I am strongly field-based geologist, with interests in Sedimentology, Palaeontology and Geochronology.

My primary research focuses on reconstructing the sedimentary, tectonic and faunal histories of  continental basins. The areas of interest for me include: the East African Rift System, in particular the Rukwa Rift Basin in Tanzania; the Eromanga & Galilee basins in Australia; the Kaiparowits Basin in western North America; the James Ross Basin in Antarctica; the Lufeng Basin in China; the Cradle of Humankind in South Africa; and a suite of other sedimentary basins in Africa, including the Mana Pools & Mid-Zambezi basins (Zimbabwe), the Congo Basin (DRC), the Algoa Basin (South Africa) and the Taoudeni and Iullemmeden basins (Mali). My research involves facies and provenance analysis (sandstone petrography and detrital zircon geochronology) along with sequence stratigraphy, chronostratigraphy, and lithostratigraphy to interpret and reconstruct tectonic and depositional histories.  Moreover, I work in close collaboration with palaeontologists and palaeobotanists to provide geologic context to the floras and faunas preserved within these basins. This holistic basin analysis approach is critical to testing a variety of hypotheses related to past environments and climates, drainage histories, palaeobiogeography, and extinction and evolution of vertebrate and plant communities at the close of the Mesozoic and beginning of the Cenozoic in Gondwana and Laurasia. Through this research, I also maintain and foster collaborative links with industry, including ongoing projects and collaborations in Oil and Gas, coal and diamond exploration. Other research interests include: 1) vertebrate taphonomy—particularly in relation to basin-scale controls on the preservation and distribution of widespread vertebrate fossil accumulations in the sedimentary record; 2) sedimentology and taphonomy of fossil-bearing Plio-Pleistocene cave deposits in the Cradle of Humankind, South Africa; 3) tectono-sedimentary evolution of the East African Rift System and implications for faunal evolution in Africa; 4) stratigraphy and palaeontology of the Upper Cretaceous strata in the Antarctic Peninsula 5) sedimentology, ichnology and taphonomy of mixed carbonate-siliciclastic systems in South Africa and the Great Barrier Reef System in Northern Queensland; 6) high-precision geochronology and correlation of Late Campanian strata and faunas in the Western Interior Basin, North America.

****I am currently seeking students interested in conducting PhD research that integrate tectonic, sedimentologic (detrital geochronology) and palaeontologic data for reconstructing Mesozoic-Cenozoic sedimentary basins in Australia, China, North America, and Africa. James Cook University offers competitive PhD scholarships to well-qualified applicants. Please email me for details (eric.roberts@jcu.edu.au).****

Go to my research group website for more information.  http://www.gravelmonkeys.org

Teaching

• EA2110: Introduction to Sedimentology (Level 2; TSV)
• EA2900: Introductory Field Geology (Level 2; TSV)
• EA3650: Sedimentary Environments and Energy Resources (Level 3; TSV)
• EV5961: Ecosystem Dynamics - Ridge to Reef (Level 5; TSV)
• SC1101: Science: Nature, Knowledge and Understanding (Level 1; TSV)

Experience

• 2001 to 2005 - PhD, University of Utah
• 1997 to 1999 - MSc, University of Montana
• 1992 to 1996 - BA, Cornell College

Research Disciplines

• Geology (0403)

Socio-Economic Objectives

• Expanding Knowledge (9701)
• Energy Exploration (8501)

Awards

• 2015 - James Cook University Excellence Award for Research

Other

• Associate Editor, Frontiers in Earth Sciences
• Associate Editor, Palaios
• Editorial Board Member, Scientific Data (Nature)

These are the most recent publications associated with this author. To see a detailed profile of all publications stored at JCU, visit ResearchOnline@JCU. Hover over Altmetrics badges to see social impact.

Journal Articles

• Berger L, Hawks J, Dirks P, Elliott M and Roberts E (2017) Homo naledi and Pleistocene hominin evolution in subequatorial Africa. eLife, 6. pp. 1-19
• Carr T, Varricchio D, Sedlymeyer J, Roberts E and Moore J (2017) A new tyrannosaur with evidence for anagenesis and crocodile-like facial sensory system. Scientific Reports, 7. pp. 1-11
• Dirks P, Roberts E, Hilbert-Wolf H, Kramers J, Hawks J, Dossetto A, Duval M, Elliott M, Evans M, Grün R, Hellstrom J, Herries A, Joannes-Boyau R, Makhubela T, Placzek C, Robbins J, Spandler C, Wiersma J, Woodhead J and Berger L (2017) The age of Homo naledi and associated sediments in the Rising Star Cave, South Africa. eLife, 6. pp. 1-59
• Hawks J, Elliott M, Schmid P, Churchill S, DeRuiter D, Roberts E, Hilbert-Wolf H, Garvin H, Delezene L, Williams S, Feuerriegel E, Randolph-Quinney P, Kivell T, Laird M, Tawane G, DeSilva J, Bailey S, Brophy J, Meyer M, Skinner M, Tocheri M, VanSickle C, Walker C, Campbell T, Kuhn B, Kruger A, Tucker S, Gurtov A, Hlophe N, Hunter R, Morris H, Peixotto B, Ramalepa M, van Rooyen D, Tsikoane M, Boshoff P, Dirks P and Berger L (2017) New fossil remains of Homo naledi from the Lesedi Chamber, South Africa. eLife, 6. pp. 1-63
• Hilbert-Wolf H, Roberts E, Downie B, Mtelela C, Stevens N and O'Connor P (2017) Application of U-Pb detrital zircon geochronology to drill cuttings for age control in hydrocarbon exploration wells: a case example from the Rukwa Rift Basin, Tanzania. AAPG Bulletin, 101 (2). pp. 143-159
• Mtelela C, Roberts E, Hilbert-Wolf H, Downie R, Hendrix M, O'Connor P and Stevens N (2017) Sedimentology and paleoenvironments of a new fossiliferous late Miocene-Pliocene sedimentary succession in the Rukwa Rift Basin, Tanzania. Journal of African Earth Sciences, 129. pp. 260-281
• Dirks P, Berger L, Hawks J, Randolph-Qunney P, Backwell L and Roberts E (2016) Comment on "Deliberate body disposal by hominins in the Dinaledi Chamber, Cradle of Humankind, South Africa?". Journal of Human Evolution , 96. pp. 149-153
• Dirks P, Placzek C, Fink D, Dosseto A and Roberts E (2016) Using Be-10 cosmogenic isotopes to estimate erosion rates and landscape changes during the Plio-Pleistocene in the Cradle of Humankind, South Africa. Journal of Human Evolution , 96. pp. 19-34
• Hilbert-Wolf H, Roberts E and Simpson E (2016) New sedimentary structures in seismites from SW Tanzania: evaluating gas- vs. water-escape mechanisms of soft-sediment deformation. Sedimentary Geology, 344. pp. 253-262
• Jadoon Q, Roberts E, Blenkinsop T, Wust R and Shah S (2016) Petrophysical evaluation and uncertainty analysis of Roseneath and Murteree shales reservoirs in Cooper Basin, Australia (a case study). Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, 147. pp. 330-345
• Jadoon Q, Roberts E, Blenkinsop T, Wust R and Shah S (2016) Mineralogical modelling and petrophysical parameters in Permian gas shales from the Roseneath and Murteree formations, Cooper Basin, Australia. Petroleum Exploration and Development, 43 (2). pp. 277-284
• Jadoon Q, Roberts E, Blenkinsop T and Wust R (2016) Organic petrography and thermal maturity of the Permian Roseneath and Murteree shales in the Cooper Basin, Australia. International Journal of Coal Geology, 154-155. pp. 240-256

Current and recent Research Funding to JCU is shown by funding source and project.

Advisory Accreditation: I can be on your Advisory Panel as a Primary or Secondary Advisor.

These Higher Degree Research projects are either current or by students who have completed their studies within the past 5 years at JCU. Linked titles show theses available within ResearchOnline@JCU.

Current

• Seismic Stratigraphy of the Great Barrier Reef (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Geochemistry of Titanite Hosted Melt Inclusions from within Oligocene Aged Tuffs in the Rukwa Rift Basin, Southwestern Tanzania (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Establishing a Tectonic Framework for the Cretaceous break-up of Eastern Gondwana: Insights from Papua New Guinea and Offshore Geology of the Coral and Tasman Seas. (PhD , Advsor Mentor)
• Geological setting and mineralisation characteristics of the Pac Lang Au-W Deposits, Bac Kan province, Northeastern Vietnam (PhD , Advsor Mentor)
• Stratigraphy and Sedimentary Basin Analysis of Queensland's Jurassic to Cretaceous Basins, and the application of U-Pb Detrital Zircon Geochronology to Reconstruct Tectonic History and Palaeodrainage Evolution. (PhD , Primary Advisor)
• Bentonite Tephrostratigraphy and High-Precision Geochronology of Richly Fossiliferous Upper Cretaceous Continental Strata in the Western Interior Basin, North America (PhD , Primary Advisor)
• Understanding the Genesis and Patterns of Cave Fill across the Cradle of Humankind, South Africa (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Seismic Stratigraphy and Petroleum Systems of the Mentelle Basin, South West Western Australia (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Mesozoic Detrital Zircon Provenance of Central Africa: Implications for Jurassic-Cretaceous Tectonics, Paleogeography and Landscape Evolution. (PhD , Primary Advisor)
• Cave sedimentation processes, geochronology, and the distribution of hominins at Rising Star Cave, Cradle of Humankind, South Africa (PhD , Primary Advisor)

Completed

• Reflected in the soil: Site formation processes as an index of social and environmental change at the site of Ban Non Wat, NE Thailand (2016, Masters , Secondary Advisor)
• Unconventional shale gas reservoir characterization and modelling of the Permian Roseneath and Murteree shales in the Cooper Basin, Australia (2016, PhD , Primary Advisor)
• Integrating paleoseismic studies with geochronology and thermochronology to understand the timing of rifting, volcanism and uplift in the Rukwa Rift Basin, Tanzania (2016, PhD , Primary Advisor)
• Sedimentology and stratigraphy of the late Cenozoic lake beds succession, Rukwa Rift Basin, Tanzania: implications for hydrocarbon prospectivity (2017, PhD , Primary Advisor)
• Stratigraphy, sedimentation and age of the upper cretaceous Winton formation, central-western Queensland, Australia: implications for regional palaeogeography, palaeoenvironments and Gondwanan palaeontolog (2014, PhD , Primary Advisor)

The map shows research collaborations by institution from the past 7 years.
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