Annual Highlights 2023

Discover our 2023 Highlights Video with transcript below. Image: AuScope

Hi, I’m Tim Rawling, CEO of AuScope, Australia’s provider of tools, data and talent to the geoscience research community. Today, I present AuScope’s highlights for the last twelve months from the unceded lands of the Wurundjeri people. I pay my respects to Wurundjeri, and all First Nations Elders, past and present, as the first geoscientists around the continent where our team works.

HQ

In news from HQ, this year, we signed a new contract with the Commonwealth Department of Education, securing operational funding of just over $45M. This funding will provide security for AuScope programs until June 2028.

We also have a research infrastructure investment plan outcome! AuScope made a submission proposing a series of new activities based on our community-designed 5-year investment plan. I am delighted to inform you that five of these activities will be funded over the next four years with a total Commonwealth investment of $45M.

This funding will support:

  • Coast RI, a cross-NCRIS collaboration in which AuScope will build a national coastal impact drone monitoring network and develop glacial isostatic adjustment models to underpin sea level modelling.

  • New geophysical monitoring programs in Antarctica and the completion of the AusLAMP project.

  • New investment in the national geochemistry capability and community.

  • And Australian participation in international scientific drilling through support for ANZIC.

Downward Looking Telescope

Now let's focus on an update from AuScope’s Downward Looking Telescope and some news from our current projects:

  • From Earth Imaging, the University of Adelaide completed the Curnamona Cube MT acquisition program.

  • Researchers from ANU utilised AuSIS data to locate the blind fault responsible for the 2021 Woods Point Earthquake.

  • Our distributed acoustic sensing instrument was deployed in an experiment along the Alpine Fault in New Zealand.

  • AuScope contributed data and skills to the Global Heat Flow Data Assessment Project and our MT equipment was used to image the deep crustal structure of Morroco’s Atlas Mountains.

  • We delivered the Geophysics 2030 project with NCI, TERN and ARDC, providing geophysical time series data in modern formats, colocated with compute, to support an exascale approach to geophysical data analysis.

  • And we also supported the development of international geochemistry data standards as the geochemistry lead on the EU-funded WorldFAIR project.

  • AusGeochem continues to grow. A new U-Pb data model has been completed and we were able to preserve the Steve Barnes Ni-PGE collection in collaboration with CSIRO.

  • EarthByte’s Gplates software has been integrated within AusGeochem, constraining plate reconstructions and contextualising our geochronology datasets.

  • Finally, our geospatial project is currently collecting airborne gravity data in SE Australia. This will be used to improve the height reference, resulting in a 2-3 cm accurate geoid model for the region.

Rebecca Farrington has initiated an AuScope-wide program to improve our research data management. Our data program will ensure all AuScope-enabled data is FAIR and of international standard, and our researchers have access to the compute and data resources needed to produce world leading research.

We continue to provide opportunities to connect our community. A highlight was this years Australian Academy of Science Elizabeth and Frederick White conference, AuScope led with our NCRIS Earth and Environment peers. The conference, Integrated Earth, focused on understanding the opportunities and barriers to integrating data across all of the Earth spheres.

AuScope also supported the CAGE national geophysics field camp, and the AuSIS program’s National Science Quake, both designed to inspire and enable the next generation of geophysicists.

This year, Jo Condon has moved into a new strategic design role with us. Currently, she is leading a strategy-building process to enhance AuScope’s research translation capability. This participatory project will enable AuScope to better support industry, government and community working on national priorities, alongside fundamental support for the Australian geoscience research community.

In related news, we are also very pleased that AuScope tools and skills will support the newly announced CRC-P led by H2EX, focussed on exploration for natural hydrogen in South Australia.

We also supported, through our relationship with GICE, the Empowering Earth Scientists in Reconciliation workshop. This provided our community with an opportunity to learn from First Nations leaders about how we can all make Australian Earth science more inclusive.

You can learn more about our work, and the exciting research that is enabled by it, via our website. I close by thanking our HQ team, Projects teams, users, members and NCRIS for the work you continue to do each year to make AuScope a unique national asset in support of Australian Geoscience research and Australia’s sustainable and resilient future.

 
 
 

Narrated by: Dr Tim Rawling
Filmed by: Visual Domain
Edited: Philomena Manifold

FURTHER INFORMATION

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