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Mike Sandiford

Mike Sandiford is Professor of Geology at the University of Melbourne. His research interests include tectonics, earthquake geology, geomorphology and geothermics. His work on the thermal structure of the Australian crust provides a framework for understanding the extraordinary abundance of Uranium in Australia, and helped promote interest in geothermal energy exploration in South Australia. He has published over 170 peer-reviewed scientific papers and supervised more than 80 young researchers at Honours, Masters, PhD and junior postdoc level. He was recipient of consecutive ARC professorial fellowships (2000-2009), the Mawson Medal from the Australian Academy of Sciences in 2004 (for outstanding contributions to Australian Earth Science), the Hobbs Medal, the Carey Medal and Stilwell Medal (three times) from the Geological Society of Australia. He is a fellow of the Australian Academy of Science and the Geological Society of Australia. He chaired the Science Advisory Framework for NCRIS geoscience capability AuScope. He directed the Melbourne Energy Institute at the University of Melbourne from 2009-2016.

Oil in Global Economy Series

We really must talk about gas

Sep 07, 2016 10:46 am UTC| Insights & Views

The European Commissions latest Quarterly report on electricity markets makes sobering reading down under. Over the last year wholesale electricity prices have been falling just about everywhere across the developed...

Italy's deadly earthquake is the latest in a history of destruction

Aug 27, 2016 13:24 pm UTC| Insights & Views Nature

The Appenines region of central Italy has been struck by a deadly earthquake, with a magnitude of 6.2. The quake, which had an epicentre roughly 10km southeast of Norcia, Italy, occurred just over seven years after the...

Climate Change Series

Our planet is heating - the empirical evidence

Aug 16, 2016 14:07 pm UTC| Nature

In an entertaining and somewhat chaotic episode of QA (Monday 15th August) pitching science superstar Brian Cox against climate contrarian and global conspiracy theorist and now senator Malcolm Roberts, the question of...

The will of government is key to energy access...

Jun 02, 2016 09:51 am UTC| Insights & Views Nature

The Bropkas meet the grid In what must surely be a first for the Conversation, I am writing this post from the village of Sakteng in remote eastern Bhutan. That I can do so is a remarkable testimony to the will of the...

Raising Tibet

Apr 29, 2016 10:01 am UTC| Insights & Views Life Nature

Its more than a little disconcerting to wake every hour or so, gasping for air, suffocating. It happened to me during a field season in southern Tibet camped at about 5400 metres above sea level. With my normal sleep...

A precarious geological bargain

Apr 18, 2016 14:21 pm UTC| Insights & Views Nature

The landscapes of the Xinjiang province of western China are very special. It is here the ancient trade routes of the Silk Roads skirt the great mountains and deserts of central Asia, weaving a magic thread through a...

Economy

Trump Unveils $3 Billion U.S. Critical Minerals Push

President Donald Trump announced roughly $3 billion in U.S. government investments and financing for critical minerals, battery materials and mining projects, part of a broader effort to strengthen domestic production and...

Oil Prices Set for Steep Weekly Losses as Hormuz Deal Stalls

Oil prices fluctuated on Friday and remained on course for sharp weekly declines as uncertainty surrounding a potential agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz continued to drive volatility across global energy markets....

Gold Prices Surge 7% as Dollar Falls, Fed Rate Hike Bets Ease

Gold prices rallied sharply on Friday, putting the precious metal on track for its strongest weekly performance since late January as a weaker U.S. dollar, lower oil prices and softer Federal Reserve rate hike expectations...

US Dollar Falls as Weak July Jobs Report Dents Fed Rate Hike Bets

The U.S. dollar weakened on Friday and headed toward its first two-week losing streak since late May after a disappointing July jobs report reduced expectations for another Federal Reserve interest rate hike. The U.S....

China Exports Beat July Forecasts as AI Demand Fuels High-Tech Trade

Chinas exports posted stronger-than-expected growth in July, supported by booming global demand for artificial intelligence infrastructure and a rush to ship goods before higher U.S. tariffs took effect. Exports increased...

Politics

Taiwan President Lai Oversees Coastal Strike Drills in Han Kuang War Games

Taiwan President Lai Ching-te observed coastal strike drills on Saturday as the island continued its annual Han Kuang military exercises, designed to strengthen Taiwans defence readiness against a potential Chinese attack....

Trump Administration Plans $1 Billion Security Aid Package for Colombia

The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump plans to provide $1 billion in security assistance to Colombia under newly inaugurated President Abelardo De La Espriella, the U.S. State Department said Friday. The...

US Expects Iran-Oman Hormuz Shipping Deal Soon

The United States expects Iran and Oman to reach an agreement soon that could restore commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for global oil and energy supplies, according to a Reuters report...

SEC Moves to Dismiss Insider Trading Case Against Trump-Pardoned Terren Peizer

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is moving to dismiss its civil insider trading lawsuit against Terren Peizer, the former Ontrak CEO who was convicted in a landmark federal insider trading case before...

Ukraine Agrees to Protect Kazakhstan Oil Exports via Black Sea

Ukraine has reportedly agreed not to attack certain non-Russian oil tankers and infrastructure involved in exporting Kazakhstan crude oil through the Black Sea, a move that could help stabilize supplies from one of the...

Science

Blue Origin New Glenn Explosion Could Delay Launch Operations Until 2028

Blue Origin is facing a significant setback after a dramatic explosion involving its New Glenn rocket severely damaged a launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida. According to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, repairs to the...

Blue Origin New Glenn Rocket Explodes During Launch Pad Test, Delaying Space Ambitions

Blue Origin suffered a major setback after its uncrewed New Glenn rocket exploded during a launch pad test in Florida on Thursday, raising new challenges for Jeff Bezos space company as it competes with Elon Musks SpaceX...

SpaceX Delays Starship V3 Launch Ahead of Potential Record IPO

SpaceX on Thursday postponed the highly anticipated launch of its 12th Starship rocket test from Texas after technical issues interrupted the final countdown. The company now plans to attempt the Starship V3 launch again...

Trump Administration Releases New UFO Files and Apollo Mission Records

The U.S. Defense Department has released dozens of previously classified UFO-related files following an order from President Donald Trump, sparking renewed debate over unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and government...

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

Technology

OpenAI Restricts Astra AI Over Cyberattack Risks

OpenAI has reportedly restricted parts of the development of its next-generation AI model, code-named Astra, after early evaluations indicated the system could potentially carry out sophisticated cyberattacks with limited...

Nvidia to Invest Up to $3 Billion in Blackstone-Backed Lancium

Nvidia is reportedly preparing to invest as much as $3 billion in Lancium, a Blackstone-backed power infrastructure developer involved in the Stargate artificial intelligence infrastructure initiative, as demand for...

Meta Ordered to Pay $567M Over Child Safety Violations in New Mexico

Meta Platforms Inc. has been ordered to pay $567 million into a fund designed to address harm to young people, in a major legal ruling involving child safety on Facebook and Instagram. Judge Bryan Biedscheid of New Mexicos...

Nintendo Shares Jump as Switch 2 Sales Boost Earnings

Nintendo shares surged nearly 5% on Friday after the Japanese gaming giant reported stronger-than-expected first-quarter earnings and upgraded its full-year financial outlook, supported by robust demand for the new Switch...

Cloudflare Stock Jumps 15% as Earnings Beat Estimates, 2026 Outlook Raised

Cloudflare shares surged in after-hours trading Thursday after the cloud connectivity and cybersecurity company delivered stronger-than-expected quarterly results, issued upbeat third-quarter guidance and raised its...