Project finder

In the drop down menus below choose the Degree type you are looking to complete then a subject type, then click on the search button and the relevant projects will be displayed. If you do not make any selections all available projects will be displayed.

Note: These projects are an indication of the topics available, you should contact your prospective supervisor asap to discuss the details of the project.

Project name	Degree type	Subject	Supervisor
Xenon in early Earth	Higher degree research	Deep Earth/Continent evolution, Planetary studies	Dr Masahiko Honda Dr Vickie Bennett
What the Earth is made of?	Master of Science, PhB, Higher degree research	Deep Earth/Continent evolution, Petrology, Planetary studies	Dr Yuri Amelin Professor Hugh O'Neill Professor Trevor Ireland
Wave propagation and wavefront tracking in complex media	Master of Science, PhB, Honours, Higher degree research	Deep Earth/Continent evolution, Seismology and earthquakes	Professor Malcolm Sambridge
Water on the Moon	Master of Science, PhB, Honours, Summer scholar, Higher degree research, Internships	Petrology, Planetary studies, Volcanoes	Dr Penny King Dr Marc Norman Professor Hugh O'Neill
Unraveling the changing patterns of Australian rainfall	Summer scholar	Marine Science, Sea level change/Climate change	Dr Nerilie Abram
Understanding links between metals, metal speciation and phytoplankton growth in the ocean	Master of Science, PhB, Honours, Higher degree research, Internships	Marine Science	Dr Michael Ellwood
Tracking water in the solar system	Master of Science, PhB, Honours, Summer scholar, Graduate coursework, Higher degree research	Deep Earth/Continent evolution, Environmental Geoscience, Petrology, Planetary studies, Volcanoes	Dr Penny King Dr Marc Norman Professor Hugh O'Neill
Tracing fluids and rare elements in the crust by combining microscale oxygen isotope analysis with geochronology	Honours, Higher degree research	Deep Earth/Continent evolution, Geochronology (dating), Petrology	Dr Daniela Rubatto
Thermochronology	Higher degree research	Petrology	Professor Malcolm Sambridge
Thermochemical mantle plumes	Higher degree research	Deep Earth/Continent evolution	Dr Geoffrey Davies
The terrane architecture of East Australia	PhB, Higher degree research	Deep Earth/Continent evolution, Seismology and earthquakes	Dr Nick Rawlinson
The role of water in upper-mantle seismic-wave attenuation: a laboratory study	PhB, Honours, Higher degree research	Deep Earth/Continent evolution, Rock Mechanics/Fluids, Seismology and earthquakes	Professor Ian Jackson Dr John Fitzgerald
The Map That Changes The World	Higher degree research	Economic and Structural Geology, Tectonics/Earth Deformation/faults	Professor Gordon Lister Dr Marnie Forster
The Indian Ocean Dipole, Australasian drought, and the great-earthquake cycle: Long-term perspectives for improved prediction	Higher degree research	Geochronology (dating), Ocean dynamics/fluid dynamics, Sea level change/Climate change, Seismology and earthquakes, Tectonics/Earth Deformation/faults, Tomography	Dr Linda Ayliffe Dr Mike Gagan
The history of mixing nucleosynthetic components during formation of our Solar System	Master of Science, PhB, Higher degree research	Geochronology (dating), Petrology, Planetary studies	Dr Yuri Amelin Professor Trevor Ireland
The geochemistry of platinum group elements in felsic rocks	Higher degree research	Economic and Structural Geology, Petrology	Professor Ian Campbell Professor Hugh O'Neill
The evolution of ore-associated felsic system with time	Higher degree research	Economic and Structural Geology, Geochronology (dating)	Professor Ian Campbell
The effect of climate change on polar ice sheets	Higher degree research	Geodesy/GPS	Professor Kurt Lambeck Dr Paul Tregoning
The Early Time: towards consistent time scale of the Solar System formation	Master of Science, Higher degree research	Geochronology (dating), Petrology, Planetary studies	Dr Yuri Amelin Professor Trevor Ireland
The dynamics of the adjustment of ocean overturning circulation to changing boundary conditions	Higher degree research	Ocean dynamics/fluid dynamics	Professor Ross Griffiths Dr Graham Hughes
The body-wave structure of East Antarctica	PhB, Higher degree research	Deep Earth/Continent evolution, Seismology and earthquakes, Tectonics/Earth Deformation/faults, Tomography	Professor Brian Kennett
Tectonic deformation of Papua New Guinea	Master of Science, PhB, Honours, Higher degree research	Geodesy/GPS, Tectonics/Earth Deformation/faults, Tomography	Dr Paul Tregoning
Synthetic sandstones from sintered glass beads	PhB, Honours	Rock Mechanics/Fluids	Professor Ian Jackson
Studying the crust and the upper mantle structure beneath Australia using multiple geophysical datasets	Master of Science, PhB, Honours, Higher degree research	Deep Earth/Continent evolution, Seismology and earthquakes	Dr Hrvoje Tkalčić
Southern ocean nutrients and their links to climate change: insights from the elemental and isotope signature of diatoms	Higher degree research	Biogeochemistry, Environmental Geoscience, Marine Science	Dr Michael Ellwood
Sensing water vapour in the atmosphere using GPS	Master of Science, PhB, Honours, Higher degree research	Geodesy/GPS, Sea level change/Climate change	Dr Paul Tregoning
Seismology: what is the reliability of tomographic models?	Higher degree research	Seismology and earthquakes	Professor Malcolm Sambridge
Seismology	Higher degree research	Seismology and earthquakes	Professor Malcolm Sambridge
Seismic wave propagation in heterogeneous media	Higher degree research	Seismology and earthquakes	Dr Nick Rawlinson
Seismic tomography	Higher degree research	Seismology and earthquakes, Tomography	Dr Nick Rawlinson Professor Malcolm Sambridge Professor Brian Kennett Dr Erdinc Saygin
Seismic structure of the lithosphere and upper mantle	Higher degree research	Seismology and earthquakes	Dr Erdinc Saygin Dr Hrvoje Tkalčić Dr Michelle Salmon Dr Nick Rawlinson Professor Brian Kennett
Seismic structure of Earth's core and lowermost mantle	Higher degree research	Seismology and earthquakes	Dr Hrvoje Tkalčić
Seismic sources	Higher degree research	Seismology and earthquakes	Dr Hrvoje Tkalčić
Seismic attenuation of multiple ScS waves in the South Pacific	Master of Science, PhB	Seismology and earthquakes	Professor Brian Kennett
Regolith and rock art on Burrup Peninsula, northwestern Western Australia	Higher degree research	Geochronology (dating)	Professor Brad Pillans
Reading rocks	Higher degree research	Tectonics/Earth Deformation/faults	Professor Gordon Lister
Present-day variations in sea level	Higher degree research	Sea level change/Climate change	Dr Paul Tregoning
Precise timing of ore formation	Master of Science, Honours, Higher degree research	Economic and Structural Geology, Geochronology (dating), Petrology, Tectonics/Earth Deformation/faults, Tomography	Dr Yuri Amelin Professor Ian Campbell
Planet's internal rotation	Master of Science, PhB, Honours, Higher degree research		Dr Hrvoje Tkalčić
Physical modelling of lava flows	Honours, Higher degree research	Deep Earth/Continent evolution, Ocean dynamics/fluid dynamics, Volcanoes	Dr Ross Kerr Professor Ross Griffiths
Petrology: crust and mantle dynamics	Higher degree research	Petrology	Professor Malcolm Sambridge
Numerical modeling of plate tectonics	Higher degree research	Tectonics/Earth Deformation/faults	Dr Giampiero Iaffaldano
Numerical modeling of Gravity Currents	Summer scholar	Ocean dynamics/fluid dynamics	Dr Juan Saenz Dr Bishakhdatta Gayen
Non-linear seismic tomography	Master of Science, Honours	Seismology and earthquakes	Dr Nick Rawlinson
Nitrogen in the Earth's mantle	Higher degree research	Deep Earth/Continent evolution, Planetary studies	Dr Masahiko Honda Dr Vickie Bennett
Next gen tin: a new look at tin metallogeny in eastern Australia	Higher degree research	Economic and Structural Geology, Geochronology (dating), Petrology	Dr Marc Norman
New constraints on the Earth's inner core anisotropy from seismic body waves	Master of Science, PhB, Honours, Higher degree research, Internships	Deep Earth/Continent evolution, Seismology and earthquakes	Dr Hrvoje Tkalčić
Neighbourhood algorithm	Higher degree research	Seismology and earthquakes	Professor Malcolm Sambridge
Monsoon extremes and catastrophic volcanic eruptions: Quantifying impacts on the early human history of southern Australasia	Higher degree research	Geochronology (dating), Sea level change/Climate change, Volcanoes	Dr Linda Ayliffe Dr Mike Gagan
Monitoring present-day tectonic motion in Papua New Guinea	Higher degree research	Tectonics/Earth Deformation/faults	Dr Paul Tregoning
Monitoring high grade metamorphic processes with accessory phases	Higher degree research	Deep Earth/Continent evolution, Geochronology (dating), Petrology, Tectonics/Earth Deformation/faults, Tomography	Professor Joerg Hermann Dr Daniela Rubatto Professor Hugh O'Neill
Monitoring groundwater changes in Australia	Master of Science, PhB, Honours	Geodesy/GPS, Sea level change/Climate change	Dr Paul Tregoning
Molecular fossils and toxic ancient oceans	Higher degree research	Sea level change/Climate change	Dr Jochen Brocks
Modern and ancient mantle chemistry	Master of Science, Honours, Internships	Deep Earth/Continent evolution, Petrology, Planetary studies, Volcanoes	Dr Vickie Bennett
Modelling the Southern Ocean	Honours, Higher degree research	Ocean dynamics/fluid dynamics	Dr Andy Hogg
Modelling of seismic sources	Master of Science, PhB, Honours, Higher degree research, Internships	Deep Earth/Continent evolution, Rock Mechanics/Fluids, Seismology and earthquakes, Tectonics/Earth Deformation/faults, Tomography, Volcanoes	Dr Hrvoje Tkalčić
Meteorite impacts and volcanic fire-fountains on the Moon	Higher degree research	Planetary studies	Dr Marc Norman
Maximum entropy eroduction and Earth's internal processes	Higher degree research	Deep Earth/Continent evolution, Planetary studies	Dr Geoffrey Davies
Mass variations estimated from GRACE	Master of Science, PhB, Honours, Higher degree research	Geodesy/GPS	Dr Paul Tregoning
Layered Earth inversions of airborne electromagnetic data	Higher degree research
Landform evolution: how can we constrain surface processes models?	Higher degree research	Geochronology (dating)	Professor Malcolm Sambridge
Landform evolution	Higher degree research	Deep Earth/Continent evolution, Tectonics/Earth Deformation/faults	Professor Malcolm Sambridge
Laboratory studies of the seismic signature of fluids in the Earth's crust	PhB, Honours, Higher degree research	Rock Mechanics/Fluids, Seismology and earthquakes	Professor Ian Jackson Dr John Fitzgerald
Laboratory modelling of the southern ocean circulation	Undergraduate, Honours, Higher degree research	Ocean dynamics/fluid dynamics	Professor Ross Griffiths Dr Andy Hogg
Laboratory and numerical modeling of lee wave breaking	Undergraduate, PhB, Honours, Summer scholar	Ocean dynamics/fluid dynamics	Dr Bishakhdatta Gayen Professor Ross Griffiths
Inversion for regionalised upper mantle models: the RUM model	Higher degree research	Tectonics/Earth Deformation/faults	Professor Malcolm Sambridge
Inside isotopic clocks: distribution of parent and daughter nuclides in geochronometer minerals	Master of Science, PhB, Honours, Higher degree research	Deep Earth/Continent evolution, Geochronology (dating), Petrology, Planetary studies	Dr Yuri Amelin Professor Trevor Ireland
Imaging the Earth's interior structure with seismic tomography	Master of Science, PhB, Honours, Higher degree research	Seismology and earthquakes, Tectonics/Earth Deformation/faults, Tomography	Professor Malcolm Sambridge
How old are the planets?	Master of Science, PhB, Higher degree research	Geochronology (dating), Petrology, Planetary studies	Dr Yuri Amelin
How do sediments become magnetized?	Higher degree research	Geochronology (dating), Marine Science, Sea level change/Climate change	Dr David Heslop
High-resolution modelling of Antarctic bottom water processes			Dr Stephanie Downes Dr Andy Hogg Dr Juan Saenz
High-Precision Hypocentre Determination for Local Earthquakes	PhB, Honours, Summer scholar, Internships	Seismology and earthquakes	Professor Phil Cummins
GRACE Follow-on mission	Higher degree research	Geodesy/GPS	Dr Paul Tregoning
Glacial climates	Honours, Higher degree research	Ocean dynamics/fluid dynamics, Sea level change/Climate change	Dr Andy Hogg
Geospeedometry	Higher degree research	Tectonics/Earth Deformation/faults	Dr Marnie Forster
Geophysical parameterization and interpolation of irregular data using natural neighbours	Higher degree research		Professor Malcolm Sambridge
Forward and inverse numerical models of the coupled mantle/lithosphere system	Master of Science, PhB, Honours, Higher degree research, Internships	Tectonics/Earth Deformation/faults, Tomography	Dr Giampiero Iaffaldano
Forecasting the seismic potential of plate boundaries by looking at their past	Master of Science, PhB, Honours, Higher degree research	Environmental Geoscience, Seismology and earthquakes, Tectonics/Earth Deformation/faults, Tomography	Dr Giampiero Iaffaldano
Fluid flow and mineralisation in intrusion-related ore systems	Higher degree research	Economic and Structural Geology, Rock Mechanics/Fluids, Tectonics/Earth Deformation/faults, Tomography	Professor Steve Cox
Finding the oldest molecular fossils of cyanobacteria	80 hours special projects, PhB	Biogeochemistry, Environmental Geoscience, Marine Science, Palaeontology	Dr Jochen Brocks
Exploring potential and limitations of ultrahigh-precision U-Pb dating	Master of Science, Higher degree research	Deep Earth/Continent evolution, Geochronology (dating), Petrology, Planetary studies	Dr Yuri Amelin Dr Ian Williams Dr Daniela Rubatto
Exploring Mars	Master of Science, PhB, Honours, Summer scholar, Higher degree research, Internships	Deep Earth/Continent evolution, Environmental Geoscience, Petrology, Planetary studies, Volcanoes	Dr Penny King
Establishing a tectonic listening post in Turkey	Master of Science	Economic and Structural Geology, Tectonics/Earth Deformation/faults	Professor Gordon Lister Dr Marnie Forster
Energetics of turbulent mixing in real fluids	PhB, Honours, Higher degree research, Internships	Ocean dynamics/fluid dynamics, Sea level change/Climate change	Professor Ross Griffiths Dr Graham Hughes
Efficiency of mantle plumes	Master of Science, Honours	Deep Earth/Continent evolution	Dr Geoffrey Davies
Eddies in the southern ocean	Undergraduate, Honours, Higher degree research	Marine Science	Dr Andy Hogg
Early Earth: the zircon tale continues	Master of Science, PhB, Honours, Higher degree research	Deep Earth/Continent evolution, Geochronology (dating), Petrology, Planetary studies	Dr Yuri Amelin
Dynamics of rotating convection and the ocean overturning circulation	Master of Science, Honours	Ocean dynamics/fluid dynamics	Professor Ross Griffiths
Dynamics of flow through ocean straits	Honours, Higher degree research	Ocean dynamics/fluid dynamics	Dr Andy Hogg Dr Graham Hughes
Dynamical models of the global ocean overturning circulation	Higher degree research	Marine Science, Ocean dynamics/fluid dynamics	Professor Ross Griffiths Dr Graham Hughes
Dynamic and chemical evolution of the mantle	Higher degree research	Deep Earth/Continent evolution	Dr Geoffrey Davies
Dislocation mobility and damping in single-crystal MgO	Higher degree research	Deep Earth/Continent evolution, Rock Mechanics/Fluids, Seismology and earthquakes	Professor Ian Jackson Dr John Fitzgerald
Diffusion as a limiting factor in isotopic dating and tracing	Master of Science, Higher degree research	Deep Earth/Continent evolution, Geochronology (dating), Petrology, Planetary studies	Dr Yuri Amelin Professor Hugh O'Neill
Diamonds are forever	Master of Science, Honours, Higher degree research	Deep Earth/Continent evolution, Geochronology (dating), Planetary studies, Tectonics/Earth Deformation/faults, Tomography	Dr Masahiko Honda
Dating the Permian-Triassic extinction event in Australia	Master of Science, PhB, Honours, Higher degree research	Economic and Structural Geology, Geochronology (dating), Palaeontology, Tectonics/Earth Deformation/faults, Tomography	Dr Yuri Amelin
Crustal and mantle dynamics: what is the nature of the forces driving continental tectonics?	Higher degree research	Tectonics/Earth Deformation/faults	Professor Malcolm Sambridge
Cosmic collisions on the Moon	Master of Science, Honours, Higher degree research, Internships	Planetary studies	Dr Vickie Bennett Dr Marc Norman
Copper and its influence on marine phytoplankton growth	Master of Science, Honours, Higher degree research, Internships	Sea level change/Climate change	Dr Michael Ellwood
Computer modelling of physical properties of minerals under extreme conditions	Master of Science, PhB, Honours	Deep Earth/Continent evolution, Seismology and earthquakes	Professor Brian Kennett Professor Ian Jackson
Computational methods for nonlinear inverse problems	Honours, Higher degree research	Deep Earth/Continent evolution, Seismology and earthquakes	Professor Malcolm Sambridge
Combining very long baseline interferometry and GPS in Australia	Higher degree research	Geodesy/GPS	Dr Paul Tregoning
Climate change and the melting of polar ice caps	Higher degree research	Geodesy/GPS, Sea level change/Climate change	Dr Paul Tregoning
Causes of interleaving intrusions between ocean fronts	Master of Science, Honours	Ocean dynamics/fluid dynamics	Professor Ross Griffiths Dr Graham Hughes
Carbonate eclogite in the upper mantle - its role in petrogenesis	Higher degree research	Petrology	Dr Greg Yaxley
Calibration of thermo-barometers for deeply subducted rocks	Higher degree research	Deep Earth/Continent evolution, Geochronology (dating), Petrology	Professor Joerg Hermann Dr Daniela Rubatto Professor Hugh O'Neill
Bulk dissipation in partially molten peridotite	Honours, Higher degree research	Deep Earth/Continent evolution, Rock Mechanics/Fluids, Seismology and earthquakes	Professor Ian Jackson Dr John Fitzgerald
Biogeochemistry and molecular fossils	Master of Science, PhB, Honours, Higher degree research, Internships	Sea level change/Climate change	Dr Jochen Brocks
Argon geochronology	Higher degree research	Geochronology (dating)	Dr Marnie Forster
Archean continent formation and evolution	Master of Science, Honours, Higher degree research, Internships	Deep Earth/Continent evolution, Petrology, Planetary studies	Dr Vickie Bennett
Archaean granite-greenstone evolution	Master of Science, Higher degree research	Deep Earth/Continent evolution, Economic and Structural Geology, Geochronology (dating), Petrology	Dr Yuri Amelin Professor Ian Campbell
Antarctic GPS project: geodetic monitoring of isostatic rebound near the Lambert Glacier	Higher degree research	Geodesy/GPS	Dr Paul Tregoning
Analysis of Earthquake Data from the Indonesian Seismograph Network	PhB, Honours, Summer scholar, Internships	Seismology and earthquakes	Professor Phil Cummins
Analysis of broad-band seismic data	Internships	Seismology and earthquakes	Professor Brian Kennett
Adaptive non-linear inversion of seismic data for Earth structure	Master of Science, Honours	Seismology and earthquakes, Tectonics/Earth Deformation/faults, Tomography	Professor Malcolm Sambridge
A PhD student Fellowship in Palaeoclimatology/Palaeoceanography	Higher degree research	Biogeochemistry, Environmental Geoscience, Marine Science, Sea level change/Climate change	Dr Jimin Yu
A comparative study of the geochemistry of ore-bearing	Higher degree research	Economic and Structural Geology	Professor Ian Campbell

Research School of Earth Sciences

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