Professor Jonathan Aitchison
Professor

Jonathan Aitchison

Email: 
Phone: 
+61 7 336 56527

Background

Jonathan is a Professorial Research Fellow in the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences (SEES) at The University of Queensland. Originally from New Zealand, he grew up on an active plate boundary where the rocks and types of landscapes he studies are generated. After graduating with a BSc Hons and MSc at the University of Otago and a stint in Antarctica, he studied in Japan as a Monbusho Schol at Niigata University. Following that he came to Australia where he undertook PhD studies at UNE focussing on the tectonic evolution of the New England orogen using radiolarian microfossils to determine the ages of marine rocks and constrain the timing of tectonic events. On completion of his PhD, he participated in the Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Expedition 126 to the Izu-Bonin-Marianas system as a micropaleontologist to investigate intra-oceanic island arc development. He then returned to Japan to take up a JSPS (Japan Society for the Promotion of Science) postdoctoral fellowship at Kochi University examining radiolarians in subduction complex rocks on the island of Shikoku. After spending five years during the early 1990s at the Department of Geology and Geophysics of the University of Sydney, he moved to the University of Hong Kong in 1995. At HKU he led the HKU Tibet Research Group and has now worked for over two decades on the India-Asia collision system. Most of his work involves using microfossils to constraint the ages of different rocks and thereby deduce the timing of tectonic events. We was Head of the Department of Earth Sciences at HKU from 2003-2009. In 2011, he returned to Australia and the University of Sydney after accepting the Edgeworth David Chair of Geology. Professor Aitchison commenced with UQ as Head of the School of Geography, Planning and Environmental Management in February 2015 until the end of 2016 when this school was merged with Earth Sciences to become the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences. He was busy with duties and responsibilities as head of this very large school from 2017 through 2021. Now free to get on with his research, Jonathan maintains active programs in both micropaleontology and tectonics including: Early Paleozoic radiolarian evolution and development of microCT imaging techniques for microfossils, the India-Asia collision system, tectonics of eastern Gondwana, as well as paleobiogeography in Galapagos and the Indian Ocean. He has recently commenced an exciting investigation into deep recycling of organic carbon and the possibility that 'biodiamond's might occur in ophiolites of the SW Pacific region.

Availability

Professor Jonathan Aitchison is:
Not available for supervision

Fields of research

Earth Sciences Geology Marine geoscience Natural hazards Palaeontology (incl. palynology) Physical geography and environmental geoscience Quaternary environments Sedimentology Stratigraphy (incl. biostratigraphy, sequence stratigraphy and basin analysis) Structural geology and tectonics

Qualifications

  • Doctor of Philosophy, University of New England Australia

Research interests

  • Patkai-Bum TTF triple junction - India/Myanmar/China border region

    The deep jungles of Namdapha in far NE India conceal a geological treasure trove of information about the migratory evolution of a TTF (trench-trench-fault) triple junction where Indian, Myanmar micro- and Eurasian plates meet. The geology of this are is little studied but its understanding is fundamental to deciphering evolution of the India-Asia collision system. The project involves collaboration between colleagues from Australia, India and Myanmar.

  • India-Asia collision

    This project began in 1997 and is on-going. It involves study of the greatest tectonic collision on Earth - that between India and Asia, which is responsible for uplift of the Himalaya and Tibetan Plateau. Prior to this collision other tectonic elements within the Tethyan Ocean also collided with either India or Asia and these enigmatic events are of particular interest.

  • Arc-continent collisions

    The development of collisional systems is an integral part of plate tectonics. many collisional systems are much more complex that initially envisaged. For example the India-Asia collision was preceded one or more arc-continent collisions. Understanding these systems requires detailed and often painstaking field research using basic geological skills such as field mapping that provide the spatial basis for later laboratory based analytical work. Our group is working on tectonic reconstruction of the evolutionary history of collages such as the Tibet-Himalayan system; western and southwestern China, SE Asia, the New England and Lachlan fold belts of eastern Australia and the arc-contient collision system in New Caledonia

  • Early Paleozoic radiolarian evolution

    The origins and evolution of radiolarians from the Cambrian through to the Permian; using microCT as a tool for 3D imaging of radiolarian fossils

  • Radiolarian-bearing shales and unconventional hydrocarbon resources

    It appears that many of the exciting new unconventional hydrocarbon plays involve sedimentary facies that include radiolarian-bearing shales (e.g. Longmaxi Formation in the Silurian of the Sichuan Basin and many of the Upper Devonian to Lower Carboniferous rocks of the US mid west). I am interested in interpretation of the development of this facies as well as the influence that siliceous radiolarian skeletons have on facilitating 'frackability' of these rocks.

  • REE in ancient deep-sea muds

    Anomalous abundances of REE and Yttrium are know from deep-sea muds of the Pacific Ocean. This project seeks to examine inland ancient examples of similar sediments in accretionary complexes as potential REY resources.

  • Diamonds and recycled mantle

    This exciting project related to IGCP project 649 [http://www.igcp649.com] Several ophiolites within the Tibet-Himalayan-Alpine orogenic system that were once part of the extensive Tethyan ocean contain microscopic diamonds. I am interested to investigate whether this is unique to the Tethyan system or common amongst other ophiolites such as those which have collided with, and been emplaced onto, elements of the eastern margin of Gondwana. In particular ophiolitic rocks in New Caledonia, New Zealand and eastern Australia are being targeted.

  • Sedimentary response to intra-oceanic subduction within orogens: A case study of the North Qilian belt

    In collaboration with colleagues at the Institute of Geology of the Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing I am working on an NSFC-funded project to investigate intra-oceanic subduction is ubiquitous and ongoing in modern oceanic basins, but it is rarely reported in ancient orogenic belts. At present, the identification of ancient intra-oceanic subduction processes is mostly based on the study of igneous rocks, and there has been a lack of sedimentological constraints. As a product of plate convergence, orogenic belts have recorded intra-ocean, ocean-continent subduction and continent-continent collision processes, and are natural laboratories for reshaping ancient subduction processes. The relatively complete Early Paleozoic trench-arc (basin) system outcropped in the North Qilian structural belt was formed in intra-oceanic and ocean-continental subduction, which provides an opportunity for classical research on the sedimentary response to intra-oceanic subduction. This project takes the Cambrian-Ordovician sedimentary basin in North Qilian as the research object, systematically studies the basin filling sequence, sedimentary facies and depositional environment, composition and source area of the filling, and focuses on petrology, clastic mineral structure and age "fingerprint" Combined with regional magmatic, metamorphic, and paleontological data, comprehensively analyze basin types and the evolution of the original Tethys Ocean, reconstruct the history of intraoceanic subduction and sedimentary responses, eliminate the blind spots in the study of intraoceanic subduction sedimentary records in orogenic belts, and try to establish a general The adaptive identification system of paleo-oceanic subduction geological records can make up for the defect that modern oceanic subduction zone studies cannot reveal the complete depositional process of basins, and provide new ideas and methods for the identification of intra-oceanic subduction of orogenic paleo-oceanic basins.

Research impacts

Professor Aitchison's research interests include the evolution of the the India-Asia collision system. This involves the Himalaya and Tibet-Qinghai Plateau and surrounding regions over a variety of time scales. He has a strong interest in tectonics and collision zones especially those involving intra-oceanic island arcs and ophiolites, subduction initiation, continental collision; the Yarlung Tsangpo, Indus, Bangong-Nujiang and Shyok suture zones, as well as the the role of tecotnics in the climatic evolution of Tibet. Recent fieldwork has concentrated in NW India in Ladakh as well as NE India in Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland and Manipur. He has also been working on the northern margin of the Tibetan Plateau in the Qinling and Qilian regions. He also investigates the evolution of life on Earth, biogeography and extremophile organisms, radiolarian paleoecology and biostratigraphy, the tectonic evolution of East Asia and the tectonic evolution of eastern Australia through the Phanerozoic and island biogeography and the complex interplay between Darwinian biological evolution, and eustatic and subsidence driven sea-level change especially in the Galapagos. Recent paleobiogeographic work has involved Christmas Island and the Wallace Line.

The main projects he has been working on are as lead CI on an ARC DP funded investigation of "Early Paleozoic radiolarian evolution". This DP is now completed by the research continues and involves examination of incredibly well preserved radiolarian faunas using microCT (and from November 2022) synchrotron technology.

Jonathan is also working on another ARC DP funded project entitled "Diamonds in ophiolite: Recycling deep mantle into supra-subduction zones" examining ophiolitic rocks in New Caledonia, New Zealand and New England. These rocks include diamonds that carry and organic isotopic signature and are unique to supra-subduction zone ophiolites.

Search Professor Jonathan Aitchison’s works on UQ eSpace

281 works between 1983 and 2025
All (281) Journal Article (233) Book Chapter (8) Conference Publication (31) Book (1) Other Outputs (8)

21 - 40 of 281 works

2023

Journal Article

Middle Miocene final demise of remnants of an eastern Neotethyan seaway, Naga Hills, Indo-Myanmar Range

Lokho, Kapesa, Aitchison, Jonathan C., Kumar, Ankit, Zhou, Renjie, Prakasam, Muthusamy and Raju, D. S. N. (2023). Middle Miocene final demise of remnants of an eastern Neotethyan seaway, Naga Hills, Indo-Myanmar Range. Marine Micropaleontology, 181 102243, 102243. doi: 10.1016/j.marmicro.2023.102243

Middle Miocene final demise of remnants of an eastern Neotethyan seaway, Naga Hills, Indo-Myanmar Range

2023

Journal Article

Early Cretaceous monsoonal upwelling along the northern margin of the Gondwana continent: evidence from radiolarian cherts

Cui, Xiaohui, Li, Xin, Aitchison, Jonathan C. and Luo, Hui (2023). Early Cretaceous monsoonal upwelling along the northern margin of the Gondwana continent: evidence from radiolarian cherts. Marine Micropaleontology, 181 102247, 1-17. doi: 10.1016/j.marmicro.2023.102247

Early Cretaceous monsoonal upwelling along the northern margin of the Gondwana continent: evidence from radiolarian cherts

2023

Journal Article

Thank You to Our 2022 Reviewers

Schildgen, Taylor, Aitchison, Jonathan C., Jolivet, Laurent and Rusmore, Margi (2023). Thank You to Our 2022 Reviewers. Tectonics, 42 (4) e2023TC007891. doi: 10.1029/2023tc007891

Thank You to Our 2022 Reviewers

2023

Journal Article

Mid-Miocene sea level altitude of the Qaidam Basin, northern Tibetan Plateau

Sun, Yuanyuan, Liang, Yu, Liu, Hu, Liu, Jun, Ji, Junliang, Ke, Xue, Liu, Xiaobo, He, Yuxin, Wang, Huanye, Zhang, Bin, Zhang, Yongsu, Zhuang, Guangsheng, Pei, Junling, Li, Yongxiang, Quan, Cheng, Li, Jianxing, Aitchison, Jonathan C., Liu, Weiguo and Liu, Zhonghui (2023). Mid-Miocene sea level altitude of the Qaidam Basin, northern Tibetan Plateau. Communications Earth and Environment, 4 (1) 3. doi: 10.1038/s43247-022-00671-8

Mid-Miocene sea level altitude of the Qaidam Basin, northern Tibetan Plateau

2023

Conference Publication

U-Pb dating and trace element analysis of zircon and apatite in chromitite: constraints on the forearc evolution of the New Caledonia Ophiolite

Patias, Daniel, Zhou, Renjie, Aitchison, Jonathan, Ireland, Trevor and Cluzel, Dominique (2023). U-Pb dating and trace element analysis of zircon and apatite in chromitite: constraints on the forearc evolution of the New Caledonia Ophiolite. Goldschmidt2023, Lyon, France, 9-14 July 2023. Paris, France: European Association of Geochemistry. doi: 10.7185/gold2023.19010

U-Pb dating and trace element analysis of zircon and apatite in chromitite: constraints on the forearc evolution of the New Caledonia Ophiolite

2022

Conference Publication

Ophiolitic biodiamonds – some of subduction’s little gems

Aitchison, J. C. , Cluzel, D. , Ireland, T. R. , Patias, D. and Zhou, R. J. (2022). Ophiolitic biodiamonds – some of subduction’s little gems. AGU 2022 Fall Meeting, Chicago, IL, United States, 9-13 December 2022. online: AGU.

Ophiolitic biodiamonds – some of subduction’s little gems

2022

Journal Article

Altaids: Accretionary tectonics writ large

Aitchison, Jonathan C (2022). Altaids: Accretionary tectonics writ large. National Science Review, 10 (2) nwac153, nwac153. doi: 10.1093/nsr/nwac153

Altaids: Accretionary tectonics writ large

2022

Conference Publication

Dating podiform chromitite, Tiébaghi Cr deposit, New Caledonia

Cluzel, Dominique, Aitchison, Jonathan C., Zhou, Renjie, Ireland, Trevor, Heizler, Matthew, Patias, Daniel, Lesimple, Stephane, Maurizot, Pierre and Teyssier, Christian (2022). Dating podiform chromitite, Tiébaghi Cr deposit, New Caledonia. 23rd International Mineralogical Association General Meeting, Lyon, France, 18-22 July 2022.

Dating podiform chromitite, Tiébaghi Cr deposit, New Caledonia

2022

Journal Article

Cambrian intra-oceanic subduction within the southern branch of the Proto-Tethyan Ocean: Constraints from rhyolites in the Lajishan suture, NE Tibetan Plateau

Fu, Changlei, Yan, Zhen, Aitchison, Jonathan C., Xiao, Wenjiao, Wang, Bingzhang, Buckman, Solomon, Li, Wufu and Guo, Shuhua (2022). Cambrian intra-oceanic subduction within the southern branch of the Proto-Tethyan Ocean: Constraints from rhyolites in the Lajishan suture, NE Tibetan Plateau. Journal of Asian Earth Sciences, 232 105124, 1-13. doi: 10.1016/j.jseaes.2022.105124

Cambrian intra-oceanic subduction within the southern branch of the Proto-Tethyan Ocean: Constraints from rhyolites in the Lajishan suture, NE Tibetan Plateau

2022

Journal Article

Direct dating of podiform Chromitite: U-Pb (Zircon, Rutile) and 40Ar/39Ar (Pargasite) evidence from Tiébaghi Cr deposit (New Caledonia)

Cluzel, Dominique, Aitchison, Jonathan C., Zhou, Renjie, Ireland, Trevor, Heizler, Matthew, Patias, Daniel, Lesimple, Stephane, Maurizot, Pierre and Teyssier, Christian (2022). Direct dating of podiform Chromitite: U-Pb (Zircon, Rutile) and 40Ar/39Ar (Pargasite) evidence from Tiébaghi Cr deposit (New Caledonia). Ore Geology Reviews, 145 104873, 104873. doi: 10.1016/j.oregeorev.2022.104873

Direct dating of podiform Chromitite: U-Pb (Zircon, Rutile) and 40Ar/39Ar (Pargasite) evidence from Tiébaghi Cr deposit (New Caledonia)

2022

Journal Article

Paleozoic ocean plate stratigraphy unraveled by calcite U-Pb dating of basalt and biostratigraphy

Andjić, Goran, Zhou, Renjie, Buchs, David M., Aitchison, Jonathan C. and Zhao, Jianxin (2022). Paleozoic ocean plate stratigraphy unraveled by calcite U-Pb dating of basalt and biostratigraphy. Communications Earth and Environment, 3 (1) 113. doi: 10.1038/s43247-022-00446-1

Paleozoic ocean plate stratigraphy unraveled by calcite U-Pb dating of basalt and biostratigraphy

2022

Journal Article

Arc-continent collision during culmination of Proto-Tethyan Ocean closure in the Central Qilian belt, NE Tibetan Plateau

Yan, Zhen, Fu, Changlei, Aitchison, Jonathan C., Niu, Manlan, Buckman, Solomon, Xiao, Wenjiao, Zhou, Renjie, Chen, Lei and Li, Junhui (2022). Arc-continent collision during culmination of Proto-Tethyan Ocean closure in the Central Qilian belt, NE Tibetan Plateau. Bulletin of the Geological Society of America, 134 (11-12), 3079-3098. doi: 10.1130/B36328.1

Arc-continent collision during culmination of Proto-Tethyan Ocean closure in the Central Qilian belt, NE Tibetan Plateau

2022

Journal Article

A single Dras‐Kohistan‐Ladakh arc revealed by volcaniclastic records

Andjić, Goran, Zhou, Renjie, Jonell, Tara N. and Aitchison, Jonathan C. (2022). A single Dras‐Kohistan‐Ladakh arc revealed by volcaniclastic records. G3: Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, 23 (3) e2021GC010042. doi: 10.1029/2021gc010042

A single Dras‐Kohistan‐Ladakh arc revealed by volcaniclastic records

2022

Journal Article

Provenance analysis of Cenozoic conglomerates: Insights from Lower Cretaceous radiolarians in chert clasts from the Xigaze area, southern Tibet

Cui, Xiao-Hui, Li, Xin, Aitchison, Jonathan C., Matsuoka, Atsushi and Luo, Hui (2022). Provenance analysis of Cenozoic conglomerates: Insights from Lower Cretaceous radiolarians in chert clasts from the Xigaze area, southern Tibet. Palaeoworld, 31 (4), 658-678. doi: 10.1016/j.palwor.2022.03.001

Provenance analysis of Cenozoic conglomerates: Insights from Lower Cretaceous radiolarians in chert clasts from the Xigaze area, southern Tibet

2022

Journal Article

Paleobiogeographic significance of Tethyan Lower Cretaceous Cecrops septemporatus Zone radiolarian faunas

Cui, Xiaohui, Li, Xin, Aitchison, Jonathan C. and Luo, Hui (2022). Paleobiogeographic significance of Tethyan Lower Cretaceous Cecrops septemporatus Zone radiolarian faunas. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 589 110836, 110836. doi: 10.1016/j.palaeo.2022.110836

Paleobiogeographic significance of Tethyan Lower Cretaceous Cecrops septemporatus Zone radiolarian faunas

2022

Journal Article

Solid-phase transfer into the forearc mantle wedge: rutile and zircon xenocrysts fingerprint subducting sources

Aitchison, Jonathan C., Cluzel, Dominique, Ireland, Trevor R., Zhou, Renjie, Lian, Dongyang, Patias, Daniel, Yan, Zhen and Yang, Jingsui (2022). Solid-phase transfer into the forearc mantle wedge: rutile and zircon xenocrysts fingerprint subducting sources. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 577 117251, 1-10. doi: 10.1016/j.epsl.2021.117251

Solid-phase transfer into the forearc mantle wedge: rutile and zircon xenocrysts fingerprint subducting sources

2022

Conference Publication

Hydrocarbon signatures in ophiolitic diamonds, New Caledonia

Patias, Daniel, Aitchison, Jonathan C., Zhou, Renjie, Vongsvivut, Jitraporn, Ireland, Trevor R. and Cluzel, Dominique (2022). Hydrocarbon signatures in ophiolitic diamonds, New Caledonia. AGU (American Geophysical Union) Fall Meeting 2022, Chicago, ILL, United States, 12-16 December 2022.

Hydrocarbon signatures in ophiolitic diamonds, New Caledonia

2022

Journal Article

Relicts of a Cambrian oceanic arc in the Lajishan suture, NE Tibetan Plateau: evidence for early-stage subduction within the Proto-Tethyan Ocean

Fu, Changlei, Yan, Zhen, Aitchison, Jonathan C., Xiao, Wenjiao, Buckman, Solomon, Wang, Bingzhang and Zhai, Qingguo (2022). Relicts of a Cambrian oceanic arc in the Lajishan suture, NE Tibetan Plateau: evidence for early-stage subduction within the Proto-Tethyan Ocean. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 585 110713, 110713. doi: 10.1016/j.palaeo.2021.110713

Relicts of a Cambrian oceanic arc in the Lajishan suture, NE Tibetan Plateau: evidence for early-stage subduction within the Proto-Tethyan Ocean

2021

Journal Article

Middle Jurassic radiolarians and chert geochemistry, Dajiweng ophiolite, SW Tibet: implications for Neotethyan Ocean evolution

Cui, Xiaohui, Luo, Hui, Aitchison, Jonathan C. and Li, Xin (2021). Middle Jurassic radiolarians and chert geochemistry, Dajiweng ophiolite, SW Tibet: implications for Neotethyan Ocean evolution. Journal of Asian Earth Sciences, 221 104947, 104947. doi: 10.1016/j.jseaes.2021.104947

Middle Jurassic radiolarians and chert geochemistry, Dajiweng ophiolite, SW Tibet: implications for Neotethyan Ocean evolution

2021

Journal Article

Short-lived intra-oceanic arc-trench system in the North Qaidam belt (NW China) reveals complex evolution of the Proto-Tethyan Ocean

Fu, Changlei, Yan, Zhen, Aitchison, Jonathan C., Xiao, Wenjiao, Buckman, Solomon, Wang, Bingzhang, Zhai, Qingguo and Cao, Bo (2021). Short-lived intra-oceanic arc-trench system in the North Qaidam belt (NW China) reveals complex evolution of the Proto-Tethyan Ocean. Geological Society of America Bulletin, 134 (7-8), 1741-1759. doi: 10.1130/b36127.1

Short-lived intra-oceanic arc-trench system in the North Qaidam belt (NW China) reveals complex evolution of the Proto-Tethyan Ocean

Current funding

  • 2019 - 2025
    Diamonds in ophiolite: Recycling deep mantle into supra-subduction zones
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2017 - 2026
    Collaborative Research in Aquatic Toxicology
    Queensland Government Department of Science, Information Technology and Innovation
    Open grant
  • 2011 - 2025
    The Robert Day Postdoctoral Fellowship in Palaeontology and Stratigraphy
    Research Donation Generic
    Open grant

Past funding

  • 2021 - 2022
    Analysis of rare diamonds from ancient oceanic lithosphere using synchrotron-FTIR microspectroscopy
    Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation
    Open grant
  • 2018 - 2019
    Continuous flow isotope ratio mass spectrometer (CF-IRMS) and ancillary preparation systems for carbon, nitrogen and sulfur isotope microanalysis for archaeology, biology, earth and environmental scie
    UQ Major Equipment and Infrastructure
    Open grant
  • 2017 - 2018
    Centre for Geoanalytical Mass Spectrometry (CGMS) - Achieving excellence in isotope geochemistry and geochronology
    UQ Research Facilities Infrastructure Grants
    Open grant
  • 2017 - 2019
    Resolving questions about continental convergence using the double and triple dating method
    Universities Australia - Germany Joint Research Co-operation Scheme
    Open grant
  • 2016
    Next-generation multi-collector inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometer (MC-ICP-MS) with laser-ablation capability for in situ high-throughput and high resolution isotope dating and characterizat
    UQ Major Research Facility Fund
    Open grant
  • 2015 - 2020
    Early Palaeozoic radiolarian evolution
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant

Availability

Professor Jonathan Aitchison is:
Not available for supervision

Supervision history

Current supervision

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Diamonds in Ophiolites: recycling deep mantle into supra-subduction zones

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Renjie Zhou

Completed supervision

Enquiries

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