University of South Australia
Research Field: Geology and Geochemistry
Dr Tom Raimondo examines the eroded remains of a once giant mountain range in the heart of central Australia, The MacDonnell Ranges. His research is challenging the theory that continental interiors are stable, rigid and undeformable, and that mountain belts occur only at plate boundaries and their immediate vicinity.
The MacDonnell Ranges form part of a mountain belt that extends for thousands of kilometres from east to west, and exposes rocks from tens of kilometres beneath the surface. By investigating how such a large mountain system could develop in this unusual setting, Dr Raimondo’s research sheds light on how our continent is still transforming itself in the present day, and how these changes affect topics as diverse as geothermal energy, climate change, nuclear waste storage and ore deposit formation.
Dr Raimondo has recently been involved in the 2016 Science Meets Parliament, G200 Youth Forum, had a story covered on Chanel Ten’s Scope, and is involved in BioBlitz and science communication via social media. He is currently a Senior Lecturer at the University of South Australia.