The ARC Research Hub for Basin Geo-dynamics and Evolution of Sedimentary Systems (Basin Genesis Hub, BGH) brings together a broad range of expertise for the development and application of cutting-edge numerical modelling tools with the aim of improving the understanding of the formation and evolution of basins. The coupling of the evolution of mantle flow, … Read more…
The EarthByte Group has established a consortium of companies to fund ongoing development of GPlates software and ancillary software and plugins as well as the EarthByte global plate kinematic model.
EarthByte welcomes James Egan to the group. He will be working with us as a research assistant.
GPlates development by the EarthByte Project is part of the AuScope infrastructure-development programme. AuScope Ltd is a non-profit company formed to facilitate the implementation of a world-class infrastructure system for earth science, funded by the Australian Government under the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS). The EarthByte Project participates in two components of the AuScope … Read more…
USyd Undergraduate Courses Geos1003 Introduction to Geology Geos2111 Natural Hazards: a GIS Approach Geos2114 Volcanoes, Hot Rocks and Minerals Geos2115 Oceans, Coasts & Climate Change Geos2124 Fossils & Tectonics Geos3101 Earth’s Structure and Evolution Geos 3103 Environmental and Sedimentary Geology Geos3104 Geophysical Methods Geos3008 Field Geology and Geophysics USyd Honours Courses Numerical Modelling Using Ellipsis … Read more…
This animations is made using free plate tectonic reconstruction software, GPlates (www.gplates.org), and depicts the breakup of Gondwanaland and the plate tectonic evolution of the Tethyan ocean basins, and the subsequent formation of the Indian Ocean.
By popular demand, Sabin Zahirovic provides a few more GPlates animations of the breakup of Pangea and Gondwana since 200 million years ago. This animation is in a hemispherical view and is based on the model of Seton et al. (2012). All the files needed to make this animation are in the GPlates SampleData folder, … Read more…
By popular demand, Sabin Zahirovic provides a few more GPlates animations of the breakup of Pangea and Gondwana since 200 million years ago. This animation is in a hemispherical view and is based on the model of Seton et al. (2012). All the files needed to make this animation are in the GPlates SampleData folder, … Read more…
FameLab is an international communication competition to find the best new voices of science, engineering and mathematics across the world. This video shows EarthByte’s own Andrew Merdith presenting his work on Australian Opals at the NSW state finals of Famelab.
Project Summary
Australian Laureate Fellow Prof. Dietmar Müller and the EarthByte Group within the University of Sydney’s School of Geosciences are embarking on an ambitious new research program: building a Virtual Geological Observatory.
Fifty percent of Australia’s export income comes from the minerals and energy sector. Over three-quarters of these exports come from deposits discovered prior to 1980. … Read more…
Deep Time Travel — it’s not just science fiction! The EarthByte Group is developing an Experimental Virtual Planet to explore Earth’s geological evolution, enabling deep time travel from your own laptop, anywhere, anytime, and all without a police box. In this illustrated talk, Australian Laureate Fellow Professor Dietmar Müller reports on the experimental work of … Read more…
Koopmann, H., Brune, S., Franke, D., & Breuer, S. (2014). Linking rift propagation barriers to excess magmatism at volcanic rifted margins. Geology, 42(12), 1071-1074. doi: 10.1130/G36085. Linking rift propagation barriers to excess magmatism at volcanic rifted margins
Geo★ Down Under is an open and self-organising community loosely coordinated by Louis Moresi of the ANU. We welcome new writers, editors and supporters. If you are interested, drop us a line: editors_gdu@agora.geo-down-under.geoscience.education We receive support from AuScope to power the engines behind the website and the community forum and mailing lists. AuScope also provides us with writing support … Read more…
Citation
Koopman, H., Brune, S., Franke, D. and Breuer. 2014. Linking rift propagation barriers to excess magmatism at volcanic rifted margins. Geology (Pre-Issue Publication 15. Oct), doi: 10.1130/G36085.
Summary
Break-up–related extrusive magmatism, imaged in reflection seismic data as seaward-dipping reflectors (SDRs), extends sym- metrically along the volcanic margins of the Atlantic Ocean. Recent research found distinct along-margin variations in the distribution of SDRs, and abundance of volcanic material was found to be spatially linked to transfer fault systems. These segmented the propagating rift that later developed into the ocean, and are interpreted as rift propa- gation barriers. Based on these observations, we develop a numeri- cal model, which shows that rift-parallel mantle flow and locally enhanced rates of volcanism are the result of delays in rift propaga- tion and segmented opening. … Read more…
Sandwell, D. T., Müller, R. D., Smith, W. H., Garcia, E., & Francis, R. (2014). New global marine gravity model from CryoSat-2 and Jason-1 reveals buried tectonic structure. science, 346(6205), 65-67. doi: 10.1126/science.1258213.
New global marine gravity model from CryoSat-2 and Jason-1 reveals buried tectonic structure
EarthByte have launched a new cloud-based GPlates Web Portal that was used by almost 40 000 users over the last long-weekend! It took GPlates software over ten years to get that many users, so this is a huge achievement and also makes GPlates accessible to a broader audience! The GPlates portal can be used to … Read more…
Flament, N. (2014). Linking plate tectonics and mantle flow to Earth’s topography. Geology, 42(10), 927-928. doi: 10.1130/focus102014.1. Download the paper – pdf Download data grid used – grd
Flament, N. (2014). Linking plate tectonics and mantle flow to Earth’s topography. Geology, 42(10), 927-928. doi: 10.1130/focus102014.1. Download the paper – pdf Download data grid used – grd
Citation
Sandwell, D. T., Müller, R. D., Smith, W. H. F., Garcia, E. and Francis, R. 2014. New global marine gravity model from Cryo-Sat-2 and jason-1 reveals buried tectonic structure. Science, Vol. 346, 6205, pp. 65-67, doi: 10.1126/science.1258213.
Summary
New global marine gravity model from CryoSat-2 and Jason-1 reveals buried tectonic structure.
View the new gravity map in an online 3D portal!
Gravity models are powerful tools for mapping tectonic structures, especially in the deep ocean basins where the topography remains unmapped by ships or is buried by thick sediment. We combined new radar altimeter measurements from satellites CryoSat-2 and Jason-1 with existing data to construct a global marine gravity model that is two times more accurate than previous models. We found an extinct spreading ridge in the Gulf of Mexico, a … Read more…
Citation
Zahirovic, S., Seton, M., and Müller, R. D., (2014). The Cretaceous and Cenozoic tectonic evolution of Southeast Asia: Solid Earth (EGU).
Summary
Tectonic reconstructions of Southeast Asia have given rise to numerous controversies that include the accretionary history of Sundaland and the enigmatic tectonic origin of the Proto South China Sea. We assimilate a diversity of geological and geophysical observations into a new regional plate model, coupled to a global model, to address these debates.
Our approach takes into account terrane suturing and accretion histories, the location of subducted slabs imaged in mantle tomography in order to constrain the evolution of regional subduction zones, as well as plausible absolute and relative plate velocities and tectonic driving mechanisms. … Read more…
Citation
Müller, R. D., Yatheesh, V., & Shuhail, M. (2014). The tectonic stress field evolution of India since the Oligocene. Gondwana Research.
Summary
We use a 2 dimensional finite element model with heterogeneous elastic strengths in continental areas to model the regional stress field orientation and relative magnitudes in and around India for 33 Ma, 20 Ma and the present day. The large-scale geological structure of India is embedded in our model by using published outlines of cratons, fold belts and basins, associated with estimates of their relative strengths, enabling the modelling of stress field deflections along interfaces between relatively strong and weak tectonic elements through time. … Read more…
Müller, R. D., Yatheesh, V., & Shuhail, M. (2014). The tectonic stress field evolution of India since the Oligocene. Gondwana Research. doi: 10.1016/j.gr.2014.05.008. The tectonic stress field evolution of India since the Oligocene
An animation of a numerical model.Citation Rey, P. F., N. Coltice, and N. Flament (2014), Spreading continents kick-started plate tectonics, Nature, 513(7518), 405-408.View other EarthByte animations on our YouTube channel
Honours student Gabby McDonald was one of 16 students world-wide to be awarded a Student Field Trip Travel Grant from the Society of Economic Geologists to participate in “Archean Base and Precious Metal Deposits, Southern Abitibi Greenstone Belt, Canada”. The field trip was lead by a team of Canadian experts and travelled from Timmins to … Read more…
Rey, P. F., Coltice, N., & Flament, N. (2014). Spreading continents kick-started plate tectonics. Nature, 513(7518), 405-408. doi: 10.1038/nature13728.
Rifting involves complex normal fault systems that are controlled by extension direction, reactivation of pre-rift structures, sedimentation, and dyke dynamics. The relative impact of these factors on the observed fault pattern, however, is difficult to deduce from field-based studies alone.
This study provides insight in crustal stress patterns and fault orientations by employing a laterally homogeneous, 3D rift setup with constant extension velocity. The presented numerical forward experiments cover the whole spectrum of oblique extension. They are conducted using an elasto-visco-plastic finite element model and involve crustal and mantle layers accounting for self-consistent necking of the lithosphere. … Read more…
Brune, S. (2014). Evolution of stress and fault patterns in oblique rift systems: 3‐D numerical lithospheric‐scale experiments from rift to breakup. Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, 15(8), 3392-3415. doi: 10.1002/2014GC005446.
Download supplementary information (including animations) – pdf
The EarthByte group is a finalist for the Eureka Prize from the Australian Museum, for its development of GPlates software! The prize is awarded annually for research innovation and GPlates was nominated for providing a “experimental virtual planet” to investigate geological systems through deep time. You can read more about the Eureka Prize here. Watch the … Read more…
Butterworth, N. P., Müller, R. D., Quevedo, L., O’Connor, J. M., Hoernle, K., & Morra, G. (2014). Pacific Plate slab pull and intraplate deformation in the early Cenozoic. Solid Earth, 5(2). doi: 10.5194/se-5-757-2014. Pacific Plate slab pull and intraplate deformation in the early Cenozoic
Cannon, J., Lau, E., & Müller, R. D. (2014). Plate tectonic raster reconstruction in GPlates. Solid Earth, 5(2), 741-755. doi: 10.5194/sed-5-741-2014. Plate tectonic raster reconstruction in GPlates
