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AusGeo News December 2010 Issue No. 100
Welcome to AusGeo News 100
Welcome to Issue 100. This issue includes an article relating to Geoscience Australia's programs to provide pre-competitive information to support the mineral exploration industry as well as reports on a survey in Kalgoorlie to inform earthquake risk and mitigation, spatial information management and our Education Program.
The Yilgarn Craton in Western Australia is one of Australia's key mineral provinces, producing more than half of the gold and most of the nickel mined in Australia. Our article reports on the series of projects conducted by Geoscience Australia in the eastern Yilgarn Craton in collaboration with the Predictive Mineral Discovery Cooperative Research Centre between 2001 and 2008. Many of the new findings from the research challenge previous paradigms regarding the tectonics and geological architecture, as well as the relationship of gold to structure, magmatism and metamorphism.
This issue also reports on the survey of earthquake damage in Kalgoorlie following the earthquake on 20 April 2010. The survey captured street view imagery of 12 000 buildings and followed this with a detailed field survey. This information will make a significant contribution to our knowledge of earthquake vulnerability.
Geoscience Australia's National Geographic Information Group has recently undertaken a significant strategic review of its operations with a view to providing improved access to up-to-date geographic information for government and the community. The article outlines the cultural shift involved from being a provider of data and products to a geographic information content integrator, provider and enduring custodian. This is against a background of increasing collaboration between government mapping agencies and a requirement by government for fundamental data to be more intelligent and specific.
The Education Centre at Geoscience Australia's headquarters in Symonston ACT welcomed its 50 000th student visitor in March this year. The Centre is one part of our Education Program and our article examines our science education and awareness-raising activities at the local, national and international level. It also outlines some exciting new collaborations which are providing students with a real world context for learning within the school environment.
It is now 20 years since publication of the first issue of AusGeo News. Over this period, the magazine has chronicled the changes in the agency as it adopted a greater range of functions serving a wider range of clients and stakeholders in government, industry and the community. This issue includes a review of the many new functions the agency has assumed since December 1990.
Finally, I wish to thank all our readers for your continuing support and extend best wishes for the festive season and the New Year.
Dr Chris Pigram
CEO Geoscience Australia