PRISE Annual Report 2000

PRISE had an exceptionally productive year in providing access to the wide range of
equipment and expertise in isotope geochemistry and geochronology available in the
Research School of Earth Sciences. As considerable time was devoted to the development of
the SHRIMP II multicollector, PRISE productivity on this front was less than anticipated.
However, Ar-Ar and K-Ar studies were prominent and the secondment of Dr Wayne Taylor
enabled laser ablation ICP-MS and electron probe projects to be undertaken, many with
specific relevance to the diamond industry.

PRISE hosted the following visitors to the School during 2000:

Dr J. Aleinikoff, Branch of Isotope Geology, US Geological Survey, Denver, USA
Dr R. Pankhurst and Dr I. Millar, British Antarctic Survey, Keyworth, United Kingdom
Dr C.W. Rapela, Centro de Investigaciones Geologicas, Universidad de la Plata, Argentina
Professor F. Hervé, Department of Geology, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile
Professor T. Watanabe and Ms K. Takano, Geology Department, Hokkaido University, Japan
Professor D. Gebauer and Ms A. Liati, Department of Earth Sciences, ETH Zürich, Switzerland
Dr A. Cocherie, Bureau de Recherche Géologique et Miniere, Orleans, France
Mr D. Jamal, Dept. of Geological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
Dr M. Poujol, Dept. of Geology, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
Dr G. Teale, Teale and Associates, Prospect, South Australia
Dr A. Morton, British Geological Survey, Keyworth, United Kingdom
Dr D-L. Cho, Department of Geology, Korea Institute of Geology, Mining and Minerals, Korea
Dr J. Goodge, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas, USA
Dr C. Barnes, Department of Geosciences, Texas Tech University, Texas, USA
Messrs M. Schwarz and A. Burtt, Primary Industry and Research, South Australia
Mr W. Board, Dept. of Geological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
Professor S. McCourt, Dept. of Geology, University of Durban-Westville, Westville, South Africa
Dr A. Camacho, Department of Applied Geology, University of New South Wales

Research Projects

Modal metasomatism in the Kaapvaal Craton lithosphere: constraints on timing and
genesis from U-Pb zircon dating of metasomatism peridotites and MARID-type xenoliths

Hydrothermally altered archaean felsic volcanics from the Mt. Hope area, Eyre Peninsula,
South Australia

40Ar/39Ar and K-Ar whole rock age constraints on the timing of regional deformation, south
coast of New South Wales, Lachlan Fold Belt, Southeastern Australia: problems and
implications