Geochronology in Western Australia

Abstract

The history of geochronology in Australia is intimately related to the history of geochronology in Western Australia. The pioneering research of Edward Simpson in the first decade of the 20th century was followed by the establishment of a mass spectrometer laboratory at the University of Western Australia in the early 1950s by Peter Jeffery where the U–Pb, Rb–Sr and the K–Ar geochronological techniques were developed, and a number of young graduates trained. One of these was Bill Compston, who was destined to play a major role in the evolution of geochronology in this country, including the development of SHRIMP. The collaboration between Curtn University, the Geological Survey of Western Australia and the University of Western Australia has been a longstanding and successful feature of geochronology in Western Australia, culminating in the formation of a State-funded Centre of Excellence in Mass Spectrometry. CSIRO is now a partner in the re-funded Centre. The Centre operates two SHRIMPS and a Cameca 1280. Research of international interest has been carried out on Hadean zircons from the Jack Hills region of Western Australia, which has far-reaching implications to the early evolution of this planet.

Key Words:

• Centre of Excellence
• geochronology
• Hadean
• mass spectrometry
• xenotime
• zircons

Acknowledgements

It is a pleasure to acknowledge the advice of Alec Trendall, David Nelson. Mike MacWilliams and Neal McNaughton in preparing this paper. The Mass Spectrometry Laboratory at Curtin University is supported by the Australian Research Council and the Government of Western Australia through the Centre of Excellence Program.