FREE LECTURE: The unexpected chemistry of carbonates - making mountains from gas.

When carbon dioxide from the atmosphere dissolves in water, this sets in motion a sequence of chemical events that can lead to the creation of carbonate minerals that are the basis of many natural structures from shells to mountains. It can also be the cause of considerable technological cost through the formation of pipe-scale and other unwanted materials. This presentation will explore how we can use some of the worlds largest computers to understand the underlying chemistry of these processes, thereby unlocking some of the secrets of the unexpected behaviour of carbonates.

Julian Gale is currently a John Curtin Distinguished Professor and Australian Research Council Professorial Fellow in the Department of Chemistry, Curtin University.