Theme 3: South Australian Centre for Mineral Exploration Under Cover
Theme 3 of PACE - South Australian Centre for Mineral Exploration Under Cover - addresses the issue of education and training in exploration techniques, particularly related to the technology of covered basement rock and business elements of exploration.
Aims
The aim of the South Australian Centre for Mineral Exploration Under Cover (CMXUC) is to facilitate mineral discovery by defining and implementing the next generation of mineral exploration science.
The major focus of the CMXUC is to understand and penetrate the veneer of weathered rock and alluvium that covers the prospective geology of much of Australia. This cover represents the single most important impediment to the discovery and exploitation of Australia's untapped mineral wealth.
This will be achieved by building a portfolio of collaborative research projects between academic institutions, the government sector and mineral exploration companies.
Background
The South Australian Centre for Mineral Exploration Under Cover (CMXUC) is a collaborative research initiative of Primary Industries and Resources, South Australia (PIRSA) and the University of Adelaide.
The Centre was established in 2005 with a $1.2 million (AU) grant from PIRSA as part of the Plan for Accelerated Exploration (PACE) and is housed within the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Adelaide.
The CMXUC will build on established research strengths at the University of Adelaide and PIRSA - in the fields of Tectonics and Metallogeny, Regolith and Landscape Evolution and Geophysical exploration.
These research strengths define the three research themes of the CMXUC.
Research Goals
The major long-term research goals of the Centre are:
- To build an integrated four-dimensional model of the structure and evolution of the South Australian crust, including the basement and cover rocks and their associated mineral prospectivity.
- To develop a range of tools and methods for effectively exploring within and beneath cover.
This research will be focussed in three broad themes: Tectonics and Metallogeny, Geophysical Exploration and Regolith and Landscape.
Further Information
For further information please contact the Theme Coordinator:
Mark McGeough
Theme 3 Coordinator
ph: 8226 2992
- Page URL: http://www.pir.sa.gov.au/minerals/pace/theme_3south_australian_centre_for_mineral_exploration_under_cover
- Page Last Modified: January 16, 2008