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Cheers
John
PhD positions available
Two Ph.D. studentships are available, starting early 2000. Both projects
fall under the research topic of: Palaeozoic Palaeogeography of Gondwana
and its APW path, and are to be carried out at the Institute for
Geophysics at the Ludwig-Maximillians-University, Munich, Germany
The drift history and palaeogeography of Gondwana in Palaeozoic times
remains an unsolved problem and rather controversial. Although
palaeomagnetism is one of the best techniques available within the Earth
sciences for constraining palaeogeography and continental drift, the
existing palaeomagnetic data base for the Palaeozoic of Gondwana is
rather sparse and provides conflicting evidence. Essentially two
contrasting models for the apparent polar wander (APW) path of Gondwana
have been proposed. The differences between these two basic APW paths
have important implications for Palaeozoic geology as they indicate
either gradual northward movement of Gondwana from Late Ordovician
through to Early Carboniferous times, or, alternatively, a much more
complex path involving high drift rates, and implying repeated collision
of northern Africa with Laurussia in the mid Palaeozoic and again in
Permo-Carboniferous times. Obviously these different models have
important implications not only for the geodynamic evolution of the
Caledonian and Variscan orogenic systems in Europe and North America and
timing of final closure of the ocean between north Africa and the
European continents, but also for the interpretation of various aspects
of the sedimentological and palaeoclimatic record within Gondwana
itself. The PhD projects will address this problem using primarily
palaeomagnetic techniques applied to two different regions of Gondwana,
namely Australia and South America in order to test existing
palaeomagnetic and palaeobiogeographic models, and help to define the
drift of Gondwana and its palaeogeographic relationship to the other
continents in Palaeozoic times.
1) The Australian Project: The more complex model for the APW path of
Gondwana relies heavily on palaeomagnetic data from the Tasman Fold Belt
System (TFBS) of eastern Australia. The geodynamic evolution of the
TFBS, however, is not yet fully understood. Of particular importance,
is the question as to whether the various terranes comprising the TFBS
were allochthonous or autochthonous with the Australian craton in the
Palaeozoic. To resolve this, the first PhD project will involve detailed
palaeomagnetic studies of different tectono-stratigraphic terranes
across the TFBS. This will provide important new constraints for the
tectonic evolution of the fold belt, and show the validity or otherwise
of using existing palaeomagnetic data from this region to constrain the
APW path of Gondwana.
2) The South American Project: To obtain direct information for the APW
path of Gondwana, the second PhD project will involve palaeomagnetic and
related geological studies of Ordovician to Late Carboniferous and
Permian age rocks from autochthonous regions of south America (initially
Bolivia and Peru). Work will be carried out in collaboration with a
number of different geologists and from part of a multi-disciplinary
multi-national project to determine the palaeogeographic and geological
evolution of this region in pre-Andean times.
Both projects are funded for a period of 3 years, on the salary scale
BATII/2, by the Volkswagen Foundation.
Applications should be sent by either email or regular mail to:
Dr Jennifer Tait
Institut fuer Geophysik
Ludwig-Maximillians-Universitaet
Theresienstrasse 41
D-80333 Muenchen
Germany
tel: +49 89 2394 4238
fax: +49 89 2394 4205
email: [log in to unmask]
Applications should include: a cover letter with description of the
undergraduate/diploma research project, a full CV including subjects
studied and grades, names and addresses (including email) of 2
scientific referees, and, where possible, a list of publications,
including titles of papers presented at conferences. Applicants should
also state their preference with regards to the two different projects.
--
Jenny Tait
Institut fuer Geophysik
Ludwig-Maximillians-Universitaet
Theresienstrasse 41
80333 Muenchen
tel: +49 89 2394 4238
fax: +49 89 2394 4205
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