Teaching interests

My teaching interests centre around two areas in the main - applied geophysics and the teaching of geological mapping.

 

Since arriving at Plymouth I have always been involved in the mapping training fieldtrips, not because I believe that I am a good field geologist but to demonstrate that I believe it is the most important thing that a student can do. There is nothing better than producing a map of your own and knowing that you now understand that area as well as anyone else (and for me at least this includes geophysical mapping). In 2004-2005 I was given a UoP Teaching Fellowship to develop digital mapping for students using GPS, a PDA and GIS software. This is progressing with a small number of students having access to the system this year and a hopefully expanding number in the future.

 

I am responsible for teaching applied geophysics in the near surface, hydrocarbon exploration geophysics and marine geophysics (having once worked for BP and Occidental as a well log analyst in the deep and dark past) to second, third and MSc level students. In the second year we regularly undertake geophysical field surveys of Sourton Tors - one of the UKs best geophysical anomalies as it responds to so many techniques and most years at least a few students have done undergraduate geophysical projects with me.  

 

In the third year I form part of the teams teaching on the Crustal analysis/Geodynamics modules reflecting my research interests in diffuse plate margins and the geophysical signature of deformation/orogens. 

 

Research interests

The Andes

 

My primary interest is in the tectonics of plate margins, in particular diffuse plate margins, and the factors which control crustal rotation in such regions.  Much of my more recent research has focused on the convergent Nazca - South American margin and the role this has in the construction of the high Central Andes. For the past 13 years a group led by Prof. John Grocott (Kingston University) and myself have focussed our studies between 25^o and 30^oS in the Atacama desert of northern Chile in close collaboration with the Chilean Geological Survey (SERNAGEOMIN). We have employed a range of techniques including palaeomagnetism (Plymouth), structural analysis (Kingston) and Ar-Ar dating (NERC, Toronto & Santiago) to identify rotated crustal blocks, their relationships to major fault systems, the temporal and spatial evolution of the Jurassic-Paleocene arcs. In addittion we have published on granite and dyke emplacement as exemplified in this region.

 

Patagonia and the IPY (the International Polar Year)

 

Having published a series of controversial papers on the tectonic rotation of the Falklands and radiometric ages (late 80-early 90s) the proposed fit of the Falklands into a location of South Africa is now widely accepted and included on most modern paleogeographic constructions.  However offshore exploration between Argentina and the Falklands has failed to locate a possible boundary between the two regions. This therefore begs the question as to whether there is a boundary located within Patagonia. With this in mind I have been working with colleagues in Buenos Aires to revisit the Jurasic-Cretaceous paleomagnetic data in southern South America. A preliminary fieldtrip was undertaken in 2001 and new fieldwork is planned for 2006 to investigate the nature and timing of rotation we have already documented in Chubut province. This work is also being taken forward as part of the International Polar Year project - an Argentinian-UK-USA-NZ collaborative group has been established to collect new data, integrate existing data and consider paleogeographic reconstructions and how the tectonics of the South Atlantic to Antarctica region affected ocean circulation during the period ~220-120 Million years ago (i.e. pre the S. Atlantic as we know it today).

 

Rapid Crustal Rotation

 

The SW Pacific (Fiji,Tonga, Kermadec, New Caledonia) provides a unique insight into rapidly evolving plate margins. Previously published data suggest that Fiji is one of the largest and fastest rotated crustal fragments in recent times. A rotation of some ~110⁰ took place between 11-3 Million years ago. This region, is geologically speaking, considered to be one of the best analogues of the early (Archean)  tectonics which formed todays continental plates/cratons.

Russia – The Permo-Triassic Boundary

In 2006 I was invited to participate in a NERC funded expedition to the Urals of southern Russia. The aim of this work is to use paleomagnetism to provide a correlation between the terrestrial sequences of the Urals with the equivalent marine sequences of the Southern hemisphere. The Permo-Triassic boundary is the world’s largest ever mass extinction – 95% of all species were wiped out – to enhance the investigation of this event a high precision stratigraphic framework is required hence the need for magnetostratigraphy to provide a globally synchronous time record. It is intended to seek co-funding for further paleomagnetic research in sequences in northern Russia.

2007 Nuffield Undergraduate Bursary - Chris Tucker

Holocene Sea level Change

As well as large scale plate margin geology and geophysics I have always kept an interest in applied near surface geophysics (which I teach). This has resulted in a series of minor papers on the Sourton Tors geophysical Anomaly (a sulphide ore body and the St. Erth basin) but more recently in the application of the resistivity imaging method to help geography colleagues investigate Holocene Sea Level change by investigating Back Barrier sediments and basin morphology in S. Devon. 

Acadian Tectonics of SW England

SW England occupies a pivotal position in recently revised models for the middle Devonian (Acadian) tectonic framework of NW Europe, approximately 390Ma. A reappraisal of Devonian stratigraphic and structural relationships in the UK (Woodcock et al., 2007) suggests, that Acadian deformation in the UK may reflect collisional processes associated with closure of a southern (younger) proto-Atlantic ocean (the Rheic ocean) rather than the traditionally held view linking it with closure of a northern (older) proto-Atlantic ocean (the Iapetus ocean). A significant problem with this hypothesis is, however, the lack of evidence for the position of SW England at this time. This study aims to find out whether there are suitable materials for palaeomagnetic study in SW England.

2008 Nuffield Undergraduate Bursary - Joss Smith

 

UoP Research group membership

Centre for Research in Earth Sciences (CRES) 
Geodynamics and Palaeomagnetism 

Other research

 

Publications

Peer Reviewed Publications 

 

Taylor, G.K. , Tucker, C., Twitchett, R.J., Kearsey, T., Benton, M.J., Newell, A.J., Surkov, M.V. and Tverdokhlebov, V.P. (2009). Magnetostratigraphy of Permian/Triassic boundary sequences in the Cis-Urals, Russia: No evidence for a major temporal hiatus. Earth and Planetray Science Letters, 281, 36-47. doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2009.02.002

Somoza, R., Vizán

, H and Taylor, G.K. (2008). Tectonic rotations in the Deseado Massif (Patagonia) during the break-up of Gondwana. Tectonophysics, 460, 178-185.

 abstract  doi:10.1016/j.tecto.2008.08.004

Taylor.G.K. & Roperch, P. (2008) A comment on “Palaeomagnetic study of Lower Jurassic marine strata from the Neuquén Basin, Argentina: A new Jurassic apparent polar wander path for South America” by Iglesia Llanos, M.P., Riccardi, A.C. and Singer, S.E. [EPSL 252 (2006) 379–397] Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 265,  312–315.  doi: 10.1016/j.epsl.2007.10.021

Price, G.D., Dashwood, B ,Taylor, G.K., Kalin, R.M.and Ogle,N.,  (2008). Carbon isotope and magnetostratigraphy of the Cretaceous (Barremian-Aptian) Pabellón Formation, Atacama Basin, Chile.Cretaceous Research. 29, 2, 183-191. doi: 10.1016/j.cretres.2007.04.008

Massey, A.C. and Taylor, G.K., (2007). Coastal Evolution in south-west England, United Kingdom: An enhanced reconstruction using geophysical surveys. Marine Geology, 245, 123-140.  doi: 10.1016/j.margeo.2007.07.001 

 

Taylor, G.K. 2007. Pluton shape in the Cornubian Batholith: new perspectives from gravity modelling. J. Geol. Soc. Lond.,164, No. 3, 525-528. doi: 10.1144/0016-76492006-104 abstract 

Taylor, G.K., Grocott, J., Dashwood, B., Gipson, M. & Arévalo, C. 2007. Implications for crustal rotation and tectonic evolution in the central Andes fore arc: New paleomagnetic results from the Copiapó region of northern Chile, 26°–28°S. J. Geophys. Res., Vol. 112, No. B1, B01102, doi: 10.1029/2005JB003950 abstract

Arévalo, C., Grocott, J., Martin, W., Pringle, M., & Taylor, K. 2006. Structural Setting of the Candelaria Fe Oxide Cu-Au Deposit, Chilean Andes (27º30'S). Economic Geology, 101, 819-841. abstract 

DOI: 10.2113/gsecongeo.101.4.819

    

Massey, A.C., Taylor, G.K., Gehrels, W.R., & Charman, D.J. 2006. Electrical resistivity of coastal back-barrier sediments from South Devon, SW England, UK. Journal of Coastal Research, 22, 1179-1191. abstract

    

Messenger, R.W., Hart, M.B., Allen, L., Taylor, G.K. & Dashwood, B. 2005. The St. Erth formation: Geometry of the deposit and micropaleontology. Geoscience in south-west England, 11, 93-98.

     

Taylor, G.K., Dashwood, B. and Grocott, J. (2005). The Central Andean Rotation Pattern: Evidence from palaeomagnetic rotations of an anomalous terrane in the forearc of northern Chile. Geology, 33, 777-780. abstract

Somoza, R.,Vizán, H., and Taylor, G.K., (2005). Rotaciones tectónicas en el Maciso del Deseado durante el desmembramiente de Gondwana (Tectonic rotations in the Deseado Massif during Gondwana breakup). Actas del XVI Congreso Geológico Argentina, La Plata, Argentina, vol 1,. 403-410.

 

Vizán, H., Somoza, R. and Taylor, G.K. (2004). Paleomagnetism from Upper Triassic-Lower Jurassic rocks in the Deseado Massif: New insights on the behavior of Patagonia during the breakup of Gondwana. En Carcione et al. (Eds.) International Symposium on the Geology and Geophysics of the southernmost Andes, the Scotia Arc and the Antarctica Peninsula. Bolletino de Geofisica Teorica ed Applicata, v. 45, p. 78-80. Trieste, Italia.

    

Grocott, J., McCaffrey, K.. Tikoff, B. and Taylor, G.K. (2004). Vertical Coupling-decoupling in the Lithosphere: a review and new insights. In "Vertical Coupling and Decoupling in the Lithosphere", eds.Grocott, J., McCaffrey, K., Tikoff, B. and Taylor, G.K., Geol. Soc. Special. No. 227,  1-7. 

 

Grocott, J., McCaffrey, K.. Tikoff, B. and Taylor, G.K. (2004). Editors: Vertical Coupling-decoupling in the Lithosphere: a review and new insights. Geological Society Special Volume No. 227. 

 

Grocott , J.& Taylor, G.K. (2002). Magmatic arc fault systems, deformation partitioning and emplacement of granitic complexes in the Coastal Cordillera, north Chilean Andes (25^o30'S to 27^o00'S). J. Geol. Soc. Lond., 159, 425-442. abstract

    

Taylor, G.K., Hake, D.M., King, I.R., & Bowers R. (2001). The Sourton Tors geophysical anomaly revisited. Geoscience in south-west England, 10, 166-171.

    

Randall, D.E., Tomlinson A. & Taylor, G.K. (2001). Palaeomagnetically defined rotations from the Precordillera of northern Chile: evidence of localised in situ fault-controlled rotations. Tectonics, 20, 235-254. Link

    

Taylor, G. K. (2001) Reply to: P. Roperch, A. Tassara and B. Townley, Discussion on "Paleomagnetism applied to magnetic anomaly interpretation: a new twist to the search for mineralisation in northern Chile" Mineralium Deposita 36, 197-198.

     

Taylor, G. K. (2000) Palaeomagnetism applied to magnetic interpretation: A new twist to the search for mineralisation in northern Chile. Mineralium Deposita, 35, 377-384.

    

Taylor, G. K., Gascoyne, J.and Colley, H. (2000). Rapid rotation of the Fijian Islands: paleomagnetic evidence and tectonic implication. J. Geophys. Res., 105, 5771-5782.

                    

Taylor, G. K. & Randall, D.E. (2000). Structural analysis of dyke emplacement as an aid to palaeomagnetic studies: An example from northern Chile. Geophysical Jour. International, 141, 253-258.

 

 

 

 

 

Additional information

Recent Conference abstracts

Mass extinction of tetrapods at the Permo-Triassic boundary in Russia

M.J. Benton, R. J. Twitchett, T. Kearsey, A. J. Newell, M. Ruta, M.V. Surkov, G. K. Taylor and V. P. Tverdokhlebov. The 55th Symposium of Vertebrate Palaeontology and Comparative Anatomy, Glasgow, Aug. 2007.
 

Grocott, J., Arévalo, C., Cruden, A., Kloppenburg, A. & Taylor, G. 2006. Lithospheric structure, fault reactivation and mineralisation during the emplacement of composite arc plutons, Coastal Cordillera, northern Chile. Fermor meeting, Geological Society of London, Sept.

Marta Ghidella, Ian Dalziel, Matthias König, Lawrence Lawver, David Macdonald, Sergio Marenssi, Víctor Ramos, Augusto Rapalini, Rubén Somoza, Bryan Storey, Graeme Taylor, Haroldo Vizán. 2006. Rigorous revision of Gondwana break-up for International Polar Year. SCAR (Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research) meeting, 8 - 20 July 2006, Hobart, Tasmania

Taylor, G.K. & Dashwood, B., 2006. Crustal rotation in the Andean forearc of northern Chile: mechanisms and timing. GSA meeting Backbone of the Americas conference, 2-7 April, Mendoza Argentina.

Vizán, H, Somoza, R, & Taylor, G K. 2005 Paleomagnetically testing the behaviour of Patagonia during Gondwana break-up. Gondwana 12, Mendoza, Argentina, Nov. 2005

 

Marta Ghidella, Ian Dalziel, Matthias König, Lawrence Lawver, David Macdonald, Sergio Marenssi, Víctor Ramos, Augusto Rapalini, Rubén Somoza, Bryan Storey, Graeme Taylor, Haroldo Vizán. Critical revision of Gondwana break up for International Polar Year. Gondwana 12, Mendoza, Argentina, Nov. 2005.

 

Ben Dashwood and Graeme Taylor, 2005. Temporal and Spatial Constraints on Multi-Phase Crustal Rotation in the Forearc of Northern Chile. 6th International Symposium on Andean geodynamics, Barcelona, Sept. 2005.

 

Somoza, R, Taylor, G K, & Vizan, H 2005. Exploring the Tectonic Behavior of Patagonia During the Breakup of Gondwana: A Paleomagnetic Approach. Eos Trans. AGU, 86(18), Jt. Assem. Suppl., Abstract xxxxx-xx. AGU Joint Assembly. New Orleans, May. GP33A-04

 

Ben Dashwood & Graeme Taylor, Temporal and Spatial Constraints on Multi-Phase Crustal Rotation in the Forearc of Northern Chile TSG 2005 5-7th Jan Plymouth

 

Leigh Truelove, John Grocott, Carlos Arévalo, Graeme Taylor & Mark Gipson Structural setting and emplacement mechanisms of Paleocene arc plutons, Precordillera of Vallenar, northern Chile (28o30’S to 29o30’S) TSG 2005 Jan Plymouth

 

Graeme Taylor, Ben Dashwood and John Grocott The Central Andean Rotation Pattern: Evidence of an anomalous forearc terrane in northern Chile from paleomagnetic rotations. TSG 2005 Jan Plymouth

 

John Grocott, Carlos Arévalo, Alexander Cruden Graeme Taylor & Daniela Welkner TSG 2005 Jan Plymouth Fault-assisted vertical pluton growth: Coastal Cordillera, north Chilean Andes

 

Dashwood, B Taylor, G K .2004. Temporal and Spatial Constraints on Multi-Phase Crustal Rotation in the Forearc of Northern Chile. AGU fall Meeting, Dec 2005 GP43A-0844

 

Taylor, G K, Vizan, H & Somoza, R 2004. Paleomagnetically Testing the Integrity of South America AGU San Francisco, Dec, U33A-0028

 

H. Vizán, R. Somoza, and G. Taylor. Paleomagnetism from Upper Triassic-Lower Jurassic rocks in the Deseado Massif: new insights on the behavior of patagonia during the breakup of Gondwana. GEOSUR, Buenos Aires 22-23 November 2004

 

Dashwood, B; Gipson, M; Taylor, 2004. G. The accumulation of clockwise crustal rotations in northern Chile, 27-30°. EGU 1st General Assembly, Nice 2004 S EGU04-A-04883

 

Leigh Truelove, John Grocott , Carlos Arévalo & Graeme Taylor 2004. Structural setting and emplacement mechanisms of Palaeocene arc plutons, Main Cordillera, Vallenar, northern Chile (29°S) TSG. 2004

 

Truelove, L. Grocott1, J., Arevalo, C., Gipson, M. & Taylor, G.K. (2003). Emplacement and structural setting of Paleocene plutonic complexes in the Main Cordillera of the Andes, Vallenar region, northern Chile (29°S). 10th Congreso Geologico Chileno 2003