Higher Degree by Research Application Portal

REE deposits are critical minerals needed to boost humanity’s transition to a low-carbon future. Western Australia is rich in REE resources, including several hosted in ancient volcanoes that erupted onto the Earth’s surface around 1 billion years ago.  Using geophysical and geochemical data this project will probe the structure of the crust and upper mantle of the Gascoyne Province, seeking to understand the conditions that may have led to focusing of the volcanism and its associated mineralization.

New knowledge of lithospheric structure in the region will be analyzed to identify its potential role in focusing volcanism and ore deposit formation in the Gascoyne Province.  These concepts will be tested using a geodynamical mineral systems framework.

Key to the project will be engagement with the broader project team and government and industry sponsors to integrate the findings into a holistic understanding of REE resource potential in the Gascoyne Province.

The PhD student will:

1) Interpret from geophysical data the evolution of the lithospheric architecture of the Gascoyne Province through the Proterozoic

2) Constrain geophysical interpretations using geochemical and geological data, including new data derived from targeted field studies.

3) Identify and test key scenarios for the lithospheric-scale focusing of volcanism and ore deposit formation in a geodynamical mineral systems framework.

4) Work with the project team and sponsors to express the findings in the context of developing a holistic understanding of REE mineralization potential in the Gascoyne Province

The project is funded by an Australian Research Council Linkage Project and linked into a major ARC-funded research training centre.

alan.aitken@uwa.edu.au

The student will have a strong background in Earth Sciences with some exposure to geophysical data analysis and/or interpretation.

The student will be willing to learn quantitative numerical and spatial analysis methods as required by the project.