| Biographical
sketch
Gillian
R. Foulger
Professor
Department of Earth Sciences
Durham University
Science Laboratories
South Rd.
Durham DH1 3LE
tel: +44-(0)-191-334-2314 / +44-(0)191-386-4533
fax: +44-(0)-191-334-2301
g.r.foulger@durham.ac.uk
http://www.dur.ac.uk/g.r.foulger
| Education |
| |
| 1974 |
B.A. |
Natural
Sciences, University of Cambridge |
| 1976 |
M.Sc. |
Geophysics,
University of Durham |
| 1978 |
M.A. |
University
of Cambridge |
| 1985 |
Ph.D. |
Geophysics,
University of Durham |
| Professional
experience |
| |
| 2004
– present |
Professor,
Durham University |
| 2000
– 2001 |
Faculty
appointee GS15, U.S. Geological Survey |
| 1997
– 2004 |
Reader,
University of Durham |
| 1992
– 1993 |
Geophysicist,
U.S. Geological Survey |
| 1985
– 1997 |
Lecturer,
University of Durham |
| 1985 |
Post-doctoral
research assistant, University of Durham |
| 1977
– 1984 |
Research
Scientist, Geophysics Division, University of Iceland |
Society
memberships
Fellow,
Icelandic National Academy of Sciences
Fellow, Royal Astronomical Society
American Geophysical Union
Society of Exploration Geophysicists
International Association of Geodesy
Honours
and awards
Price
Medal, Royal Astronomical Society, 2005
Fellowship, Icelandic National Academy of Sciences, 2005
Professorial Fellow, St. Chad’s College, Durham, 2004
Sir James Knott Research Fellow, 2001
Nuffield Foundation Fellow, 1993
Major
current projects
1.
Hot spots and mantle plumes
I
play a major role in co-ordinating the current global debate
on whether deep mantle thermal plumes exist and give rise
to “hot spot” volcanism. This has been described
as the most important controversy in Earth Science today.
A critical element of the subject is development of alternative
models, to which over 200 scientists worldwide have contributed
via the website www.MantlePlumes.org,
the primary forum for the debate and the exchange of ideas.
-
Foulger, G.R., J.H. Natland, D.C. Presnall and D.L. Anderson
(Eds.), Plates,
Plumes, and Paradigms, Geol. Soc. Am. Special
Volume 388, pp. 881+xi, 2005.
-
2.
The Coso producing geothermal area, California
The
Coso geothermal area is utilized to generate ~250 Mw of
electricity. Intense microearthquake activity is induced
by the steam extraction and hydraulic stimulation fluid
injection operations to enhance reservoir permeability.
In collaboration with the U.S. Geological Survey, the
U.S. Navy, the University of Utah and the Department of
Energy I am applying 4D seismic tomography and focal mechanism
analysis to the earthquakes to monitor the reservoir and
contribute to optimizing production strategies.
-
Julian,
B.R., G.R. Foulger, K. Richards-Dinger and F. Monastero,
Time-dependent seismic tomography of the Coso geothermal
area, 1996-2004, Proceedings, Thirty-First Workshop
on Geothermal Reservoir Engineering, Stanford University,
Stanford, California, January 30-February 1, 2006.
-
Foulger,
G.R., B.R. Julian, D.P. Hill, A.M. Pitt, P. Malin and
E. Shalev, Non-double-couple
microearthquakes at Long Valley Caldera provide evidence
for hydraulic fracturing, J. Volc. Geotherm.
Res., 132, 45-71, 2004.
3.
The Iceland Hotspot Project
In
1996 I led a multinational, NERC-, NSF- and EC-funded
consortium that deployed in Iceland the largest regional
broadband seismometer network ever installed in the world
at the time. Several hundred Gbytes of seismic data were
collected and have enabled major discoveries. These include
the shallow nature of the "hot spot"-related
low-velocity mantle anomaly beneath Iceland, a submerged
oceanic microplate there, and the pattern of flow in the
mantle.
Publications
and public speaking
I
have authored 100 published papers and 150 abstracts in
conference proceedings. Since 2002 I have delivered over
30 invited lectures in the U.K., the U.S.A., Finland, Mexico
and Italy.
A
webcam of a recent research lecture may be accessed at:
"The
Plume's Progress: Current Status of the Plume Controversy",
lecture delivered to the US Geological Survey, Menlo Park,
California, USA, Tuesday March 2nd, 2004. Click here
for lecture flyer.
Selected
professional service
-
Steering
Committee for the Large Igneous Provinces Commission of
the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry
of the Earth's Interior (IAVCEI) 2004 - 2009.
-
Convener
and chair, special session “Plumes
or not?”, American Geophysical Union Fall
Meeting, San Francisco, December 2004.
-
Scientific
committee member, SAL2005 Workshop on Ocean Island Volcanism,
Cape Verde Republic, 1-9 April 2005.
-
Committee
member, NERC Geophysical Equipment Pool
-
Member,
NASA Earth Observation System (EOS) Evaluation Panel
-
Durham
University representative, Universities Navstar Consortium
(UNAVCO)
-
Durham
University interview panels in Earth Science, Physics,
Mathematics, Engineering and Archaeology
-
Member,
St. Mary’s & St. Chad’s Colleges governing
bodies
-
Consultant,
Supervolcano, BBC TV
-
Speaker,
Science Today, BBC radio
-
Appearance,
How do they do that?, BBC1 TV
-
Appearance,
The Earth’s Core, National Geographic film
-
Consultant
for numerous newspaper articles
-
Volcano
consultant, Volcanoes, an Usborne Beginners book
- Department
representative, North
East Geological Society
last
update 22nd January, 2009 |
