Senior Research leader, Centre for Exploration Targeting

Graduate Research Cordinator School of Earth Sciences

Geophysical responses of mineral systems

Petrophysics of crystalline rocks

Deep crustal geophysical surveys

Intra-plate seismicity

Agricultural geophysics

Computer based geological cross-section restoration.
University of Western Australia Individual Research Project Grant. 1990.

The geometry and Phanerozoic history of the Darling Fault and associated structures in the Perth Basin. Minerals and Energy Research Institute of Western Australia in association with Ampolex, Arrow Petroleum, Petrofina, Petroz & WAPET. 1991-1993. With J Scott and R. Young.

Three-dimensional structure of Western Australian greenstone belts from gravity and magnetic measurements. University of Western Australia Individual Research Project Grant. 1991

Three-dimensional structure of the Southern Cross Greenstone Belt, Western Australia. Australian Society of Exploration Geophysics Research Foundation. 1991

Geophysical studies of the granite-greenstone terrain at Southern Cross, Western Australia. Australian Research Council (small grants scheme). 1992. With A Trench

Geophysical and geological studies of a probable meteorite impact structure in the Perth Basin, Western Australia. $9,000 Australian Research Council (small grants scheme). 1992. With A.W.R. Bevan (WA Museum)

Structural and depositional controls on Pb-Zn mineralisation, Lennard Shelf, Canning Basin, Western Australia. $115,000 Minerals and Energy Research Institute of Western Australia in association with BHP Minerals & Cadjebut J.V. 1993-1995. With J.R. Vearncombe, D.I. Groves, P.E. Playford (Geological Survey of Western Australia)

Analogue structural modelling applied to mineral and petroleum exploration. $119,401 Australian Research Council (collaborative research grant with Western Mining Corporation). 1992-94. With L.B. Harris.

Joint inversion of gravity and magnetic data. $1,800. Australian Society of Exploration Geophysics Research Foundation. 1994.

Development of a computer programs for an introductory course in geophysics. $7,500. The University of Western Australia, quality review funding initiative in computer-based teaching and learning applications. 1994.

Datum elevations from global positioning system and gravity measurements. $8,000 Australian Research Council (small grants scheme). 1995. With W.E. Featherstone (Curtin).

Geophysical exploration for aquifers in palaeochannels in the Western Australian goldfields. $84,000 APA(Industry) supported by Western Mining Corporation. 1995-1997.

An Integrated Geodesy Research Laboratory. $100,000 Australian Research Council (Research Infra-structure and Equipment Facilities Programme). 1996. With W.E. Featherstone (Curtin) and C. Rizos (UNSW).

Geophysical and geodetic studies to determine controls on the distribution of earthquakes in southwestern Western Australia. $15,008 Australian Research Council (small grants scheme). 1996. With W.E. Featherstone (Curtin).

A strategy to make exploration geophysics viable by the 21st century. $30,000 Australian Research Council (special initiatives). 1996-1997. With C. McA. Powell, N. Uren (Curtin) and J. McDonald (Curtin).

Application of wavelet transforms to processing and interpretation of aeromagnetic data. $84,000 APA(Industry) supported by World Geoscience Corporation. 1997-1999. With R.D. List (Dept of Mathematics, UWA).

Textural filtering of geophysical data. $14,454 Australian Society of Exploration Geophysics Research Foundation. 1997-1999. With R.R. Hillis (Adelaide)

Joint inversion of 3D IP and MT data incorporating EM coupling effects. $19,900 Australian Society of Exploration Geophysics Research Foundation. 1997-2000. With A. Endres and R. D. List (Dept of Mathematics, UWA).

Texture-based enhancement and classification of aeromagnetic data. $44,360 Minerals and Energy Research Institute of Western Australia in association with Aberfoyle Ltd, North Ltd, Normandy Exploration Ltd, Newcrest Mining Ltd, Pasminco Exploration, WMC Resources, Geological Survey of Victoria, RGC Exploration Pty Ltd, & BHP Research. 1998-1999. With D.R. Cowan (consultant).

Texture-based enhancement and classification of aeromagnetic data. $180,000 Australian Mining Industry Research Association in association with Aberfoyle Ltd, North Ltd, Normandy Exploration Ltd, Newcrest Mining Ltd, Pasminco Exploration, WMC Resources, Geological Survey of Victoria, RGC Exploration Pty Ltd, & BHP Research. 1998-1999. With D.R. Cowan (consultant).

Resolution of the sub-surface structure of the Hamersley province by multi-channel seismic reflection. $380,000 Minerals and Energy Research Institute of Western Australia in association BHP Iron Ore & Robe River Iron Associates. 1998-2000. With C.McA. Powell and P. Cawood (Curtin).

Processing and interpretation of a deep seismic reflection profile through the Hamersley iron ore province. $249,411 Australian Research Council (Strategic Partnerships with Industry, Research and Training Programme). 1998-2000. With A. Long.

Inversion of Potential Field Data. $16,600 Australian Society of Exploration Geophysicists Research Foundation. 1998-2000. With R.D. List and L. Noakes (Dept of Mathematics, UWA).

Edge-detection in geophysical data and its utilisation in mineral exploration. $18,050 Australian Society of Exploration Geophysicists Research Foundation. 1999-2001. With D.I. Groves

4D inversion of the conductivity structure of the earth from broadband induced polarisation measurements and complementary electromagnetic data. $62,268 Australian Research Council (Strategic Partnerships with Industry, Research and Training Programme). 1999-2001. With A. Endres and R. D. List (Dept of Mathematics) and M. Zhadanov (Utah).

Depositional and structural history of Devonian carbonate successions in the Cadjebut Fault Zone, Lennard Shelf (Canning Basin), Western Australia. $62,268 Australian Research Council (Strategic Partnerships with Industry, Research and Training Programme). 1999-2001. With A.D. George, N.A. Reynolds and N. Chow.

Neogene deformation styles and reactivation histories of basins along the North West Shelf of Australia. $62,268 Australian Research Council (Strategic Partnerships with Industry, Research and Training Programme). 1999-2001. With M. Keep, M. Fisher and I. Longley.

Defining the link between geophysical signatures and ore deposit models. $25,000 Australian Society of Exploration Geophysicists Research Foundation. 1999-2001. With D.I. Groves

Teleseismic Studies of the Southwest Seismic Zone, Western Australia. $10,288 Australian Research Council (small grants scheme). 2000.

Upper crustal structure of the Laverton tectonic Zone adjacent to major gold deposits from seismic reflection profiling. $236,500. Minerals and Energy Research Institute of Western Australia in association with Placer Dome and AngloGold Australasia. 2001-2002. With B. Goleby (Geoscience Australia).

Palaeoseismic studies in WA: Implications for earthquake hazard assessment. $15,726 UWA grants scheme. 2003.

Geowulf: An inference engine for complex earth systems. $190,000 Australian Research Council (Research Infra-structure and Equipment Facilities Programme). 2003. With J.L. Braun, M. Sambridge, A.J. Gleadow, R.W. Brown, S.Y. O’Reilly, B.R. Minty, C Beaumont and W.L. Griffin.

Latest Jurassic history of the Exmouth Sub-basin, north-west Shelf: Lowstand deposits of the basal Barrow Group. $142,447. Australian Research Council (Linkage scheme). 2005-2007. With A. George, D. Lockhart and M. Fittall.

Western Australian Palaeomagnetic and Rock Magnetic Facility. $246,000. Australian Research Council (Research Infra-structure and Equipment Facilities Programme). 2006. With Z. Li, M.E. Barley, P.A. Cawood, L.B. Collins, I.C. Fitzsimons, D.W. Haig, S.A. Pisarevsky, S.M. Reddy, M.T. Wingate, K. Wyrwoll, Z.Q. Chen and I.M. Tyler

Post-doctoral research fellow, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Newfoundland, Canada.

Currently working on atextbook provisionally titled "Targets, maps and Mineral Systems: Geophysics in Modern Mineral Exploration"

Working with the Geological Survey of Western Australia to define deep crustal strucure in the Eastern Goldfields and relationship to orgoenic gold mineral systems

Virtually all my research is directly or indirectly related to the resource sector, especially mining.

All aspects of exploration and solid-earth geophysics at B.Sc to M.Sc level

My research interests are predominantly in applied geophysics, in particular research relevant to the mining and petroleum industries of Western Australia. I also have geological research interests in the structure and tectonics of mineralised terrains and hydrocarbon basins, and especially petrophysics. An emerging research area is environmental geophysics especially as applied to agricultural problems.

Mining industry-related research includes; understanding the geophysical responses of mineral deposits especially from a petrophysical/geological perspective; novel approaches to processing of magnetic and similar datasets; the ‘geological’ interpretation of geophysical datasets from mineralised terrains and the application of deep penetration geophysical methods to mapping mineral systems in the deep crust. 

Petroleum-industry relevant research involves mostly the interpretation of gravity, aeromagnetic and seismic reflection data.  Research is primarily in the on-shore basins of Western Australia, e.g. the Perth, Canning and Amadeus Basins.  Geophysical expressions of halokenesis are a current interest.

Research interests in environmental geophysics include the intraplate seismicity of Western Australia, soil type mapping for agricultural purposes.

English