Environment

Coral discovery equips researchers with new environmental monitoring method

Published on: 21 October 2019

A rare element discovered in Great Barrier Reef coral skeletons will help scientists understand the environmental history of nearby regions.

UQ study shows global supply of metals won’t meet demand without industry change

Published on: 4 October 2019

University of Queensland researchers have highlighted the effects environmental, social and governance (ESG) risks will have on the global supply of metals without major innovations in the mining industry.

Assoc Prof Glen Corder discusses the circular economy and mining on ABC Radio

Published on: 10 June 2019

As part of media coverage of World Environment Day (6 June), Assoc Professor Glen Corder joined Katherine Feeney in the ABC studios to discuss mining and a circular econmony

UQ Water Atlas: unravelling groundwater mysteries

Water presents a multifaceted set of issues that can rapidly become the touchstone for community acceptance or otherwise of resource developments. Not only are issues of water availability and quality important but water also presents an intrinsic set of values that are often interwoven into people’s perceptions of the issues. This elevates the importance of “getting water right” as an imperative in obtaining social licence to operate.

Matrix could ensure vital copper supplies

Published on: 6 March 2019

Researchers from the Sustainable Minerals Institute have identified a matrix of risks that the mining industry must overcome to unlock vitally important copper reserves.

Ecosystem Assessment, Restoration & Resilience

This group assesses impacts of mining activities on flora and fauna; develop innovative approaches to restore ecosystem services and practices that encourage recolonisation by native species; examine the resilience of ecosystems under specific disturbance regimes; discover and understand the utility of metallophyte plants; create approaches for the recovery and sustainability of disturbed land.

Rehabilitation of mines in the Alligator Rivers Region

Environmental Geochemistry of Abandoned Mines in the Puno Region of Peru

The aim of this research was to provide technical support to Geological Mining and Metallurgical Institute (INGEMMET) as they undertook a targeted geochemical investigation at abandoned mines in the Puno region of Peru, a region which lies within the catchment of Lake Titicaca.

Characterising and Predicting Tailings Seepage Chemistry

There are three approaches to predicting seepage water quality: 1) field monitoring and tracer techniques such as stable isotopes, 2) laboratory column leaching experiments; and 3) geochemical modelling. A column study only shows how a small sample of tailings materials behaves over time.

Long Term Salt Generation from Coal Spoils

The release of salts from spoil piles affects surface and groundwater quality particularly the quality of water in final voids. Current hydrogeochemical salt balance models either assume that the total amount of inherent salts in spoils will be released over time or often predict increasing project water salinity into the future based on site monitoring data from electrical conductivity measurements.