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Dr Dave Selby

Contact Dr Dave Selby (email at david.selby@durham.ac.uk)

Biography

• BSc (Southampton University, UK) 1994
• PhD (University of Alberta, Canada) 1999
• 1999-04 Post-doctoral fellow, University of Alberta, Canada
• 2004-05 Research Associate, University of Alberta, Canada
• 2005-08 Lecturer, Department of Earth Sciences, Durham University.
• 2008 TOTAL Lecturer in Petroleum Geosciences, Department of Earth Sciences, Durham University.
• 2009 TOTAL Senior Lecturer in Petroleum Geosciences, Department of Earth Sciences, Durham University.
• 2010 TOTAL Reader in Petroleum Geosciences, Department of Earth Sciences, Durham University.

Selby has been involved in the development and application of the Re-Os isotope system since 1999. His work initially focused on the systematic development of the Re-Os molybdenite chronometer, research that now allows routine age determinations for molybdenite, which is critical for evaluating the age and genesis of metallic ore deposits worldwide and the timing of fluid flow in terranes. In addition to molybdenite he has shown that Re-Os geochronology using pyrite, bornite, arsenopyrite and chalcopyrite can yield valuable age information for ore systems. Further, Selby has been a pioneer in developing the Re-Os chronometer to obtain depositional ages for sedimentary rocks and the timing of petroleum generation in sedimentary basins. He has coupled this work with PGEs geochemistry to aid in the fingerprinting of an oil to its source.

Current interests include further development of the Re-Os chronometer to sedimentary and petroleum systems, time scale calibration and resolving controversy of the causes of mass extinctions. Additional interests surround Re-Os systematics of sulphide minerals, and the development and application of Ni stable isotopes to petroleum and sedimentary systems.
His research is conducted in the TOTAL Laboratory for Source Rock Geochronology and Geochemistry, which forms an integral part of the Northern Centre for Isotopic and Elemental Tracing facility.
For excellence in contributions to applied and economic aspects of the science Selby has been awarded the William Smith Fund (2009) from The Geological Society of London.

Committee and Society Service

• Associate Editor for Society of Economic Geologists
• Associate Editor for the Journal of Geology and Exploration
• Peer Review - Reviewer for CJES, Econ. Geol., Min. Dep., Min Pet., Geology, Ore Geology Reviews
• Member of the working group of Earthtime Europe

Conferences and workshops

• 2006: International Highly Siderophile Elements conference: High temperature and low temperature processes, environment and health issues, University of Durham
• 2009:Goldschmidt (June 21-26 2009), Davos, Switzerland. Session: Role of Metals in Understanding the Origins of Petroleum
• 2009:<span >AGU San Francisco 2009, Empirical and Modeling Reconstructions of the Tempo, Mode, and Origin of Paleocirculation and Climate Change During the Holocene and Prior Periods

Current Research Opportunites

If you are interested in any of my research interests noted below, please feel free to contact me. Current available projects are noted below and on the post graduate pages for the Department of Earth Sciences.

• Rhenium - Osmium Geochemistry of organic matter: Implications for Re-Os Petroleum Source Rock Geochronology (currently available)

Prizes & Awards

• 2009: William Smith Fund from the Geological Society of London. Awarded for excellence in contributions to applied and economic aspects of the science.
• 2003: Best Paper - Honourable Mention from the Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists

Research Interests

• Application of isotope geology to metallic and petroleum ore genesis
• Application of rhenium-osmium isotope to time-scale calibration/mass extinction/petroleum systems
• Rhenium-osmium isotope studies of organic-bearing sedimentary rocks/sulphide minerals/organic matter
• Developing the laboratory techniques for the extraction of rhenium and osmium from geological samples
• Developmental work for the application of Nickel isotopes to Earth Science

Supervises

Post Doctoral Fellows (current)

• Dr Eddie Dempsey -
 Re-Os geochronology of bitumen-pyrite fracture hosted systems (CLAIR Consortium)

Ph.D. Students (current)

• Vivien Cumming (2009-2012) - PhD - (CeREES + Lundin Petroleum) - Understanding Re-Os fractionation during petroleum generation: implications for Re-Os oil geochronology and development of an oil-source correlation tool
• Alice Du Vivier - (2010-2013) - PhD - (BP) - Mechanisms driving global seawater anoxia: Climate or magmatism? Implications for petroleum source rock deposition
• Edward Lynch – PhD (2007-2010; Co-supervise with Dr Feely, NUI). The role and timing of fluids during orogenesis
• Ms Verónica Carmona – PhD (2008-2012; co-supervised with Prof. Jean Pasquali Universidad Central de Venezuela). Origin, distribution and geochronology of oils of the Orinoco Oil Belt

Teaching Areas

• Earth Principles (1091)
• Environment and Resources (1111)
• Field Studies 1 and II (2191)
• Earth Science Field Seminar (4081)
• Frontiers in Earth Science (4061)
• Outreach - Science & Engineering Ambassador (SEA) Scheme Nuffield Science Bursaries

Research Groups

Department of Earth Sciences

• Geochemistry Group
• Palaeoclimate Research Group
• Petrology Group

Selected Publications

Journal papers: academic

• Tang, K, Li, J, Selby, D, Bi, S & Deng, X (2013). Geology, mineralization, and geochronology of the Qianhe gold deposit, southern North China Craton. Mineralium Deposita
• Holwell, D.A, Selby, D, Boyce, A.J, Gilbertson, J.A & Abraham-James, T (2012). An Re-Os date for molybdenite-bearing quartz vein mineralization within the Kangerlussuaq alkaline complex, East Greenland: Implications for the timing of regional metallogenesis. Economic Geology 107: 713-722.
• Rooney, A. D, Selby, D, Lewan, M. D, Lillis, P. G & Houzay, J-P (2012). Evaluating Re-Os systematics in organic-rich sedimentary rocks in response to petroleum generation using hydrous pyrolysis experiments. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 77: 275.
• Li, Jian-Wei, Bi, Shi-Jian, Selby, David, Chen, Lei, Vasconcelos, Paulo, Thiede, David, Zhou, Mei-Fu, Zhao, Xin-Fu, Li, Zhan-Ke & Qiu, Hua-Ning (2012). Giant Mesozoic gold provinces related to the destruction of the North China Craton. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 349-350: 26-37.
• Finlay, A. J., Selby, D & Osborne, M. J (2012). Petroleum source rock identification of United Kingdom Atlantic Margin oil fields and the Western Canadian Oil Sands using Platinum, Palladium, Osmium and Rhenium: Implications for global petroleum systems. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 313-314: 95-104.
• Cumming, V.M, Selby, D & Lillis, P.G (2012). Re–Os geochronology of the lacustrine Green River Formation: Insights into direct depositional dating of lacustrine successions, Re–Os systematics and paleocontinental weathering. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 359-360: 194-205.
• Lawley, C.J.M & Selby, D (2012). Re-Os Geochronology of Quartz Enclosed Ultra-fine Molybdenite: Implications for Ore Geochronology. Economic Geology 107(7): 1499-1506.
• Li, Jian-Wei, Li, Zhan-Ke, Zhou, Mei-Fu, Chen, Lei, Bi, Shi-Jian, Deng, Xiao-Dong, Qiu, Hua-Ning, Cohen, B, Selby, D & Zhao, Xin-Fu (2012). The Early Cretaceous Yangzhaiyu Lode Gold Deposit, North China Craton: A link between carton reactivation and gold veining. Economic Geology 107: 43-79.
• Finlay, A.J., McComish, J.M. Ottley, C.J., Bates, C.R. & Selby, D. (2012). Trace element fingerprinting of ceramic building material from Carpow and York Roman fortresses manufactured by the VI Legion. Journal of Archaeological Science
• Finlay, A. J., Selby, D & Osborne, M. J (2011). Re-Os geochronology and fingerprinting of United Kingdom Atlantic margin oil: Temporal implications for regional petroleum systems. Geology 39(5): 475-478.
• Rooney, A. D., Chew, D. M. & Selby, D. (2011). Re-Os geochronology of the Neoproterozoic-Cambrian Dalradian Supergroup of Scotland and Ireland: Implications for Neoproterozoic stratigraphy, glaciations and Re-Os systematics. Precambrian Research 185: 202-214.
• Kerr, A & Selby, D (2011). The timing of epigenetic gold mineralization on the Baie Verte Peninsula, Newfoundland, Canada: new evidence from Re-Os pyrite geochronology. Mineralium Deposita
• Finlay, A. J., , Selby, D.,, Osborne, M. & Finucane, D. (2010). Fault-charged mantle-fluid contamination of United Kingdom North Sea oils: Insights from Re-Os isotopes. Geology 38(11): 979-982.
• Feely, M., Selby, D., , Conliffe, J., & Hunt, J. (2010). Long-lived granite-related molybdenite mineralisation at Connemara, western Irish Caledonides. Geological Magazine
• Rooney, A.D., , Selby, D., , Houzay, J-P., & Renne, P.R (2010). Re-Os geochronology of Mesoproterozoic sediments from the Taoudeni basin, Mauritania: Implications for basin-wide correlations, supercontinent reconstruction and Re-Os systematics of organic-rich sediments. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 289: 486-496.
• Conliffe, J. Selby, D., Porter, S.J. & Feely, M. (2010). Re-Os molybdenite dates from the Ballachulish and Kilmelford Igneous Complexes (Scottish Highlands): Age constraints for late-Caledonian magmatism. Journal of the Geological Society, London 167: 297-302.
• Porter, S.J., & Selby, D. (2010). Rhenium-Osmium (Re-Os) molybdenite systematics and geochronology of the Cruchan Granite skarn mineralization, Etive Complex: implications for emplacement chronology. Scottish Journal of Geology 46: 17-21.
• Finlay, A. J. , Selby, D. & Grocke, D. R. (2010). Tracking the Hirnantian glaciation using Os isotopes. Earth Planetary Science and Letters 293: 339-348.
• Kendall, B. S., Creaser, R. A. & Selby, D. (2009). 187Re-187Os geochronology of Precambrian organic-rich sedimentary rocks. Geological Society, London, Special Publications 326: 85-107.
• Selby, D., , Kelley, K.D., Hitzman, M.W., & Zieg, J. (2009). Re-Os sulfide (bornite, chalcopyrite and pyrite) systematics of the carbonate-hosted copper deposits at Ruby Creek, southern Brooks Range, Alaska. Economic Geology 104: 437-444.
• Selby, D., , Mutterlose, J., & Condon, D.J. (2009). U-Pb and Re-Os Geochronology of the Aptian/Albian and Cenomanian/Turonian stage boundaries: Implications for timescale calibration, osmium isotope seawater composition and Re-Os systematics in organic-rich sediments. Chemical Geology 265: 394-409.
• Selby, D. (2009). U-Pb zircon geochronology of the Aptian/Albian boundary implies that the GL-O international glauconite standard is anomalously young. Cretaceous Research 30: 1263-1267.
• Morelli, R.M., Creaser, R.A., Seltmann, R. Stuart, F.M., Selby, D. & Graupner, T. (2007). Age of and source constraints for the Giant Murantau gold deposit, Uzbekistan, from coupled Re-Os-He isotopes in arsenopyrite. Geology 35: 795-798.
• Selby, D., Creaser, R.A., Stein, H. J., Markey, R. J. & Hannah, J. L. (2007). Assessment of the 187Re decay constant by cross calibration of Re–Os molybdenite and U–Pb zircon chronometers in magmatic ore systems. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 71(8): 1999-2013.
• Selby, D. (2007). Direct rhenium-osmium age of the oxfordian-kimmidgian boundary, Staffin Bay, Isle of Skye, UK and the Late Jurassic geologic timescale. Norwegian Journal of Geology 87: 291-299.
• Selby, D., Creaser, R. A. & Fowler, M. G. (2007). Re-Os elemental and isotopic systematics in crude oils. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 71: 378-386.
• Feely, M., Selby, D., Conliffe, J. & Judge, M., (2007). The role and temporal evolution of granite–related molybdenite mineral systems along the Caledonian-Appalachian orogen: Implications from Re-Os geochronology and fluid inclusion microthermometry. Applied Earth Science (IMM Transactions section B) 116: 143-149.
• Kendall, B., Creaser, R. A. & Selby, D. (2006). Re-Os geochronology of the post-glacial black shales in Australia: Constraints on the timing of “Sturtian” glaciation. Geology 34: 729-732.
• Selby, D & Creaser, R.A (2005). Direct radiometric dating of hydrocarbon deposits using Rhenium-Osmium isotopes. Science 308(5726): 1293-1295.
• Selby, D & Creaser, R.A (2005). Direct radiometric dating of the Devonian-Mississippian time-scale boundary using the Re-Os black shale geochronometer. Geology 33(7): 545-548.
• Selby, D, Creaser, R.A, Dewing, K & Fowler, M (2005). Evaluation of bitumen as a 187Re-187Os geochronometer for hydrocarbon maturation and migration: A case study from the Polaris MVT deposit, Canada. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 235(1-2): 1-15.
• Selby, D, Creaser, R.A & Feely, M (2004). Accurate and precise Re-Os molybdenite dates from the Galway Granite, Ireland. A Critical Comment to: 'Disturbance of the Re-Os chronometer of molybdenites from the late-Caledonian Galway Granite, Ireland, by hydrothermal fluid circulation.'. Geochemical Journal 35: 29-35.
• Kendall, B.S, Creaser, R.A, Ross, G.M & Selby, D (2004). Constraints on the timing of Marinoan 'Snowball Earth' glaciation by 187Re-187Os dating of a Neoproterozoic, post-glacial black shale in Western Canada. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 222: 729-740.
• Selby, D & Creaser, R.A (2004). Macroscale NTIMS and microscale LA-MC-ICP-MS Re-Os isotopic analysis of molybdenite: Testing spatial restrictions for reliable Re-Os age determinations, and implications for the decoupling of Re and Os within molybdenite. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 68: 3897-3908.
• Morelli, R.M, Creaser, R.A & Selby, D (2004). Re-Os sulfide geochronology from the Red Dog sedimentary-hosted Zn-Pb-Ag deposit, Alaska. Economic Geology 99: 1569-1576.
• Selby, D, Creaser, R.A, Heaman, L.M & Hart, C.J.R (2003). Re-Os and U-Pb geochronology of the Clear Creek, Dublin Gulch and Mactung deposits, Tombstone Gold Belt, Canada: Absolute timing relationships between plutonism and mineralization. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences 40: 1839-1852.
• Selby, D & Creaser, R.A (2003). Re-Os geochronology of organic rich sediments: An evaluation of organic matter analysis methods. Chemical Geology 200: 225-240.
• Selby, D, Creaser, R.A, Hart, C.J.R, Rombach, C.S, Thompson, J.F.H, Smith, M.T, Bakke, A & Goldfarb, R.J (2002). Absolute timing of sulfide and gold mineralization: A comparison of Re-Os molybdenite and Ar-Ar mica methods from the Tintina Gold Belt, Alaska. Geology 30(9): 791-794.
• Creaser, R.A, Sannigrahi, P, Chacko, T & Selby, D (2002). Further evaluation of the Re-Os geochronometer in organic-rich sedimentary rocks: A test of hydrocarbon maturation effects in the Exshaw Formation, Western Canada Sedimentary Basin. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 66: 3441-3452.
• Selby, D, Nesbitt, B. E, Creaser, R. A, Reynolds, P. H & Muehlenbachs, K (2001). Constraints for a Non-Magmatic Component in Potassic Hydrothermal Fluids of Porphyry Cu-Au-Mo Systems, Yukon, Canada. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 65: 571-587.
• Selby, D & Creaser, R. A (2001). Late and Mid Cretaceous mineralization in the Northern Canadian Cordillera: Constraints from Re-Os molybdenite dates. Economic Geology 96: 1461-1467.
• Selby, D & Creaser, R. A., (2001). Re-Os Geochronology and Systematics in Molybdenite from the Endako Porphyry Molybdenum Deposit, British Columbia, Canada. Economic Geology 96: 197-204.
• Selby, D & Nesbitt, B. E., (2000). Biotite Chemistry of the Casino Porphyry Cu-Au-Mo Mineralization, Yukon, Canada: Evaluation of Magmatic and Hydrothermal Fluid Chemistry. Chemical Geology 171: 77-93.
• Selby, D, Nesbitt, B. E, Muehlenbachs, K & Prochaska, W (2000). Hydrothermal Alteration and Fluid Chemistry the Endako Porphyry Molybdenum System, British Columbia. Economic Geology 95: 183-202.
• Selby, D., Creaser, R.A. & Nesbitt, B.E. (1999). Geochemical and Sr-Nd-Pb Systematics of Crystalline Rocks from the Dawson Range, Yukon, Canada. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences 36: 1463-1481.

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