Marnie Forster

Associate Professor Marnie Forster is an Argon Geochronologist at the Research School of Earth Sciences, The Australian National University. She serves as a MinEx CRC researcher and Project Director of The National Argon Map, AuScope. Her work bridges structural geology and geochronology, focusing on shear zone deformation timing and thermal histories of terranes.

• Ph.D. and M.Sc. from Monash University
• Academic Manager of ANU Argon Laboratory
• 2008-2013: ARC Australian Research Fellow

Research Interests:
Using 40Ar/39Ar geochronology to date ductile shear zone movement and metamorphic events. Studies temperature-time histories of collision zones (e.g., Himalaya, European Alps, Australia) and deformation dynamics in tectonic settings. Key contributions include demonstrating K-feldspar retentivity for shear zone dating and linking microstructural changes to argon systematics.

Recent Research Trends:
2023-2024 publications highlight innovations in alunite dating for hydrothermal systems, Rb-Sr reference materials for LA-ICP-MS/MS analysis, and monazite-muscovite provenance studies in Poland. Ongoing work in Himalayan tectonics and Southeast Asian metallogenesis.

Facilities:
Leads the ANU Argon Laboratory, specializing in 40Ar/39Ar geochronology. Collaborates with AuScope and MinEx CRC for continental-scale geological mapping.