Treasures of the Earth celebrates the exceptional beauty Nature can create with the unique enchantment of transparent bricks – now Lit Up!!! Build the crystals, admire them, collect them and learn how they formed through hundreds of centuries! The 5 crystals making this collection are: Emerald/Aquamarine Beryl, Amethyst Geod, Iron Pyrite, Rhodochrosite and Citrine Quartz… and more are coming soon!!! These amazing minerals are built at 1:1 scale with 751 pieces and it takes several million of years to reach these very respectable dimensions. Each crystal is provided with an elegant glossy support to enhance their beauty and their collect ability! The supports can also be detached to allow holding and displaying each rock as it is. I have always been fascinated by mineral collections (well, by collections in general to be fair). Once a year, the Museum of Natural Sciences hosted a small mineral market and my grandad brought me as a child. He always ended up buying for me some small pieces, but they looked like immense treasures to me. It is a very special memory and I thought it would be fun and challenging to recreate minerals with LEGO bricks! Treasures of the Earth is perfect for display but is also an interesting build as many advanced techniques are involved. Minerals are natural geometrical wonders and it is quite tricky to build on different planes and angles to represent what Nature is capable of! So much fun!!! The crystals are quite accurate and could also sparkle some curiosity: geology and crystallography are such amazing sciences!If this idea would ever become a set, I would love to see in the booklet some references to the geological phenomena that gave birth to these fantastic rocks! The collection could even grow larger as different minerals could be added to make it bigger and bigger! Well, this is what collections is all about isn’t it! I hope you enjoy this Idea, which we believe to be beautiful, fun to build and educational at the same time.
The second quarter 2020 employment survey, conducted in June, provided a first look at how Australian geoscience, particularly mineral exploration and mining, was being impacted by the coronavirus pandemic in Australia.
Geoscientist unemployment fell in Australia during the second quarter of 2020, despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
The slight improvement in employment conditions evident from the results of the first quarter survey for 2020 was unexpected. This was interpreted as a sign that companies were seeking to retain staff and continuity of exploration programs and mining operations. Since then, Victoria has experienced a second, more serious wave of infections resulting in renewed, strict limits on business activity and mobility of staff between states. International travel remains out of the question for many Australians. How was geoscience employment affected?
We have added a question to this survey relating to where you work relative to where you completed your highest degree. A debate is emerging around whether Australia needs to be more self-sufficient in meeting geoscience skills needs in all areas of work, which new data is needed to address.
The survey typically takes only two or three minutes to complete. You do not need to be an AIG member to contribute. No data that could personally identify respondents is collected. Contributions to the survey are sought from both employed and unemployed geoscientists to ensure the relevance of results. Your completing the survey really helps to make a difference to the standing and knowledge of our profession.
Every contribution adds to the reliability of the survey results. Sincere thanks in advance for your continued support of the survey series.
Click here to complete the survey.
It’s my very sad task to inform AIG members that Mark Hinman died overnight, 16th October 2020. He was 62. Mark endured substantial health problems for most of his adult life to which he has now finally succumbed.
In the face of constant medical adversity his longevity, academic, professional and private achievements are truly remarkable. A towering measure of an indomitable and very fine man.
Admirable, that’s the word that will always fill my mind when thinking of Mark. Mark was one of those rare individuals you are profoundly fortunate to meet during a lifetime. A formidably intelligent, stoic, even-tempered, erudite and philosophical man with whom it was always a joyful and intellectually stimulating experience to share time with.
Mark was a master academic and project generating exploration geologist – an accomplished pure scientist with an undergraduate background in maths and physics.
He was a skilled house renovator, thinker, conversationalist, traveller and in younger days a fisherman, hunter and general outdoorsman. His greatest project was his family. He is survived by his steadfast wife Maggie and son Josh.
I am deeply honoured to have been able to call Mark my friend. Whilst he will be greatly missed, he leaves a remarkable legacy of determined achievement, persistence, scholarship, good nature, generosity and many other venerable traits.
His life is to be celebrated. An inspirational example for the future endeavours to all who were lucky to have known him.
Vale Mark Hinman.
Doug Brewster MAIG
Mark was a highly regarded consultant and in recent years an Associate Professor at the Sustainable Minerals Institute of University of Queensland.
Mark contributed to resource discovery, extension and both pre-feasibility and feasibility technical appraisals in roles as Principal Geologist, Chief Geologist and consultant with many major and mid-tier mining and exploration companies, including MMG, Newcrest, Dundee Precious Metals, ERA-RIO, Alligator Energy, Chinova-Ivanhoe, Evolution, Oceana, MRM-Xtrata, Blackwood Corp, Pasminco, Anglo American, North Limited, Noranda Pacific and QDME.
Mark demonstrated a special ability in the resolution of complex structural-tectonic controls on mineralisation, elucidation of their impact on the geotechnical and mining engineering aspects of resource extraction, and resource targeting at all scales from mine to continental in a broad range of base, precious and energy commodities. Mark was also a a skilled and practiced GIS integrator which he applied to exploration targeting by analysis of geological, remote-sensed and geophysical data.
I had the opportunity to work with Mark while with CRAE and later, Pasminco, during feasibility studies and commissioning of the Century Zinc mine in northwest Queensland, where his contribution to understanding the structure of the deposit, particularly in challenging the prevailing geological interpretation of the deposit, contributing to its successful development and operations. He was a thorough professional in every aspect of his work and interactions with peers.
Andrew Waltho FAIG
The latest Australian geoscientist employment survey is open for contributions until 24th October 2020.
The second quarter 2020 employment survey, conducted in June, provided a first look at how Australian geoscience, particularly mineral exploration and mining, was being impacted by the coronavirus pandemic in Australia.
The slight improvement in employment conditions evident from the results of the first quarter survey for 2020 was unexpected. This was interpreted as a sign that companies were seeking to retain staff and continuity of exploration programs and mining operations. Since then, Victoria has experienced a second, more serious wave of infections resulting in renewed, strict limits on business activity and mobility of staff between states. International travel remains out of the question for many Australians. How was geoscience employment affected?
We have added a question to this survey relating to where you work relative to where you completed your highest degree. A debate is emerging around whether Australia needs to be more self-sufficient in meeting geoscience skills needs in all areas of work, which new data is needed to address.
The survey typically takes only two or three minutes to complete. You do not need to be an AIG member to contribute. No data that could personally identify respondents is collected. Contributions to the survey are sought from both employed and unemployed geoscientists to ensure the relevance of results. Your completing the survey really helps to make a difference to the standing and knowledge of our profession.
The survey will be open for contributions until 24 October 2020. Every contribution adds to the reliability of the survey results. Sincere thanks in advance for your continued support of the survey series.
Click here to complete the survey.
Now all AIG Members and Non Members can enjoy our FREE AIG Newsletter in digital format, including all previous editions. Please click here to see our archive of AIG News.
The latest edition of AIG News, the Australian Institute of Geoscientists member newsletter is now available in full colour and digital format and best of all FREE for all readers!
NEW! View the latest AIG News in Click here to view Flipbook! Or download the PDF below:
For web: AIG News 141: Download as Single Pages PDF
For web: AIG News 141: Download as Double Page Spread PDF
For print: AIG News 141: Download as Single Pages PDF
For print: AIG News 141: Download as Double Page Spread PDF
Inside this latest issue…
From Your President; Institute News; Membership Updates & Education Report; Microbes, Viruses and Geological Processes; Assessing the Variability of Estimates Produced by Expert Geoscientists; Breaking Occam’s Razor; Women in Mining – It’s 2020 why have we not done more?; SAEMC 2020; Geoscientist Employment Improves in Australia Despite Coronavirus Pandemic; Geotourism – Help Spread the Word in the Community Through input into AESC2021; Mine to Plant Reconciliation: A New Approach to Magnetite Banded Iron Formation Deposits, an Example From Ferrexpo; Dodgy Downhole Surveys; Events Calendar; AIG Council & AIG News and more.
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We hope that you enjoy the latest AIG News and welcome your feedback.
