Author Archives: Geoff Vivian

About Geoff Vivian

Geoff Vivian is a freelance journalist based in Perth, Western Australia with a particular interest in the Kimberley and Australia's north. He has worked at various times as an art and theatre reviewer, science writer, and general rounds journalist for several local newspapers. He has managed an Indigenous radio station where he was breakfast announcer, and more recently completed a university degree with a journalism major. He is a regular contributor to Science Network WA and The Koori Mail, and maintains the news digest KimberleyPage.com.au

Satellite images boost prospector ‘toolbox’ 27/4/2014

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While most of the easy-to-find iron ore has been pegged out in the Kimberley, scientists say there should be plenty more in the Yilgarn goldfields.

The Kalgoorlie Miner 3 May 2014 p 21

The Kalgoorlie Miner 3 May 2014 p 21

In the dim and distant past the region was largely submerged under shallow seas, where layers of iron oxide and silica formed banded ironstone. Later, tremendously hot washes of water and carbon dioxide rose up from the bowls of the earth, turning it into what we call iron ore.

Most of this is now buried under layers of soil and other sediment, but outcrops here and there have similar chemical signatures that scientists can now detect with hand-held devices or even from satellites.

Science Network [read this story] This Kalgoorlie Miner also republished this story.

Science and community pinpoint algal bloom causes 8/6/14

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Scientists say wastewater treatment by Broome Shire and the Department of Water is causing toxic algae blooms in Roebuck Bay.

Broome Advertiser 19 June 2014 P 13

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A blue-green algae has been troubling Broome residents for 14 years.

Lyngbya causes bad skin irritations, and can kill small animals.

Scientists say it blooms in Roebuck Bay every wet season, thanks to the nutrients it gets in the runoff from the first rains, groundwater pollution, and the practice of dumping treated sewage water on local parks.

Science Network WA [read this story]

Broome Advertiser republished this story on 19 June 2014 – P13.

Wet sieving uncovers human relics 5/5/2014

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Human occupation sites, such as caves, often carry a natural record of tens of thousands of years of history in the layers of dirt on the floor.

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Archaeologists have often missed some of the most interesting artefacts lost or discarded by cave dwellers because they are so tiny.

An archaeologist tole me they typically sift the soil from an occupation site through 6mm and 3mm sieves on site, and then examine the dirty gravel.

She says they get a much better result when they “wet sieve” in the laboratory as it is easier to find artefacts in clean gravel.

Science Network WA first published this story. The North West Telegraph and the Pilbara News republished it.

Aboriginal store ripoff ‘widespread’ 30/12/2008

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Remote Aboriginal community stores are being ripped off throughout the Kimberley, prominent indigenous residents say.

The stores have become prime targets for unscrupulous store managers, with those doing it almost always escaping prosecution.

“They haven’t even been asked to pay the money back,” retired Aboriginal policeman Gordon Marshall said.

WA Today [read this story]

Protecting Kimberley wildlife from toads with science 2011 – 2014

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Scientists have been working on various methods of protecting Kimberley wildlife against the cane toad, which has started arriving in numbers over the last two wet seasons.

Northern Territory experience has shown many species become severely depleted or even locally extinct after eating the toxic amphibians.

We cannot prevent the toads from spreading throughout the Kimberley, however I interviewed several scientists about their efforts to preserve populations of vulnerable species such as goannas and quolls.

KIM050614KIM1FUL012A couple of studies concentrated on taste aversion: feeding small doses of cane toad to wildlife in order to make it sick enough never to touch the nasty creatures again. Science Network [read this story]

Two scientists noted that toads in desert areas die if they are unable to get to water points during the dry season, and have been working on ways of isolating water sources from cane toads but allowing other species in. Science Network [read this story]

Others have found cane toads communicate chemically. Freshly laid eggs emit a chemical which jealous cane toad tadpoles to detect potential rivals which they destroy. Cane toads also emit an alarm pheronome which causes others to flee. If they are exposed to this chemical often, tadpoles end up becoming stunted little adults, or just die from stress. It may be possible to produce this hormone in sufficient quantity to kill tadpoles. Science Network [read this story]

KIM100414KIM1FUL010Another research group is working to establish a “frozen zoo” – a sperm bank of vulnerable Kimberley species that can be used to re-establish genetic diversity among depleted populations. Science Network [read this story]

 

Ants and termites used to find gold 19/3/14

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TEXT BY GEOFF VIVIAN

Scientists have been seriously examining an old prospectors’ trick.

Termites

COURTESY AARON STEWART, CSIRO.

Termites and ants can be used to detect base metals and gold to a depth of 1.4 metres.

What was part of Goldfields folklore since the 1920s is now scientific fact.

KAL220314KAL1FUL011Science Network [read this story]

An edited version of the story apeared in The Kalgoorlie Miner on 22/3/14

Organ donor nurse wins compo 7/3/2014

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POST Newspapers

TEXT BY GEOFF VIVIAN

Organ donor coordinator Susan Frew has won a workers’ compensation case against the agency that handles organ donations in Western Australia.

POST 2014 3 7 p17DonateLife has admitted it made “errors” in the labeling and transport of organs.

The arbitrator awarded Ms Frew the equivalent of about four months’ pay.

She is contesting the decision.

I wrote about some of the incidents that led to Ms Frew taking stress leave and leaving her employment here.

SEALING the OUTBACK – could the Tanami really become a toll road? February 2014

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020-026 FEATURE Tanami-1TEXT BY GEOFF VIVIAN

From Truckin’ Life February 2014

The most direct route from the Kimberley to central Australia is the Tanami Track.

About 800 kilometres of this important arterial road is gravel and dirt.

A Kimberley shire has a radical proposal to make it a toll way, charging road trains up to $2,000 to use it, so funds would be available to seal the road.

I explained how this would then open up a major trade route to south-eastern Australia.

Continue reading →

Researchers size up aquifer to capture carbon 16/1/14

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The CSIRO is looking seriously at sequestering carbon dioxide below the Bass Straight seabed, near the oilfields.

The oilfields themselves are in the same aquifer that provides bore water to farmers around Lakes Entrance.

The La Trobe aquifer is a sloping system of porous rock that contains fresh water in its upper levels, salt water further down and petroleum still lower

It is thought that fifty years of oil extraction have been partly responsible for the drop in groundwater levels, and injecting liquid carbon dioxide will help.

Science Network [read this story]