Environmental Geochemistry

Understanding the geochemical properties of mining waste and how they transform over time is the key to successful mine closure and rehabilitation.

The Environmental Geochemistry group develops innovative tools for understanding and predicting geochemical processes, which underpin sustainable management of waste rock dumps, mineral processing tailings and final voids. The Environmental Geochemistry group also seeks opportunities for reprocessing and/or utilising mining waste in a wide range of other applications.

The Environmental Geochemistry group aspires to address mine waste challenges across the mine life cycle, particularly during closure and rehabilitation, through innovation in acid and metalliferous drainage (AMD) prediction and source control, and through the development of advanced mine waste and tailings management solutions.

Innovation in mine waste management requires a fundamental understanding of material properties and environmental context, as well as the economic and environmental trade-offs associated with new applications.

Our research focus is on:

Understanding geochemical hazards and predicting the environmental risks arising from them;
Developing nature-inspired solutions based on fundamental science and experimental work; and
Thinking beyond mine rehabilitation in both spatial and temporal senses.