Dr. Jeff Stilwell

Students interested in Palaeontology studies should contact Jeff to discuss possible projects.
 

Supervisor(s): Jeffrey Stilwell and Mike Hall

Field of study: Tectonics, palaeoecology and biogeography
Support offered: Project costs
Preferred Programme: Honours

One of the confounding mysteries of the Cretaceous Greenhouse Earth is the mismatch between the geologic/fossil record and climate models for this dynamic period in Earth’s history. Were the highest polar latitudes free of ice during the Cretaceous, indicating low to moderate temperature gradients from the equator to the poles, and relatively even heat exchange? The Otway Basin offers an opportunity for a keen young researcher to delve into the palaeoenvironments of the high southern latitudes during the Early Cretaceous, by focusing on an enhanced understanding of the biotic composition of the sequences preserved there, especially macroinvertebrates, which have never been surveyed comprehensively. An important part of the investigation is fieldwork to collect a suite of samples from targeted Lower Cretaceous coastal outcrops. The project will investigate fossil assemblages in concert with an interpretation of sedimentological and tectonic significance of the sediments, which should provide additional significant insight into the spectrum of Earth Cretaceous palaeoenvironments in polar latitudes during the early stages of the rift sequence, leading to the final break-up of Gondwana.
 

Supervisors: Jeff Stilwell and Mike Hall
Field of study: Palaeoenvironmental analysis of limestones, hydrocarbon potential
Support offered: Project costs
Preferred Programme: Honours

The primary objectives of this investigation is to survey the Plio-Pleistocene (Neogene) marine limestone successions of the Wanganui Basin, North Island, New Zealand to determine the lateral extent of bioclastics by measuring sections to predict facies, thicknesses and controls on porosities in terms of petroleum potential of the various units targeted. The lateral extent of beds and associated facies will be related to basin architecture. An important aspect will be detailed studies of the shell beds in terms of biologic composition and taphonomy. Fieldwork by the student will incorporate collections of a suite of macrofossils and rock samples for thin sections, etc. What were the controls of the carbonate factory and accumulation [shell beds] in terms of biology and geology? This project is perfect for a student interested in carbonates, and the petroleum geology field.
 

Supervisors: Fabio A. Capitanio, Jeffrey Stilwell & Mike Hall
Field of study: Tectonics, structural geology, stratigraphy
Support offered: Training in well log/seismic section interpretation
Preferred Programme: Honours or MSc

The Otway and Gippsland basins offer the unique opportunity to understand the stages of continental disassembly during a dynamic interval in Earth history. While the Otway rift system developed into a passive margin as the final phases of Gondwana break-up were well underway (ie., Antarctica-Australia), the Gippsland rift was abandoned as tectonic deformation jumped further south. The project involves interpretation of a seismic line, or part of a seismic grid, and well logs to outline the structure and stratigraphy of a specific but important part of either basin. This would then be back-stripped in order to determine both the structural evolution and depositional history. These results would then be integrated into larger scale study of the tectonic evolution of the continental margin of southeast Australia. This analysis can be weighted according the student’s interest into a major structural or stratigraphic component; therefore, several projects can be offered.