successful application of existing techniques for delineating or constraining targets of interest. For oral sessions, a degree of preference will be given to papers with the potential to provoke lively discussion. In this regard, this session will depart from convention in inviting papers that discuss methods that should have worked and failed or original concepts that are yet unproven.

i. Synchrotron science in the study of geological processes and the Australian Synchrotron
Conveners: Gerry Roe, DIIRD, Joel Brugger

The aims of the session will be:

• to educate attendees about the relevance of synchrotron techniques to
  geoscience
• to specify the main strategic application areas of synchrotron techniques
• to geoscience
• to identify novel applications of synchrotron techniques to geoscience
• to encourage new users to access synchrotron techniques
• to formalise some future activities of the Geosync network

The content will include: presentations by Australian and overseas synchrotron experts on current applications of synchrotron techniques to geoscience presentations by the Australian Synchrotron Project on proposed capabilities and the Australian Synchrotron Research Program on existing facilities