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TIGeR research falls into two areas - 'Earth Past and Earth Present'.
Earth Past focuses on understanding the origin and evolution of planet Earth from both a purely scientific view and for more
practical reasons including understanding the temporal and spatial distribution of ore bodies and petroleum reservoirs, and
identifying the drivers of long-term climate change. Our research into the Solar System and Early Earth involves the study of
meteorites and lunar material and the oldest known crustal remnants on Earth. We have considerable expertise in evaluating the
changing configuration of Earth's continents over time, particularly in the Proterozoic. This time period is widely considered to
have seen the onset of modern-style plate tectonics and is also when many of the world's mineral deposits formed.
Earth Present involves understanding the configuration of the Earth and its surface features and also provides an important benchmark
for evaluating global changes. Our research in this area focuses on gravity field determinations, modern tectonic movements, lithospheric
strength, and laser and radar scanning. Our expertise in measuring and modelling the contemporary Earth's shape and gravity field has
led to an ongoing evaluation of spherical versus ellipsoidal Earth models. Stable isotopic compositions preserved in organic matter
provide powerful insights into biochemistry, ecology, climate change, hydrologic and atmospheric processes. The stable isotope and
biogeochemistry group apply compound specific isotope analysis (CSIA) to determine the stable isotopic compositions of individual
organic components in complex mixtures (e.g. petroleum, natural gases, sediments, soils, groundwater, potable waters and extracts
from plants and other media). Emphasis is placed on paleoenvironmental change (including mass extinctions), biogeochemical cycling
of carbon and hydrogen to resolve metabolic relationships between organic compounds in living and extinct organisms and their
applications to petroleum exploration.