Last week the ichnology group took the second years (EASC 2702) to show them some real rocks.  I always believe in starting as you mean to go on.  They got an introduction to the hydrodynamics of shoreface systems and then snuck in a short visit to Grebes Nest Point to look at the wonderful trace fossils from the Powers Steps Formation and the Grebes Nest Formation as well as the beautiful oolitic ironstones of the Scotia Formation.

I am not convinced that the students knew how spectacular the rocks they saw are- Newfoundland spoils us like that- they all left happy in any case, some of them with a fledgling ichnological collection in their pockets.  A photogallery is to follow, and hopefully some ichnologists by the time they leave the undergrad program.

These localities are to be used for:  

AUGC 2011 (Atlantic Universities Geoscience Conference- and undergrad-run conference);

GAC-MAC 2012

Ichnia 2012.  

It is going to see a lot of visitors in the coming 12 months!

Congratulations to Nikki Tonkin.  Nikki successfully defended her thesis on Monday 3rd October.

Prof. Murray Gingras was the external examiner who sadly was only with us via video-conference.  Nikki gave a great account of herself and her work.  She submitted pretty much on time 6 yrs and two maternity leaves after arriving in Newfoundland on the night of an early winter storm of 2006, dressed more for New Zealand than New foundland.  She showed great spirit in wading through the slush in her sneakers and ankle socks and still not actually turning around and going home.  

She is leaving us in the new year for a position on the oil industry with her Ph.D., a husband and two lovely boys, not bad going for 6 yrs work.  As always we will try to keep her on the straight and narrow and engaged in the development of ichnology.  I am sure she will have lots of opportunities in her new work to use her skills.

Good luck to the Normore-Tonkins' for the next phase in their family adventure.

Also, much thanks to her committee members Dr. Joe Macquaker and Dr. Rich Callow for pitching in and helping in the final stages.  The generous editorial help of Dr. Liam Herringshaw was proferred with customary selflessness and rigor.  Thanks guys.

from top left: Toby Rivers (HoD rep); Suzanne Dufour (Internal examiner from Biology); Ali Aksu (internal examiner Earth Sciences); Murray Gingras (on the screen from U of A); Rich Callow (Supervisory Committee Member).

Front row from left: Dr. Andy Foster (Dean's Representative); Nikki Tonkin; Duncan McIlroy (supervisor).

   Rich Callow who is a postdoctoral fellow with our research group made a splash at the sixth annual Symposium on Oil and Gas Resources.  Rich is only in his first month on this short project, but he has already he caught some media attention with his talk.
Gary Kean of the Western Star interviewed Rich and did an excellent job of commmunicating the research in his article.

    Rich is funded through the Petroleum Exploration Enhancement Program to study the Cambrian quartzites of western Newfoundland and southern Labrador. The quartzites in the subsurface have been estimated to have porosities up to 12%.  Richard is specifically looking to test whether those pore spaces might be ichnologically generated as it would appear in the field.

Well done Rich 

As part of the little spate of Ph.D. completions, I am very pleased to congratulate Dr. Alex Liu on the successful defence of his thesis. His thesis was examined by Dr. Soren Jensen, it apparently all went very smoothly and all parties seem to have enjoyed the experience, which is always a good sign.

Alex has a position at Cambridge University as a fellow of Girton College to go to.  I hope he will continue to come and visit us and continue to make progress on the Ediacaran biotas of Avalonia.  Very well done Alex.