Hi there

I am a Structural Geologist at Getech where I use varied techniques to explore potential for siting geothermal, CCUS, mineral extraction sites, and legacy petroleum reservoirs.

After finishing my integrated Master's at The University of Manchester looking at field analogues of faults hosting earthquakes in central Italy, I moved to Cardiff University to do a PhD. My PhD focused on shallow slow slip and plate interface deformation in subduction zones, my research chapters included using passive source seismology and data from the NZ3D seismic experiment, structural analysis of drill core from IODP Expedition 375, field mapping and microstructural analysis of exhumed tectonic subduction mélange, and rheological modelling with a particular focus on the deformation of carbonates. Slow slip is a kind of long-term earthquake (lasting weeks instead of minutes) which doesn't generate detectable seismic waves but is recorded as movement using GPS networks. I particularly focused on the Hikurangi Margin subduction zone, offshore the North Island of New Zealand. My PhD was supervised by Åke Fagereng, who also researches similar topics.

Feel free to get in touch using the Twitter, peruse my GitHub page, or email me.

Skills and Experience

Here's a few things I have done or learned to do:

  • Code in Python, Julia, Matlab, and GMT (and PyGMT) to carry out mapping, image analysis, rheological modelling, time series analysis, and make high quality figures.
  • Carry out extensive, detailed, independent fieldwork. Previous field experience in the Central Appenines (Italy), North Wales (UK), and many others.
  • Written high quality papers on grain to km-scale deformation and the structure of normal and thrust faults.
  • Deployed and analysed data from short-period and broadband seismometers as part of the NZ3D experiment.
  • Participated in the NZ3D seismic cruise (Feb. 2019). You can read some blog posts written during the cruise here
  • Presented posters and talks at local and international meetings incuding: AGU fall meeting, IODP post-cruise meeting, student conferences, research group presentations.

Posters and publications

Selected works from my research. Feel free to email me for a PDF or if you have any questions.

The northern Hikurangi margin three-dimensional plate interface in New Zealand remains rough 100 km from the trench

In This work we mapped the Hikurangi margin plate interface using receiver functions from data collected by a dense 22 x 10 km array of 49 broadband seismometers. Our mapped plate interface has kilometer-amplitude roughness we interpret as oceanic volcanics or seamounts, and is 1–4 km shallower than the regional-scale plate-interface model used in geodetic inversions. We show interface roughness also leads to shear-strength variability, where slip may nucleate in locally weak areas and propagate across areas of low shear-strength gradient.

Inherited heterogeneities can control viscous subduction zone deformation of carbonates at seismogenic depths

This work links mineral-scale deformation mechanisms with structural evolution during subduction, providing examples showing how grain-scale heterogeneities facilitated viscous creep in calcite at nominally seismogenic temperatures.

Heterogeneous subgreenschist deformation in an exhumed sediment-poor mélange

This work, published in Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth describes imbricated thrust faults on Llanddwyn Island, Anglesey, Wales, and details their field to microscale composition and structural fabrics. We use this to model the rheology of the thrusts using flow laws and micro-mechanical models under variable conditions and show due to the heterogeneous composition of the thrust, slip partitions between the hangingwall and footwall under variable conditions.

PhD Thesis: Mechanical evolution, fluid pressure generation, and shallow slow slip in subducton zones

My PhD thesis at Cardiff University comprised 3 main parts: (1) Applying various seismological techniques to a large passive seismic array to produce high resolution 3D datasets, (2) Microstructural and chemical analysis to investigate physiochemical deformation of sediments cored by ocean drilling offshore New Zealand, (3) Field and microstructural analysis to investigate geological structures and rock mechanics processes in rocks deformed by subduction throughout Anglesey, Wales.

Slip partitioning and fluid pressure in a heterogeneous plate interface at seismogenic depths: an example from the Gwna Complex, Anglesey, UK

This AGU 2020 poster used rheological modelling to explore how the strength of a megathrust shear zone varies with lithology under different fluid pressure and temperature conditions.

AGU Tectonics paper on Mixed brittle and viscous strain localisation in pelagic sediments seaward of the Hikurangi margin, New Zealand

This first paper from my PhD describes how we studied stylolites and faults in the pelagic sediments seaward of the Hikurangi margin, New Zealand to determine the extent of pressure solution and brittle faulting, strain localisation and weakening, and deformation distribution. We then compare our results for stylolite-hosted strain from pressure solution to published models for pressure solution.

AGU 2019 poster on Heterogeneous plate interface deformation in an exhumed sediment-starved subgreenschist mélange

We studied the deformation and relative strengths of different lithologies in an exhumed subduction mélange in Anglesey, North Wales, UK.

AGU 2018 poster on strain at the shallow calcareous-pelagic plate interface

We used stylolite distributions in incoming subducting sediment seaward of the Hikurangi Margin subduction zone to determine the locations of rheologically weak material and compared the potential for strain localisation there to an exhumed subduction mélange in Anglesey, North Wales, UK.

Coseismic extension recorded in the hangingwall of a thrust fault

My first paper, from my Master's project, describes structures showing extension localised within the hangingwall of the Vado di Ferruccio Thrust Fault, in the Central Apennines, Italy. After the first phase of thrusting, later extension has formed widespread mirror-surfaced faulting within dolostones in the hangingwall. Mirror surfaces indicate slip on these faults was seismic, and we show this activation of a hangingwall volume is comparable in orientation and distribution to seismic sequences observed at depth. Preprints are also available.