You are here

Murujuga Rock Art Monitoring Program

Murujuga (Burrup) Peninsula near Karratha

A picture showing Murujuga National Park Location on the map, on the North-West of Western Australia

Murujura National Park location in Western Australia

‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎Murujuga overview picture

Aerial view of Murujuga (Burrup) Peninsula

Rocky outcrops and examples of rock art (petroglyphs)

‎An overview of outcrops in Murujuga

One of many rocky outcrops

‎Murujuga Kangaroo Petroglyph

Kangaroo petroglyph

‎Example of rock art, a petroglyph of a fish on a rock in Murujuga

Fish petroglyph

Murujuga Rock Art Monitoring Project (MRAMP):

MRAMP is overseen by the Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation (MAC) and Western Australia’s Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER). The project team includes:

  • Calibre Group (Project Management)
  • Curtin University (Air Quality, Geology, Organic Chemistry, Microbiology, Statistics)
  • University of Wollongong (Statistics; subcontract with Curtin U)
  • Other subcontractors: Artcare, L&K Engineering, local building contractors, ANSTO, QUT, UWA, UMelb

The purpose of MRAMP is to monitor, evaluate, and report on the changes and trends in the integrity or condition of the rock art and whether the rock art is subject to accelerated change.

Learn More

Rock art exposed to natural and anthropogenic influences

‎Western Australia's Burrup Strategic Industrial Area: Photo taken from Murujuga National Park

Western Australia's Burrup Strategic Industrial Area

(Photo taken from Murujuga National Park)

‎Liquid natural gas plant in vicinity of natural landscape of Murujuga

Liquid natural gas plant in the vicinity of the natural landscape of Murujuga

MRAMP design and analysis

MRAMP is designed to determine whether anthropogenic emissions are accelerating the natural weathering/alteration/degradation of the rock art. 

Fieldwork and laboratory measurements are key, as is their statistical analysis. 

Research questions

  • Why? (Science questions and hypotheses)
  • What? (Colorimetry, air quality, geology, chemistry, biology)
  • Where? (Spatial)
  • When? (Temporal)
  • How? (Sample design, measure, uncertainty)
  • Why? (Causal pathways)

Statistical scientific sampling design

‎‎Rock Types on Murujuga

Rock types on the Murujuga Peninsula

‎‎Murujuga Air Quality Sampling Frame

Air-quality sampling frame

Statisticians on-site: Murujuga - Karratha - Dampier

Distinguished Professors Adrian Baddeley and Noel Cressie picture near Dampier, a large port near mining town of Karratha

"Red Dog" rest stop near Dampier (large port near mining town of Karratha)

Adrian Baddeley and Noel Cressie

Setting up air-quality sampling sites

Delivery of air-quality monitoring station

Delivery of air-quality monitoring station

A picture showing the researchers on Murujuga monitoring site setting up the sensors.

‎‎Not yet instrumented

‎Setting up air-quality sampling sites with samplers

Instruments installed

A million petroglyphs

  • Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation (MAC) represents the five traditional owners and custodial groups that come together to care for Murujuga, including the estimated million petroglyphs (rock art), which vary in age from hundreds to thousands of years.
  • There is significant industrial activity located on the southern Burrup (Murujuga) Peninsula, in the vicinity of the rock art and the cultural landscape.
  • MRAMP scientists are doing world's-best-practice research on the impact of emissions on long-term conservation of the rock art.
  • The science resulting from MRAMP will inform decision-making.
  • Noel Cressie, Director of the University of Wollongong's Centre for Environmental Informatics, provides statistical scientific advice to Curtin University as a member of MRAMP's statistical design and analysis team.