See the world in a grain of sand!
RESOURCE FERTILITY: Source characterisation
- Dating of detrital minerals
- Protolith characterisation and discrimination using trace element analysis
- Estimations of mineral formation temperatures (e.g., to decipher the metamorphic grade of source rocks)
- Accurate silica estimates for zircon source rocks (e.g. as a discriminant in provenance analysis)
RESOURCE PATHWAYS AND UPGRADING: Sediment transport metrics
- Source-normalized α-dose of detrital zircon to quantify upgrading of heavy mineral cargo during sedimentary transport and recycling
- Age distributions of detrital minerals reveal sediment mixing processes of the drainage system
- Mineral ratios, such as the apatite-tourmaline ratio (ATi), track upgrading processes
RESOURCE TRAPS AND TARGETING: Depositional constraints
- Dating of ferruginous induration tracks (post-)depositional processes, such as declining water tables
- Xenotime outgrowths on detrital zircon (and other authigenic minerals) can provide depositional age constraints by forming during diagenesis within a deposit or identify intermediate source rocks if representing an earlier diagenetic phase
- Dating of detrital minerals provides a maximum depositional age (MDA) constraint that can approach true depositional age, particularly in volcanic regions
The Mineral Library
Zircon
Baddeleyite
Rutile
Titanite
Monazite
Xenotime
Garnet
Apatite
Cassiterite
Feldspar
Zircon
Baddeleyite
Rutile
Titanite
Monazite
Xenotime
Garnet
Apatite
Cassiterite
Feldspar
The Bigger Picture
- The integration of campaign-style analysis of detrital minerals with cutting-edge data analysis techniques enables unparalleled understanding of sedimentary systems
- Campaign-style geochronological and geochemical characterizations facilitate reliable intra- and inter-deposit comparisons, enabling the association of deposits with specific strandlines and the effective deciphering of the underlying sediment routing systems
- Big data allows robust source quantification of a diverse range of processes, e.g., upgrading history through intermediate basins, sediment mixing, and longshore drift processes
Our Workflow
Our Indicative Costs
Costs vary depending on the number of samples and the specific analyses requested. However, indicative costs per sample are approximately $5,000 AUD, which includes the complete workflow from rock or heavy mineral concentrate to results. This includes sample preparation, sample characterisation, analysis, and comprehensive reporting within an interpretative framework. We invite you to engage in a preliminary discussion for a more precise cost estimation tailored to your needs.
Contact us for more information

- Phone: +61 (8) 9266 4956
- Email: timescales@curtin.edu.au
- Web: curtin.edu/timescales