Jack Henderson Awards for best Theses 2011
03/05/11 12:35
I am happy to announce the following winners of Jack Henderson Awards for best theses. Following the recommendation of the group at the Penticton meeting, it was agreed that up to two awards may be offered in each category. Accordingly, we are awarding one prize in the MSc category this year, and two in the PhD category.
I would like to thank Vice-chair Bruno Lafrance and his team of reviewers for all their hard work in adjudicating these awards. As always, unsuccessful theses completed in 2010 will be considered in the following year's competition
Winners, Jack Henderson awards for best thesis 2011:
MSc award
Tasca Noela Santimano
Thesis Title: Kinematics and mechanisms of upper-crustal deformation in the Eastern Cordillera, southern Central Andes, NW Argentina
Supervisor: Ulrich Riller
University: McMaster University
Judge's comment: This is a very innovative and though-provoking thesis that goes well beyond the normal standard for a MSc degree. The thesis presents a modern morphotectonic and paleostress analysis of the kinematics of Cenozoic to recent faulting on the eastern margin of the Puna plateau. The results indicate that local conditions dictate the kinematics of faults and not the kinematics of the plate boundary. When published, the results will compel practitioners of fault-slip data analysis to rethink interpretations of kinematic data in terms of their relation to plate boundary forces.
PhD award
First prize: Dawn Anne-Marie Kellett
Thesis Title: Tectonic evolution of the South Tibetan Detachment System, Bhutan Himalaya
Supervisor: Djordje Grujic
University: Dalhousie University
Judge's comment: Dawn Kellett is to be congratulated for her Ph.D. thesis. The thesis is very well written. Data and observations in each of the four critical chapters, two of which are already published in reputed international journals (Lithosphere and Journal of Metamorphic Geology), are well documented and clearly separated from interpretations. The conclusions and interpretations reached with respect to the cause or causes for detachment of upper-crustal strata from low-angle normal faults within the “compressional” Bhutan Himalaya are all viable and of high scientific importance in my opinion. In this regard Dawn Kellett's Ph.D. thesis follows the tradition of geodynamicists from Dalhousie University in significantly advancing our knowledge on the geodynamics of hot orogens, and the Himalaya in particular. I truly enjoyed reading the thesis and learned tremendously. Without doubt, this is a solid piece of work that deserves to be honoured.
Second prize: Christoph Schrank
Thesis Title: Physical models of shear zones: On the relationship between material properties and shear zone geometry
Supervisor: Sandy Cruden
University: University of Toronto
Judge's comment: This well‐written, comprehensive thesis provides significant insights into the experimental study of shear zone localization and development. Through experiments and investigations into isothermal analog materials, it explores topics in localization and rheological controls on shear zones, and provides insights into how structures in natural shear zones may or may not yield qualitative information about rheology and material behaviour.
Congratulations!
John Waldron
Chair, SGTD
I would like to thank Vice-chair Bruno Lafrance and his team of reviewers for all their hard work in adjudicating these awards. As always, unsuccessful theses completed in 2010 will be considered in the following year's competition
Winners, Jack Henderson awards for best thesis 2011:
MSc award
Tasca Noela Santimano
Thesis Title: Kinematics and mechanisms of upper-crustal deformation in the Eastern Cordillera, southern Central Andes, NW Argentina
Supervisor: Ulrich Riller
University: McMaster University
Judge's comment: This is a very innovative and though-provoking thesis that goes well beyond the normal standard for a MSc degree. The thesis presents a modern morphotectonic and paleostress analysis of the kinematics of Cenozoic to recent faulting on the eastern margin of the Puna plateau. The results indicate that local conditions dictate the kinematics of faults and not the kinematics of the plate boundary. When published, the results will compel practitioners of fault-slip data analysis to rethink interpretations of kinematic data in terms of their relation to plate boundary forces.
PhD award
First prize: Dawn Anne-Marie Kellett
Thesis Title: Tectonic evolution of the South Tibetan Detachment System, Bhutan Himalaya
Supervisor: Djordje Grujic
University: Dalhousie University
Judge's comment: Dawn Kellett is to be congratulated for her Ph.D. thesis. The thesis is very well written. Data and observations in each of the four critical chapters, two of which are already published in reputed international journals (Lithosphere and Journal of Metamorphic Geology), are well documented and clearly separated from interpretations. The conclusions and interpretations reached with respect to the cause or causes for detachment of upper-crustal strata from low-angle normal faults within the “compressional” Bhutan Himalaya are all viable and of high scientific importance in my opinion. In this regard Dawn Kellett's Ph.D. thesis follows the tradition of geodynamicists from Dalhousie University in significantly advancing our knowledge on the geodynamics of hot orogens, and the Himalaya in particular. I truly enjoyed reading the thesis and learned tremendously. Without doubt, this is a solid piece of work that deserves to be honoured.
Second prize: Christoph Schrank
Thesis Title: Physical models of shear zones: On the relationship between material properties and shear zone geometry
Supervisor: Sandy Cruden
University: University of Toronto
Judge's comment: This well‐written, comprehensive thesis provides significant insights into the experimental study of shear zone localization and development. Through experiments and investigations into isothermal analog materials, it explores topics in localization and rheological controls on shear zones, and provides insights into how structures in natural shear zones may or may not yield qualitative information about rheology and material behaviour.
Congratulations!
John Waldron
Chair, SGTD