b'Geophysics in CSIRONewsCSIRO: Mapping the mineral carbonation potential of AustraliaUtilising mineral carbonation as a solution for permanently locking CO 2on geologic timescales requires knowledge of the spatial extent and favourability of the target rock in regions across Australia. Defining the spatial extent via geophysical mapping of mafic/ultramafic rock will assist in quantifying potential rock volumes available for in-situ mineral carbonation. However, mafic/ ultramafic favourability for CO 2uptake and storage is also a function of whether the mineralogy of a rock is chemically amenable to reaction with CO 2to form carbonates, and whether that rock has the necessary porosity and permeability to accommodate such reactions.A new collaboration between The Carbon Lock Future Science Platform, CSIRO Mineral Resources and CSIRO Energy will explore whether geophysical methods including gravity, magnetics, EM and seismic, constrained by petrophysical data, can be used to map and differentiate favourable and un-favourable mafic/ultramafic rocks. The study will collate existing data (see Figure 1) and collect new samples from key locationsFigure 1.Location of existing petrophysical samples of mafic/ultramafic rocks that may be favourable for around Australia. Petrophysics andCO 2uptake and storage.automated mineralogy will be usedto constrain geophysical modelsand model their 3-D architectures to to translate geological processes (e.g.,of host rocks. The project will mapdetermine likely reactive volumes.alteration reactions) into geophysicalwhere potential mineral carbonation properties. Rock property knowledgehost lithologies occur, quantify theirJames Austin (e.g., magnetic, density, conductivity,mineralogy, porosity and permeability,CSIRO Mineral Resources acoustic properties) will be usedjames.austin@csiro.auFree subscription to Preview online Non-members of the ASEG can now subscribe to Preview online via the ASEG website. Subscription is free. Just go to https://www.aseg.org.au/publications/PVCurrent to sign up. You will receive an email alert as soon a new issue of Preview becomes available. Stay informed and keep up-to-date by subscribing now!!NB: ASEG Members dont need to subscribe as they automatically receive an email alert whenever a new issue of Preview is published.23 PREVIEW DECEMBER 2022'