Dr Robert Thomas
Senior Survey Geologist
Location: Keyworth
Tel: 0115 936 3061
E-mail Dr Robert Thomas
Biography
- 2002 –current : Geologist, British Geological Survey
- 1979 –2002 : Geological Survey of South Africa / Council for Geosciences, Upington, Pietermaritzburg and Cape Town
- 1978 : Ph.D. from Queen Mary College, London
- 1977 –1979 : Part-time lecturer in geology, Kingston Polytechnic, Goldsmith's College, London
- 1973 : B.Sc. (Hons) Geology (External London), Kingston Polytechnic
Current projects and collaboration
- Collaboration with Council for Geoscience, Proterozoic of southern Africa
- Collaboration with University of Bergen and Geological Survey of Norway on East African–Antarctic Orogeny and Gondwana–Rodinia studies
- Field mapping and associated research in North Madagascar
- Project Leader, field 'Geoschool' (Tanzania)
- United Arab Emirates 'hard-rock' project
- United Arab Emirates desert mapping
Skills
- African geology
- Digital mapping
- Geological mapping, all terrains (basement specialist)
- Igneous, metamorphic petrology and petrography
- Scientific editing
Professional association
- Editorial Board, Journal of African Earth Sciences
- Member of Geological Society of Africa
- Member of Geological Society of South Africa
- Member, South African Committee for Stratigraphy, Task Group for Cape Granites
- Registered geologist SACNAS
- Reviewer for: Precambrian Research, South African Journal of Geology, South African Journal of Antarctic Research, Journal of African Earth Sciences, South African Lithostratigraphic Units (SACS), Geological Magazine, Journal of the Geological Society of London, Terra Antarctica, Gondwana Research, Journal of Geology, Geology, Antarctic Science
Research interests
- East African / Antarctic Orogen and related belts
- Geological teaching for Africa
- Igneous and metamorphic petrology
- Ophiolites
- Precambrian crustal evolution
- Structural geology and tectonics
- Supercontinent aggregation and dispersal
Published outputs
Key papers
Bauer, W, Walsh, GJ, de Waele, B, Thomas, RJ, Horstwood, MSA, Bracciali, L, Schofield, DI, Wollenberg, U, Lidke, DJ, Rasaona, IT and Rabarimanana, MH. 2011. Cover Sequences at the Northern Margin of the Antongil Craton, NE Madagascar. Precambrian Research, 189, 292–312. doi:10.1016/j.precamres.2011.07.018
Bingen, B, Jacobs, J, Viola, G, Henderson, IH, Skår, Ø, Boyd, R, Thomas, RJ, Solli, A, Key, RM and Daudi, EX. 2009. Geochronology of the Precambrian crust in the Mozambique Belt of NE Mozambique, and implications for Gondwana assembly. Precambrian Research. 170, 231-255.
Boyd, R, Nordgulen, Ø, Thomas, RJ, Bingen, B, Bjerkgård, T, Grenne, T, Henderson, I, Melezhik, V, Often, M, Sandstad, JS, Solli, A, Tveten, E, Viola, G, Key, RM, Smith, RA, Gonzalez, E, Hollick, L, Jacobs, J, Jamal, D, Motuza, G, Bauer, W, Daudi, E, Feitio, P, Manhica, V, Moniz, A and Rosse, D. 2010. The geology and geochemistry of the East African Orogen in Northeastern Mozambique. South African Journal of Geology. 113.1, 87-129. doi:2113/gssajg.113.1.87.
De Waele, B, Thomas, RJ, Macey, PH, Horstwood, MSA, RM, Tucker, Pitfield, PEP, Schofield, DI, Goodenough, KM, Bauer, W, Key, RM, Potter, CJ, Armstrong, RA, Miller, J, Randriamananjara, T, Ralison, V, Rafahatelo, J-M, Rabarimana, M, Bejoma, M. 2011. Provenance and tectonic significance of the Palaeoproterozoic metasedimentary successions of central and northern Madagascar. Precambrian Research, 189. 18-42. Doi:10.1016/j.precamres.2011.04.004
Eglington, BM, Thomas, RJ and Armstrong, RA. 2010. U-Pb SHRIMP zircon dating of Mesoproterozoic magmatic rocks from the Scottburgh area, central Mzumbe Terrane, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, South African Journal of Geology. 113.2, 141-148. doi:10.2113/gssajg.113.2.229.
Emmel, B, Kumar, R, Daszinnies, MC, Ueda, K, Jacobs, J, Thomas, RJ and Matola, R. 2011. Thermochronological history of an orogen-passive margin system – an example from NE Mozambique. Tectonics, 30, 21 pp. doi:10.1029/2010TC002714.
Goodenough, KM, Styles, MT, Schofield, DI, Thomas, RJ, Crowley, QG, Lilly, RM, McKervey, J, Stephenson, D and Carney, J. 2010. Architecture of the Oman-UAE Ophiolite: evidence for a multi-phase magmatic history. Arabian Journal of Earth Sciences. 3, 439–458. doi: 10.1007/s12517-010-0177-3.
Goodenough, KM, Thomas, RJ De Waele, B, Key, RM, Schofield, DI., Bauer, W, Tucker, RM, Rafahatelo, J-M, Rabarimanana, M, Ralison, AV and Randriamananjara, T. 2010. Post-collisional magmatism in the central East African Orogen: the Maevarano Suite of north Madagascar. Lithos, 116, 18-34.
Jacobs, J and Thomas, RJ. 2004. A Himalayan-type indentor-escape tectonic model for the southern part of the Late Neoproterozoic/Early Paleozoic East African/Antarctic Orogen. Geology. 32, 721-724.
Jacobs, J, Bingen, B, Thomas, RJ, Bauer, W, Wingate, M, Feitio, P. 2008. Early Palaeozoic orogenic collapse and voluminous late-tectonic magmatism in Dronning Maud Land and Mozambique: insights into the partially delaminated root of the East African-Antarctic Orogen? In: Geodynamic evolution of East Antarctica: a key to the East-West Gondwana connection (M. Satish-Kumar et al., Eds.). Geological Society London, Special Publication 308, 69-90.
Jacobs, J, Patzelt, G, Spaeth, G and Thomas, RJ. 2009. A note on the discovery of two new nunatacks in the southernmost Heimefrontfjella. Polarforschung, 79 (1) 21-22.
Jacobs, J, Pizarevsky, S, Thomas, RJ, Becker, T. 2008. The Kalahari Craton during the assembly and dispersal of Rodinia. Precambrian Research 160, 142-158.
Key, RM, Pitfield, PEP, Thomas, RJ, Goodenough, KM, De Waele, B, Schofield DI, Bauer, W, Horstwood, MSA, Styles, MT, Conrad, J, Encarnacion, J, Lidke, DJ, O’Connor, EA, Potter, C, Smith, RA, Walsh, GJ, Ralison, AV, Randriamananjara, T, Rafahatelo, JM and Rabarimanana, M. 2011. Polyphase Neoproterozoic orogenesis within the East Africa-Antarctica Orogenic Belt in central and northern Madagascar. Special Issue of the Geological Society of London. (in press).
Macey, PH, Thomas, RJ, Grantham, GH, Ingram, BA, Jacobs, J, Armstrong, RA, Roberts, MP, Hollick, L, Bingen, B, de Kock, GS, Viola, G, Bauer, W, Gonzales, E, Bjerkgård, T, Henderson, IHC, Sandstad, JS, Cronwright, MS, Harley, S, Solli, A, Nordgulen, Ø, Motuza, G, Daudi, E and Manhica, V. 2010. Mesoproterozoic geology of the Nampula Subprovince, northern Mozambique: tracing fragments of Mesoproterozoic crust in the heart of Gondwana. Precambrian Research. 182, (1-2), 124-148. doi:10.1016/j.precamres.2010.07.005.
Schofield, DI, Thomas, RJ, Goodenough, KM, De Waele, B, Pitfield, PEP, Key, R M, Bauer, W, Walsh, GJ, Lidke, DJ, Ralison, AV, Rabarimanana, M, Rafahatelo, JM and Randriamananjara, T. 2010. Geological evolution of the Antongil Craton, NE Madagascar. Precambrian Research. 182, 187-203. doi:10.1016/j.precamres.2010.07.006.
Thomas, RJ, Armstrong, RA and Eglington, BM. 2003. Geochronology of the Sikombe Granite, Transkei, Natal Metamorphic Province. South African Journal of Geology, 106, (3), 403-408.
Thomas, RJ, De Waele, B, Schofield, DI, Goodenough, KM, Horstwood, MSA, Tucker, R, Bauer, W, Annells, R, Howard, K, Walsh, G, Rabarimanana, M, Rafahatelo, JM, Ralison, AV, Randriamananjara, T. 2009 Geological Evolution of the Neoproterozoic Bemarivo Belt, northern Madagascar. Precambrian Research 172, 279-300.
Thomas, RJ, Fekkak, A, Ennih, N, Errami, E, Loughlin, ES, Gresse, PG, Chevallier, LP and Liegeois, J-P. 2005. A new lithostratigraphic framework for the Anti-Atlas Orogen, Morocco. Journal of African Earth Sciences, 39, 217-226.
Thomas, RJ, Gresse, PG, Harmer, RE, Eglington, BM, Armstrong, RA, de Beer, CH, Chevallier, LC, Martini, JEJ, de Kock, GS, Fick, T, Macey, P. and Ingram, B. 2002. Precambrian evolution of the Sirwa Window, Anti-Atlas Orogen, Morocco. Precambrian Research. 137, 1-57.
Thomas, RJ, Jacobs, J, Horstwood, MSA, Ueda, K, Bingen, B and Matola, R. 2010. The Mecubúri and Alto Benfica Groups, NE Mozambique: aids to unravelling ca.1 Ga and 0.5 Ga events in the East African Orogen. Precambrian Research, 171, 72-90.doi:10.1016/.j.precamres.2010.01.010.
Ueda, K, Jacobs, J, Thomas, RJ, Kosler, J, Jourdan, F and Matola, R. 2011. Delamination-induced late tectonic deformation and high-grade metamorphism of the Proterozoic Nampula Complex, northern Mozambique. Precambrian Research. doi:10.1016/j.precamres.2011.05.012. (in press).
Viola, G, Henderson, IHC, Bingen, B, Thomas, RJ, Smethurst, M and De Azavedo, S. 2008. Growth and collapse of a deeply eroded orogen: insights from structural and geochronological constraints on the Pan-African evolution of NE Mozambique. Tectonics, 27. 1-31.
