b'ASEG newsBranch newsConference and Exhibition, held in Melbourne, Australia. The presentation and extended abstract were entitled Digital Surface Analysis: A new approach using differential geometry. While the 2013 publication provides the background and several examples, Jims technical talk discussed several new examples and workflows from our use of this technology over the last decade.The WA Branchs technical night talk for the month of August was given by Barry Bourne. Barry is a leading geophysicist with almost 20 years experience in the mining and resources sector. He began his professional career in 1993 with leading international mining group Rio Tinto exploration, and worked on mineral exploration projects in Mount Isa, northwest Queensland. Barry is the founder of Terra Resources, and is the Principal Consultant for that company. He also sits on the board of Titan Minerals Glimpses into several ASEG WA Branch outreach activities. Ltd and is an active Member of the ASEG, the SEG and a Fellow of the AIG. Barrys his career, these efforts have involvedproperties can reveal features andpresentation was titled Geophysics and working as an early adopter, angelobjects not easily identifiable by visualgraphitefrom foe to friendinvestor or collaborator in the fields ofanalysis alone. In 2013 a new method for time series analysis, and digital surfacedigital surface analysis was introducedThe WA Branchs technical night talk for analysis, along with a patented airborneto address some of the limitations ofthe month of September was presented acquisition system and a fully trainedtraditional surface analysis methods.by Maxim Lebedev. Maxim, who is a and patented Artificial Intelligence (AI).This mathematical solution applies aprofessor at Edith Cowan University, was Outside of the realm of geophysics, Jimcompletely different approach withoutawarded BS, MS and PhD degrees from has presented papers at metallurgythe use of existing techniques orthe Moscow Institute (State University) conferences on the role of microbes foralgorithms. With this method, analysingof Physics and Technology in Russia. He in-situ mining, mine site remediation,a digital surface involves calculating ahas over 30 years of research experience carbon capture and using microbes forcomplete set of morphometric propertiesin physics, material science and rock permeability enhancement and thedefined by differential geometry (e.g.,physics, working at leading research production of hydrogen. Dupin Indicatrix). The resulting databaseorganisations in Russia, Japan, New of geometric elements is query-ableZealand, and Australia. In 2007 he joined Jims talk was entitled Automatingusing a GIS-style interface, providingCurtin University, and during 16 years digital surface processing and objectan attractive means to simplify andat this University, he built a rock physics delineation using differential geometry.accelerate the data mining process. laboratory from scratch and became the Since a fundamental property of anyhead of the experimental rock physics surface is its geometric characteristics,This analytical technique was introducedprogramme. Recently Maxim moved to identifying and extracting theseto the ASEG at the 23rd Internationalthe Edith Cowan University. His current research is focused on the properties of subsurface reservoir rocks and minerals, including elastic and inelastic properties of rocks at tele-seismic, seismic and ultrasonic frequencies; digital rock physics; mechanical properties of rocks at microlevel (nanoindentation); and direct observation of multiphase fluid distribution inside rocks at reservoir conditions (microCT).Maxims talk was entitled Digital rock under stress, and in this talk, Maxim showed how modelling the physical properties of rocks based on microstructure derived from X-ray microtomographic images (known as digital rock physics) is an important technology in geophysical rock Jim Dirstein engaging with the WA audience during his presentation. characterisation. However, these images OCTOBER 2023 PREVIEW 6'