Mining

Dr Frank Reith (University of Adelaide) and Dr Barbara Etschmann (Monash University) collecting platinum nuggets in Brazil. Image: Prof Joël Brugger

Panning for platinum – the prospects are good

The search for the world’s rarest precious metal could get easier, thanks to bacteria.

A helicopter with a large ring suspended from it hovering over landscape

Outback water: in search of underground oases

It’s predicted that there will be a three-fold increase in water demand in South Australia between 2010 and 2019 by the mining and energy sector. Using world first techniques combining geophysical data and topographical maps, scientists are exploring if the water is there to support demand.