Dr Karin Barovich

Biography/ Background

Doctor Karin Barovich received a BSc(Geological Engineering) from the Colorado School of Mines, in Golden, Colorado. She then completed a MSc degree at the University of Colorado, in Boulder, Colorado. Her PhD was completed at the University of Arizona, in Tucson, Arizona, in 1991. She worked in geochemistry and the use of radiogenic isotopes and elements like Lu and Hf, to study early Earth crustal growth.

After a three-year postdoctoral position in Madison, Wisconsin, her husband was transferred to Australia, and not surprisingly, Karin followed after one year to be with him.

Karin started as an Associate Lecturer at the University of Adelaide in 2002, and is now a Senior Lecturer.

Teaching Interests

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Undergraduate Teaching

Karin is the first year coordinator for earth sciences teaching in Geology and Geophysics. The Discipline offers two geology subjects at Level I.

She coordinates Earth Systems I, a course about how the earth works, from the outside in. Right now, one of the most important topics that we study in the course is "global warming" and climate change. Because geologists understand the past, they are the most qualified discipline to assess any future ramifications of our changing climate. She also teaches the last 6 weeks of the course. She also coordinates Earth's Interior, a course about how the earth works, from the inside out. What causes earthquakes? Can we predict them? Why is Australia so rich in mineral and energy resources? Put simply, geology is the study of the Earth and geologists study the Earth. Lots of disciplines touch on various aspects of how Earth works, but only geologists study everything, about our planet. She teaches 6 weeks of this course.

Check out our guide to 1st year earth science courses; follow the link at the bottom of my page.

Course Comments
Below are some of the student evaluation comments for the two Level I geology courses. These comments and evaluations are collected by the instructor at the end of the semester. Comments are reproduced in their entirety as written by the student and are in no particular order. Opinions, views or grammatical errors are those of the student and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or views of the instructor or the University of Adelaide.

The lecturers are awesome - they are really into the course material.The material we learn is really good. Dr. Barovich has boundless enthusiasm for her work and topic that is almost unavoidably contagious. It has the effect of stimulating interest due to her intelligent presentation.

The practicals are a fun and informative way to learn. The excursion - it "rocked"!

She is easy to understand and explains things in a way that make the details stick in my mind. She also makes the lectures interesting and not something that you can fall asleep in.

The field trips were great for hands on experience and fueled my interest by learning outside the lecture rooms.

More teaching
I also teach three weeks in Environmental Geoscience Processes III.

To do these courses and others in Geology and Geophysics, enrol in the flagship course in the Faculty of Science - the Bachelor of Science http://www.adelaide.edu.au/programs/ug/prog/sciences/#sci

To find out more about our majors in Geology, Geophysics and Environmental Geoscience, check out the pdf brochure at the bottom of my page.

Research Interests

Her research interests centre on the use of isotopic variations of elements such as Hf, Nd, Sr, and Pb to understand the origin and chemical evolution of the Earth and using radiogenic isotopes to determine the ages of rocks and geological events.

Karin is a member of the Continental Evolution Research Group (CERG) - http://www.ees.adelaide.edu.au/research/geology/cerg/

Doctor Karin Barovich's current research focuses on Precambrian geology and crustal evolution with the goal of improving our understanding of the processes by which the continental crust has separated from the mantle and the processes which have affected the chemical growth and stability of this crust. This research relies heavily on accurate geochronological studies (primarily U-Pb mineral ages) combined with whole rock elemental (major and trace elements) and isotopic data (U-Pb, Rb-Sr, and Sm-Nd) that can be used to trace the overall evolutionary path of individual crustal segments.

Australia hosts some of the most extensive Archaean to Proterozoic crustal terranes in the world. They provide a natural laboratory for the study of Precambrian geochemical crustal evolution. Major research activities at this time are centred on the Archaean and Proterozoic rocks of southern Australia. Many projects involve collaboration with other scientists.

Publications

(since 2005)
Skirrow, R, Bastrakov, E, Barovich, K, Fraser, G, Creaser R., Fanning C., Raymond, O and Davidson, G. The Olympic iron oxide copper-gold province: timing of hydrothermal activity, sources of metals and the role of magmatism. Economic Geology in press 2008.

Payne, J., Hand, M. Barovich K. and Wade, B. Temporal constraints on the timing of high-grade metamorphism in the northern Gawler Craton: implications for assembly of the Australian Proterozoic. Aust. J Earth Sc.i in press Aug 2008.

Barovich, K and Hand, M. Tectonic setting and provenance of the Paleoproterozoic Willyama Supergroup, Curnamona Province, Australia: Geochemical and Nd isotopic constraints on contrasting source terrain components. Precambrian Research in press 2008.

Swain, G., Barovich, K.M., Hand M. Ferris, G. and Schwarz, M. Petrogenesis of the St Peter Suite, southern Australia:Arc magmatism and Proterozoic crustal growth of the South Australian Craton. Precambrian Research in press 2008.

Wade, B., Payne, J. Hand, M. and Barovich, K. 2007. Petrogenesis of ca 1.50 Ga granitic gneiss of the Coompana Block: filling the â€^~magmatic gapâ€^TM of Mesoproterozoic Australia. Aust. J Earth Sci. 54, 1089-1102.

Dart, RC, Barovich, K., Chittleborough, D., and Hill, S., 2007. Calcium in regolith carbonates of central and southern Australia: Its source and implications for the global carbon cycle. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 249, 322-334.

Howard, K., Reid, A. Hand., M. Barovich, K. Belousova, E. 2007. Does the Kalinjala Shear Zone represent a palaeosuture zone? Implications for distribution of styles of Mesoproterozoic mineralisation in the Gawler Craton. Mesa Journal 43: 16-20.

Rutherford, L., Hand, M. and Barovich, K. 2007. Timing of Proterozoic metamorphism in the southern Curnamona Province: implications for tectonic models and continental reconstructions. Aust. J Earth Sci. 54, 65-82.

Rutherford, L., Barovich, K., Hand, M. and Foden, J. 2006. Continental ca 1.7–1.69 Ga Fe-rich metatholeiites in the Curnamona Province, Australia: a record of melting of a heterogeneous, subduction-modified lithospheric mantle. Aust. J Earth Sci. 53, 501-519.

Payne, J.L., Barovich K.M., Hand, M. 2006. Provenance of metasedimentary rocks in the northern Gawler Craton, Australia; implications for Palaeoproterozoic reconstructions. Precambrian Res. 148, 275-291.

Wade, BP, Barovich, KM, Hand, M, Scrimgeour, IR and Close, DF 2006. Evidence for early Mesoproterozoic arc magmatism in the Musgrave block, central Australia: implications for Proterozoic crustal growth and tectonic reconstructions of Australia. Journal of Geology 114, 43-64.

Swain G, Woodhouse, A, Hand M, Barovich K, Schwarz M and Fanning CM 2005. Provenance and tectonic development of the late Archaean Gawler Craton, Australia; U–Pb zircon, geochemical and Sm–Nd isotopic implications. Precamb. Res. 141, 106-136.

Wade, B.P, Hand, M. and Barovich, K.M. 2005. Nd isotopic and geochemical constraints on provenance of sedimentary rocks in the eastern Officer Basin, Australia: implications for the duration of the intracratonic Petermann Orogeny J Geol. Soc. London. 162, 513-530.

Files

• Our new Bachelor of Science program in Mineral Geoscience - mingeo_brochure.pdf [743.7K] (application/pdf)
• brochure about majoring in geology, geophysics or environmental geoscience - G&G_majors.pdf [27.7K] (application/pdf)
• check out the guide for our 2009 1st year geology courses - level_1_description2009.pdf [748.5K] (application/pdf)
• check out our successful Bachelor of Science program in Petroleum Geoscience - Pet_Geos_brochure.pdf [182.0K] (application/pdf)

Entry last updated: Tuesday, 24 Mar 2009