About

I am a Lecturer in Geosciences within the School of Environmental Sciences. This allows me to dedicate my time to both the teaching and research of geological and geophysical topics.

Teaching responsibilities

I contribute to teaching in the following areas of our Geology and Geology and Environmental Hazards degree programmes:

• Environmental Hazards and Disasters
• Fundamental Skills for Geoscientists
• Imaging Earth's Surface and Subsurface (Module Leader)
• Geological Mapping and Applied Skills for Geoscientists (Module Leader)
• Basin Analysis
• Independent Studies for Geoscience
• Crustal Evolution (Module Leader)

In addition, I also contribute to teaching on our Petroleum Masters programme.

In my strive for teaching excellence, I actively engage in learning and teaching research, which is currently focused on 'learning in the field'.

Research interests

My primary research focus revolves around plate tectonic theory. My strong background in Geology and Geophysics allows me to investigate many plate tectonic puzzles using a multi-disciplinary approach. My current BIG research questions are of interest to both industry and academia, and include:

• What is the role of the lithosphere in controlling plate motions?
• Why do some continents break up 'magmatically' whilst others are 'magma-poor'?
• Where really is the East African transform margin?
• How and why do 'microcontinents' form?

I am also using my research expertise in Geology and Geophysics to investigate potential solutions to humanitarian crises. My current work includes:

• Gaza's deep aquifer: can fresh water be found for the 2 million inhabitants in dire need? 

My expertise include: plate tectonic modelling, gravity and magnetic data, rifted margins, numerical modelling, seismic interpretation, GIS, geodynamics, and structural geology.

Membership of professional bodies

• Fellow of the Geological Society of London (GSL)
• Member of the American Geophysical Union (AGU)
• Member of the European Geoscience Union (EGU)
• Member of the Società Italiana do mineralogia e Petrologia (SIMP)

Qualifications

• MSci in Geoscience - Durham University
• PhD in Geology and Geophysics - Durham University

Recent conferences

Peace, A.L., Cadenas Martinez, P., Farangitakis, G.P., Phethean, J.J.J., Watremez, L., 2020 (Display). Structural inheritance and evolving rift kinematics in transform and oblique rift systems: A comparison of global examples. EGU General Assembly, Sharing Geoscience Online.

Phethean, J.J.J., Chamberlain, K.J., Boulay, A., McLennan, L.J., Watson, A.P., 2019 (Poster). Pedagogy of structural measurements in the field: A comparison of the compass clinometer vs digital field work apps on learning and retention for male and female students. AGU Fall Meeting, San Francisco, California, US.

Phethean, J.J.J., Peace, A., Franke, D., Foulger, G., Schiffer, C., Welford, J.K., McHone, G., Rocchi, S., Schnabel, M., Doré, A., 2019 (Poster). Pangaea dispersal and Large Igneous Provinces: Cause or effect? AGU Fall Meeting, San Francisco, California, US. 

Watson, A.P., Phethean, J.J.J., 2019 (Poster). Clues of a Cryptic Collapse: New extension indicators identified from the Early Ordovician margin of Avalonia constrained as post Penobscotian Orogenic collapse. AGU Fall Meeting, San Francisco, California, US.

Phethean, J.J.J., McCaffrey, K., Kalnins, L., van Hunen. J., 2019 (Oral). Plates Pushing Back: An example of lithospheric control over plate kinematics during Gondwana dispersal. EGU General Assembly, Vienna, Austria.

Phethean, J.J.J., Peace, A.L., 2019 (Invited poster). Deformable plate tectonic models of Mesozoic continental breakup and transform system development in East Africa. EGU General Assembly, Vienna, Austria. 

Phethean, J.J.J., Kalnins, L.M., van Hunen, J., McCaffrey, K.J.W., Davies, R.J., 2017 (Poster). The Rovuma Transform Margin: the enigmatic continent-ocean boundary of East Africa. EGU General Assembly, Vienna, Austria.

Phethean, J.J.J., Kalnins, L.M., van Hunen, J., McCaffrey, K.J.W., Davies, R.J., 2016 (Oral). Madagascar’s Escape from Africa: New Constraints and Understanding for Plate Tectonic Reconstructions. East Africa: From Research to Reserves, Geological Society of London, London, UK.

Phethean, J.J.J., Kalnins, L.M., van Hunen, J., McCaffrey, K.J.W., Davies, R.J., 2015 (Poster). Madagascar’s Escape from Africa: New Constraints and Understanding for plate Tectonic Reconstructions. AGU Fall Meeting, San Francisco, California, US.

Phethean, J.J.J., van Hunen, J., McCaffrey, K.J.W., Davies, R.J., 2014 (Poster). The Davie Ridge: a Marginal Transform Ridge not Formed During Continental Breakup. AGU Fall Meeting, San Francisco, California, US. 

Van Hunen, J., Phethean, J.J.J., 2014 (Poster). The role of small-scale convection on the formation of volcanic passive margins. EGU General Assembly, Vienna, Austria.

Experience in industry

My PhD was Sponsored by ENI, one of the 7 global supermajor energy corporations. I therefore worked closely with ENI during this research and frequently visited their head offices in Milan.

Additional interests and activities

In addition to presenting my research at conferences, I have also convened and chaired the following conference sessions:

• Strauss, J.V., Foulger, G.R., Ma, C., Phethean, J.J.J., 2019. The North Atlantic Realm from Neoproterozoic to Cenozoic: Orogens Old and New I. AGU Fall Meeting, San Francisco, California, US.
• Strauss, J.V., Foulger, G.R., Ma, C., Phethean, J.J.J., 2019. The North Atlantic Realm from Neoproterozoic to Cenozoic: Orogens Old and New II Posters. AGU Fall Meeting, San Francisco, California, US.
• Martínez, P.C., Farangitakis, G.P., Peace, A.L., Phethean, J.J.J., Watremez, L., 2020. The spectrum of obliquity: A multidisciplinary approach from orthogonal rifts to transform tectonics. EGU General Assembly, Sharing Geoscience Online.

I am also a guest editor for the following journal special issues:

• Alexander L. Peace, Patricia Cadenas Martínez, Georgios-Pavlos Farangitakis, Jordan J. J. Phethean, Louise Watremez, Ken McCaffrey, and Susanne Buiter. The spectrum of obliquity: from orthogonal rifts to transform tectonics in continental and oceanic settings. Solid Earth, European Geoscience Union.

Recent publications

Phethean, J.J.J., Kalnins, L.M., van Hunen, J., McCaffrey, K.J.W. The Rovuma Transform Margin: Discovery of a new first-order tectonic feature in East Africa. In review with Tectonics.

Peace, A., Phethean, J.J.J., Franke, D., Foulger, G., Schiffer, C., Welford, J.K., McHone, G., Rocchi, S., Schnabel, M., Doré,A., 2019. A review of Pangea dispersal and Large Igneous provinces – In search of a causative mechanism. Earth Science Reviews.

Farangitakis, G.P., Sokoutis, D., McCaffrey, K.J.W., Willingshofer, E., Kalnins, L.M., Phethean, J.J.J., van Hunen, J., van Steen, V., 2019.Analogue modelling of plate rotation effects in transform margins and rift-transform intersections. Tectonics, 38, 823-841. DOI:10.1029/2018TC005261

Peace, A.L., Dempsey, E.D., Schiffer, C., Welford, J.K., McCaffrey, K.J.W., Imber, J., Phethean, J.J.J., 2018. Evidence for Basement Reactivation during the Opening of the Labrador Sea from the Makkovik Province, Labrador, Canada: Insights from Field Data and Numerical Models. Geosciences 8, 308. doi:10.3390/geosciences8080308

Schiffer, C., Peace, A., Phethean, J.J.J., Gernigon, L., McCaffrey, K., Petersen, K.D., Foulger, G.R., 2018. The Jan Mayen Microplate Complex and the Wilson Cycle. in Tectonic Evolution: 50 Years of the Wilson Cycle Concept: Geological Society of London Special Publications. DOI: 10.1144/SP470.2

Phethean, J.J.J., Kalnins, L.M., van Hunen, J., Biffi, P.G., Davies, R.J., McCaffrey, K.J.W., 2016. Madagascar’s escape from Africa: A high-resolution plate reconstruction for the Western Somali Basin and implications for supercontinent dispersal. Geochemistry, Geophys. Geosystems 17, 5036–5055. doi:10.1002/2016GC006624

Peace, A., McCaffrey, K., Imber, J., Phethean, J.J.J., Nowell, G., Gerdes, K., Dempsey, E., 2016. An evaluation of Mesozoic rift-related magmatism on the margins of the Labrador Sea: Implications for rifting and passive margin asymmetry. Geosphere 12, 6. DOI: 10.1130/GES01341.1