Water in the mantle
Subducting slabs transport water deep into the mantle, where it is stored within minerals such as ringwoodite and wadsleyite in the mantle transition zone. We predict the influx of …
Dr. Ben Mather
ARC Industry Research Fellow
I am an ARC Industry Research Fellow in the School of Geography, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at The University of Melbourne. I am an expert in fusing Earth evolution models with data to understand how groundwater moves critical minerals through the landscape. Related research interests include the cycling of volatiles within the Earth, probabilistic thermal models of the lithosphere to unravel past tectonic and climatic events, and understanding the how enigmatic volcanoes form.
I am a vocal advocate for the integral role of geoscience in responding to challenges we face in transitioning to the carbon-neutral economy. As an expert in my field, I have been interviewed in national and international print media, TV, and radio on a wide variety of subjects including earthquakes, volcanoes, groundwater, and critical minerals.
Subduction of seafloor features
We examine the spatial relationship between subducting seafloor features—fracture zones, seamount chains, and large igneous provinces—and the distribution of porphyry copper …
Continent-scale groundwater models
“We present a continent-scale groundwater flow model for eastern Australia that eliminates the need for prescribed side boundary conditions by simulating the entire basin system. …
The role of plume-ridge decoupling on rapid plate motion
Large igneous provinces repeatedly form where mantle plumes intersect mid-ocean ridges, yet the dynamics of plume-ridge interaction remain poorly understood. We investigate how the …
Kimberlite eruptions driven by slab flux and subduction angle
Machine learning reveals that the volume and angle of subducted oceanic plates control where and when diamond-bearing kimberlite eruptions occur.
The role of plume-ridge decoupling on rapid plate motion and intraplate volcanism
Mantle plumes and mid-ocean ridges interact in ways that influence both plate motion and volcanism, yet these dynamics are poorly captured in existing plate tectonic models. We …
Deep time spatio-temporal data analysis using pyGPlates with PlateTectonicTools and GPlately
GPlately: a Python interface for deep-time spatio-temporal data analysis using pyGPlates, simplifying plate tectonic reconstructions.
The isotopic origin of Lord Howe Island reveals secondary mantle plume twinning in the Tasman Sea
First radiogenic isotope data from Lord Howe Island lavas reveal a secondary mantle plume twin in the Tasman Sea with a distinct deep mantle source.
Accelerating spatio -temporal data analysis using pyGPlates
GPlately is an open-source Python package built on pyGPlates that accelerates spatio-temporal data analysis for plate tectonic reconstructions. It provides a simplified, …
Anomalously High Heat Flow Regions Beneath the Transantarctic Mountains and Wilkes Subglacial Basin in East Antarctica Inferred From Curie Depth
Curie depth estimates from airborne magnetic data reveal anomalously high geothermal heat flow beneath the Transantarctic Mountains and Wilkes Subglacial Basin.
