Staff and Postgraduate Students
Prof Roger Searle, BA (Cantab)1966 (MA 1970), PhD (Newcastle-upon-Tyne)1969
Contact (email at r.c.searle@durham.ac.uk)
Biography
1966: BA, University of Cambridge (Natural Sciences Tripos, Part II Physics); MA, 1970
1969: Ph.D., University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne (Geophysics)
1970: Assistant Professor, Haile Sellassie I University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
1973: Senior Scientific Officer, Institute of Oceanographic Sciences
1978: Principal Scientific Officer, Institute of Oceanographic Sciences
1989: Senior Principal Scientific Officer (Grade 6 Individual Merit), Institute of Oceanographic Sciences
1989-present: Professor of Geophysics, University of Durham
Career Research Highlights
Roger Searle has an international reputation in the use of imaging sonars and other geophysical methods to understand tectonic and magmatic processes on the ocean floor, particularly at mid-ocean ridge spreading centres. His early work included the definition of plate boundaries to sub-kilometre resolution and determining the evolution of propagating rifts and oceanic microplates. Recently he has worked on the effects of mantle hot spots on plate accretion processes and the detailed tectonic patterns and axial volcanic systems of spreading centres, and found some of the first evidence for highly asymmetric short-term plate accretion. Roger has published over 100 peer-reviewed articles and is a regular contributor to international conferences. He has obtained research funding in excess of £600,000 in addition to ship time for two major expeditions since 2001.
Committee and Society Service
International:
1) 2003-2006: Integrated Ocean Drilling Program Site Survey Panel (Chairman, 2005-2006).
National:
1) 2003-present: UKIODP Steering Committee (NERC thematic programme).
2) 2003-2005: NERC Peer Review College.
Conferences and workshops
1) 2003: Session TS5.07 “High resolution imaging and sampling studies of young ocean floor”, EGS/AGU/EUG Assembly.
2) 2005: Special Session GD06/TS13, “Mid-Ocean Ridges: Structure, Dynamics and Geochemistry”, EUG General Assembly.
Editorial Roles
2001-present: Editorial Board, Marine Geophysical Researches.
External Appointments
1) July - December 2003: Senior visiting scientist, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Massachusetts.
2) November 2004 - January 2005: Invited member, Shipboard scientific party, IODP expedition 304-5.
3) Feb 2005 – Jan 2009: Elected Adjunct Scientist, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.
Invited Keynotes
1) September 2002: "The Rheology and Morphology of the Oceanic Lithosphere", First InterRidge Theoretical Institute, Pavia, Italy.
2) September 2003: "Morphology of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge near the Iceland Hotspot", InterRidge Symposium and Workshop "Ridge-hotspot interaction", Brest, France.
3) October 2003: "The Early Evolution of Mid-Atlantic Ridge lithosphere", InterRidge Workshop, "Opportunities and Contributions of Asian Countries to the InterRidge Next Decade Initiative", Beijing.
4) 2003-2007: Invited seminars at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory (Columbia U., NY), Scripps Institution of Oceanogrphy (U. California San Diego), Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Massachusetts (x3), U. Rhode Island, U. New Hampshire, U. Edinburgh, National Oceanography Centre, Southampton.
Prizes & Awards
2003: Leverhulme Study Abroad Fellowship.
Research Groups
Research Interests
- 1. Tectonic and volcanic processes at mid-ocean ridges: faulting patterns, quantification of tectonic strain, structure and origin of oceanic core complexes, nature and timing of ridge volcanism, effects of spreading rate, ridge-hotspot interactions
- 2. Plate kinematics and microplates: precise determination of plate boundaries; structure and evolution of propagating rifts; structure and evolution of microplates and triple junctions; mid-plate tectonism and volcanism.
- 3. Marine geophysics (sidescan sonar, topographic analysis, gravity and magnetic methods)
Selected Publications
Books: sections
- Searle, R.C. & Escartin, J. 2004. The Rheology and Morphology of Oceanic Lithosphere and Mid-Ocean Ridges. In Mid-Ocean Ridges: Hydrothermal interactions between the lithosphere and oceans. German, C. R., Lin, J. & Parson, L.M. Washington, DC: American Geophysical Union. 148: 63-93. (Additional information) (View publication online)
Journal papers: academic
- Searle, R.C. & Bralee, A.V. 2007. Asymmetric generation of oceanic crust at the ultra-slow spreading Southwest Indian Ridge, 64ºE. Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems 8(5): Q05015. (Additional information) (View publication online)
- Ildefonse, B., Blackman, D. K., John, B. E., Ohara, Y., Miller, D. J., MacLeod, C. J., Abe, N., Abratis, M., Andal, E. S., Andréani, M., Awaji, S., Beard, J. S., Brunelli, D., Charney, A. B., Christie, D. M., Delacour, A. G., Delius, H., Drouin, M., Einaudi, F., Escartin, J., Frost, B. R., Fryer, P. B., Gee, J. S., Godard, M., Grimes, C. B., Halfpenny, A., Hansen, H-E., Harris, A. C., Tamura, A., Hayman, N. W., Hellebrand, E., Hirose, T, Hirth, J. G., Ishimaru, S., Johnson, K. T. M., Karner, G. D., Linek, M., Maeda, J., Mason, O. U., McCaig, A. M., Michibayashi, K., Morris, A., Nakagawa, T., Nozaka, T., Rosner, M., Searle, R. C., Suhr, G., Tominaga, M., von der Handt, A., Yamasaki, T. & Zhao, X. 2007. Oceanic core complexes and crustal accretion at slow-spreading ridges. Geology 35(7): 623-626. (Additional information)
- Searle, R. C., Francheteau, J. & Armijo, R. 2006. Compressional deformation north of the Easter microplate: a manned submersible and seafloor gravity investigation. Geophysical Journal International 164(2): 359-369. (Additional information) (View publication online)
- Ildefonse, B., Blackman, D. John, B.E., Ohara, Y., Miller, D.J. MacLeod, C.J. & the IODP Expeditions 304-305 Scientists 2006. IODP Expeditions 304 & 305 Characterize the Lithology, Structure, and Alteration of an Oceanic Core Complex. Scientific Drilling (3): 4-11. (Additional information) (View publication online)
- Radhakrishna, M., & Searle, R.C. 2006. Isostatic response of the Alula-Fartak and Owen transforms in the Eastern Gulf of Aden and the adjoining Arabian Sea. Geophysical Journal International 165: 62-72. (Additional information)
- Allen, M.B., Anderson, L. Searle, R.C. & Buslov, M. 2006. Oblique rift geometry of the West Siberian Basin: tectonic setting for the Siberian flood basalts. Journal of the Geological Society, London 163: 901-904.
- Blackman, D.K., Ildefonse, B. John, B.E. Ohara, Y. Miller, D.J. MacLeod, C.J. & Expedition 304/305 Scientists. 2006. Oceanic Core Complex Formation, Atlantis Massif: Expeditions 304 and 305 of the riserless drilling platform from and to Ponta Delgada, Azores (Portugal), Sites U1309–U1311. Proceedings of the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program 304/305. (Additional information) (View publication online)
- Neves, M.C., Bott, M.H.P. & Searle, R.C. 2004. Patterns of stress at midocean ridges and their offsets due to seafloor subsidence. Tectonophysics 386(3-4): 223-242. (Additional information) (View publication online)
- Neves, M.C., Searle, R.C. & Bott, M.H.P. 2003. Easter microplate dynamics. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth 108(B4): 2213. (Additional information) (View publication online)
- Searle, R. C., Cannat, M., Fujioka, K., Mevel, C., Fujimoto, H., Bralee, A. & Parson, L. 2003. FUJI Dome: A large detachment fault near 64°E on the very slow-spreading southwest Indian Ridge. Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems 4(8): 9105. (Additional information) (View publication online)
Related Links
Media Contacts
Available for media contact about:
- General issues: geology and geophysics of the sea floor
- General issues: plate tectonics
- General issues: manned submersibles
- General issues: sonar
- General issues: interior of the earth
- General issues: general geophysics
- Seas & rivers: geology and geophysics of the sea floor
- Regional landscape & environment: regional landscape
- Geological hazards: earthquakes
- Volcanism: I am a marine geophysicist, studying the structure and processes of the Earth under the oceans. I have a general knowledge of earthquakes, faulting, volcanoes, the Earth's magnetic and gravity fields, and plate tectonics.
- Tectonics: I am a marine geophysicist, studying the structure and processes of the Earth under the oceans. I have a general knowledge of earthquakes, faulting, volcanoes, the Earth's magnetic and gravity fields, and plate tectonics.
- Oceanography: I am a marine geophysicist, studying the structure and processes of the Earth under the oceans. I have a general knowledge of earthquakes, faulting, volcanoes, the Earth's magnetic and gravity fields, and plate tectonics.
- Geophysics: I am a marine geophysicist, studying the structure and processes of the Earth under the oceans. I have a general knowledge of earthquakes, faulting, volcanoes, the Earth's magnetic and gravity fields, and plate tectonics.
- Earth Sciences: I am a marine geophysicist, studying the structure and processes of the Earth under the oceans. I have a general knowledge of earthquakes, faulting, volcanoes, the Earth's magnetic and gravity fields, and plate tectonics.
- Earth Sciences: My particular research involves studying the processes that are involved in the generation of new oceanic crust (which covers 60% of the Earth's surface) at mid-ocean ridges.
- Geophysics: My particular research involves studying the processes that are involved in the generation of new oceanic crust (which covers 60% of the Earth's surface) at mid-ocean ridges.
- Oceanography: My particular research involves studying the processes that are involved in the generation of new oceanic crust (which covers 60% of the Earth's surface) at mid-ocean ridges.
- Tectonics: My particular research involves studying the processes that are involved in the generation of new oceanic crust (which covers 60% of the Earth's surface) at mid-ocean ridges.
- Volcanism: My particular research involves studying the processes that are involved in the generation of new oceanic crust (which covers 60% of the Earth's surface) at mid-ocean ridges.