Our Team
Director
, School of Physical Sciences
A recognised leading researcher in critical minerals geoscience in Australia, Carl has a background in both basic and industry focused research, and a solid record of research funding from the ARC, industry and government.Ìý
He was appointed in 2020 under The ³ÉÈË´óƬ’s Top Talent Program to develop and grow research initiatives in critical minerals science. The program, which is part of the university’s strategic plan ‘Future Making’, is designed to attract new high-performing, world-leading researchers across a range of areas to Adelaide. Before this, Carl was co-director of the Economic Geology Research Centre at James Cook University.Ìý
Ìý
Deputy Director
, School of Civil, Environmental and Mining Engineering
Nigel has a substantial record delivering industry-ready research that spans the geochemistry-mineralogy-processing nexus. He specialises in complex ore deposits and has secured multiple millions of dollars in research funding to investigate the mineralogy of complex ores.
He is director of the ARC Research Hub for Australian Copper-Uranium and the PRIF industry consortium Unlocking Complex Resources Through Lean Processing.
Together, Nigel and Carl have published the majority of papers on Australian rare earth element ore systems.
Researchers
-
Chemical Engineering and Advanced Materials
Researcher Expertise Programs - Iron-oxide mineralogy
- Genesis of ore deposits
- Developing new mineral geochronometers
- Rocks and minerals at the nanoscale using transmission electron microscopy
- Mineralogy
,
Deputy Director, Australian Critical Minerals Research Centre- Research at the geochemistry-mineralogy-minerals processing nexus
- Sulphide mineralogy
- Uranium mineralogy and geochemistry
- Ore characterisation
- Mineralogy
- Processing and recovery
Adjunct Professor Kathy Ehrig,
also Metallurgy Superintendent at BHP Olympic Dam- Discovery of metalliferous ore depositsÌý
- GeometallurgyÌý
- Sustainable productivity improvement in producing marketable metals
- Identifying new revenue metals (e.g. green technology critical metals)
- Mineralogy
- Chemical engineering design
- Manufacturing processes and technologies
- In situ resource utilisation (ISRU)
- Space chemical processes and manufacturing
- Processing and recovery
,
Deputy Head of School of Chemical Engineering and Advanced Materials- Mineral science and minerals processing
- Recovery of valuable minerals and metals from brines
- Nanotechnology and materials engineering
- Processing and recovery
Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý
-
Physical Sciences
Researcher Expertise Programs - Palaeomagnetism
- Structural geology
- GeochronologyÌý
- Sedimentology
- Discovery
Professor Martin Hand - Metamorphic petrology
- Ore deposit formation
- Geochemical exploration
- Economic geology
- Crustal heat production
- Tectonics
- Discovery
- Mineralogy
- Biogeochemistry
- Non-traditional isotopes
- Stable isotope systems of alkaline earth metals
- Discovery
Associate ProfessorÌýStijn Glorie - Multi-method thermochronologyÌý
- Determining the timing of the formation of continents, mountain building, andÌýsedimentary basin formation
- Discovery
- Mineralogy
,
Director Centre for Radiation Research, Education and Innovation- Radioactivity and matter
- Radiation safety and protection
- Radiation detection, gamma spectroscopy, alpha scintillation
- Processing and recovery
,
Head of Department of Earth Sciences- Structural geology
- TectonicsÌý
- Petroleum geomechanics
- Discovery
Professor Graham Heinson - Geophysics
- CrustalÌýstructure
- Ore deposits
- Discovery
- Ore deposit formation
- Geochemical exploration
- Economic geology
- Discovery
Dr Derrick Hasterok - Geophysics
- Geochemical exploration
- Crustal heat flow
- Plate tectonics
- Discovery
Dr Diana Zivak - Ore deposit formation
- Geochemical exploration
- Economic geology
- Rare earth elementÌýmineralisation
- Discovery
- Mineralogy
- Ore deposit genesis
- Volcanology
- Developing metal isotopesÌýfor mineral prospectivity
- Discovery
- Mineralogy
Dr Laura Morrissey - Geochronology
- Understanding the metamorphic character of regions
- Discovery
, Director, Australian Critical Minerals Research Centre - Petrology and geochemistry
- Evolution of Earth’s crust and mantle
- Microanalysis ofÌýmineralsÌý
- Rare earth elements
- Lithium pegmatites
- Discovery
- Mineralogy
- Fibre optic and imaging for environmental dosimetry
- Natural radiation fields
- Radiation detection technology development
- Mineralogy
- ProcessingÌý
- Geochronology
- Sedimentology
- Lithium pegmatites
- Discovery
- Mineralogy
- Geochronology and tectonic
- Unconformity REE deposits
- Discovery
- Mineralogy
- Mineralogy and petrology
- Kimberlites and alkaline magmatism
- NiÌý+ PGE ore deposits
- Discovery
- Mineralogy
- Isotope geochemistry
- Alkaline magmatism
- Rare metal mineralisation
- Discovery
- Mineralogy
- Clay mineralogy
- Low-temperature geochemistry
- Clay-hosted REE deposits
- Discovery
- Mineralogy
Mr Darwin Subarkah - Geochronology
- Sedimentology
- Sediment-hosted mineral deposits
- Discovery
Prof. Allan Pring - Mineralogical research on minerals, particularly sulfide mineralsÌý
- Mineral formation by hydrothermal processes
- Neutron and x-ray diffraction
- Mineralogy
- ProcessingÌý
Ìý
-
Research and innovation
Researcher Expertise Programs ,
Director Institute for Sustainability,Ìý Energy and ResourcesÌý- In situ resource utilisation (ISRU)
- Civil and environmental engineering
- Processing and recovery
Ìý
Outreach
The goal of outreach activities is to raise awareness of critical minerals, their vital role in contemporary life, and the major opportunities that they offer for economic development in South Australia and the nation.Ìý
The is a partner of the centre. The museum has a world-class minerals collection containing more than 1500 mineral species, including specimins from many of South Australia’s mineral deposits. It plays an important role in engagement and education for the centre by showcasing collections to the general public, including schools.Ìý
Facilities
The centre has access to analytical facilities and laboratories, including at:Ìý
Background
The Australian Critical Mineral Research Centre is an initiative of the and the Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Research) (DVC&VP(R)) at The ³ÉÈË´óƬ.
It has strong support fromÌýthe SA Department of Energy and Minerals, and the backing of the South Australian Chamber of Mines and Energy (SACOME), the leading industry body representing the resources sector in South Australia.