Associate Professor Carlos Spier
Associate Professor
School of the Environment
+61 7 334 64134
Steele Building (3), Room 236A
Researcher biography
I am a professional geologist with over 30 years of technical and managerial experience, working for large organisations such as Vale and BHP Billiton, participating and managing complex projects in South America, Australia, and West Africa. Skilled in leading technical services and geological exploration for underground and open pit mines, my career experience includes exploration, mine geology and resource estimations of multiple commodities, geometallurgical studies, mine-to-mill reconciliations, project management and project evaluation.
I have a profound interest in earth sciences and mining. The development and training of junior professionals and geoscientists was one of my passions in the industry. Both interests led me to recently join the academia. My research interests are in the areas of economic geology, exploration geochemistry, geometallurgy and ore body modelling.
Journal Articles
Spier, Carlos Alberto, Daczko, Nathan R. and Zhou, Renjie (2024). Zircon coupled dissolution-precipitation textures distinguish xenocrystic cargo from rare magmatic zircon in the Paleoarchean Bacuri Mafic-Ultramafic layered Complex, Brazil. Precambrian Research, 404 107342, 107342. doi: 10.1016/j.precamres.2024.107342
Koh, Edwin J.Y., Amini, Eiman, Spier, Carlos A., McLachlan, Geoffrey J., Xie, Weiguo and Beaton, Nick (2024). A mineralogy characterisation technique for copper ore in flotation pulp using deep learning machine vision with optical microscopy. Minerals Engineering, 205 108481, 1-16. doi: 10.1016/j.mineng.2023.108481
Battalgazy, Nurassyl, Valenta, Rick, Gow, Paul, Spier, Carlos and Forbes, Gordon (2023). Addressing geological challenges in mineral resource estimation: a comparative study of deep learning and traditional techniques. Minerals, 13 (7) 982, 982. doi: 10.3390/min13070982
Wang, Bin, Xie, Chao-Ming, Spier, Carlos A., Dong, Yong-Sheng, Yu, Yun-Peng, Song, Yu-Hang, Duan, Meng-Long and Yakymchuk, Chris (2022). Middle Permian magmatism in the Tangjia-Sumdo region, Tibet: evidence for intra-oceanic subduction. International Geology Review, 65 (4), 1-22. doi: 10.1080/00206814.2022.2056718
Spier, Carlos Alberto, Ferreira Filho, Cesar Fonseca and Daczko, Nathan (2021). Zircon U-Pb isotopic and geochemical study of metanorites from the chromite-mineralised Bacuri Mafic-Ultramafic Complex: insights of a Paleoarchean crust in the Amapá Block, Guyana Shield, Brazil. Gondwana Research, 105, 262-289. doi: 10.1016/j.gr.2021.09.010
Liu, Wen-Heng, Spier, Carlos, Niu, Yu-Ben, Liu, Xiao-Dong, Yan, Jie, Wang, Kai-Xing and Pan, Jia-Yong (2021). Magma mixing in the genesis of the Qingshanbao granitoids in the Longshoushan area: implications for the tectonic evolution of the North Qilian orogenic belt, NW China. Geological Journal, 56 (9) gj.4195, 1-24. doi: 10.1002/gj.4195
Ribeiro, Diniz, Moraes, Israel, Kwitko-Ribeiro, Rogerio, Braga, Deivid, Spier, Carlos and Santos, Pedro (2020). From Fresh Itabirites and Carbonates to Weathered Iron Ore: Mineral Composition, Density and Porosity of Different Fresh and Altered Rocks from the Quadrilátero Ferrífero, Brazil. Minerals, 11 (1) 29, 1-30. doi: 10.3390/min11010029
Levett, Alan, Vasconcelos, Paulo M., Gagen, Emma J., Rintoul, Llew, Spier, Carlos, Guagliardo, Paul and Southam, Gordon (2020). Microbial weathering signatures in lateritic ferruginous duricrusts. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 538 116209, 1-16. doi: 10.1016/j.epsl.2020.116209
Spier, C. A., Kumar, A. and Nunes, A. P.L. (2020). Mineralogy and genesis of rare Al-phosphate minerals in weathered itabirite and iron ore from the Quadrilátero Ferrífero, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Ore Geology Reviews, 118 103359. doi: 10.1016/j.oregeorev.2020.103359
Spier, C. A., Levett, A. and Rosière, C. A. (2018). Geochemistry of canga (ferricrete) and evolution of the weathering profile developed on itabirite and iron ore in the Quadrilátero Ferrífero, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Mineralium Deposita, 54 (7), 983-1010. doi: 10.1007/s00126-018-0856-7
Monteiro,Hevelyn S., Vasconcelos, Paulo M., Farley, Kenneth A., Spier, Carlos A. and Mello, Claudio L. (2014). (U-Th)/He geochronology of goethite and the origin and evolution of cangas. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 131, 267-289. doi: 10.1016/j.gca.2014.01.036
Spier, Carlos A., de Oliveira, Sonia M. B., Sial, Alcides N. and Rios, Francisco J. (2007). Geochemistry and genesis of the banded iron formations of the Cauê Formation, Quadrilátero Ferrífero, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Precambrian Research, 152 (3-4), 170-206. doi: 10.1016/j.precamres.2006.10.003
Spier, C. A., Vasconcelos, P. M. and Oliviera, S. M. B. (2006). 40Ar/39Ar geochronological constraints on the evolution of lateritic iron deposits in the Quadrilatero Ferrifero, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Chemical Geology, 234 (1-2), 79-104. doi: 10.1016/j.chemgeo.2006.04.006
Spier, CA, de Oliveira, SMB and Rosiere, CA (2003). Geology and geochemistry of the Águas Claras and Pico Iron Mines, Quadrilátero Ferrífero, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Mineralium Deposita, 38 (6), 751-774. doi: 10.1007/s00126-003-0371-2
Pimentel, M. M., Spier, Carlos Alberto and Ferreira Filho, César Fonseca (2002). Estudo Sm-Nd do Complexo Mafico-Ultramafico Bacuri, Amapa: idade da intrusao, metamorfismo e natureza do magma original. Brazilian Journal of Geology, 32 (3), 371-376.
Spier, CA and Ferreira, CFF (2001). The chromite deposits of the Bacuri mafic-ultramafic layered complex, Guyana shield, Amapa State, Brazil. Economic Geology and the Bulletin of the Society of Economic Geologists, 96 (4), 817-835. doi: 10.2113/96.4.817
Spier, Carlos Alberto and Ferreira Filho, César Fonseca (1999). Geologia, estratigrafia e depósitos minerais do projeto Vila Nova, escudo das Guianas, Amapá, Brasil. Brazilian Journal of Geology, 29 (2), 173-178.
Conference Papers
Vasconcelos, P., Monteiro, H., Farley, K. and Spier, C. (2008). Re-weathering of deep weathering profiles. 33rd International Geological Congress 2008, Oslo, Norway, 6-14 August 2008.
Rosiere, Carlos A., Spier, Carlos A., Rios, Francisco Javier and Suckau, Viktor E. (2008). The Itabirites of the Quadrilatero Ferrifero and Related High-Grade Iron Ore Deposits: An Overview. Meeting of the Society-of-Economic-Geologists, Red Sands South Africa, Jul 02-04, 2008. SOC ECONOMIC GEOLOGISTS, INC.
Spier, Carlos Alberto, de Oliveira, Sonia Maria Barros, Rosiere, Carlos Alberto and Ardisson, Jose Domingos (2008). Mineralogy and trace-element geochemistry of the high-grade iron ores of the Águas Claras Mine and comparison with the Capão Xavier and Tamanduá iron ore deposits, Quadrilátero Ferrífero, Brazil. 1st Brazilian Symposium on Metallogeny, Gramado Brazil, May, 2005. doi: 10.1007/s00126-007-0157-z
Spier, C., Vasconcelos, P. M. D. and Oliveira, S. (2004). 40Ar/39Ar dating of Mn-iron ore of the Sapecado Mine, Qadrilatero Ferrifero, Brazil. Array, Florence, Italy, 20-28 August 2004.
Spier, C., Vasconcelos, P. M. D. and Oliveira, S. M. (2004). Datacao 40Ar/39Ar de oxidos de manganes associados ao minerio de ferro das Minas de Sapecado e Andaime, Quadrilatero Ferrifero. XLII Congresso Brasileiro de Geologia, Araxa, Brasil, 17-22 October 2004.
Newspaper Article
Gray, Jane, Spier, Carlos, Sofonia, Jeremy and Napier, Paul (2022, 04 22). Using mobile LiDAR to improve undergroundgeology mapping AusIMM Bulletin
Thesis
Spier, Carlos Alberto (2005). Geoquímica e gênese das formações ferríferas bandadas e do minério de ferro da Mina de Águas Claras, Quadrilátero Ferrífero, MG. PhD Thesis, Instituto de Geociências, University of Brasília. doi: 10.11606/t.44.2016.tde-05012016-160451