Research Hub
ANSTO's research capabilities, led by the OPAL nuclear research reactor and associated instruments provide access to users investigating areas as diverse as materials, life sciences, climate change and mining/engineering.
Nuclear Methods in Earth Systems
Contact:
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| Analysis on sediment sample from Warragamba Dam |
Henk Heijnis (Project Leader)
Institute for Environmental Research
Locked Bag 2001, Kirrawee DC NSW 2232, Australia
Phone: +61 2 9717 9086
Email: Henk.Heijnis@ansto.gov.au
Earth system science provides decision makers with supporting information on how to manage, protect and remediate land and water resources.
One of four major research projects within the Institute for Environmental Research (IER), Nuclear Methods in Earth Systems uses isotopic and nuclear techniques to trace the impact of humans on the environment.
Earth systems science recognises that knowledge of the history of environmental variability and human-environment interactions improves our understanding of the functioning of Earth systems and their response, or vulnerability, to current and future impacts. The techniques and instruments used by researchers in this group enable them to reconstruct human impacts on ecosystems over the past 8000 years.
Isotopic and nuclear techniques are also applied to Contaminant Science, where researchers are focused on providing information on the behaviour of contaminants and the remediation of affected sites.
In Nuclear Methods in the Carbon Cycle task, new techniques are being developed to enhance existing research in cave system processes for palaeo-climate assessments. This provides researchers with additional information in modelling climate change and other issues.
Researchers within the Nuclear Methods in Earth Systems group have formed partnerships and collaborations with many of the worlds leading research institutes, and undertake fieldwork on sites around Australia, and the world.
Study areas
Please see the following project pages for detailed information: