Dr. Phil J. A. McCausland

Meteoritics, Tectonics, Paleomagnetism

Phil McCausland

Post-Doctoral Fellow
Dr. P. Brown, Dr. G. Osinski
Office: PAB 235A
Phone: 519-661-2111 x.87985
Fax: 519-661-3198
Email: pmccausl@uwo.ca

Curriculum Vitae


Research Interests

- Physical properties, paleomagnetism and mineralogy of planetary materials as it relates to the geological evolution of the Earth, terrestrial planets and small bodies of the Solar System.
- Physical properties and mineralogy of meteorites: mainly non-destructive investigation of meteorite density, porosity, magnetic properties, mineralogy and shock effects by various techniques including micro-XRD, laser imaging and X-Ray Micro CT imaging.
- Paleogeography of the Precambrian Earth: determining the Earth’s Precambrian-Paleozoic paleogeography via paleomagnetic and other techniques, as a context for understanding extreme climates, burgeoning life, and as a tracer of global geodynamics.
- Tectonics of accretionary orogens and mountain belts: paleomagnetic tracking of the collision, obduction and lateral motion of crustal fragments, to investigate the mechanisms of their assembly into mountain belts (Canadian Cordillera, Central Asia, Appalachians).
- Currently leading the investigation of the Grimsby meteorite fall, Sept 25, 2009.

Selected Publications

McCausland, P.J.A., Samson, C. and McLeod, T. 2011. Meteorite Small Fragment Bulk Density via Visible Light 3D Laser Imaging, Meteoritics and Planetary Science v. 46, pp 1097-1109, doi: 10.1111/j.1945-5100.2011.01217.x

Izawa, M.R.M., Flemming, R.L., Banerjee, N.R. McCausland, P.J.A. 2011. Micro X-ray diffraction (μXRD) assessment of shock stage in enstatite chondrites, Meteoritics and Planetary Science, v. 46, pp 638-651, doi: 10.1111/j.1945-5100.2011.01180.x

McCausland, P.J.A., Hankard, F., Van der Voo, R. and Hall, C.M. 2011. Ediacaran paleogeography of Laurentia: Paleomagnetism and 40Ar-39Ar geochronology of the 583 Ma Baie des Moutons syenite, Quebec. Precambrian Research, v. 187, pp 58-78, doi: 10.1016/j.precamres. 2011.02.004.

Brown, P.G., McCausland, P.J.A., Fries, M., Silber, E., Edwards, W.N., Wong, D.K., Wiegert, P., Weryk, R.J., Fries, J. and Krzeminski, Z. 2011. The Fall of the Grimsby Meteorite - I: Fireball dynamics and orbit from radar, video and infrasound records. Meteoritics and Planetary Science v. 46, pp 339-363, doi: 10.1111/j.1945-5100.2010.01167.

Izawa, M.R.M., Flemming, R.L., McCausland, P.J.A., Southam, G., Moser, D.E. and Barker, I.R. 2010. Multi-technique investigation reveals new mineral, chemical and textural heterogeneity in the Tagish Lake C2 chondrite. Planetary and Space Science, v. 58, pp 1347-1364.

van Drongelen, K., Tait, K., Clark, G. and McCausland, P.J.A. 2010. Petrographic and geochemical analysis of the Shelburne meteorite, an L5 ordinary chondrite fall. Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, v. 104, pp 132-141.

McCausland, P.J.A. and Plotkin, H. 2009. The 1904 Shelburne (Ontario) L5 chondrite fall, revisited. Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, v. 103, pp 181-188.
Beech, M., Coulson, I.M., Nie, W. and McCausland, P.J.A. 2009 The thermal and physical characteristics of the Gao Guenie (H5) Meteorite, Planetary & Space Science v. 57, pp 764-770.
Murphy, J.B., McCausland, P.J.A., O’Brien, S.J., Pisarevsky, S. and Hamilton, M.A. 2008. Age, geochemistry and Sm-Nd isotopic signature of the 0.76 Ga Burin Group: Compositional equivalent of Avalonian basement? Precambrian Research, v. 165, pp 37-48.
McCausland, P.J.A., Van der Voo, R., and Hall, C.M. 2007. Circum-Iapetus paleogeography of the Precambrian-Cambrian transition with a new paleomagnetic constraint from Laurentia. Precambrian Research, v. 156, pp 125-152.
Edwards, W.N., Eaton, D.W., McCausland, P.J.A., ReVelle, D.O. and Brown, P.G. 2007. Calibrating infrasonic to seismic coupling using the Stardust Sample Return Capsule shockwave: Implications for seismic observations of meteors. Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 112, doi:10.1029/2006JB004621.
Hildebrand, A.R., McCausland, P.J.A., Brown, P.A., Longstaffe, F.J., Russell, S.D.J., Tagliaferri, E., Wacker, J.F., and Mazur, M.J. 2006. The fall and recovery of the Tagish Lake meteorite. Meteoritics and Planetary Science, v. 41, pp 407-431.
McCausland, P.J.A., Symons, D.T.A., Hart, C.J.R., and Blackburn, W.H. 2006. Assembly of the northern Cordillera: New paleomagnetic evidence for coherent, moderate Jurassic to Eocene motion of the Intermontane Belt and Yukon-Tanana terranes. In Geological Association of Canada Special Paper 46: Paleogeography of the North American Cordillera: Evidence For and Against Large-Scale Displacements, pp 145-168.
Symons, D.T.A., and McCausland, P.J.A. 2006. Paleomagnetism of the Fort Knox stock, Alaska, and rotation of the Yukon-Tanana terrane after 92.5 Ma. Tectonophysics. v. 419, pp 13-26.
McCausland, P.J.A., Murphy, J.B., and MacNiocaill, C. 2006. Preface: Endings and beginnings: Paleogeography of the Precambrian-Cambrian transition. Precambrian Research, v. 147, pp 187-192; doi:10.1016/j.precamres.2006.01.014.
McCausland, P.J.A., Brown, P.G., and Wilson, G.C. 2006. The Dresden (Ontario) H6 chondrite, Part II: Classification, estimated fireball trajectory, and possible origin. Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, v. 100, pp 104-113.
McCausland, P.J.A., Symons, D.T.A., and Hart, C.J.R. 2005. Rethinking “Yellowstone in Yukon” and Baja British Columbia: Paleomagnetism of the Late Cretaceous Swede Dome stock, northern Canadian Cordillera. Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 110, B12107, doi:10.1029/2005JB003742.
Cawood, P.A., McCausland, P.J.A., and Dunning, G.R. 2001.Opening Iapetus: Constraints from the Laurentian margin in Newfoundland. Geological Soc. America Bulletin, v. 113 , pp 443-453.
McCausland, P.J.A., and Hodych, J.P. 1998. Paleomagnetism of the 550 Ma Skinner Cove volcanics of western Newfoundland and the opening of the Iapetus Ocean. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, v. 163, pp 15-29.

 

Professional Affiliations

President, Geophysics Division of the Geological Association of Canada
Secretary, Solid Earth Section of the Canadian Geophysical Union
Fellow, Royal Astronomical Society
Member: AGU, GAC, GSA, CGU, Meteoritical Society, RASC

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