IAH NSW – Regional Tech Talk

Using natural isotopic tracers in groundwater across NSW

Where: Tuesday 29 August, 1800 to 1900

When: Dubbo Zoo – Savannah Function Centre

Streaming Link: To be provided closer to the date

Bio: Dioni is a geoscientist with over 25-year experience in the field of environmental geochemistry. His daily work at ANSTO (Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation) involves the application of environmental tracers (conventional, isotopic, emerging) to understand components of the water cycle. Dioni’s applied research covers multiple earth science systems with particular interest on arid-semi-arid regions, groundwater and fluid-rock interactions, river chemistry, evolution of ocean major ions chemistry and tracing of contaminants in anthropogenic altered systems. Some of the isotopic tracers involved in his work include: ³H, ¹⁴C, ³⁶Cl, ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr, H₂O-δ²H and δ¹⁸O, SO₄-δ³⁴S and δ¹⁸O, δ¹³C_DIC, etc. These tracers are combined with other hydrogeochemical techniques such as trace elements and Rare Earth Elements’ analysis. Dioni’s research has a strong industry and government component, developing multiple research projects (e.g.: Cotton Research and Development Corporation, NSW-government DPE, WA government-DBCA and DW, Newcrest, South32, ERA, Peabody Energy, Crosslands Resources, Alberta Research Council (Canada), etc.).  He has been invited to present his work at national and international forums and delivered training courses including UNESCO and IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) programs. Dioni has maintained a strong collaboration with universities with continuous adjunct appointments since 2006 at University of Wollongong and then as Adjunct Associate Professor at University of NSW (UNSW). He has authored and/or co-authored over 95 peer reviewed (mostly Q1) papers and numerous reports with a total of 267 publications.

Abstract:This talk will start with a generic primer on the isotopic systems most used is groundwater applications. Dioni will follow with some of general questions that isotopes can help to understand in the water cycle and groundwater in particular. After this the rest of the talk will concentrate on examples of work developed across NSW with some generic and local implications. At a wider scale and using a current project between Department of Planning and Environment (NSW) and ANSTO and supported by the National Groundwater Grid Authority Dioni will present a preview of the groundwater stable isotope “isoscape” for NSW and will show you some of the work they have developed on radiocarbon and other isotope systems.

ANSTO Team: Karina Meredith, Cath Hughes, Liza McDonough, Stuart Hankin, Mark Peterson, Jagoda Crawford.

DPE Team: Tina Jafari, Robert Brownbill, John P. Williams, Sharon Grey, Sue Hamilton.

Other participants and collaborators: Bryce Kelly (UNSW).