Dr. Alina Shchepetkina

Environmental Sedimentology, Ichnology, Petrography, and Climate Change

Assistant Professor
Ph.D. University of Alberta, 2016
Office: BGS 1078
Lab: BGS 1077
Lab Phone: (519) 661-2111 x.84432
Fax: (519) 661-3198
Email: ashchep@uwo.ca 

Research Interests

Dr. Alina Shchepetkina’s scientific interests are diverse and cover various areas of sedimentary and
environmental geology. Her research utilizes field and laboratory methods, including experimental,
encompassing both modern and ancient sedimentary environments (e.g., marginal-marine, coastal, shallow- and deep-marine). Her work aims at refining facies models (analogs) for the rock record and reconstructing
paleoenvironments of deposition using a variety of proxies: detailed sedimentological and ichnological
observations, optical microscopy, CT and X-ray core scans, SEM, XRD, XRF, SWIR hyperspectral
imagery, diatom analysis, and aquarium experiments. In modern studies, the additional focus is on refining
animal-sediment relationships and environmental stresses that affect the benthic community and resulting
trace fossils.
Recent projects have involved establishing sedimentological and ichnological trends across the fluvio-tidal
transition zone in modern estuaries; silt- and bioclastic-induced flocculation; formation of mud floccule
ripples; reconstruction of paleoenvironments of deposition in the Jurassic–Cretaceous sedimentary rocks of
Russia, Canada, and Argentina; Falkland island offshore reservoir characterization using optical
microscopy; and reconstruction of sea-level changes and climate in northern Portugal.

Selected Publications

For the full list of publications, see Google Scholar or Research Gate

  • Sigstad, S., Konhauser, K.O., Herrle, J.O., Myers, P., Shchepetkina, A., and Gingras, M., 2025. Ichnological Analysis of the Paleocene Eocene Thermal Maximum. Submitted to Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, July 2025.
  • Shchepetkina, A., Drago, T., Santos, J., Alberto, A., Fatela, F. and Freitas, M.D.C., 2025. Neoichnology and sediment distribution in tidal flats of the mud‐dominated mesotidal Mira River estuary (Portugal). Sedimentology.
  • Jin, X., Ma, X., Dinarès‐Turell, J., Jiang, X., Ma, W., Du, J., Liu, F., Liu, C. and the South Atlantic Transect IODP Expedition 390 & 393 Scientists, 2025. The Late Miocene Ocean Carbon Cycle Changes: New Evidence from the South Atlantic IODP Expeditions. Paleoceanography and Paleoclimatology, 40, e2024PA005028.
  • Shchepetkina, A., 2025. Comment on “Crab traces on muddy tidal flats of the Mira River estuary, Portugal”. PALAIOS, v. 40, 101–102. 
    Shchepetkina, A., 2025. Crab traces on muddy tidal flats of the Mira River estuary, Portugal. PALAIOS, v. 40 (1), p. 19-34.
  • Fustic, M., Plink-Bjorklund, P., Shchepetkina, A., Umralin, A., and Strobl, R., 2025. Atypical strata in a typical point bar of the McMurray Formation—a function of floods, tides and high sediment concentrations, or salt dissolution tectonics? REPLY TO DISCUSSION of Paul Broughton. Sedimentology.
  • Shchepetkina, A., Moal-Darrigade, P., Pekar, S., Williams, T., and the South Atlantic Transect IODP Expedition 390 & 393 Scientists, 2024. Estimating CaCO3 content based on natural gamma ray (NGR) in deep-ocean sediment cores. Stratigraphy.
  • Fustic, M., Plink-Bjorklund, P., Shchepetkina, A., and Strobl, R., 2023. A typical point bar with atypical strata in the McMurray Formation, Alberta, Canada: Floods, tides, and high suspended sediment concentrations. Sedimentology.
  • Shchepetkina, A., Drago, T., Santos, J., and Alberto, A., 2023. Effects of X-ray computer tomography (CT) on the ichnologic interpretation of the Mira River estuary sediment core, SW Portugal. Ichnos, p. 1–14.
  • Chen, Q., Shchepetkina, A., Melnyk, S. and Gingras, M.K., 2022. Integrating facies analysis with dipmeter data to characterize point bars of the Lower Cretaceous McMurray Formation, Christina River, AB, Canada. Marine and Petroleum Geology, v. 136, 105449.
  • Shchepetkina, A., Ponce, J.J., Carmona, N.B., Mángano, M.G., Buatois, L.A., Ribas, S., and Villar Benvenuto, M.C., 2020. Sedimentological and ichnological analyses of the continental to marginal-marine Centenario Formation (Cretaceous), Neuquén Basin, Argentina: Reservoir implications. Marine and Petroleum Geology, v. 119, 104471.
  • Shchepetkina, A., Gingras M.K., Mángano, M.G., and Buatois, L.A., 2019. Fluvio-tidal transition zone:Terminology, sedimentological and ichnological characteristics, and significance. Earth-Science Reviews, v. 192, p. 214-235. 
  • Shchepetkina, A., Gingras, M.K., Zonneveld, J-P., and Pemberton S.G., 2018. Modern observations of floccule ripples: Petitcodiac River estuary, New Brunswick, Canada. Sedimentology, v. 65 (2), p. 582-596.
  • Shchepetkina, A., Gingras M.K., and Pemberton S.G, 2017. Potential reservoir characterization of the fluvial reach to inner estuary, Ogeechee River estuary, Georgia, USA. CSPG Reservoir, v. 44 (5), p. 15-19.
  • Shchepetkina, A., Speta, M., Gingras, M.K., Rivard, B., and Pemberton, S.G., 2017. Hyperspectral imaging as an aid for facies analysis in massive-appearing sediments: A demonstrative case study for the middle McMurray Formation. Bulletin of Canadian Petroleum Geology, v. 65 (2), p. 262-278.

Courses

Earth Sciences 4490E: Senior Thesis
Environmental Sciences 4999E: Honours Research Project
Earth Sciences 2260A: Stratigraphy and Sedimentology from Basins to Beds
Earth Sciences 4462B/ Geology 9576: Glaciers, Ice and Climate
Earth Sciences 4450Y: Regional Geology Field School

Future Students

Dr. Shchepetkina is currently recruiting domestic MSc and PhD students to work on neoichnological and sedimentological responses to climate change in coastal areas, with potential work sites including Venetian Lagoon (Italy), Mont Saint-Michel Bay (France), and Bay of Fundy (Canada).