News

Here are all the latest EarthByte news posts. See News Archive for recent years.

EarthByte also publishes the ‘GPlates News‘ newsletter every quarter. The GPlates newsletter contains features such as the latest GPlates updates, tutorials and datasets, EarthByte news highlights and much more! Click here to view the latest and past editions of ‘GPlates News‘, or subscribe to receive the newsletters.

EarthByte Seminar Series: Dr. Amando Lasabuda

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Join us for a fascinating talk with Dr. Amando Lasabuda from University of Oslo and The University of Sydney. In this EarthByte Seminar Series event, Amando will talk about reconstructing the paleogeography of glaciated continental margins and their sediment source-to-sink systems with an example from the Barents Sea, Norwegian Arctic.

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Geology: Duration of Sturtian “Snowball Earth” glaciation linked to exceptionally low mid-ocean ridge outgassing

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The Sturtian ‘Snowball Earth’ glaciation (~717–661 Ma) is regarded as the most extreme interval of icehouse climate in Earth’s history. The exact trigger and sustention mechanisms for this long-lived global glaciation remain obscure. The most widely debated causes are silicate weathering of the ~718 Ma Franklin LIP, and changes in the length and degassing of … Read more…

EarthByte Seminar Series: Dr. Antoniette Grima

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Join us for an insightful seminar with Antoniette from University of Glasgow. In this EarthByte Seminar Series event, Antoniette will talk about the evolution of slab morphology and topography at subduction zones. Her work can contribute to a better understanding of subduction processes from deep slab dynamics to continental deformation, the evolution of topography at subduction zones, and basin formation and continental extension.

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Tectonics: Differential Uplift Triggered Basin-And-Range System: Evidence From Low-Temperature Thermochronology in Eastern NE Asia

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Since the Mesozoic, eastern NE Asia has experienced multiple tectonic events, resulting in a complex structure and forming one of the world’s largest Meso-Cenozoic lacustrine basin systems. Presently, basin evolution models require further elucidation regarding the simultaneous generation of diverse rift basins and the potential impact stemming from the closure of the Mudanjiang Ocean, whose … Read more…

EarthByte Seminar Series: Hojat Shirmard

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Join us for an insightful seminar with Hojat Shirmard from the EarthByte Group. In this EarthByte Seminar Series event, Hojat will delve into the discovery of a new deep-seated world-class porphyry copper deposit named Sereydoun, which resulted from a distinctive approach to processing, analyzing, and interpreting airborne geophysical data and satellite images in the cluster of Sarcheshmeh copper porphyry mine.

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GPlately1.3 released

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GPlately

We end 2023 with the release of GPlately1.3, with a number of bugfixes and improvements. The cool functionality of GPlately includes generating gridded oceanic crustal ages and seafloor spreading rates from plate models with evolving plate boundaries – see example below using a plate model in a mantle reference frame. Happy holidays from the EarthByte … Read more…

GPlates 2.4 released

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GPlates 2.4 released A note about GPlates 2.4:- This release contains mostly bug fixes (compared to GPlates 2.3). We’ve also added some Scientific Colour Maps by Fabio Crameri to our builtin colour palettes. However, most new functionality is still in development and will go into the GPlates 3.0 release (late 2024). This is because it depends on the graphics … Read more…

Welcome Hojat Shirmard to the team

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Hojat

We welcome our new PhD candidate Hojat Shirmard to join the team. Hojat is a PhD candidate in the EarthByte Group, School of Geosciences, University of Sydney. He holds a MSc degree in Mining Engineering – Mineral Exploration from the University of Tehran. He has experience doing more than 200 mineral exploration projects in different … Read more…

Download GPlates 2.4

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Welcome to the download page for GPlates 2.4. Information about this release may be found on the News page of the GPlates website. This page contains the following sections: Download file descriptions There are 11 download files consisting of: GPlates binary installers The binary installers include GPlates and the GPlates-compatible geodata. For Windows: For macOS … Read more…

GPlates 2.4 software and data sets

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GPlates Title Logo


GPlates is a free desktop software for the interactive visualisation of plate-tectonics. The compilation and documentation of GPlates 2.4 data was primarily funded by AuScope National Collaborative Research Infrastructure (NCRIS).

GPlates is developed by the EarthByte Group (part of AuScope NCRIS) at the University of Sydney and the Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences (GPS) at California Institute of Technology (CalTech). … Read more…

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Nature: Landscape dynamics and the Phanerozoic diversification of the biosphere

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The long-term diversification of the biosphere responds to changes in the physical environment. Yet, over the continents, the nearly monotonic expansion of life started later in the early part of the Phanerozoic eon1 than the expansion in the marine realm, where instead the number of genera waxed and waned over time2. A comprehensive evaluation of … Read more…

EarthByte Seminar Series: Prof. Dietmar Müller

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Explore Earth’s Deep Carbon Cycle with Prof. Dietmar Müller’s Tectono-Thermodynamic Modelling! In this EarthByte Seminar Series event, Dietmar talks about the “tectonic carbon conveyor belt,” its role in emitting, storing, and releasing carbon, and its impact on Earth’s climate through the ages.

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EarthByte Seminar Series: Dr. Ehsan Farahbakhsh

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Join us for an insightful seminar with Dr. Ehsan Farahbakhsh from the EarthByte Group. In this EarthByte Seminar Series event, Ehsan will delve into the intricate dynamics of porphyry copper-gold (Cu-Au) mineralization in Papua New Guinea using machine learning methods.

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New Technologies in Mineral Exploration: Drilling, Lasers and Ore Deposit Targeting – Talk by Caroline Tiddy

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We are excited to have Assoc Prof Caroline Tiddy from the University of South Australia visiting us in person to present her amazing work on new technologies in mineral exploration on Wednesday, 1 Nov, 1pm, Madsen Room 449. Abstract Our world is embarking on a green transition to see us move towards a low carbon … Read more…

Environmental controls on the resilience of Scott Reefs since the Miocene (North West Shelf, Australia): Insights from 3D seismic data

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North and South Scott Reefs are isolated carbonate platforms separated by an inter-reef channel on the NWS, Australia. They evolved from a barrier reef in the Miocene, and into isolated carbonate build-ups (ICB’s) during the Pliocene, and finally to the isolated carbonate platforms that continued to present day. However, the timings of coral reef turn … Read more…

The role of surface processes in basin inversion and breakup unconformity

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In the context of continental extension, transient compressional episodes (stress inversion) and phases of uplift (depth inversion) are commonly recorded with no corresponding change in plate motion. Changes in gravitational potential energy during the rifting process have been invoked as a possible source of compressional stresses, but their magnitude, timing, and relationship with depth inversions … Read more…

The Role of Isostasy in the Evolution and Architecture of Fold and Thrust Belts

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Warmer conditions prevalent in the hinterland of orogenic systems facilitate local ductile flow underneath the surface load, making Airy-like local isostasy more prevalent in these domains. In contrast, flexural isostasy better describes the regional response to surface loading of more rigid lithospheres. Here, we explore how the interaction between horizontal tectonic mass transfer and vertical … Read more…

Welcome to Zijing Luo

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Zijing Luo

We welcome our new visiting overseas student Zijing Luo from China University of Geosciences. She is in Room 410, Madsen Building and you are welcome to drop by and say hello. Her research project is “Interpretable deep learning algorithm for Mineral Prospectively Mapping”.  Below is her research project summary. Deep learning (DL) algorithms have been … Read more…

EarthByte Seminar Series: A/Prof Fabio A. Capitanio

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Join us for an enlightening seminar with A/Prof Fabio A. Capitanio from  Monash University. In this EarthByte Seminar Series event, Fabio will lead us on a captivating journey through the complex dynamics of convergent margins. He will uncover his latest research and insights into seismic forces, plate interactions, and the paradigm of subduction.

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EarthByte Seminar Series: Dr. Jianping Zhou

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Join us for an exciting exploration of the geological history of eastern NE Asia as Dr. Jianping Zhou, a postdoctoral researcher from Ocean University of China currently visiting the EarthByte Group, takes us on a journey through time and tectonics. In this EarthByte Seminar Series event, we will delve deep into the fascinating world of Meso-Cenozoic basin-and-range systems and their role in shaping the landscape of eastern NE Asia..

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EOS: Shifts in Tectonic Plates Change Biodiversity

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For the past 250 million years, species have diversified and died out while Earth’s tectonic plate movements and sea level changes have operated in the background. They’re linked, according to new research that found that processes altering the lithosphere affect ocean levels and, in turn, the availability of shallow marine environments in which life thrives. “Why we … Read more…

EarthByte Seminar Series: Dr. Dan Sandiford

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Join us for an enlightening session with Dan Sandiford from The University of Sydney, where he will explore the dynamic world of mantle and lithosphere dynamics, with a particular emphasis on understanding stress and deformation patterns within slabs.

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EarthByte Seminar Series: A/Prof. Stuart Clark

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Join us for an insightful session featuring Associate Professor Stuart Clark from UNSW Sydney’s School of Minerals and Energy Resources Engineering. In this event, he will delve into the fascinating realm of geophysical data interpretation and geological modeling, showcasing the integration of cutting-edge machine learning techniques and physics-based methodologies.

More details below:

Seminar Details:

  • Date: Wednesday, August 30th, 2023
  • Time: 11:30 am – 12:30 pm
  • Location: Geoscience Conference Room 449 or
  • Zoom Link: Register here … Read more…
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New Home for the GPlates Source Code

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After keeping GPlates source code on SVN and SourceForge for nearly two decades, we are thrilled to unveil the new home for the GPlates source code at https://github.com/GPlates/GPlates. Although GPlates is a well-established project, it is new to GitHub.com, and as such, the current count of GitHub Stars doesn’t accurately mirror our true success and popularity. If … Read more…

Welcome to Jianping Zhou

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We welcome our new postdoctoral researcher, Jianping Zhou, visiting for 2-3 years from the Ocean University of China in Qingdao. He obtained his undergraduate degree from Jilin University in China and completed his Ph.D. at the University of Göttingen, Germany. His research primarily focuses on the basin-and-range evolution in Eastern Asia and associated ore deposits. He plans on … Read more…

EarthByte Seminar Series: Dr. Isra Ezad

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Our upcoming event features Isra Ezad from Macquarie University, who will be delving into “The Role of Volatiles in Mantle Melting: Observations from High-Pressure Experiments.”  Mark your calendars for August 23rd and secure your spot for an enriching experience. Zoom attendance available for remote participants. See you there!

More details below:

Seminar Details:

  • Date: Wednesday, August 23rd, 2023
  • Time: 11:00 am
  • Location: Geoscience Conference Room 449 or
  • Zoom Link: Register here … Read more…
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EarthByte Seminar Series: A/Prof Derek Wyman

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We are delighted to invite you to the next talk in the Earthbyte Seminar Series, where we will delve into the fascinating world of “Plate Boundaries, Plumes, and Porphyries: the effect of plume-modified oceanic crust on porphyry development in the Americas since the Early Cretaceous.” This enlightening presentation will be delivered by Derek Wyman from the University of Sydney (USYD). Register here: EventBrite link

More details below:

Seminar Details:

  • Date: Wednesday, 02 August 2023
  • Time: 11:00 am – 12:00 pm AEST
  • Location: Madsen Rm 449 and Online: Zoom Link

… Read more…

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GPlates finalist in Australian Museum Eureka Prize for Excellence in Research Software

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GPlates has been shortlisted for one of the 18 Australian Museum Eureka Prizes in 2023 – the Australian Research Data Commons Eureka Prize for Excellence in Research Software thanks to over 15 years of support by the AuScope National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy.  

Scientific Reports: A geospatial platform for the tectonic interpretation of low‐temperature thermochronology Big Data

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Low‐temperature thermochronology is a powerful tool for constraining the thermal evolution of rocks and minerals in relation to a breadth of tectonic, geodynamic, landscape evolution, and natural resource formation processes through deep time. However, complexities inherent to these analytical techniques can make interpreting the significance of results challenging, requiring them to be placed in their … Read more…

Scientific Reports: Kimberlite eruptions driven by slab flux and subduction angle

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Kimberlites are sourced from thermochemical upwellings which can transport diamonds to the surface of the crust. The majority of kimberlites preserved at the Earth’s surface erupted between 250 and 50 million years ago, and have been attributed to changes in plate velocity or mantle plumes. However, these mechanisms fail to explain the presence of strong … Read more…