Staff Only: News Archive
10 Feb 2004 | 5
Feb 2004 | October
2003 | June 2003 | January
2003 | November 2002
June 2007
LEME Articles on pages 16 and 17.
Regolith science in Mineral Exploration. Featuring
- Dating publication to aid weathered terrain exploration
- LEME Explorers Guides in the pipeline
- Final Yilgarn Craton Laterite Geochemical DB now available
- 2007 LEME Minex Seminar (28 Aug 07)
- Project Profile: Geochronology and quantitative models of landscape evolution
- LEME Technology Transfer references
March 2007
Regolith science in Mineral Exploration. Featuring
- LEME-GA sampling technique helps assess Australia's energy potential
- LEME develops gold exploration techniques specifically for transported cover in the Karai and northern Leonora
- Groundwater geochemistry assists search for nickel
December 2006
Future of regolith geoscience in Australia ?
On 30 June 2008, CRC LEME will cease to exist. The LEME Board is critically examining various options for future regolith geoscience entities which can continue to serve both mineral explorers and natural resource managers.
Please download an Open Letter from our Chairman, Mr George Savell. This outlines the current situation and seeks your input.
Please send your comments to our CEO Dr Steve Rogers at: steve.rogers@csiro.au
Minerals Brief No 12 - December 2006
Regolith Science in Mineral Exploration.
September 2006
First issue (Sept 06) of LEME NRM Brief - Regolith Sciences in Natural Resource Management. A short newletter circulated per email. Download PDF file
- Balloon photography allows scientists to get a bird's eye view (high resolution aerial imagery or regional features)
- Petroleum exploration technology searches for groundwater
- Online information for central Qld NRM managers now available
- Airborne geophysics plays an important role in assessing salinity risk along Murray River floodplains
- Acid sulfate soil identification kit developed for Loxton
Contact crcleme-hq@csiro.au to be included on our e-mailing list - for either or both of these ''Briefs'.
LEME Minerals Brief - Regolith Science in Mineral Exploration - Issue 11 - Sept 06
- Qld regolith map now on the drawing board
- LEME research shows bacteria can create gold grains
- Geochemical survey picks up gold anomalies
August 2006
Dr Ravi Anand wins 2006 Butt Smith Medal
CSIRO Exploration and Mining Senior Principal Research Scientist Dr Ravi Anand has won the Butt Smith Medal for his outstanding contribution to geoscientific research.
The award acknowledges Dr Anand's long-term dedication and excellence in the development of geochemical mineral exploration techniques for Australia 's deeply weathered landscapes.
Awarded by CRC LEME and CSIRO Exploration and Mining, the Butt Smith Medal recognises "outstanding and sustained contributions linking regolith science to exploration in Australia"
The announcement of the Butt Smith Medal was made at the 2006 CRC LEME Minerals Exploration Seminar held on Friday, 11 August.
Further information about the Butt Smith Medal and the geoscience research contributions made by Dr Ravi Anand.
LEME Minerals Exploration Seminar well received
The latest research developments within CRC LEME aimed at assisting the Australian mineral exploration industry find new mineral deposits was presented at the 2006 LEME Minerals Exploration Seminar held on Friday, 11 August.
More than 100 representatives from exploration companies, big and small, as well as State Government Agencies, attended the Seminar to hear LEME researchers discuss their latest work to find new geochemical and geophysical ways to locate mineralisation in areas of regolith cover.
Topics on the day included the inside story on the making of the Northern Territory Map and Atlas of Regolith Materials, a discussion on regional geochemical trends in laterites found in the south-western part of the Yilgarn Craton, and the potential of the humble spinifex plant in becoming a new medium to detect geochemical anomalies above mineralisation.
The response to the presentations and feedback received by LEME staff were both very encouraging. The high degree of interest shown in LEME research was also reflected by the large number of Centre publication purchases made on the day.
Abstracts associated with Seminar presentations topics can be downloaded here:
Humble spinifex could be exploratory key
THE common spinifex plant of Central Australia is proving a good indicator of mineralisation, according to the Cooperative Research Centre for Landscape Environments and Mineral Exploration (LEME).
LEME's research on Tanami Gold's Coyote gold deposit in the Northern Territory's Tanami Desert, which was presented as part of the centre's annual Minerals Exploration Seminar, revealed that spinifex leaves had shown elemental anomalies over known mineralisation.
The use of spinifex leaves as a geochemical sampling medium is one of the many topics under discussion at the seminar, which is designed to showcase new techniques developed by the centre that may aid Australian mineral explorers.
LEME Education and Training program leader Dr Steve Hill, from the University of Adelaide , said Australia was a continent that has undergone extensive weathering, erosion and deposition in many parts.
"Most surface or near surface mineral deposits have been found, mineral explorers now need to find cost-effective ways to find deposits beneath the weathered and transported material known as regolith," Hill said.
As a result, the centre has looked at improving the understanding of the physical, hydrological and biological controls of geochemical dispersion in regolith from mineralised areas.
"Our biogeochemical study of spinifex plant leaves over the Coyote gold deposit is one of the many ways we are doing this," Hill said.
"So far, a study by our PhD student Nathan Reid has shown that spinifex has great potential as a biogeochemical sampling medium throughout Australia , as its roots penetrate deep into the ground and it's common throughout arid Australia ."
The seminar held in Perth on August 11, also featured presentations on how other geochemical anomalies are showing up in vegetation over gold and base metal deposits, as well as breakthroughs. MORE INFORMATION ON THE SEMINAR AND ABSTRACT VOLUME AVAILABLE TO DOWNLOAD [2.7MB]
Enquiries to Sue Game CRC LEME HO : 08 6436 8695 - susan.game@csiro.au
Download Program and Registration form
July 2006
LEME gold research features in the prestigious journal 'Science'
Biomineralization of gold: biofilms on Bacterioform Gold
Authors: Frank Reith, Steve Rogers, Bear McPhail (LEME) and Daryl Webb
The journal highlights Dr Frank Reith's research which led to the discovery of a species of bacteria, Ralstonia metallidurans, that precipitates gold out of solution.
For more information and link to full article in "Science" and Science News Story
LEME STUDENT WINS BEST POSTER AWARD AT AESC
Anna receives her award from Geological Society of Australia President, Andy Gleadow
LEME Adelaide University PhD student Anna Petts has taken out 'Best Student Poster' at the 2006 Australian Earth Science Convention (AESC) in Melbourne July 06
The informative poster entitled 'Nature's Drillers and Geochemical Samplers: Termites and their implications for regolith geochemistry in northern Australia' summarised Anna's PhD project work in determining the potential use of soil biota as a biogeochemical sampling medium and regolith mapping tool in the Tanami Desert, located near the Western Australian and Northern Territory borders.
Anna's ongoing research focuses on the use of termite mounds as regional geochemical indicators and to establish a regolith-framework for estimating the depth of transported cover.
Anna explains: "In the Tanami, termites have been observed tunnelling tens of metres below the surface in the search for groundwater. Some of this material, which can contain anomalous geochemical signatures, is taken back to the mound."
"In effect, this means that mound-building termites, through their digging, undertake similar activities to regional geochemical sampling."
Her field research includes sampling mound material for metal content, regolith-landform mapping, geobotanical analysis. A GIS will be used to incorporate the multivariate data generated by her project.
Anna has already determined a relationship between termitaria density, vegetation assemblages and regolith landforms.
Congratulations Anna!
Anna's award-winning poster can be viewed here: [1MB]
June 2006
BEST PRESENTATION -CASH PRIZE TO LEME STUDENT
2006 Student-Industry-CRC Symposium, 18-23 June, 2006 Gladstone, QLD
The Student-Industry-CRC Symposia was a week where students from different minerals related CRCs could present their work to industry sponsors and other students. There was a lot of inter-CRC networking and discussions with industry partners as well as plant tours to the NRG Powerplant, Gladstone Port Authority, Boyne Aluminium Smelter and the Comalco Alumina Refinery.
Nathan Reid (CRC LEME PhD student at University of Adelaide) attended the CRC Symposia in Queensland, presenting his work on Biogeochemistry and Geobotany in the Tanami Region. The presentation was very well received by both students and industry attendees leading to a $1000 cash prize for the best student presentation.
Photo shows (L-R) Janine Lay-Rio Tinto, Dan Churach-CRC Sustainable Resource Processing E&T Leader, and Nathan Reid
May 2006
NewProgram 3 Leader Commences
Dr Paul Shand replaces Dr Steve Rogers as our Program 3 Leader: Environmental Applications of Regolith Geoscience. He is based at CSIRO Land and Water in Adelaide. Click here for further information/CV.
LEME Scientist awarded Travel Scholarship.
CRC LEME scientist DR ROB HOUGH has won a $10,000 scholarship to assist him and other team geoscientists to present their work to international audiences.
The scholarship, awarded by the Perth Convention Bureau, was one of three $10,000 scholarships and three conference development awards presented at a ceremony at Council House in early May 06.
Dr Hough, who is based at CSIRO Exploartion and Mining in Perth, hopes to coordinate a bid for Perth to host a major international meeting supported by the world's two leading mineralogical societies, the Mineralogical Society of America and the Mineralogical Society of Great Britian and Ireland.
The 2004 recipient of the Premier's Prize for Early Career Achievement in Science, Dr Hough was also a finalist for the Prime Minister's Prize for the 2005 Physical Scientist of the Year.
April 2006
Launch of LEME Open File Report 196 - Atlas of regolith material of the Nortern Territory, and Regolith landform Map of the NT. Go to Research News
Release of the Program and Abstracts - International Workshop on Criminal and Environmental Soil Forensics.
Held 8-9 April 2006, Perth following the 18th Int Symposium on the Forensic Sciences. LEME sponsored the production of the Book of Abstracts which was compiled by eminent LEME soil scientist Dr Rob Fitzpatrick. Dr Fitzpatrick was a co-convenor gave several presentations.
Feel free to download a PDF of the volume.
2008: The United Nations' International Year of Planet Earth
More information
Winning IGES Posters
LEME researchers win First, Second and Third Awards for the BEST PROFESSIONAL POSTERS at the 22nd IGES held Sept 05 in Perth. FULL STORY (and to view the posters) - CLICK HERE
- Using groundwater to vector towards mineralisation under cover: the Curnamona Province.
- Soil and biogeochemical signatures of the Aripuana base metal deposit - Mato Grosso, Brazil.
- Mineral hosts for gold and pathfinder elements at the Mount Gibson and Lacefield gold deposits, WA.
October 2005
CHANGE OF CEO FOR LEME
Dr Steve Rogers will take over from Dr Dennis Gee on 10 October. FULL STORY - CLICK HERE
Dr R Dennis Gee retires
The Board of CRC LEME accepted Dennis Gee's decision not to renew his contract on expiry, with regret. At the Board Dinner held 8 September, Board Chair, Mr George Savell, iterated the Board's view that Dennis has served the CRC with dedication and will hand over a fine-tuned and efficient operation.
Dennis plans to take semi-retirement to pursue other interests of both a professional and personal nature. It is expected that he will retain some connection to LEME and CSIRO Exploration and Mining as he develops some of these interests.
September 2005
TWO NEW HONORARY FELLOWS OF LEME
At the LEME Board Dinner held 8 September 2005 in Perth, two new Awards were made, by Board Chair Mr George Savell, in recognition of outstanding contributions to the development and promotion of regolith geoscience. These were to Dr Ray Smith and Prof Gerry Govett. Full details of these and previous Honorary Fellow Awards.
Ray Smith
Gerry Govett (left), Dennis Gee, George Savell
June 2005
Congratulations to Baohong Hou who has been awarded a 2005 Churchill Fellowship
- from the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust "rewarding Australians striving for excellence"
Baohong Hou who is a LEME in-kind geologist with PIRSA, now has several credits to his name. Baohong and his colleagues have been complimented by Iluka Minerals for their palaeographic reconstructions of the Eocene shorelines of the Eucla Basin, which played a significant part in the recent discovery of the Jacinth heavy mineral sand deposit in South Australia. Then he was instrumental in getting up an IGCP project called Continental Fluvial Palaeosystems - Evolution and Mineral Deposits . In May-July 2004, Baohong undertook a exchange lectureship with five Chinese universities to speak on regolith work in Australia, and learn of CHIM electro-geochemical techniques in China.
Baohong will use his fellowship to interact with colleagues in US, Canada and Russia on palaeodrainage and electro-geochemical techniques of exploration through cover. Baohong will probably travel in the second half of 2006.
May 2005
DR ANNAMALAI MAHIZHNAN - HIGHER  DEGREE RESEARCH PRIZE
Dr Annamalai Mahizhnan (known as Anna to his LEME friends) was awarded the Curtin University of Technology KRISHNA AND PAMELA SAPPAL PRIZE 2004 for the best Higher Degree Research Graduate in Geoscience.
Anna was a LEME Scholarship student and his PhD thesis was "Red brown hardpan distribution, origin and exploration implications for gold in the Yilgarn Craton of WA"
Congratulations Anna.
RIVERINA GEOCHEMICAL SURVEY
Collaborative project between CRC LEME and Geoscience Australia. First report on low-density geochemical surveys in Australia. Refer to AusGeo News Issue 78. June 2005.
Such surveys have not taken place here before, for a variety of reasons, and this first pilot project, in the Riverina region, outlines and tests a methodology adapted to Australian conditions. Geochemical surveys have a multitude of potential applications for
- natural resource management,
- mineral exploration and
- geohealth/environmental health risk assessment.
Please do not hesitate to give Project Leader Patrice de Caritat your feedback on this pilot project, as others are under way, and we are keen to collaborate with other state, federal, academic and international research organisations.
GUMTREES AND MULGA: SIGNPOSTS TO MINERALS
CRC Association Media Release, May 2005
October 2004
Congratulations to Penny and Bruce Kilgour on the safe arrival
of twin girls, born 8 October.
10 February 2004
From Dennis Gee:
Effective 10 February 2004 the following appointments were made:
- Ms Lisa Worrall (Geoscience Australia), Leader Program 1: Regolith
geoscience
- Dr Ravi Anand (CSIRO Exploration and Mining) Leader Program
2: Mineral Exploration in areas of cover
Lisa Worrall
Lisa will deploy her extensive experience in regolith processes,
geomorphology, geophysics and 3D modelling of regolith as per the
objectives of Program 1.
Lisa has led multi-disciplinary, multi-party teams for some 10
years; she was deputy leader of the AEM Mapping Program in the CRC
Australian Mineral Exploration Technologies, and since then has
led projects at GA, the largest of which was the Gawler Craton Macro-scale
Geochemical Dispersion project. She is a strong advocate of integration
of geology, geochemistry and geophysics for exploration in areas
of cover. She has given numerous presentations on this topic, demonstrating
her enthusiasm for cross-discipline collaboration. The work of Lisa
and her team in the Tunkillia project has played a significant part
in the enhanced gold resources recently announced by Helix Resources.
Ravi Anand
Ravi's transfer to Program 2 will ensure that his strong liaison
with the mining industry is fully utilised. This will allow him
to focus more on the regolith applications to mineral exploration.
Ravi's reputation and results within LEME 1, LEME 2 and CSIRO Exploration
and Mining speak for themselves. His research interests are in distribution,
dynamics and diagenesis of sediments; origin of geochemical anomalies;
and integration of 'geo-disciplines' for developing methods of exploration
in regolith covered terrains. He has an enviable record in technology
transfer, commercialisation and extension of existing industry projects,
and has made a significant change in the philosophy and practice
of geochemical exploration in Australia, South America and Africa
resulting in more effective exploration, reduced exploration costs
and in new mineral discoveries. He has led industry funded projects
and research teams since 1991, including large interdisciplinary
AMIRA projects. Ravi is an Adjunct Professor in regolith geology,
School of Applied Geology, CUT.
The appointment of Lisa and the transfer of Ravi may call for a
re-assignment of supervisory responsibility for some projects. This
will be done in a staged manner over the next few months as part
of the budget process for next financial year.
Thanks to Keith Scott on a job well done.
I would like to thank Keith Scott for his 'long term temporary'
appointment as Program 2 Leader, where he has been most effective
in contributing to the management of regolith minerals projects.
Keith will remain as a LEMER until 30 June 2004 during which time
he will complete his part in a number of existing LEME projects.
5 Feb 2004
From Dennis Gee:
I am pleased to advise that Dr Steve Rogers has accepted the position
of Leader of the CRC LEME Program 3: Environmental applications
of regolith geoscience. The appointment takes effect immediately.
Steve is based at CSIRO Land and Water, Waite Laboratories, Urrbrae
(Adelaide). Phone: 08 8303 8407, Email: steve.rogers@csiro.au.
Steve completed his Masters in Environmental Technology at Imperial
College, London, and his PhD in Environmental Microbiology at the
University of Kent. Steve joined the CRC for Soil and Land Management
in 1992 as a postdoctoral fellow and CSIRO Land & Water in 1997.
Steve joined LEME 2 in 2001, and is currently involved in floodplain
ASS work. His research interests lie in microbial biogeochemistry,
the role of microbial biotransformations in the cycling of nutrients
and mineralisation/transport of sulfide minerals in landscapes,
and the relationship between soil chemistry and bioavailability
of inorganic elements. He has pioneered the application of molecular
biology techniques based on measuring bacterial gene expression
to the study of environmental biogeochemical function. Steve has
a strong background and reputation in research management and leadership,
and has held several senior research management positions in CSIRO.
When his nose is not to the grindstone, he indulges his passions
for sailing and diving. He rejoices in the resurrection of English
Rugby, and runs around after his two year old daughter. Steve will
be meeting up with researchers in LEME with interests in environmental
applications of regolith geoscience over the next few months, and
is looking forward to working with all 'LEMERS' in providing leadership
and vision for Program 3.
With the growing involvement of the biota in our research into
all regolith processes, Steve's knowledge will play a significant
part in the scientific advancement of many of our projects in other
LEME Programs.
Special thanks to Colin Pain.
Steve replaces Colin whose appointment as Program Leader terminated
at the end of December last year. Both Colin and his employer, Geoscience
Australia, expressed a desire that he should continue with LEME
with a wide scientific advisory role but still with a strong emphasis
in Program 4.
Colin has been a staunch supporter of CRC LEME since before the
conception of LEME 1 in 1995 and was instrumental in the successful
bids for both LEME 1 and LEME 2. He has been a Program Leader for
more than eight years. He has been an invaluable staff member and
I am sure, with his extraordinary depth of knowledge and experience,
will continue to be so. We are thankful that Colin will remain with
the LEME team , to spread his expertise across all Programs.
October 2003
Roslyn Chan recently carried out a scientific exchange program
with the Geological Survey of Canada (GSC) and the United States
Geological Survey (USGS). Read her report [PDF - 900kb].
June 2003
Congratulations to Ravi Anand and Mark Paine who were recently
awarded the Australian Journal of Earth Sciences – Stillwell
Award 2002. The Editorial Board of the AJES initiated a new category
of their Stillwell awards for “Outstanding Paper”. There
were six nominees for Volume 49 (2002), and the winner was “Anand
R.R. & Paine M. 2002. Regolith geology of the Yilgarn Craton,
Western Australia: implications for exploration. 49, 3-162.”
From Pat James, E&T Program Leader, 5 June 2003 - Following
the E&T Program review, Steve Hill asked to stand down as Deputy
E&T Program Leader, due to work committments in other areas
(research and teaching). I would like to thanks Steve on behalf
of the committee, and personally, for his excellent support and
committment in this role over the last 15 months since I took over
as E&T Program Leader. I know that Steve will continue to work
tirelessly on behalf of LEME and Adelaide University as a researcher,
teacher and continuing member of the Education and Training Committee.
Dr Ian Roach has been appointed as the new Deputy E&T Leader.
We welcome Sue Welch, who joins LEMErs at ANU. Sue is a geomicrobiologist,
most recently from Wisconsin, and she will be working with many
ANU and other Canberra LEMErs as well as many others in the rest
of LEME, especially those interested in low-temperature geochemistry
and microbiology.
January 2003
Welcome to new (and old) LEME staff:
- Steve Hill – Senior Lecturer at Adelaide University (E&T).
Steve has been with LEME for several years – commencing
as a LEME PhD student, then employed as Lecturer at UC and now
- Ian Roach – switched to ANU in the same capacity as MTEC
Lecturer (E&T) , following the withdrawal of UC
- KP Tan – switched employers from UC to ANU, but remains
insitu at Geoscience Australia in Programs 3 & 4
- Judith Shelly – Administrative Assistant for the Canberra
‘node’ based at ANU
- Andrew Fitzpatrick – Program 4 AEM Geophysicist –Geoscience
Australia
- Ben Maly – switched to Program 4 as Regolith Geoscientist
(previously Program 2) – Geoscience Australia
- Patty Please – Program 4 Hydrogeologist/Research Assistant
– Geoscience Australia
- Anne Gibson – Program 4 data entry – Geoscience
Australia
- See Staff Directory for contact details.
November 2002
We welcome Dr John Joseph to CRC LEME. John has joined Pat James
and the team at Adelaide University, as a Senior Lecturer in Exploration
Geophysics.
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