The Permian - Triassic (Palaeozoic - Mesozoic) boundary marks the greatest mass extinction in the history of the Earth's biosphere, which is sometimes referred to as Great Dying. Correlation of the Permian - Triassic (P - T) boundary in Australia and Gondwana with global and northern hemisphere marine boundary sequences and the formal GSSP section is limited by the paucity of marine index fossils. Interpretation of non - biostratigraphic proxies for the P - T boundary in Australia is also difficult. In this project, the student (co-supervised by Ian Metcalfe, University of New England, and Bob Nicoll, Geoscience Australia), will perform time calibration of the P - T boundary by U-Pb analysis of zircons from volcanic rocks bracketing the boundary, using the modern high-precision analytical techniques and the methods of zircon treatment that eliminate the influence of inheritance and Pb loss, such as mechanical and chemical abrasion.

No continuous, high resolution records documenting paleoenvironmental change through the most recent deglaciation period for southern Australia currently exist. An extremely well-laminated stalagmite from the Flinders Ranges , SA, has been identified by U/Th disequilibrium dating to have formed during the period 17.5 - 14 ka. This stalagmite offers a rare opportunity to examine paleoenvironmental change and search for evidence of rapid climate events such as Heinrich event 1 that is well-documented in the northern hemisphere. In addition, dune building in the Strzelecki Desert to the north and east is concentrated in a number of discrete phases during this time. Comparing the dune and speleothem records will lead to a better understanding of the relationships between regional hydrology and environmental response during this period of rapid, high magnitude climate change.

An opportunity exists for a Summer Scholar to assist in reconstructing the paleoenvironmental record for this stalagmite. The student would gain experience in laboratory analyses (O-isotopes, laser ablation trace element analyses, U-series dating) and the interpretation of speleothem and dune paleoclimate records.

The so-called maximum entropy production principle is a relatively new idea that may apply to fairly complex dynamical systems. The project would be to test the MEP principle by developing applications to some of Earth's internal processes and comparing its predictions with progressively more sophisticated numerical models. Potential applications are the compositional-dynamical stratification of the mantle and the energy involved with core convection and the dynamo mechanism of Earth's magnetic field. Good computational skills would be required.