The Origin of Australian Opal Deposits: Unlocking the Secrets of an Australian Icon

蛋白石是澳大利亚的国家宝石。世界上95%以上的珍贵蛋白石都是在澳大利亚开采的，这种珍贵的矿物不仅是我们的主要出口收入之一，也是澳大利亚中部许多城镇的命脉。尽管蛋白石具有重要的经济意义和悠久的开采历史，但人们对蛋白石的形成知之甚少。因此，勘探仍然基于老式的勘探方法，而不是使贱金属勘探如此成功的基因勘探模式。该项目的目的是调查控制澳大利亚蛋白石形成的过程，并利用这些信息构建一个勘探模型，从而产生更有效和高效的勘探方法。

Opal is the National Gemstone of Australia. With over 95% of world's precious opal being mined in Australia, this precious mineral is not only one of our major export earners but also the life blood of many central Australian townships. Despite its economic significance and long history of mining little is known about the formation of opal. Consequently, exploration is still based on old-fashioned prospecting methods rather than on genetic exploration models that have made base metal exploration so successful. The aim of this project is to investigate the processes controlling the formation of Australian opal and to use this information to construct an exploration model that will lead to more effective and efficient exploration methods.