Micro-Raman spectroscopy has become an important, versatile, non-destructive technique that is well-suited for the study of minerals and the inclusions they may contain. This technique is particularly useful in cases where the more common techniques (e.g. electron microprobe or X-ray diffraction analysis) cannot be used, for example, because of the impossibility to separate or prepare the sample to be studied. Another advantage of micro-Raman spectroscopy is that polymorphs with the same chemical composition can be easily distinguished. Furthermore, the Raman mapping technique can be used to generate a spectroscopic map of the sample. The wealth of detailed spectral information produced during Raman mapping has made this an extremely valuable technique for detailed studies of internally heterogeneous minerals. Because of the ability to perform analyses non-destructively, the micro-Raman technique has become an extremely valuable tool in the study of gemstones, which includes their identification and the identification of inclusions, and the detection of potential treatments done to enhance their colour and clarity. For example Millsteed et al. (2005) used micro-Raman spectroscopy for the characterisation of rhodonite from Broken Hill and also the solid and fluid inclusions trapped within the rhodonite. Raman analysis has also been applied to the study of minerals that were fully or partially amorphised due to the effects of radioactivity, as for instance in radiation-damaged zircon, monazite and biotite. The Raman spectra provide information on the degree of short-range order and crystallinity, respectively. Another application based on crystillinity has been the characterisation of carbonaceous materials ranging from kerogens to granulite-facies graphite. This has led to the development of new geothermometers based on the Raman spectra of carbonaceous materials in metasediments (e.g. Beyssac et al., 2002).

The use of biological surrogates as proxies for biodiversity patterns is gaining popularity, particularly in marine systems where field surveys can be expensive and species richness high. Yet uncertainty regarding their applicability remains because of inconsistency of definitions, a lack of standard methods for estimating effectiveness, and variable spatial scales of their application. We present a Bayesian meta-analysis of the effectiveness of biological surrogates in marine ecosystems. Surrogate effectiveness was defined both as the proportion of surrogacy tests where predictions based on surrogates were better than random (i.e., low probability of making a Type I error; P) and as the goodness-of-fit between targets and surrogates (R2). A total of 264 published surrogacy tests combined with prior probabilities elicited from eight international experts demonstrated that the habitat, spatial scale, type of surrogate and method used to construct it all influenced surrogate effectiveness, according to at least either P or R2. The type of surrogate used (higher-taxa, cross-taxa or subset taxa) was the best predictor of its effectiveness, with the higher-taxa type outperforming all others. Surrogate effectiveness was maximal for higher-taxa surrogates at a < 10-km spatial scale, in low-complexity marine ecosystems such as soft bottoms, and using multivariate-based methods. Our comparisons with terrestrial studies of biological surrogates reveal that marine applications of biological surrogates still ignore some problems with several widely used statistical approaches to surrogacy, provide a benchmark for the reliable use of biological surrogates in all ecosystems, and highlight directions for future development of biological surrogates in predicting biodiversity.

Current understanding of the temperature distribution in the Australian continent is based on sparse and unevenly distributed borehole temperature measurements, and even fewer heat flow determinations. To address this, the Geothermal Project at Geoscience Australia (GA), established under the $58.9M Onshore Energy Security Program, has set up a capability for determining surface heat flow across the country through temperature logging and thermal conductivity measurement. Without the resources to drill new holes, GA has worked with state governments and mineral exploration companies to access exploration and water bores for temperature logging. In addition to the continuous temperature logs recorded, the logging tool has a natural gamma detector. As of December 2010, 156 new temperature logs have been collected across all states and territories. Samples have been collected from most of these holes, and thermal conductivity measurement of these samples is ongoing. GA uses an Anter 2022 Unitherm thermal conductivity meter. As part of the set up procedures, an inter-lab comparison was performed between GA and Southern Methodist University (U.S.), Hot Dry Rocks Pty Ltd, and Torrens Energy Ltd. A comparison has also been performed between GA and the National Geophysical Research Institute (India). Where temperature data are sparse, it is necessary to use other geoscience information to assess the geothermal potential of an area. A thermal calculation module has been built for the GeoModeller software package by Intrepid Geophysics. GA is using this and other software to allow non-geothermal-specific data to also be incorporated into regional geothermal resource assessments.

Regional airborne electromagnetic (AEM) data provide valuable information for mapping the shallow crust. Data are particularly useful for mapping buried paleotopography including paleovalleys and paleochannels, showing the depth to conductive geological units (and perhaps related faults), and altered and weathered unconformity surfaces, that may be less evident in other regional datasets. Geoscience Australia (GA) has recently acquired and released regional AEM data in the Paterson area of Western Australia, which is one of the most highly prospective areas in Australia. GA is currently in the process of assessing the potential of basinal fluid-related uranium systems in the area, including unconformity-related, sandstone-hosted and calcrete-hosted systems. Interpretation uses this key dataset, along with other available geological, geophysical and remotely sensed data and publicly available drill hole data, Outputs of this assessment include a number of prospectivity maps for these uranium systems. Preliminary interpretations of the AEM data have identified paleovalleys containing Permian and younger sediments and fluid pathways as aquifers in Permian and younger sediments on-lapping the Rudall Complex, Fortescue Basin and Pilbara Craton. In some places, the AEM data map unconformities of Mesozoic over Permian and Permian over the Neoproterozoic Yeneena and Officer Basins and Mesoproterozoic Rudall Complex. The unconformity surface between the Neoproterozoic Yeneena and Officer Basin sediments over rocks of the Rudall Complex or Pilbara Craton appears poorly defined in the data. The AEM data are opening up new avenues of investigation for uranium systems and have shown the utility of flying regional AEM surveys over highly prospective areas.

Abstract attached

Single-copounds carbon isotops of Precambrian eviporates.

Workshop notes, includes "NDC in a box Virtual Appliance" software

To follow

Web Service with the 25K, 50K, 100K, 250K, Special Edition, 1M and WAC Map Indexes

Understanding marine biodiversity has received much attention from an ecological and conservation management perspective. For this purpose, scientific marine surveys are necessary and often conducted by a multidisciplinary team. In particular, the data collected can come from multiple sources inheriting a particular aspect of each discipline that requires reasonable integration for the purpose of modelling biodiversity. This talk gives an overview of some strategies investigated in the Marine Biodiversity Research Hub project funded by the Commonwealth Environment Research Facilities Program to reconcile these differences.