The GeoQuEST Research Centre represents an interdisciplinary team from the Faculties of Science and Engineering that has a focus on environmental and climate change research under the overall theme of Earth System Science and Technology. The centre brings together outstanding researchers studying the atmosphere (Atmospheric Chemistry), earth (Geography and Geology), and water (Environmental Science and Environmental Engineering) who share central interests in environmental processes and climate change.

GeoQuEST represents a nationally and internationally recognised research strength concentrating on environmental, climate change and sea-level change issues of vital importance in understanding and managing coastal communities and infrastructure around Australia and the surrounding oceans.The centre provides the mechanism for the development of interdisciplinary studies, cooperation and sharing of research facilities. It fosters excellence in research through an enviable record of successful grant applications, contract funding, commercialisation activities, publications and HDR training.

The GeoQuEST Research Centre represents a team of motivated researchers within the three main environmental themes of atmosphere, earth and water. Geoscience researchers with an international reputation in Quaternary studies provide an historical perspective on environmental and climate change issues and promote the use of spatial technologies in their research. Equally impressive research on modern environments, pollution and water management, and the driving effects of atmospheric composition and greenhouse gases on climate change, can be integrated with the historical information to provide evidence in support of models projecting future environmental and climate change scenarios. Thus the whole group can be characterised by the holistic study of Earth-system Science and Technology.

Two broad overlapping programs characterise our research – the Ancient and the Modern. There is a prominent focus on understanding the past that comes from our strong geological traditions and is exemplified by our world-class Quaternary studies research and dating facilities. This is complemented by our concern with modern, ongoing processes, particularly environmental and geochemical processes affecting the atmosphere, water and land. GeoQuEST provides the forum for development of collaborative, interdisciplinary projects, of national and international significance, between and across these themes. The Ancient and the Modern themes provide the intellectual foundations to consider the Future in a changing world – and our multi-disciplinary strength comes from our credentials to reconstruct the past, to understand the present and to simulate scenarios for the future, in the context of global change. The synergy of the new structure of GeoQuEST will have far-reaching as yet unknown effects.