Australian Geodynamics Cooperative Research Centre's integrated research program delivers a new minerals exploration strategy for industry

• Published in: Australian journal of earth sciences Vol. 49; no. 4; pp. 595 - 600
• Main Authors: Price, G. P., Stoker, P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Taylor & Francis 01.08.2002; Blackwell Science Pty
• Subjects: cooperative research; deposit prediction; geochronology; geodynamics; geology; geophysics; mineral exploration; modelling
• ISSN: 0812-0099; 1440-0952
• DOI: 10.1046/j.1440-0952.2002.00947.x

The Australian Geodynamics Cooperative Research Centre was an unincorporated joint venture between government organisations, universities and industry with financial support from the Commonwealth Government. Its Mission was to develop, in partnership with the minerals exploration industry, a geodynamic framework of the Australian continent, which would enhance industry's capacity to discover new world-class deposits. The Centre has now closed after completing 7 years of integrated and innovative research. Prominent among the research outcomes are new geological, geophysical and geochronological data for key regions of Australia and new enabling technologies to collect better data or to better analyse existing data. In addition, it developed a systematic and objective methodology for synthesising data into possible exploration models that could be tested by computer analyses that simulate the geodynamic evolution of the proposed geology. If the computer simulation reproduced the same characteristics as are known to occur in a mineral deposit then the input data and exploration model are considered to be valid. They can then be used to predict whether other, as yet undiscovered deposits, occur within that area and their likely location, structure, ore grade and tonnage. This new exploration strategy can be used to reduce exploration risk and increase the rate of discovery of major new deposits.