Andrew Tomkins

Professor Andrew Tomkins is a faculty member at Monash University's School of Earth Atmosphere and Environment. He holds a PhD in Geoscience from the Australian National University (2002), focusing on the Challenger Gold Deposit in South Australia. His research spans Economic Geology and Meteoritics/Planetary Science, applying metamorphic petrology principles to unconventional fields. Key interests include gold ore genesis, meteorite impacts, and Martian atmospheric studies.

Education:

• PhD in Geoscience, Australian National University (2002)

Research Interests:

• Economic Geology: Redox processes in subduction zones, sulfide melting, platinum group elements, and gold deposit limits
• Meteoritics: Antarctic desert meteorite expeditions, asteroid metamorphism, and Martian sulfur isotope studies
• Planetary Science: Asteroid thermal modeling, impact-driven metal accumulation, and early atmosphere investigations via micrometeorites

Grants & Projects:

• ARC-funded 'Fluid chemistry and critical mineral enrichment in salty metamorphic belts' (2024-2027)
• 'Expanding the Foundation of Planetary Science' (2023-2026) with ANU and CSIRO
• 'Multi-scale controls on high-grade gold mineralisation' (2021-2024) with MRIWA and Newmont

Awards:

• SEG Silver Medal (2021)
• Waldemar Lindgren Award (2008)

Labs & Expeditions: Leads Australian desert meteorite expeditions since 2007, recovering >300 meteorites including rare finds. Collaborates on synchrotron studies and fieldwork in Antarctica and global sites.