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Research Projects in Geology 

Earth & Oceans 

College of Science, Technology and Engineering 

James Cook University 

Townsville QLD  

Table of Contents 

Speleothem‐basedclimatereconstructionsfromtheSoutherntropics..................................................................1

CenozoicSeismicStratigraphyoftheGreatBarrierReef................................................................................................2

PhDProjectsinSedimentologyandPaleontology(taphonomy).................................................................................3

Speleothem‐based climate reconstructions from the Southern tropics  

Cavecarbonatesareprovenarchivesofterrestrialclimatevariation.Indeed,suchrecordsareamongthemostusefulrecordsofpastclimateasthechemicalproxydatapreservedincarbonatesevidencechangesinrainfall,meantemperature,andsurfacevegetationdataathighresolution.Climaterecordsfromcavecarbonatesareuniqueinthattheyarehighresolution,generatingsnapshotsofpalaeoclimatethatcanbeusedtogreatlyrefinethemoregeneralizedclimaterecordspreservedbysedimentsandfossilsofthetime.Forexample,caverecordsoftennotonlyindicateifconditionsduringaparticularintervalwheregenerallywetordry,butalsoevidenceshort‐livedeventssuchasdroughts.Cavecarbonatescanalsobedatedradiometricallyusinganumberoftechniquestoproviderobustchronologies,providingsomeofthebestagecontrolforpastclimatechanges.Palaeohydrologicrecordsfromthesoutherntropicsareunderdeveloped,leavingopenmanyquestionsabouthowtheseclimatesystemsrespondtoand/orforceprecipitationchangesonlocaltoglobalscales.Inparticular,itisnecessarytolinktogethermultipleclimaterecordsfromthesoutherntropicsandsubtropics.JCUcurrentlyhasopportunitiesforoneormorePhDstudentstoworkonspeleothem‐basedclimatereconstructionsfromAustraliaand/orSouthernAfrica.ThePhDcandidatewillhaveaccesstotheworld‐classanalyticalfacilitiesatJCU,allowingfordevelopmentofaprojectcoveringavarietyoftime‐scalesandutilizinganumberofdifferentclimateproxies.ApplicationsfromstudentsinterestedinjoiningtheARCfundedBarrowIslandArcheologyProjectareparticularlywelcome.Supervisor:ChristaPlaczek;christa.placzek@jcu.edu.au

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Cenozoic Seismic Stratigraphy of the Great Barrier Reef  Generic sequence stratigraphic models predict that the maximum and minimum fluxes of siliciclastic sediments to continental slopes and ocean basins will respectively occur during prominent lowstands and late transgression. However, a considerable volume of research indicates that sedimentary processes on the northern Great Barrier Reef (GBR) contradict this model. The modern view of siliciclastic deposition on the northeast Australian margin is one where a broad, reef-rimmed outer shelf traps fluvial discharge during lowstand, and releases this material to the continental slope and offshore basins when sea level begins to transgress the shelf. Lowstand sedimentary processes on the Great Barrier Reef remain poorly understood due to the lack of broad-scale seismic datasets. This project seeks to gain an understanding of how sedimentary processes on the GBR continental margin vary between the physiographically distinct southern, central and northern GBR and how particular mechanisms (i.e. sediment input, tectonics, barrier reef morphology) influence these deposits. The project will utilise an extensive, but largely unpublished, archive of sparker seismic data. Gaining a more thorough understanding of sedimentary processes on the GBR margin will aid in interpreting deposits from other modern and extinct barrier reef margins. A student with a solid background in stratigraphy, basin analysis, and seismic interpretation would be highly desirable. Supervisor: James Daniell james.daniell@jcu.edu.au

Fig 1. Example of sparker seismic data from the continental slope adjacent to the northern GBR

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PhD Projects in Sedimentology and Paleontology (taphonomy)  I am currently seeking students interested in conducting PhD research involving tectonic, sedimentologic and palaeontologic approaches for investigating Mesozoic-Cenozoic sedimentary basins in Australia, Africa, China, North America, and Africa. In particular, I have projects available on the sedimentology and detrital zircon geochronology of Jurassic and Cretaceous strata of the Eromanga and Surat Basins, Australia. Together with Prof. Paul Dirks, we are also looking for a PhD student to work on the sedimentology and taphonomy of cave systems in the Cradle of Humankind, South Africa. This project would involve caving and working in coordination with a palaeoanthropology team from Wits University in South Africa. Additional projects are also likely to be available for next year, so please contact me if you are generally interested in research possibilities. Supervisor:Dr.EricRobertseric.roberts@jcu.edu.au