Michael Gazley (CSIRO)

High resolution characterisation of gold mineralisation

Microcharacterisation techniques are becoming increasingly advanced, with speed of data collection and detection limits continually improving. As micro-scale variation can be key to understanding the large-scale variations in a mineral system, these developments are enhancing the geologist’s ability to resolve mineral systems complexity

This talk will summarise some of the research currently being undertaken in the Mineral Resources program of Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO). This talk will highlight applications of advanced resource characterisation to a variety of settings including samples from orogenic and epithermal systems. Techniques discussed will include scanning electron microscopy, electron back scatter diffraction, synchrotron X-ray fluorescence mapping, high-resolution X-ray computed tomography, and atom probe, as applied to understanding the elements and minerals that are associated with gold and the micro-nano-structure of the gold itself.

Joint seminar with GeoBio