geoz 50 June 2012

NEWSBREAKERS

Victoria rocks and rolls, Geoscience Australia crashes

A magnitude 5.4 earthquake, the largest in Victoria for 30 years, shook Gippsland recently and was felt within a radius of 250km. There were no reports of injury, but some damage to shops and houses was recorded near the epicentre close to the towns of Moe and Morwell. Interest in the earthquake also saw hits on the Geoscience Australia web site skyrocket, forcing their server to temporarily shut down.

Earthquake data: http://bit.ly/M7XaSj
Geoscience Australia investigates: http://bit.ly/Mb0KgI
News story: http://bit.ly/KhyMKQ
Review the region's earthquakes over the last 7 days at Geoscience Australia: http://bit.ly/qYlhT

FROM THE DIVISIONS

Divisional information is regularly updated at http://gsa.junctionworld.com/events/divisionmeetings.html
Check this site for more recent information on the following events:

Australian Capital Territory

Regular meetings: Third Tuesday of each month (Except January)
Jaeger Lecture Theatre, Jaeger Building (Building 61), Australian National University For more information: diane.jorgensen@ga.gov.au

New South Wales

Friday 13th July 2012
Associate Professor José Brilha, University of Minho (Portugal)
Challenges in Geoconservation - towards Science, Education and Geotourism
Education Seminar Room 325, Faculty of Education & Social Work, University of Sydney
Contact ian.percival@industry.nsw.gov.au for details.
Download the flyer here.

Queensland

2012 meeting dates to be advised
For more information: info@qld.gsa.org.au

South Australia

Thursday 19th July 2012
Associate Professor José Brilha, University of Minho (Portugal)
Challenges in Geoconservation - towards Science, Education and Geotourism
Mawson Theatre, University of Adelaide. 5.30 pm for 6.15 pm
Contact apetts@flindersmines.com.au for details.
Download the flyer here.

Tasmania

2012 meeting dates to be advised
For more information: mduffett@mrt.tas.gov.au

Victoria

Thursday 28th June 2012 - NO MEETING
For more information: secretary@vic.gsa.org.au

Thursday 12th July 2012 in conjunction with the Royal Society of Victoria
Guy Holdgate gives the Annual A.W. Howitt Lecture
The Port Phillip Bay Story
For more information: secretary@vic.gsa.org.au

Thursday 26th July 2012
Nicole Cox
Title to be advised
For more information: secretary@vic.gsa.org.au

Western Australia

Wednesday 4th July 2012
Peter Lane
The choice at Margaret River was simple - water or coal?
Irish Club of WA (Inc), 61 Townshend Rd, Subiaco, 5.30 pm for 6.00 pm

GSA EVENTS

The 34^thIGC - important dates

Standard congress registrations close July 15 and the late registration rate commences.
http://bit.ly/MJSC3B
Facebook link: http://on.fb.me/IxhFGK

GSA membership

Membership with the GSA has many rewards and benefits. Is your membership current?
If in doubt, please contact the GSA office: info@gsa.org.au.

National Rock Garden newsletter now available

The National Rock Garden, launched at the 2010 Australian Earth Sciences Convention in Canberra, will have up to 100 large specimens of the country's most iconic rocks. Each specimen will weigh approximately 10–15 tonnes. To find out how you can contribute follow this link:
NationalRockGarden.pdf

To download the latest National Rock Garden newsletter just click this link.

If you would like to join the Friends of the National Rock Garden and receive newsletters and information directly by email please send a request to rockgarden@gsa.org.au

Image courtesy of Doug Finlayson

IN THE NEWS

Megafauna mass grave unearthed

An ancient swamp deposit has been unearthed in outback Queensland. The dig has revealed over 50 Diprotodon skeletons and the remains of many megafauna and other smaller Pleistocene animals.
http://bit.ly/Lccz0G

Vale Lonesome George

Lonesome George, the last of a subspecies of Galapagos Turtles, has died after an unsuccessful breeding program lasting decades. Dubbed the rarest creature in the world Lonesome George was estimated to be about 100 years old.
http://bbc.in/KVZDlX

Going out with a bang

Speaking of turtle sex, new turtle fossil discoveries from the Eocene of Germany reveal two turtles in coital position. The turtles apparently began copulation in the surface waters of a lake and then died as they sank deeper into water made toxic by volcanic gases.
Research abstract: http://bit.ly/M4fDix
News report: http://bbc.in/Lz68dN

ON THE WEB

Io's hotspots mapped

A new NASA map detailing hundreds of erupting volcanoes across the Jovian moon Io suggests multi-layer eruption sources that question the current preferred model of tidal heating of Io at relatively shallow depths.
http://1.usa.gov/O4beN0

The map shows thermal emission from erupting volcanoes on Io. A logarithmic scale is used to classify volcanoes on the basis of thermal emission: the larger the spot, the larger the thermal emission.

Image courtesy of NASA/JPL-Caltech/Bear Fight Institute

Geo gets top job

Geologist Allison Macfarlane has been appointed Chair of the United States of America Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Macfarlane's academic research has focused on environmental policy, international security issues associated with nuclear energy and what to do with nuclear waste making her an ideal appointment for this position.
http://bit.ly/L4no9l

IN THE MEDIA

New model sees droughts coming

New research into the onset of El Niño events has enabled climate scientists to recognise a coming dry spell 18 months ahead of time instead of the 9 months current models enable.
Research paper: http://bit.ly/MumFvP
Media report: http://bit.ly/NAiAt0

Get your thinking caps on

The Australian Innovation Challenge awards are open for entries and $70,000 is up for grabs. You can enter whether you're a professional scientist or engineer, an educator or simply a creative genius inventing in your shed. There is even a minerals and energy category!
http://bit.ly/noGvfS

What's in AJES

The Australian Journal of Earth Sciences online is available through the Taylor & Francis' website: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/taje20. It is very easy to navigate and use.

Volume 59 Issue No.4

K. M. Fleming, P. Tregoning, M. Kuhn, A. Purcell and H. McQueen
The effect of melting land-based ice masses on sea level around the Australian coastline.

T. D. Frank, J. M. Pritchard, C. R. Fielding and A. J. Mory
Cold-water carbonate deposition in a high-latitude, glacially influenced Permian seaway (Southern Carnarvon Basin, Western Australia).

G. Fraser, A. Reid and R. Stern
Timing of deformation and exhumation across the Karari Shear Zone, north-western Gawler Craton, South Australia.

T. A. Fromhold and M. W. Wallace
Regional recognition of the Neoproterozoic Sturtian-Marinoan boundary, Northern and Central Adelaide Geosyncline, South Australia.

D. Phillips, B. Fu, C. J. L. Wilson, M. Kendrick, A. Fairmaid and J. McL. Miller
Timing of gold mineralisation in the western Lachlan Orogen, SE Australia: A critical overview.

A. S. A. A. Abu Sharib
Foliation intersection axes (FIAs) preserved within porphyroblasts: resolving plan view orthogonal refolding, Eastern Fold Belt, Mt Isa Inlier.

Volume 59 Issue No.5 Archean ore systems

Editors: Kevin Cassidy, Jon Hronsky and Stephen Wyche

S. Barnes, M. Van Kranendonk and I. Sonntag
Geochemical affinity and tectonic setting of basalts from the Eastern Goldfields Superterrane, Yilgarn Craton.

P. Duuring, W. Bleeker, S. W. Beresford, M. L. Fiorentini and N. M. Rosengren
Structural evolution of the Agnew-Wiluna greenstone belt, Eastern Goldfields, Yilgarn Craton and implications for komatiite-hosted Ni sulfide exploration.

D. Mole, M. Fiorentini, N. Thebaud, C. McCuaig, K. Cassidy, C. Kirkland, M. Wingate, S. Romano, M. Doublier and E. Belousova
Spatio-temporal constraints on lithospheric development in the southwest-central Yilgarn Craton, Western Australia.

M. J. Pawley, M. T. D. Wingate, C. L. Kirkland, S. Wyche, C. E. Hall, S. S. Romano and M. P. Doublier
Adding pieces to the puzzle: episodic crustal growth and a new terrane in the northeast Yilgarn Craton, Western Australia.

N. Said, R. Kerrich, K. Cassidy and D. Champion
Characteristics and geodynamic setting of the 2.7 Ga Yilgarn heterogeneous plume and its interaction with continental lithosphere: Evidence from komatiitic-basalt and basalt geochemistry of the Eastern Yilgarn Craton.

N. Thebaud and S. Barnes
Geochemistry of komatiites in the Southern Cross Belt, Youanmi Terrane, Western Australia.

S. Wyche, C. L. Kirkland, A. Riganti, M. J. Pawley, E. Belousova and M. T. D. Wingate
Isotopic constraints on stratigraphy in the central and eastern Yilgarn Craton, Western Australia.

D. Wyman
Geochemical and Isotopic Characteristics of Youanmi Terrane Volcanism: The Role of Mantle Plumes and Subduction Tectonics in the western Yilgarn Craton.

I. Zibra
Syndeformational granite crystallisation along the Mount Magnet Greenstone Belt, Yilgarn Craton: evidence of large-scale magma-driven strain localization during Neoarchean times.

Coming up in TAG

September TAG on the way

The next TAG is already in the starters blocks as the June TAG rolls out to members. Highlights coming up include a discussion about the impact of the American geologist James Dwight Dana (it's the bicentenary of his birth next year), the latest GSA Award recipients and more. TAG publishes member contributions, so start writing ...

Follow the TAG link to submit material for 2012 editions or to find out more:
http://gsa.junctionworld.com/publications/tag.html or email tag@gsa.org.au

WHAT'S ON

DEADLINES:

34th IGC standard registration open until 15 July

Standard registration fees now apply. Late fees apply after 15 July
http://bit.ly/mRHsZ0

MoonBots 2012 Challenge Open for Registration until 15 July

but you need to have Phase One ready by then too!
http://bit.ly/KNgGnJ

Top performing students could earn a spot at the Australian Science Olympiad Summer School
http://bit.ly/JMqDld

Deadline for feedback on Earth and Environmental Science curriculum is 20 July
The same deadline applies for the other science and mathematics!

The more feedback the better!
http://bit.ly/luz9ot

NT Minerals summit – Early bird registration open until 29 July

The Last Frontier
http://bit.ly/IlGCIo

The Australian Innovation Challenge: Entries close 12 August

The Last Frontier
http://bit.ly/noGvfS

The seventh conference on Mine Closure, Brisbane, 25 – 27 September 2012

Early Bird registration closes 13 August 2012
http://bit.ly/KzuK6r

Geologi Short Film Competition 2012
enter a short film, up to three minutes long, which relates to Geoscience or Earth Science and people.

Entries close 24 August 2012
http://bit.ly/iLm1md

Top GeoShot 2012
Geoscience Australia's photo competition

Entries close 22 September 2012
http://bit.ly/L1Savk

The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy Education Endowment Fund
Bicentennial Gold 88 Endowment 2013

Applications close Friday 28 September 2012
http://bit.ly/nxYtm2

EVENTS:

Gossans and Leached Cappings, Townsville, 28 June 2012

One day workshop
http://bit.ly/IxwNpz

Ore Textures & Breccias in Mineralized Systems - Module 2, Townsville, 29 June 2012

Porphyry Copper Systems 2012
http://bit.ly/IxwNpz

Central Australian Basin Symposium, Alice Springs, 16 – 17 July 2012

Petroleum potential: Conventional and Unconventional
http://bit.ly/uhkSJt

GeoParks in Australia, Melbourne, 27 July 2012

A way forward for Australia
Contact Joane McKnight for details

6th Biennial Sensitive High Resolution Ion MicroProbe (SHRIMP) Workshop, Brisbane, 1-4 August 2012

Third Circular now available for download
http://bit.ly/oQQP1P

34th International Geological Congress, Brisbane, 5–10 August 2012

Unearthing our Past and Future
http://bit.ly/tdSlQY

Asian Current Research on Fluid Inclusions (ACROFI), Brisbane, 11–12 August 2012

Stay on after the IGC!
http://bit.ly/LDemgY

Open Day at Geoscience Australia, Canberra, 19 August 2012

Geoscience Australia celebrates National Science Week
http://bit.ly/roFtSI

ACG Open Pit Mining Seminar Series, Perth, 22 – 24 August 2012

Ground Support in Mining (Introduction) Short Course
http://bit.ly/Ide0Pc

AMEC summit, Perth, 4–6 September 2012

http://www.amecconvention.com.au/

NT Minerals summit, Darwin, 11 – 13 September 2012

The Last Frontier – Capitalising on Mining, Exploration and Career Opportunities in the Northern Territory
http://bit.ly/IlGCIo