Dr Andrew Kerr
Overview
Position: Reader Email: KerrA@cardiff.ac.uk Telephone: +44(0)29 208 74578
Fax: +44(0)29 208 74326
Extension: 74578
Location: 2.09
Research Group
Hydrothermal and Magmatic Processes
Research Interests
Oceanic plateaux, Large Igneous Provinces
Publications
2009
Kerr, AC, Menzies MA 2009. Phanerozoic volcanism. In: Bally AW, Roberts DG (eds) Phanerozoic Regional Geology of the World, Elsevier. (In press).
Montgomery H, Kerr AC 2009. Rethinking the Origins of the Red Chert at La Désirade, French West Indies. In: Pindell JL, James K, Lorente, MA, Geology of Middle America and origin of the Caribbean Plate. Special Publication of the Geological Society of London, In press.
Kerr AC, Pearson DG, Nowell GM, 2009. Magma source evolution beneath the Caribbean oceanic plateau: New insights from elemental and Sr-Nd-Pb-Hf isotopic studies of ODP Leg 165 Site 1001 basalts. In: Pindell JL, James K, Lorente, MA, Geology of Middle America and origin of the Caribbean Plate. Special Publication of the Geological Society of London, In press.
Hastie AR, Kerr AC, Mitchell SF, Millar IL, 2009. Geochemistry and tectonomagmatic significance of lower Cretaceous island arc lavas from the Devils Racecourse Formation, eastern Jamaica. In: Pindell JL, James K, Lorente, MA, Geology of Middle America and origin of the Caribbean Plate. Special Publication of the Geological Society of London, In press.
2008
Zalasiewicz J, Williams M, Smith A, Barry TL, Coe AL, Bown PR, Benchley P, Cantrill D, Gale A, Gibbard P, Gregory FJ, Hounslow MW, Kerr AC, Pearson P, Knox R, Powell J, Waters C, Marshall J, Oates M, Rawson P, Stone P. 2008. Are we now living in the Anthropocene? GSA Today, 18, 4-8.
Hastie AR, Kerr AC, Mitchell SF, Millar IL, 2008. Geochemistry and petrogenesis of Cretaceous oceanic plateau lavas in eastern Jamaica. Lithos, 101, 323-343.
Thompson PME, Kempton PD, Kerr AC, 2008. Evaluation of the effects of alteration and leaching on Sm-Nd and Lu-Hf systematics in submarine mafic rocks. Lithos, 104, 164-176.
2007
Khan M, Kerr, AC, Mahmood K, 2007. Formation and tectonic evolution of the Cretaceous-Jurassic Muslim Bagh ophiolitic complex, Pakistan: Implications for the composite tectonic setting of ophiolites. Journal of Asian Earth Sciences, 31, 112-127.
Hastie AR, Kerr AC, Pearce JA, Mitchell SF, 2007. Classification of altered volcanic island arc rocks using immobile trace elements: Development of the Co-Th discrimination diagram. Journal of Petrology, 48, 2341-2357.
Kerr AC & Mahoney JJ 2007. Oceanic plateaus, problematic plumes, potential paradigms. Chemical Geology, 241, 332-353
2006
Nivia A, Marriner GF, Kerr AC , Tarney J, 2006. The Quebradagrande Complex: A Lower Cretaceous ensialic marginal basin in the Central Cordillera of the Colombian Andes. Journal of South American Earth Sciences, 21, 423-436.
2005
Kerr AC 2005. Oceanic LIPs: The kiss of death. [701 Kb] Elements, 1(5), 289-292.
Kerr AC 2005. La Isla de Gorgona, Colombia: A petrological enigma? [1.05 Mb] Lithos, 84, 77-101.
KerrAC and Tarney J.
Tectonic evolution of the Caribbean and northwestern South America: The case for accretion of two Late Cretaceous oceanic plateaus. (2005) [158 Kb] Geology, 33, 269-272. (Reprint 295 Kb)
2004
Thompson PME, Kempton PD, White RV, Kerr AC, Tarney J, Saunders AD and Fitton JG
Hf-Nd isotope constraints on the origin of the Cretaceous Caribbean plateau and its relationship to the Galápagos plume. [712 Kb] Earth and Planetary Science Letters. 217 (2004) 59-75. (Reprint 712 Kb)
Kerr AC, Tarney J, Kempton PD, Pringle MS and Nivia A -
Mafic pegmatites intruding oceanic plateau gabbros and ultramafic cumulates from Bolívar, Colombia: Evidence for a 'wet' mantle plume? [8.5 Mb], Journal of Petrology, (2004) 45, 1877-1906. (Reprint 8493 Kb)
Thompson PME, Kempton PD, White RV, Saunders AD, Kerr AC, Tarney J and Pringle MS -
Elemental, Hf-Nd isotopic and geochronological constraints on an island arc sequence associated with the Cretaceous Caribbean Plateau: Bonaire, Dutch Antilles [2.1 Mb], Lithos (2004) 74, 91-116. (Reprint 2119 Kb)
2003
Kerr AC, White, RV, Thompson, PME, Tarney, J and Saunders AD - No oceanic plateau - No Caribbean Plate? The seminal role of an oceanic plateau in Caribbean plate evolution. In: Bartolini, C., Buffler, R.T. & Blickwede, J. (eds) The Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Region: Hydrocarbon Habitats, Basin Formation and Plate Tectonics. (2003). American Association of Petroleum Geology Memoir, 79, 126-268.
Geldmacher J, Hanan BB, Blichert-Toft J, Harpp K, Hoernle K, Hauff F, Werner F and Kerr AC - Hafnium isotopic variations in volcanic rocks from the Caribbean Large Igneous Province and Galápagos hotspot tracks, Geochem. Geophys. Geosyst. 4(7) (2003) DOI 10.1029, 2002GC000477 ISSN 1525-2027
Kerr AC - Oceanic plateaus. In: Holland, H C and Turekian K (series eds). Treatise on Geochemistry 10: Rudnick, R. (ed.) The Crust Elsevier (2003) 537-565 ISBN 0-08-043751-6 (Reprint)
2002
Kerr AC - Book review of: Mantle Plumes and their Record in Earth History. By: Condie, Kent C, In Mineralogical Magazine 66 (2002) 376-377 ISSN 0026-461X
Kerr AC, Aspden JA, Tarney J and Pilatasig LF -
The nature and provenance of accreted oceanic terranes in western Ecuador: Geochemical and tectonic constraints[408 Kb], Journal of the Geological Society, London 159 (2002) 577-594 ISSN 0016-7649
Kerr AC, Tarney J, Kempton PD, Pringle M - Significance of mafic hornblende pegmatites intruding ultramafic rocks of the accreted oceanic plateau in Colombia: Ar-Ar and radiogenic isotope constraints, EOS Transactions of the American Geophysical Union 83(47) Fall Meeting Supplement (2002) Abstract Number V71B-1276 ISSN 0096-3941
Kerr AC, Tarney J, Kempton PD, Spadea P, Nivia A, Marriner GF and Duncan RA -
Pervasive mantle plume head heterogeneity: Evidence from the late Cretaceous Caribbean-Colombian Oceanic Plateau [1.05 Mb], Journal of Geophysical Research, 107(7) (2002) DOI 10.1029, 2001JB000790. ISSN 0148-0227
Schaefer BF, Parkinson IJ, Hole MJ, Kerr AC, Scarrow JH, Rogers NW - Re-Os isotope systematics of the British Tertiary Volcanic Province; Multiple mantle sources in the proto-Iceland plume, Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 66 (15A) (2002) A672-A672 ISSN 0096-3941
Thompson PME, Kempton PD, White RV, Saunders AD, Kerr AC and Tarney J - Hf-Nd isotope systematics of the Gorgona komatiites, and their relationship with the Caribbean Plateau, Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 66 (15A) (2002) A773-A773 ISSN 0096-3941
2001
Kerr AC and Arndt NT -
A note on the IUGS Reclassification of the High-Mg and Picritic Volcanic Rocks, [138 Kb] Journal of Petrology 42 (2001) 2169-2171 ISSN 0022-3530
Research
Research Interests
- The age, structure, petrogenesis and impact on marine environments of oceanic plateaus, particularly the Caribbean-Colombian Cretaceous oceanic plateau.
- Processes of oceanic plateau obduction in Colombia.
- The relationship between the Caribbean-Colombian oceanic plateau and associated arc volcanism.
- The identification of oceanic plateaus in the geological record (LIP reading)
- Geochemistry and petrogenesis of the British Tertiary Igneous Province.
- Nature and origin of mantle plume geochemical signatures.
- Melt inclusions in large igneous provinces.
Andrew was born and brought up several miles from the spectacular Tertiary columnar basalts of the Giants Causeway in Northern Ireland. It was therefore unsurprising that from an early age Andrew was fascinated by volcanoes. He studied for a degree in Geochemistry at University of St Andrews graduating in 1990 with a first class B.Sc. (Hons) in Geochemistry. His Ph.D., supervised by Prof. R.N. Thompson at the University of Durham was entitled: "The geochemistry and petrogenesis of the Mull and Morvern Tertiary lava succession". This study involved the collection and analysis of 500 samples on a flow-by-flow basis from the Mull lava succession, and resulted in many new insights into mantle plumbing and magmatic processes in the North Atlantic Igneous Province.
Following the completion of his Ph.D. Andrew commenced work as a NERC PDRA with Profs. John Tarney and Andy Saunders looking at the petrogenesis, structure and precise age of the Caribbean-Colombian Cretaceous oceanic plateau. This work has stimulated a tremendous degree of interest, has resulted in several major on-going collaborative projects, and has led to the publication of nine research papers, including an influential review paper in the AGU Monograph on large Igneous Provinces. This study of the Caribbean-Colombian Oceanic Plateau, arguably one of the best exposed oceanic plateaus in the world, has significantly advanced our understanding of the structure and petrogenesis of these oceanic large igneous provinces. This work is ongoing and has recently spread into new geographical areas such as Ecuador, Jamaica, and Venezuela, looking particularly at the tectonic interaction between Cretaceous arc rocks and oceanic plateau material during the plate tectonic evolution of the Caribbean.
Andrew has also worked on the influence of Large Igneous Province formation and eruption on palaeoenvironments and has assessed the validity of competing hypotheses for the cause of the K-T and other extinction events. Part of this work has involved looking for oceanic plateau signatures in Cretaceous sediments from southern England.
Andrew has also written a review papers on oceanic plateaus for the Elsevier Treatise on Geochemistry and for the ‘Great Plume Debate’ special issue of Chemical Geology.
In 2007 Andrew was appointed co-Editor in-chief of Lithos.
Postgraduate Students
In addition to his own research Andrew has also supervised/is currently supervising the following Ph.D. students:
- Roz White (1995-1999) – The Aruba batholith
- Pat Thompson (1998-2002) Caribbean Cretaceous arc rocks, Bonaire
- Kevin Jones (2002-2005) Mineral melt inclusions in Large Igneous Provinces
- Shaun Lavis (2001-2005) Recycling in subduction zones
- Alan Hastie (2003-present) Cretaceous volcanic rocks in Jamaica
- Matthew Minifie (2006-present) Petrogenesis of the 1.88Ga Circum-Superior LIP, Canada
- Iain Neill (2007-present) Cretaceous volcanic rocks in Trinidad and Tobago
- Jake Ciborowski (2009-present) Internal anatomy of a dissected 2.5Ga Large Igneous Province
Biography
Committee Work
- Co-Editor in-chief of Lithos
- Chairman of the IUGS Commission for Solid Earth Chemistry and Evolution
- Member of the Stratigraphy Commission of the Geological society of London.
- Member of the IAVCEI Large Igneous Provinces Commission steering committee
- Council Member of the Mineralogical Society (2005-2007)
- External member of the Editorial Review Board for ODP Leg 203
Teaching
Andrew currently teaches second and third year igneous petrology at Cardiff, and is one of the few lecturers to possess a recognised teaching qualification (PGCE).
Portfolio
Director of Admissions
Rock Preparation Facility Manager
Academia
BSc Geochemistry (St Andrews) 1990
PhD "The geochemistry and petrogenesis of the Mull and Morvern Tertiary Lava succession, Argyll, Scotland " (Durham) 1994
PGCE (1999) Leicester
Affiliations
American Geophysical Union
Geochemical Society
Mineralogical Society
Awards
1997 - Presidents Award of the Geological Society of London
2000 - Clough Award of the Edinburgh Geological Society
2002 - Max Hay Medal of the Mineralogical Society
Grants Awarded
NERC Grant in kind for isotope analysis 'Constraining the petrogenesis of mafic pegmatites intruding the deeper parts of the Caribbean-Colombian Oceanic Plateau: Implications for magmatic processes and tectonics of plateau emplacement' 2001 (£19,566)
NERC Small Grant 'The Caribbean Plate: using the geochemistry and geochronology of volcanic sequences around its southern Plate margin to constrain tectonic evolution' 2002 (£27,478)
Nuffield Foundation New Lecturer Award 'Melt inclusions in large igneous provinces' 2002 (£5800)
Mineralogical Society Senior Bursary, to attend Fall AGU in San Francisco, 2002 (£500)
Royal Society conference grant to attend Fall AGU in San Francisco, 2002 (£620)
NERC Award for PhD fieldwork 'Cretaceous tectonomagmatic evolution of the Northern Caribbean plate margin: insights from volcanics and sediments in Jamaica and the Virgin Islands' 2003-2006 (£8247)
NERC Award for PhD fieldwork 'The origin, age and structure of the Siletz mafic igneous terrane: An oceanic plateau with causal links to the Palaeocene-Eocene thermal maximum?' 2004-2007 (£7734)
NERC Grant in kind for isotope analysis 'Tectonomagmatic evolution of the Caribbean plate: insights from volcanic rocks on Jamaica and the Virgin Islands' 2004 (£20,650).
NERC Grant in kind for isotope analysis 'The origin, age and structure of the Siletz mafic igneous terrane: An oceanic plateau with causal links to the Palaeocene-Eocene thermal maximum?' 2005 (£64,860).
NERC Award for PhD fieldwork 'The nature and origin of the global 1880 Ma Mafic-Ultramafic Event: The largest igneous episode in Earth’s history? 2006-2009 (£10,636)
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