Dr David Kelsey

Biography/ Background

My academic journey began here at the University of Adelaide in 1995 with a BSc (end 1997) and BSc (Hons) (end 1998). My PhD, at the University of Melbourne, under the supervision of Professors Roger Powell and Chris Wilson, allowed me the privilege of experiencing fieldwork in Antarctica. Subsequent to completing my PhD I worked as a post-doc at the University of Melbourne and lectured undergraduate students at LaTrobe University. In April 2005 I returned to the University of Adelaide as an ARC Research Associate on the Musgrave Province ARC Linkage Project, working with Associate Professor Martin Hand. In 2006 I was awarded a coveted 4-year ARC Australian Postdoctoral Fellowship to continue working on the Musgrave Province. The 4-year contract involves 75% research time and 25% teaching time. In 2010 i will commence a fixed-term Lecturing position.

Vision statement: My goal is to continue to produce world-leading research that provides new methods and tools for the investigation of geological terranes, as well as providing important new insight into geological processes and the evolution of specific terranes. This work will continue to be published in leading international peer-reviewed journals. In terms of teaching my goal is to provide high-quality, clear, up-to-date, contextually supported material that has a strong focus on active learning and has assessment criteria that is aligned with the learning outcomes and objectives of the course.

Qualifications

1997: graduated with B.Sc from the University of Adelaide

1998: graduated with B.Sc (Hons) from the University of Adelaide

2004: graduated with PhD from the University of Melbourne

2006: awarded 4-year Australian Postdoctoral Fellowship from ARC (Australian Research Council)

Teaching Interests

My goals in teaching are twofold: 1) to convey information to undergraduate, Honours and PhD students in a manner that is clear enough to enable them to easily digest the information; and 2) to try wherever possible to provide a greater context for the information I am providing.

A source of great inspiration and satisfaction is to witness ideas presented in lectures (for example) 'clicking' in students heads, so that they have not only understood the lecture or prac material, but can appreciate its relevance and apply their new-found knowledge.

In 2009 my main teaching role is to teach the metamorphic geology component of Igneous & Metamorphic Geology II (2nd year subject in School of Earth & Environmental Sciences)

In addition in 2009 i will co-teach:
1) Tectonics field excursion through Adelaide fold belt (level III field excursion); 2) Fleurieu Peninsula (level I field excursion); 3) Geology for Engineers - a service course for students in the Faculty of Engineering and Mathematical and Computer Science.

In addition to my actual teaching, I am enrolled in a two year Graduate Certificate In Higher Education. This course has already been invaluable in opening my eyes to many hitherto unconsidered aspects of teaching

To see all the courses offered by the Geology & Geophysics discipline at the Uni of Adelaide in 2009, see the pdf file at the bottom of this page.

Research Interests

I am interested in further understanding the link between metamorphic, igneous and structural processes as a consequence of the evolution of the crust during orogenesis. In addition, I am interested in the broader-scale geodynamic (mechanical) implications of what the structural, metamorphic, igneous and even sedimentary records can reveal. My interest has been fostered greatly by working closely with Profs Mike Sandiford, Roger Powell and Chris Wilson and Assoc Prof Martin Hand.

My PhD research involved delineating the metamorphic and structural evolution of high-temperature (900-1000 degrees C) granulite-facies rocks in the Rauer Group, east Antarctica, within a temporal framework. This encompassed integrating field structural mapping, phase equilibria (using THERMOCALC) and in-situ monazite geochronology with existing studies.

My research at the University of Adelaide is conducted within the Continental Evolution Research Group (CERG; http://www.adelaide.edu.au/cerg/), which is headed by Associate Professor Martin Hand.

Current projects:

ARC Discovery Project DP0665094: Tectonic links between the Musgrave Province and the North Australian Craton: Correlations, event chronology and tectonothermal regimes -- e.g. delineating the thermal structure of the Musgrave Orogeny (ca. 1250-1150 Ma) as a broad constraint on tectonic setting. The Musgrave Orogeny was an intense high-temperature event that occurred over a lateral extent of >500 km and was associated with the generation of voluminous A-type orthopyroxene-bearing granitoids as well as the generation of incredibly spectacular (and extremely dry) spinel + quartz + garnet + sillimanite metapelitic granulites.

Integrating thermodynamic information for zircon, garnet and other Zr-bearing minerals/phases into THERMOCALC, to allow, for the first time, a predictive thermodynamic framework for the growth and dissolution of zircon. This is being done in conjunction with Professor Roger Powell (University of Melbourne) and in the future will also involve collaboration with Dr Tracy Rushmer (Macquarie University).

Ultrahigh-temperature (UHT) metamorphism in the northern and NW Gawler Craton, South Australia

Delineating the temporal and tectonic evolution of Prydz Bay and Prince Charles Mountains (both in East Antarctica) and India, as they are considered to have comprised part of the Gondwana supercontinent

Publications

1. Kelsey, D.E., White, R.W., Powell, R. (2003a) Orthopyroxene-sillimanite-quartz assemblages: distribution, petrology, quantitative P-T-X constraints and P-T paths. Journal of Metamorphic Geology, 21, 439-453.

 

2. Kelsey, D.E., White, R.W., Powell, R., Wilson, C.J.L., Quinn, C.D. (2003b) New constraints on metamorphism in the Rauer Group, Prydz Bay, east Antarctica. Journal of Metamorphic Geology, 21, 739-760.

 

3. Kelsey, D.E., Powell, R., Wilson, C.J.L., Steele, D.A. (2003c) (U+Th)-Pb monazite ages from Al-Mg-rich metapelites, Rauer Group, east Antarctica. Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology, 146, 326-340.

 

4. Kelsey, D.E., White, R.W., Holland, T.J.B., Powell, R. (2004) Calculated phase equilibria in K₂O-FeO-MgO-Al₂O₃-SiO₂-H₂O for sapphirine-quartz-bearing mineral assemblages. Journal of Metamorphic Geology, 22, 559-578.

 

5. Kelsey, D.E., White, R.W., Powell, R. (2005) Calculated phase equilibria in K₂O-FeO-MgO-Al₂O₃-SiO₂-H₂O for silica-undersaturated sapphirine-bearing mineral assemblages. Journal of Metamorphic Geology, 23, 217-239.

 

6. Kelsey, D.E., Clark, C., Hand, M., Collins, A.S. (2006) Comment on “First report of garnet-corundum rocks from southern India: Implications for prograde high-pressure (eclogite-facies?) metamorphism”. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 249, 529-534.

 

7. Clark, C., Kelsey, D.E., Hand, M. (2007a) Assembling Proterozoic Australia: Inside out or outside in? Gondwana Research, 11, 575-576.

 

8. Collins, A.S., Clark, C., Sajeev, K., Santosh, M., Kelsey, D.E., Hand, M. (2007) Passage Through India: The Mozambique Ocean Suture, High Pressure Granulites and the Palghat-Cauvery Shear Zone System. Terra Nova, 19, 141-147.

 

9. Kelsey, D.E., Hand, M., Clark, C., Wilson, C.J.L. (2007) On the application of in-situ monazite chemical geochronology to constraining P-T-t histories in high-temperature (>850 ˚C) polymetamorphic granulites from Prydz Bay, east Antarctica. Journal of the Geological Society, London, 164, 667-683.

 

10. Halpin, J.A., White, R.W., Clarke, G.L., Kelsey D.E. (2007a) The Proterozoic P-T-t evolution of the Kemp Land coast, east Antarctica; constraints from Si-saturated and Si-undersaturated metapelites. Journal of Petrology, 48, 1321-1349.

 

11. Halpin, J.A., Clarke, G.L., White, R.W., Kelsey D.E. (2007b) Contrasting P-T-t paths for Neoproterozoic metamorphism in MacRobertson and Kemp Lands, east Antarctica. Journal of Metamorphic Geology, 25, 683-701.

 

12. Clark, C., Hand, M., Kelsey, D.E., Goscombe, B. (2007b) Linking crustal reworking to terrane accretion. Journal of the Geological Society, London, 164, 937-940.

 

13. Kelsey, D.E. (2008) On ultrahigh-temperature crustal metamorphism. Gondwana Research, 13, 1-29.

 

14. Kelsey, D.E., Clark, C., Hand, M. (2008a) Thermobarometric modeling of zircon and monazite growth in melt-bearing systems: examples using model metapelitic and metapsammitic granulites. Journal of Metamorphic Geology, 26, 199-212.

 

15. Kelsey, D.E., Wade, B. P., Collins, A.S., Hand, M., Sealing, C.R., Netting, A. (2008b) Discovery of a Neoproterozoic basin in the Prydz belt in East Antarctica and its implications for Gondwana assembly and ultrahigh temperature metamorphism. Precambrian Research, 161, 355-388.

 

16. Reid, A., Hand, M., Jagodzinski, L., Kelsey, D., Pearson, N. (2008) Palaeoproterozoic orogenesis within the southeastern Gawler Craton, South Australia. Australian Journal of Earth Sciences, 55, 449-471.

 

17. Wade, B.P., Kelsey, D.E., Hand, M., Barovich, K.M. (2008) The Musgrave Province; Stitching North, West and South Australia. Precambrian Research, 166, 370-386.

 

18. Cutts, K.A., Hand, M., Kelsey, D.E., Strachan, R.A. (2009) Orogenic versus extensional settings for regional metamorphism: Knoydartian events in the Moine Supergroup revisited. Journal of the Geological Society, London, 166, 201-204.

Professional Associations

Member of:

Geological Society of Australia

Specialist Group in Tectonics and Structural Geology (SGTSG)

Specialist Group in Geochemistry, Mineralogy and Petrology (SGGMP)

Geochemical Society

Geological Society of America

Professional Interests

I regularly review manuscripts for international peer-reviewed journals (e.g. Journal of Metamorphic Geology, Lithos, Journal of Petrology, Chemical Geology, Precambrian Research, American Mineralogist), and have reviewed NSF grants and theses.

Files

• All course offered in Geology & Geophysics at Uni of Adelaide in 2009 - Geoscience_course_descriptions_09.pdf [50.5K] (application/pdf)

Entry last updated: Tuesday, 26 May 2009