Episode 69: Geothermal Energy from Uranium Deposits

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Listen: http://upclose.unimelb.edu.au/episode/203?start=1

Transcript: http://upclose.unimelb.edu.au/transcript/202

"We have a large amount of resource in a very, very enriched source. We’re ideally placed to be the world leaders really in exploitation of this technology." - Dr Sandra McLaren

Prof Mike Sandiford

Professor Mike Sandiford is Professorial Fellow at the School of Earth Sciences, and Director of the Melbourne Energy Institute.

Mike's research has focused on the geodynamic evolution of the continents with his main contributions in the fields of thermal evolution of metamorphic terranes, mechanics of orogenic systems, nature of stress fields and deformation in continental interiors.

His research on the long-term evolution of the continents has provided new insights into the way in which tectonic processes modify the geochemical structure of the lithosphere and, in particular, the distribution of heat producing elements, leading to the notion of “tectonic feedback”.

Dr Sandra McLaren

Dr Sandra McLaren is a geologist with research interests in a wide range of earth science fields. She is currently a Lecturer in the School of Earth Sciences at the University of Melbourne. Sandra's main research interest is in understanding the long term evolution of the Australian continent. Her main teaching responsibilities are in the field of Structural Geology and Tectonics.

Sandra is a member of the Geological Society of Australia, and the Women in Science and Enquiry Network (WISENet).

Prof Mike Sandiford

Publications

Book Chapters

R R Hillis, M Sandiford, S D Reynolds, M Quigley, "Present day stresses, seismicity and Neogene-to-Recent tectonics of Australia's 'passive' margins: intraplate deformation controlled by plate in boundary forces" in The Nature and Origin of Compression in Passive Margins, 2008, Geological Society of London (London).
A Dosseto, S P Turner, M Sandiford, J Davidson, "Uranium-series isotope and thermal constraints on the rate and depth of sicilic magma genesis" in Dynamics of Crustal Magma Transfer, Storage and Differentiation, 2008, Geological Society of London (London)

Journal Articles

B Hou, L A Frakes, M Sandiford, L Worrall, J Keeling, N F Alley, Cenozoic Eucla Basin and associated palaeovalleys, southern Australia- Climatic and tectonic influences on landscape evolution, sedimentation and heavy mineral accumulation, Sedimentary Geology, Vol 203, pages 112 - 130, 2008.
M Sandiford, D L Egholm, Enhanced intraplate seismicity along continental margins: Some causes and consequences, Tectonophysics, Vol 457, pages 197 - 208, 2008.
M Sandiford, Seismic moment release during slab rupture beneath the Banda Sea, Geophysical Journal International, Vol 174, pages 659 - 671, 2008.

Dr Sandra McLaren

Publications

Journal Articles

S McLaren, S M Reddy, Automated mapping of K-feldspar by electron backscatter diffraction and application to 40Ar/39Ar dating, Journal of Structural Geology, Vol 30, pages 1229 - 1241, 2008.
J A Miranda, M Wallace, S McLaren, The Norwest Bend Formation: Implications for the evolution of Neogene drainage in southeastern Australia, Sedimentary Geology, Vol 205, pages 53 - 66, 2008.

School of Earth Sciences

Host: Dr Shane Huntington
Producers: Kelvin Param, Miles Brown and Dr Shane Huntington
Series Creators: Eric van Bemmel and Kelvin Param
Audio Engineer: Miles Brown
Theme Music performed by Sergio Ercole. Mr Ercole is represented by the Musicians' Agency, Faculty of Music