Wollongong Isotope Geochronology Laboratory (WIGL)

The Wollongong Isotope Geochronology Laboratory (WIGL) applies advanced isotopic and geochemical techniques to investigate geological, environmental, biological, and archaeological processes. Our research spans the Quaternary to the Precambrian, and extends into the biomedical sciences. WIGL is an active member of the AuScope Geochemistry Network.

Research themes

1. Archaeology and Palaeontology
U-Th dating of teeth, bones, and speleothems
Dietary, mobility, and trophic insights from strontium and calcium isotopes

2. Biomedical Applications
Mapping metal distribution in biological tissues
Calcium isotopes in studies of osteoporosis
Exploring calcium isotopes in studies of kidney disease and vascular calcification

3. Precambrian Environments and the Evolution of Life
Lithium isotopes as tracers of palaeo-environmental change and animal life emergence in the Neoproterozoic
Metal stable isotopes (Li, Mg, Ca) to investigate the emergence of eukaryotic life in the mid-Proterozoic

4. Environmental Change in the Quaternary
Landscape response to climate change, tectonics, and human activity
Sedimentary uranium isotopes for erosion reconstruction
Lithium and boron isotopes for tracking chemical weathering and pedogenesis
Speleothem trace elements and isotopes for palaeoenvironmental reconstruction

5. Earth Surface Processes and Global Geochemical Cycles
Soil formation and weathering rates using uranium-series isotopes
Sediment transport and residence times
Catchment-scale erosion and rock exposure ages from in-situ cosmogenic beryllium-10

WIGL periodic table (PDF: 661 KB)