PhD Studentship:
Chronostratigraphic evolution of volcanosedimentary rocks on a regional scale

The aim of this project is to understand how and when volcanic sequences became buried in a portion of the Andes and how this has influenced the extent of supergene activity. The chronostratigraphic evolution of the volcanic rocks and their cover sequences will be achieved through detailed analysis of a set of samples of the cover lithologies. Cores will be logged to identify sedimentary and volcanic facies and their temporal evolution. Core logging will be supplemented by study of polished thin sections for their petrography, mineral chemistry, grain size and sorting, and whole-rock chemical analyses.

A variety of geochronological techniques will be used to tie down the timing of key eruptive and sedimentary events and the provenance of detrital grains. Ar-Ar dating will provide the principal tool for the volcanic sequences. Exposure ages (and hence burial ages) will be constrained, where possible, using cosmogenic nuclides, (U-Th)/He dating of volcanic zircon and apatite, and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating of detrital quartz and feldspar. It is anticipated that, in combination, these approaches will yield unprecedented images of the evolving volcanic landscape relevant to exploration for new porphyry copper deposits.

For further details and application , please contact Professor Steve Sparks (steve.sparks@bristol.ac.uk), Professor Jon Blundy (jon.blundy@bristol.ac.uk), or Dr Alison Rust (alison.rust@bristol.ac.uk)

The closing date for applications is 15 May 2012.