4. Tectonic styles in orogens:

Dominated by large-scale "pull-push" inversion cycles are characterized by the occurrence of orogen-scale extensional shear zones that have been crumpled and folded (and refolded) by later shortening into giant sheath folds, now cored by migmatites, pegmatites and high-grade metamorphic rocks. Type examples of such phenomena may exist at Broken Hill, west of Canberra, and in the Appalachians in the Eastern United States. A PhD candidate is sought who has the intellect and breadth of interest that would allow an independent scientific contribution to a field- and geochronology-based project designed to test evolving models as to the nature of orogenesis in a front-line research group.

5. Tectonics shuffle zones:

Tectonic styles in orogens dominated by large-scale "push-pull" inversion cycles are characterized by the occurrence of orogen-scale tectonic shuffle zones that have served to localize movement during successive periods of thrust faulting (with thrust related ductile shear zones) followed by periods when there is a superimposition of extensional ductile shear zones and brittle detachment faults. These tectonic shuffle zones typically contain thinly-sliced lenses of the existing tectonometamorphic stratigraphy, and include high-pressure (and ultra-high-pressure) metamorphic rocks. The research group has recently discovered another example of a tectonic shuffle zone in the Tso Morari, in NW India. Type examples of such phenomena may exist in NW India. A PhD candidate is sought who has the intellect and breadth of interest that would allow an independent scientific contribution to a field- and geochronlogy-based project designed to test evolving models as to the nature of orogenesis in a front-line research group.

6. Pplates Project

Plate tectonics considers the movement of rigid plates. This approximation may well survive for the oceanic domain, but it fails when it comes time to consider orogens, and the processes of orogenesis. The Pplates program has been constructed to allow the movement of deformable plates and continents. We will now construct a 3D model of the Tethyan slab (from Spain to New Zealand) using gOcad, and incorporate this into a global tectonic reconstruction of the Earth during the Alpine-Himalayan orogeny. A PhD candidate is sought who has the intellect and breadth of interest that would allow an independent scientific contribution to this project designed to test evolving models as to the nature of orogenesis in a front-line research group.