Ben Mather

Sunset over Mt Lidgbird and Mt Gower at Lord Howe Island. Dylan Shaw/Unspash

September 18, 2026

We found the hidden force that created two chains of underwater volcanoes running side by side

Ben Mather, The University of Melbourne and Maria Seton, University of Sydney

A new study unearths the deep Earth connection between Lord Howe Island and its sibling chain of drowned volcanoes.

Thingvellir national park, where two tectonic plates meet in Iceland. Tina Zupancic/Getty Images

January 19, 2026

Ben Mather, The University of Melbourne; Adriana Dutkiewicz, University of Sydney; Dietmar Müller, University of Sydney, and Sabin Zahirovic, University of Sydney

Earth has experienced many icehouse and greenhouse climates. A new study shows how they connect to plate tectonics.

Salvatore Allegra / AP

May 25, 2022

Dietmar Müller, University of Sydney; Adriana Dutkiewicz, University of Sydney; Andrew Merdith, University of Leeds; Ben Mather, University of Sydney; Christopher Gonzalez, The University of Western Australia; Sabin Zahirovic, University of Sydney; Tobias Keller, ETH Zurich; Weronika Gorczyk, The University of Western Australia, and Jo Condon, The University of Melbourne

New modelling shows how tectonic plate movements, carbon-rich deep-sea sediment, and mountain weathering have regulated Earth’s climate.

Luisa Denu / Unsplash

December 18, 2020

Ben Mather, University of Sydney; Dietmar Müller, University of Sydney; Jo Condon, The University of Melbourne; Maria Seton, University of Sydney, and Oliver Nebel, Monash University

From far north Queensland to the southern tip of Tasmania, there is a common geological mechanism that links Eastern Australia’s volcanic history.