NEWS and COMMENTARY Vale Alex Copeland and Dave Hutchins Canberra Observed
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JJUNEUNE 22015015 • ISSUEISSUE 117676 AABNBN 7711 000000 887676 004040 IISSNSSN 11443-2471443-2471 Australian Society of Exploration Geophysicists PREVIEW NEWS AND COMMENTARY FEATURES Vale Alex Copeland and Dave Hutchins A new basis for the SI system of units: occasion Canberra Observed: Science not a priority for to reconsider the presentation and teaching of the Federal Government magnetism Education Matters: Industry-student interaction The application of geophysics to the sport of a triumph cricket Environmental Geophysics: Water, food and geophysics in WA Seismic Window: Broadband – improving frequency content Magnetic Field Instrumentation Three-Axis Magnetic Field Sensors • Measuring ranges from ±60μT to ±1000μT • Noise levels down to <5pTrms/3Hz at 1Hz • Bandwidth to 3kHz; wide bandwidth version to 12kHz • Range of data acquisition units Helmholtz Coil Systems • 500mm and 1m diameter coils • Field generated up to 500μT (at DC) and up to 5kHz Magnetic (at 100μT) for 500mm coilField system •Instrumentation Power Amplifier and Control Unit available MS2/MS3 Magnetic Susceptibility Equipment • Wide range of sensors for field and laboratory use • Noise levels down to 2x10-6 SI • Susceptibility/Temperature system www.bartington.com CORMAGEO Instruments Pty. Limited | Sales, Service & Rental of GeoScientific Instruments & Software T: +61 411 603 026 | E: [email protected] W: www.cormageo.com.au PREVIEW ADVERTISERS INDEX Alpha Geoscience . 50 Archimedes Financial Planning. 50 CONTENTS Bartington . IFC Editor’s Desk 2 CoRMaGeo . 50 Daishsat Aerosystems. IBC ASEG News EMIT. OBC President’s Piece 3 Fairfi eld Nodal . 4 New Members 5 GBG Australia . 50 Table of Offi ceholders 6 Geophysical Software Solutions . 50 2015 AGM 7 Geosensor . 50 Branch News 11 Geosensor Wireline . 50 National calendar: technical meetings, courses and events 13 GPX Surveys. 25 Groundwater Imaging . 50 News Magnetic Earth . 51 People 14 MagSpec . 18 • Vale Alex Copeland 14 Minty Geophysics . 51 • Vale Dave Hutchins 17 • Mira Geoscience . 51 ATSE Clunies Ross Award for Cathy Foley and Keith Leslie 19 • NRG . 10 Australian Academy of Science elects Malcolm Sambridge 19 Quantec Geoscience . 51 Conferences and Events 20 • Systems Exploration. 51 SAGA 2015 20 Tensor Research . 51 Geophysics in the Surveys 21 • GA: Update on geophysical survey progress 21 Thomson Aviation . 2 • University of Western Australia . 40 MRT: New gravity surveys in Tasmania 25 Vortex Geophysics. 36 Canberra Observed Zonge. 45 • Science not a priority for the Federal Government in 2015 27 2015 ASEG CORPORATE MEMBERS Education Matters CORPORATE PLUS MEMBERS • Industry-student interaction a triumph for student Velseis Pty Ltd interest and education 29 • Forthcoming lecture tours for professional development and continuing education 31 CORPORATE MEMBERS Beach Energy Environmental Geophysics Geotech Ltd • Water, food and geophysics – the West Australian way 35 Papuan Oil Search Limited Seismic Window Petrosys Pty Ltd • Broadband – improving frequency content 37 Quantec Geoscience Pty Ltd • Global drilling activity in the petroleum sector continues to decline 37 Rio Tinto Exploration Pty Ltd • Seismic boats stacked 38 Santos Ltd • Perth Basin action 38 Seismic Asia Pacifi c Pty Ltd Southern Geoscience Consultants Pty Ltd Features Terrex Seismic A new basis for the SI system of units: occasion to reconsider Wireline Services Group the presentation and teaching of magnetism 41 Zonge Engineering The application of geophysics to the sport of cricket 46 Business Directory 50 International Calendar of Events 52 New ASEG President Editor ASEG Head Offi ce & Secretariat FRONT COVER Lisa Worrall Ben Williams Dr Phil Schmidt fl ying JUNE 2015 • ISSUE 176 ABN 71 000 876 040 ISSN 1443-2471 Email: [email protected] The Association Specialists Pty Ltd (TAS) Australian Society of Exploration Geophysicists his drone in the Flinders Associate Editors Tel: (02) 9431 8622 Ranges, SA. Education: Michael Asten Email: [email protected] PREVIEW Photo: Greg Baker. Email: [email protected] Website: www.aseg.org.au Government: David Denham Email: [email protected] Publisher Environmental Geophysics: Mike Hatch CSIRO Publishing Email: [email protected] Minerals Geophysics: – Production Editor NEWS AND COMMENTARY FEATURES Vale Alex Copeland and Dave Hutchins A new basis for the SI system of units: occasion Email: – Helen Pavlatos Canberra Observed: Science not a priority for to reconsider the presentation and teaching of the Federal Government magnetism Education Matters: Industry-student interaction The application of geophysics to the sport of a triumph cricket Petroleum Geophysics: Michael Micenko Tel: (03) 9545 8472 Environmental Geophysics: Water, food and geophysics in WA Seismic Window: Broadband – improving Email: [email protected] frequency content Email: [email protected] Geophysical Data Management and Analysis: Preview is available online at Guy Holmes Advertising www.publish.csiro.au/journals/pv Email: [email protected] Doug Walters ISSN: 1443-2471 eISSN: 1836-084X Book Reviews: Ron Hackney Tel: (03) 9545 8505 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Editor’s Desk the death of Dave Hutchins. A giant of Őzden Őzdemir and Subir Banerjee) and geophysics in southern Africa, Dave’s for those interested in rock magnetism, legacy can be found in magnificent remanence, self-demagnetisation and regional geophysical survey datasets and magnetic anomalies their IRM paper is a in the young geophysicists who are very interesting read. Only a few ASEG continuing his work in Botswana and Members subscribe to the IRM Quarterly Namibia. so Phil Schmidt approached the IRM and the authors about republishing the paper A certain cheekiness also characterises in Preview. He met with an enthusiastic one of the feature papers in this issue. I response, which is why you now have the suspect that the authors of ‘The opportunity to review the issue and to application of geophysics to the sport of contribute to the debate via an online cricket’ have found the perfect way to forum established by the authors. Lisa Worrall combine work and pleasure! On a more serious note, Phil Schmidt draws our You may notice a difference in the In this issue of Preview we welcome the attention to the call for a new unit to organisation of this issue of Preview as new President of the ASEG, Dr Phil measure magnetisation in his preface to some of the Associate Editors have taken Schmidt. Phil is featured on the front our second feature paper ‘A new basis for up the challenge of compiling news of cover, flying his drone in the Flinders the SI system of units: occasion to interest to ASEG Members in addition to Ranges, South Australia. Phil is planning reconsider the presentation and teaching producing their usual, and much to add fluxgate sensors to this drone and of magnetism’. Debate about what anticipated, commentary. Your feedback is refusing to be distracted by flies – magnetic units are valid and whether H on the change would be welcome, as well which in the photo are almost as big as or B are fundamental has been bubbling as your contribution in the form of news his drone and certainly more numerous! away for years. A fresh approach has that you think might be of interest to all This same cheeky spirt of innovation been signalled in this feature paper, ASEG Members. Your titbits – or more characterised Alex Copeland who, I am which first appeared in a newsletter substantial items – can be sent to me or sorry to report, died in Adelaide in April published by the Institute of Rock directly to the Associate Editors. this year. Some of Alex’s many friends Magnetism (University of Minnesota, and colleagues have collaborated on his Minneapolis USA). The authors are well Lisa Worrall obituary, which is published in this issue known in the field (Frank Stacey, Bruce Preview Editor of Preview. I am also sorry to report on Moskowitz, Mike Jackson, David Dunlop, [email protected] HighestHighest qualityquality and resolutionresolution MAGAGNETICSNETICS RADIADIOMETRICSOMETRICS ELELECTROMAGNETICSCTROMAGNETICS & GRARAVITYVITY Full member of Fixedxed WinWingg & Helicopter PlatPlatformsforms +61 2 69603800 thomsonaviation.com.au David Abbott [email protected] Paul Rogerson [email protected] 2 PREVIEW JUNE 2015 President’s Piece ASEG News A new ASEG President As incoming President of the ASEG for understand. Students get interested in of discussion at the Perth Council 2015 I should like to firstly thank the geophysics during ‘booms’ but by the meeting. Attending monthly meetings is previous Presidents for their diligence, time they graduate the industry is ‘bust’. not compulsory, but I would highly and for ensuring that the organisation was My early career was similarly afflicted recommend Members regularly show up in better shape each time it changed (in fact Greg and I were both students at and talk to other Members. This is free hands. I also welcome Katherine UNE in the early 70s). After the Poseidon mentoring/tutoring and you will meet McKenna as President-Elect. A number crash, which was emblematic of the end older Members who really have your of other Members (relative youngsters of the late 60s/early 70s commodities bull welfare and the welfare of the ASEG in like Dave Annetts) have also agreed to market, I was offered post-graduate work mind. We all want a thriving take on active roles on FedEx and in and jumped at the chance. After a few organisation that can respond to the next committees. Thanks to all of you and years at ANU I earned a doctorate in ‘boom’, which has probably already welcome. I can promise that collaboration palaeomagnetism/rock magnetism (yeah, started. on ASEG business with other Members I know, very specialised) and then went will be a great investment in your careers. on to do a post-doc in Canada with the I am currently involved in developing Geological Survey of Canada. Then I got MSc projects with Mark Lackie at When Koya Suto became President in really lucky and was offered a position in Macquarie University, where I am a 2013 he thought it would be a walk-over, Ken McCracken’s new CSIRO Division Visiting Professor.