DEPARTMENT OF EARTH SCIENCES Dr Jason R. Ali, Assistant Professor

Education

• BSc (1982-1985) in Combined Science (majoring in Geology and Computer Science), North Staffordshire Polytechnic (now Staffordshire University), UK.
  

• PhD (1985-1989) Oceanography Department, University of Southampton, UK.

Teaching

• EASC0101: Maps, mapping and fieldwork (course coordinator, co-taught with Drs Petra Bach and Adam Switzer).
  

• EASC2108: Structural Geology (course coordinator, co-taught with Dr Franck Valli).
  

• EASC3105: Regional Geology and Tectonics (course coordinator, co-taught with Prof. Jonathan Aitchison).
  

• GEOS7010: Geology for Engineers (course contributor, 3 lectures from 11).
  

Research Interests

• PRINCIPAL RESEARCH INTERESTS
  1. Meso-Cenozoic tectonic evolution of E-SE Asia, W-SW Pacific.
  2. Emeishan large igneous province, SW China.
  3. Earth-ocean-climate system at the Palaeozoic-Mesozoic boundary.
  4. Early Cenozoic time-scale.
  5. Palaeomagnetic "quick fixes" to knotty geological problems/phenomena.
  

• SECONDARY RESEARCH INTERESTS
  1. Orientation of historically important churches, city complexes, temples etc (see Ali & Cunich, 2001, 2005a).
  2. Science and Society in England 1660-1750 (see Ali & Cunich, 2005b, 2005c).

Publications to be nominated in the forthcoming RAE (Five 2002-2005 papers plus one 1999-2001 work)

1. ABRAJEVITCH,A., ALI,J.R., AITCHISON,J.C., BADENGZHU, DAVIS,A.M., LIU,J. & ZIABREV,S. 2005. Neotethys and the India-Eurasia collision: insights from a palaeomagnetic study of the Dazhuqu terrane, southern Tibet. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 233, 87-102.

2. ALI,J.R. & AITCHISON,J.C. 2005. Greater India. Earth-Science Reviews, 72, 169-188.

3. ALI,J.R., THOMPSON,G.M., ZHOU,M.F. & SONG,X. 2005. Emeishan large igneous province, SW China. Lithos, 79, 475-489.

4. ALI,J.R. & AITCHISON,J.C. 2004. Problem of positioning Paleogene Eurasia: a review, efforts to resolve the issue, implications for the India-Asia collision. In: CLIFT,P.D, WANG,P., KHUNT,W. & HAYES,D.E. (eds). Continent-ocean interactions within the East Asia marginal seas. Amer. Geophys. Union Monog. Ser., 149, 23-35.

5. HAINES,P.W., HOWARD,K.T., ALI,J.R., BURRETT,C.F. & BUNOPAS,S. 2004. Flood deposits penecontemporaneous with ~0.8 Ma tektite fall in NE Thailand: an impact-induced environmental catastrophe? Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 225, 19-28.

6. ALI,J.R. & AITCHISON,J.C. 2000. Significance of palaeomagnetic data from the oceanic Poya Terrane, New Caledonia, for SW Pacific tectonic models. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 177, 153-161.

Refereed Publications (1995 on)

2005

• ABRAJEVITCH,A., ALI,J.R., AITCHISON,J.C., BADENGZHU, DAVIS,A.M., LIU,J. & ZIABREV,S. 2005. Neotethys and the India-Eurasia collision: insights from a palaeomagnetic study of the Dazhuqu ophiolite, southern Tibet. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 233, 87-102.

• ALI,J.R. & AITCHISON,J.C. 2005. Greater India. Earth-Science Reviews, 72, 169-188.

• ALI,J.R. & CUNICH,P. 2005c. How did Halley align his churches? Using geomagnetism probably  (reply to comment). Astronomy and Geophysics, 46 (6), 6.

• ALI,J.R. & CUNICH,P. 2005b. Halley and the London Queen Anne Churches. Astronomy and Geophysics, 46 (2), 22-25.

• ALI,J.R. & CUNICH,P. 2005a. The Church East and West: orienting the 1711-1734 Queen Anne Churches. Jour. Society Architectural Historians, 64, 56-73. (See also LANGENBERG,H. 2005. Eastern promise: the Queen Anne churches in east London were precisely aligned on an east-west axis. Nature, 433, 687).

• ALI,J.R., THOMPSON,G.M., ZHOU,M.F. & SONG,X. 2005. Emeishan large igneous province, SW China. Lithos, 79, 475-489.

• LI,Y.X., ALI,J.R., CHAN,L.S. & LEE,C.M. 2005. New and revised set of Cretaceous paleomagnetic poles from Hong Kong: implications for the development of southeast China. Jour. Asian Earth Sciences, 24, 481-493.

• LUTERBACHER,H., ALI,J.R., BRINKHUIS,H., GRADSTEIN,F.M., HOOKER,J.J., MONECHI,S., OGG,J.G., POWELL, J., ROHL,U. SANFILIPPO,A. & SCHMITZ,B. 2005. Chapter 20: The Paleogene Period. In: GRADSTEIN,F.M., OGG,J.G. & SMITH,A.G. (Coordinators). A Geological Time Scale 2004, Cambridge University Press, 384-408.

• WHATTAM,S.A., MALPAS,J., ALI,J.R., LO,C.H. & SMITH,I.E.M. 2005. Formation and emplacement of the Northland ophiolite, New Zealand: SW Pacific tectonic implications. Jour. Geol. Soc. Lond., 162, 225-241.

2004

• AITCHISON,J.C., DAVIS,A.M., ABRAJEVITCH,A.V., ALI,J.R., BADENGZHU, LIU,J.B., LUO,H., MCDERMID,I.R.C. & ZIABREV,S.V. 2004. Stratigraphic and sedimentological constraints on the age and tectonic evolution of the Neotethyan ophiolites along the Yarlung Tsangpo suture zone, Tibet. In: DILEK,Y. & ROBINSON,P.T. (eds). Ophiolites in Earth history. Geol. Soc. Lond. Spec. Pub., 218, 147-164.

• ALI,J.R. & AITCHISON,J.C. 2004. Problem of positioning Paleogene Eurasia: a review, efforts to resolve the issue, implications for the India-Asia collision. In: CLIFT,P.D, WANG,P., KHUNT,W. & HAYES,D.E. (eds). Continent-ocean interactions within the East Asia marginal seas. AGU Monograph, 149, 23-35.

• ALI,J.R., LO,C.H., THOMPSON,G.M. & SONG,X.Y. 2004. Emeishan Basalt Ar-Ar overprint ages define several tectonic events that affected the western Yangtze Platform in the Meso- and Cenozoic. Jour. Asian Earth Sciences, 23, 163-178.

• HAINES,P.W., HOWARD,K.T., ALI,J.R., BURRETT,C.F. & BUNOPAS,S. 2004. Flood deposits penecontemporaneous with ~0.8 Ma tektite fall in NE Thailand: an impact-induced environmental catastrophe? Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 225, 19-28.

• MALPAS,J.G., FLETCHER,C.J.N., ALI,J.R. & AITCHISON,J.C. (eds). 2004. Aspects of the tectonic evolution of China. Geol. Soc. Lond. Spec. Pub., 226, 17 papers, 368 pages.

• WHATTAM,S.A., MALPAS,J., ALI,J.R., SMITH,I.E.M. & LO,C.H. 2004. Origin of the Northland ophiolite: discussion of new data and reassessment of the model. New Zealand Jour. Geol. and Geophys., 47, 383-389.

2003

• ALI,J.R., WARD,D.J., KING,C. & ABRAJEVITCH,A. 2003. First Palaeogene sedimentary rock palaeopole from stable western Eurasia and tectonic implications. Geophys. Jour. Int., 154, 463-470.
  

• AUBRY,M.-P., BERGGREN,W.A., VAN COUVERING,J.A., ALI,J.R., BRINKHUIS,H., CRAMER,B., KENT,D.V., SWISHER (III),C.C., GINGERICH,P.R., HEILMANN-CLAUSEN,C., KNOX,R.W.O'B., STOTT,L.D. & THIRY,M. 2003. Chronostratigraphic terminology at the Paleocene/Eocene Boundary. In: WING,S.L., GINGERICH,P.R., SCHMITZ,B. & THOMAS,E. (eds). Causes and consequences of globally warm climates in the early Paleogene. Geol. Soc. America Special Paper, 369, 551-556
  

• PUBELLIER,M., ALI,J.R. & MONNIER,C. 2003. Cenozoic plate interaction of the Australia and Philippine Sea Plates: "Hit and Run" tectonics. Tectonophysics, 363, 181-199.

2002

• AITCHISON,J.C., ABRAJEVITCH,A., ALI,J.R., BADENGZHU, DAVIS,A.M., LUO,H., LIU,J.B., MCDERMID,I.R.C. & ZIABREV,S., 2002. New insights into the evolution of the Yarlung Tsangpo suture zone, Xizang (Tibet), China. Episodes, 25, 90-34.
  

• ALI,J.R. & AITCHISON,J.C. 2002. Paleomagnetic-tectonic studies of the Koh Ophiolite, New Caledonia, and the mid Eocene obduction of the Poya Terrane. New Zealand Jour. Geology and Geophysics, 45, 311-322.
  

• ALI,J.R., THOMPSON,G.M., SONG,X. & WANG,Y. 2002. Emeishan Basalts (SW China) and the "end-Guadalupian" crisis: magnetobiostratigraphic constraints. Jour. Geol. Soc. Lond., 159, 21-29.
  

• AUBRY,M.-P. and the Paleocene/Eocene Boundary Working Group (inc. ALI,J.R.). 2002. The Paleocene/Eocene boundary global stratotype section and point (GSSP): criteria for characterization and correlation. Tertiary Research, 21, 57-70.
  

• FULLER,M., KIDANE,T. & ALI,J.R. 2002. AF demagnetization characteristics of NRM compared with anhysteretic and saturation isothermal remanence: an aid in the interpretation of NRM. Phys. Chem. Earth, 27, 1169-1177.

2001

• ALI,J.R. & CUNICH,P. 2001. The orientation of churches: some new evidence. The Antiquaries Journal, 81, 155-193.
  

• ALI,J.R., HALL,R. & BAKER,S.J. 2001. Paleomagnetic data from a Mesozoic Philippine Sea Plate ophiolite on Obi Island, eastern Indonesia. Jour. Asian Earth Sciences, 19, 537-548.
  

• THOMPSON,G.M., ALI,J.R., SONG,X. & JOLLEY,D.W. 2001. Emeishan Basalts, SW China: reappraisal of the formation's type area stratigraphy and a discussion of its significance as a large igneous province. Jour. Geol. Soc. Lond., 158, 593-599.

2000

• ALI,J.R. & AITCHISON,J.C. 2000. Significance of palaeomagnetic data from the oceanic Poya Terrane, New Caledonia, for SW Pacific tectonic models. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 177, 153-161.
  

• ALI,J.R., KENT,D.V. & HAILWOOD,E.A. 2000. Magnetostratigraphic reinvestigation of the Palaeocene/Eocene boundary interval in Hole 690B, Maud Rise, Antarctica. Geophys. Jour. Int., 141, 639-646.

1999

• ALI,J.R. & MOSS,S.J. 1999. Miocene intra-arc bending at an arc-arc collision zone, central Japan: comment. The Island Arc, 8, 114-117.
  

• FULLER,M., ALI,J.R., MOSS,S.J., FROST,G.M., RICHTER,B. & MAHFI,A. 1999. Paleomagnetism of Borneo. Jour. Asian Earth Sciences, 17, 3-24.
  

• MILSOM,J., ALI,J.R. & SUDARWONO. 1999. Structure and collision history of the Buton continental fragment, eastern Indonesia. Amer. Assoc. Petrol. Geol. Bull., 83, 1666-1689.
  

• RHODES,G.M., ALI,J.R., HAILWOOD,E.A., KING,C. & GIBSON,T.G. 1999. Magnetostratigraphic correlation of Paleogene sequences from northwest Europe and North America. Geology, 27, 451-454.

1998

• ALI,J.R. & HAILWOOD,E.A. 1998. Magnetostratigraphic (re)calibration of the Paleocene/Eocene boundary interval in Holes 550 and 549, Goban Spur, eastern North Atlantic. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 161, 201-213.
  

• ALI,J.R. & VANDAMME,D. 1998. Eocene-Miocene magnetostratigraphy of the SE Greenland shelf and the western Irminger Basin. In: SAUNDERS,A.D., LARSEN,H.-C. et al. Proc. ODP Sci. Results, 152, 253-258.
  

• VANDAMME,D. & ALI,J.R. 1998. Paleomagnetic results from basement rocks from Site 917A (East Greenland margin). In: SAUNDERS,A.D., LARSEN,H.-C. et al. Proc. ODP Sci. Results, 152, 259-264.

1997

• MOSS,S.J., CHAMBERS,J., CLOKE,I., SATRIA,D., ALI,J.R., BAKER,S.J., MILSOM,J. & CARTER,A. 1997. New observations on the sedimentary and tectonic evolution of the Tertiary Kutai Basin, east Kalimantan. In: FRASER,A.J., MATTHEWS,S.J., MURPHY,R.W. (eds). Petroleum Geology of Southeast Asia. Geol. Soc. Lond. Spec. Pub., 126, 395-416.

1996

• ALI,J.R., HAILWOOD,E.A. & KING,C. 1996. The 'Oldhaven magnetozone' of East Anglia: a revised interpretation. In: KNOX,R.W.O'B., CORFIELD,R. & DUNAY,R.E. (eds). Correlation of the Early Paleogene in Northwest Europe. Geol. Soc. Lond. Spec. Pub., 101, 195-203.
  

• ALI,J.R. & JOLLEY,D.W. 1996. Chronostratigraphic framework for the Thanetian and lower Ypresian deposits of SE England. In: KNOX,R.W.O'B., CORFIELD,R. & DUNAY,R.E. (eds). Correlation of the Early Paleogene in Northwest Europe. Geol. Soc. Lond. Spec. Pub., 101, 129-144.
  

• ALI,J.R., MILSOM,J., FINCH,E.M. & MUBROTO,B. 1996. SE Sundaland accretion: palaeomagnetic evidence of large Plio-Pleistocene thin-skin rotations in Buton. In: HALL,R. & BLUNDELL,D.J. (eds). Tectonic evolution of SE Asia. Geol. Soc. Lond. Spec. Pub., 106, 431-443.
  

• ELLISON,R.A., ALI,J.R., HINE,N.M. & JOLLEY,D.W. 1996. Recognition of Chron C25n in the upper Paleocene Upnor Formation of the London Basin, UK. In: KNOX,R.W.O'B., CORFIELD,R. & DUNAY,R.E. (eds). Correlation of the Early Paleogene in northwest Europe. Geol. Soc. Lond. Spec. Pub., 101, 185-193.

1995

• ALI,J.R. & HAILWOOD,E.A. 1995. Magnetostratigraphy of upper Paleocene through lower middle Eocene strata of NW Europe. In: BERGGREN,W.A., KENT,D.V., AUBRY,M.-P. & HARDENBOL,J. (eds). Geochronology, time scales and stratigraphic correlation: framework for an historical geology. Soc. Econ. Paleontologists and Mineralogists Spec. Pub., 54, 271-274.
  

• ALI,J.R. & HALL,R. 1995. Evolution of the boundary between the Philippine Sea Plate and Australia: paleomagnetic evidence from eastern Indonesia. Tectonophysics, 251, 251-275.
  

• HALL,R., ALI,J.R. & ANDERSON,C.D. 1995. Cenozoic motion of the Philippine Sea Plate: paleomagnetic evidence from eastern Indonesia. Tectonics, 14, 1117-1132.
  

• HALL,R., ALI,J.R., ANDERSON,C.D. & BAKER,S.J. 1995. Origin and motion history of the Philippine Sea Plate: evidence from eastern Indonesia. Tectonophysics, 251, 229-250.

• HALL,R., FULLER,M., ALI,J.R. & ANDERSON, C.D. 1995. Philippine Sea Plate paleomagnetics and reconstructions. In: TAYLOR,B. & NATLAND,J.P. (eds). Active Margins and Marginal Basins: Synthesis of Western Pacific Drilling Results. AGU Monograph, 88, 371-404.
  
  

Post-Graduate Research Opportunities

• If you are interested in carrying out Post-Graduate Research in any of the above areas outlined above contact either myself of my colleague Jonathan Aitchison. We can explain the background to each of our projects. Critically, HKU has an excellent funding mechanism to support PG students. If you are enthusiastic, robust, like doing fieldwork in spectacular locations and would like to spend a few years of your life in an exotic city then send us an email.

Research Students

• Ms Falene Petrick (PhD student). March 2006-present. Paleomagnetic stuctural studies, southern Tibet (Jonathan Aitchison as second supervisor).

• Mr Hon Chim Chui (MPhil student). February 2006-present. South China Sea tsunami studies (Adam Switzer as second supervisor).

• Mr Jacky Chan (MPhil student). September 2004-present. Magnetobiostratigraphic studies of Paleogene sediments from the Yarlung Tsangpo suture zone, Tibet (Jonathan Aitchison as second supervisor).

• Ms Decibel Faustino (PhD student). January 2004-present. Paleomagnetic-tectonic studies of the Banggong Suture Zone, Tibet (Jonathan Aitchison as second supervisor).

• Mr Iain Ross (PhD student). November 2003-present. I am second supervisor to Iain Ross's PhD research on the tectonics of central Tibet (Jonathan Aitchison as principal supervisor).

• Mr Karlo Queano (PhD student). January 2002-January 2006. Tectonic evolution of Luzon, northern Philippines. (Jonathan Aitchison and Manuel Pubellier, Paris, as second supervisors).

• Mr Scott Whattam (PhD student). June 2000-October 2003. I supervised the paleomagnetic-tectonic component of this student's multi-disciplinary study of the Northland Ophiolite, New Zealand. (John Malpas and Ian Smith as senior supervisors).

• Ms Alexandra Abrajevjtch (M.Phil student). October 2000-October 2002. Paleomagnetic-tectonic studies of terranes trapped in the Yarlang-Tsangpo suture zone, Tibet (Jonathan Aitchison as second supervisor).

• Mr Yongxiang Li (MPhil student) October 1997-2000. Paleomagnetism of Mesozoic and Cenozoic rocks from Hong Kong (Lung Chan as second supervisor).

Post-Graduate Research Opportunities

• If you are interested in carrying out Post-Graduate Research in any of the above areas outlined above contact either myself of my colleague Jonathan Aitchison. We can explain the background to each of our projects. Critically, HKU has an excellent funding mechanism to support PG students. If you are enthusiastic, robust, like doing fieldwork in spectacular locations and would like to spend a few years of your life in an exotic city then send us an email.

Research Grants (those in red are from the Hong Kong Research Grants Council)

• July 2005: Quantifying crustal shortening within the Asia plate as a result of the India collision: mapping, age-dating and paleomagnetic investigation of Cenozoic rocks on the Lhasa block (with Jonathan Aitchison, HKU; and Ching-hua Lo, NTU, Taipei) HK-RGC (HK$321k).

• April 2005: Investigation of recent tsunami events in the western Philippines (with Jonathan Aitchison, Gray Williams and Cynthia Yau, HKU) HKU-Science Faculty fund (HK$80k).

• July 2004: Determining the age and duration of volcanism associated with the Emeishan large igneous province (SW China), and its temporal link with the end-Guadalupian mass extinction (with Meifu Zhou, HKU; and Paul Wignall, Leeds, UK) HK-RGC (HK$283k).

• April 2003. Stratigraphical investigations of the Emeishan Basalts equivalents in northern Vietnam (Co-I with Gary Thompson). Stephen S.F. Hui Fund (HK$50k).

• March 2003. Extreme life systems around the Lake Taal volcanic complex, northern Philippines (Co-I with Steve Pointing and Jonathan Aitchison). HKU Science Faculty interdisciplinary research fund (HK$100k).

• January 2003. Paleomagnetic study of Paleogene rocks, Kazakhstan, central Asia. HKU-CRCG (HK$72k).
  

• July 2002: Deciphering Philippine Sea Plate's origin and motion history: new approach using terranes from the Philippines (with Jonathan Aitchison and Karlo Queano, HKU; Manuel Pubellier, Paris; Graciano Yumul, Manila; Mike Fuller, Hawaii). HK$509k from the HK-RGC.

• Fall 2001: Permian/Triassic Boundary Busuanga Island, Philippines: cause, effects and duration of a mass extinction. (Co-Investigator,  Jonathan Aitchison the PI). HKU-CRCG (HK$61k).

• May 2001: Pilot study to quantitatively determine the spatial separation of the South and North China Blocks during the Paleozoic. HKU-Dept Earth Sciences (HK$9.4k).

• January 2001: Magnetostratigraphic dating of the Permian Emeishan Flood Basalts, Sichuan Province, southwest China HKU-CRCG (HK$70k).

• October 1998: Tectonic and temporal relationships of ophiolitic and other rocks between the Lhasa (China) and Himalayan (India) terranes (Co-Investigator, Dr Jonathan Aitchison the PI). HK RGC (HK$411k).

• July 1999. Pilot studies of the Jiamusi Terrane, NE China. HKU-Stephen S.F. Hui Fund (HK$11.2k).

• July 1998: Testing orogenic collapse hypotheses in eastern Indonesia (project not started because of political and civil unrest in east Indonesia in 1998-2000). HKU-CRCG (HK$70k).

• November 1997: Origin of ocean crust fragments in New Caledonia: refining plate tectonic models for the SW Pacific using paleomagnetism. HKU-CRCG (HK$70k).

• June 1997: Magnetostratigraphic investigations of the Paleocene/Eocene boundary sequences in DSDP Holes 549, 550 and ODP Hole 690B. HKU-Dept Earth Sciences (HK$18k).

Editorial Responsibilities

• Journal of Asian Earth Sciences editorial board.

• Marine Geophysical Researches editorial board.

page content maintained by:
Dr J.R. Ali