Overview
Background
Prof. Gregory E. Webb is a palaeontologist and carbonate sedimentologist who has occupied the Dorothy Hill Chair of Palaeontology and Stratigraphy at the University of Queensland since 2011. He is the head of the Integrated Palaeoenvironmental Research Group in the School of Earth Sciences. He obtained his BSc in Geology with highest honours at the University of Oklahoma (OU-1983) followed by an MSc in Geology (OU-1984) and a PhD in Palaeontology at The University of Queensland in 1989. His research interests are clustered within the fields of carbonate petrology, reef palaeobiology, geomicrobiology, carbonate geochemistry and carbonate stratigraphy. These fields have major implications for understanding Earth history, palaeoclimatology, and mineral and energy exploration. In general, Prof. Webb's research focuses on understanding how organisms make rocks – how the biosphere interacts with the lithosphere through time - and how those rocks are preserved and how they record evidence of past environmental conditions in their geochemistry.
Availability
- Professor Gregory Webb is:
- Available for supervision
Fields of research
Qualifications
- Bachelor of Science, University of Oklahoma
- Masters (Research) of Science, University of Oklahoma
- Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Queensland
Research impacts
Key impacts of Prof. Webb's research include: demonstration of the role of microbes in reef building through geological time; establishment of the value of modern and ancient microbialites as proxies for environmental geochemical signatures; application of environmental geochemistry to new coral reef samples made available through UQ's new research vessel the RV D Hill and to late Pleistocene vertebrate remains in Queensland that demonstrate recent, pre-anthropogenic changes in Queensland's climate. The integration of well dated fossil remains from both terrestrial and marine environments with high quality geochemical analysis allows specific hypotheses to be tested that provide information directly useful for testing climate models and the effects of pre-instrumental climate change and anthropogenic forcing on Australian faunas and ecosystems.
Works
Search Professor Gregory Webb’s works on UQ eSpace
2019
Journal Article
High resolution geochemical analysis of massive Porites spp. corals from the Wet Tropics, Great Barrier Reef: rare earth elements, yttrium and barium as indicators of terrigenous input
Leonard, N. D., Welsh, K. J., Nguyen, A. D., Sadler, J., Pandolfi, J. M., Clark, T. R., Zhao, J. X., Feng, Y. X. and Webb, G. E. (2019). High resolution geochemical analysis of massive Porites spp. corals from the Wet Tropics, Great Barrier Reef: rare earth elements, yttrium and barium as indicators of terrigenous input. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 149 110634, 110634. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.110634
2019
Journal Article
Coral-based high-resolution rare earth element proxy for terrestrial sediment discharge affecting coastal seawater quality, Great Barrier Reef
Saha, Narottam, Webb, Gregory E., Zhao, Jian-Xin, Nguyen, Ai Duc, Lewis, Stephen E. and Lough, Janice M. (2019). Coral-based high-resolution rare earth element proxy for terrestrial sediment discharge affecting coastal seawater quality, Great Barrier Reef. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 254, 173-191. doi: 10.1016/j.gca.2019.04.004
2019
Journal Article
Early Carboniferous lignophyte tree diversity in Australia: Woods from the Drummond and Yarrol basins, Queensland
Decombeix, Anne-Laure, Galtier, Jean, McLoughlin, Stephen, Meyer-Berthaud, Brigitte, Webb, Gregory E. and Blake, Paul R. (2019). Early Carboniferous lignophyte tree diversity in Australia: Woods from the Drummond and Yarrol basins, Queensland. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology, 263, 47-64. doi: 10.1016/j.revpalbo.2019.01.009
2019
Journal Article
Modern carbonate ooids preserve ambient aqueous REE signatures
Li, Fei, Webb, Gregory E., Algeo, Thomas J., Kershaw, Stephen, Lu, Chaojin, Oehlert, Amanda M., Gong, Qiaolin, Pourmand, Ali and Tan, Xiucheng (2019). Modern carbonate ooids preserve ambient aqueous REE signatures. Chemical Geology, 509, 163-177. doi: 10.1016/j.chemgeo.2019.01.015
2018
Journal Article
Influence of marine biochemical cycles on seasonal variation of Ba/Ca in the near-shore coral Cyphastrea, Rat Island, southern Great Barrier Reef
Saha, Narottam, Webb, Gregory E., Zhao, Jian-Xin, Leonard, Nicole D. and Nguyen, Ai Duc (2018). Influence of marine biochemical cycles on seasonal variation of Ba/Ca in the near-shore coral Cyphastrea, Rat Island, southern Great Barrier Reef. Chemical Geology, 499, 71-83. doi: 10.1016/j.chemgeo.2018.09.005
2018
Journal Article
Seasonal to decadal scale influence of environmental drivers on Ba/Ca and Y/Ca in coral aragonite from the southern Great Barrier Reef
Saha, Narottam, Rodriguez-Ramirez, Alberto, Nguyen, Ai Duc, Clark, Tara R., Zhao, Jian-xin and Webb, Gregory E. (2018). Seasonal to decadal scale influence of environmental drivers on Ba/Ca and Y/Ca in coral aragonite from the southern Great Barrier Reef. Science of the Total Environment, 639, 1099-1109. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.05.156
2018
Journal Article
Holocene reef growth over irregular Pleistocene karst confirms major influence of hydrodynamic factors on Holocene reef development
Salas-Saavedra, Marcos, Dechnik, Belinda, Webb, Gregory E., Webster, Jody M., Zhao, Jian-xin, Nothdurft, Luke D., Clark, Tara R., Graham, Trevor and Duce, Stephanie (2018). Holocene reef growth over irregular Pleistocene karst confirms major influence of hydrodynamic factors on Holocene reef development. Quaternary Science Reviews, 180, 157-176. doi: 10.1016/j.quascirev.2017.11.034
2018
Conference Publication
Carbonate microbialites
McCutcheon, Jenine, Nothdurft, Luke, Webb, Gregory, Paterson, David J., Burne, Robert, Irazabal, Nicole and Southam, Gordon (2018). Carbonate microbialites. 6th International Conference on Accelerated Carbonation for Environmental and Material Engineering, ACEME 2018, Newcastle, NSW, Australia, 11-14 March 2018. AIChE.
2018
Journal Article
Modes of regeneration and adaptation to soft-bottom substrates of the free-living solitary scleractinian Deltocyathoides orientalis
Sentoku, Asuka, Tokuda, Yuki, Ezaki, Yoichi and Webb, Gregory E. (2018). Modes of regeneration and adaptation to soft-bottom substrates of the free-living solitary scleractinian Deltocyathoides orientalis. Lethaia, 51 (1), 102-111. doi: 10.1111/let.12228
2017
Journal Article
Seasonal migration of marsupial megafauna in Pleistocene Sahul (Australia-New Guinea)
Price, Gilbert J., Ferguson, Kyle J., Webb, Gregory E., Feng, Yue-xing, Higgins, Pennilyn, Ai Duc Nguyen,, Zhao, Jian-xin, Joannes-Boyau, Renaud and Louys, Julien (2017). Seasonal migration of marsupial megafauna in Pleistocene Sahul (Australia-New Guinea). Proceedings of the Royal Society B-Biological Sciences, 284 (1863) 20170785, 20170785. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2017.0785
2017
Journal Article
High-resolution hyperspectral imaging of diagenesis and clays in fossil coral reef material: a nondestructive tool for improving environmental and climate reconstructions
Murphy, R.J., Webster, J.M., Nothdurft, L., Dechnik, B., McGregor, H.V., Patterson, M.A., Sanborn, K.L., Webb, G.E., Kearney, L.I., Rintoul, L. and Erler, D.V. (2017). High-resolution hyperspectral imaging of diagenesis and clays in fossil coral reef material: a nondestructive tool for improving environmental and climate reconstructions. Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, 18 (8), 3209-3230. doi: 10.1002/2017GC006949
2017
Journal Article
Building biogenic beachrock: visualizing microbially-mediated carbonate cement precipitation using XFM and a strontium tracer
McCutcheon, Jenine, Nothdurft, Luke D., Webb, Gregory E., Shuster, Jeremiah, Nothdurft, Linda, Paterson, David and Southam, Gordon (2017). Building biogenic beachrock: visualizing microbially-mediated carbonate cement precipitation using XFM and a strontium tracer. Chemical Geology, 465, 21-34. doi: 10.1016/j.chemgeo.2017.05.019
2017
Journal Article
The evolution of the Great Barrier Reef during the Last Interglacial Period
Dechnik, Belinda, Webster, Jody M., Webb, Gregory E., Nothdurft, Luke, Dutton, Andrea, Braga, Juan-Carlos, Zhao, Jian-xin, Duce, Stephanie and Sadler, James (2017). The evolution of the Great Barrier Reef during the Last Interglacial Period. Global and Planetary Change, 149, 53-71. doi: 10.1016/j.gloplacha.2016.11.018
2017
Journal Article
Successive phases of Holocene reef flat development: evidence from the mid- to outer Great Barrier Reef
Dechnik, Belinda, Webster, Jody M., Webb, Gregory E., Nothdurft, Luke and Zhao, Jian-xin (2017). Successive phases of Holocene reef flat development: evidence from the mid- to outer Great Barrier Reef. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 466, 221-230. doi: 10.1016/j.palaeo.2016.11.030
2016
Journal Article
Global microbial carbonate proliferation after the end- Devonian mass extinction: mainly controlled by demise of skeletal bioconstructors
Yao, Le, Aretz, Markus, Chen, Jitao, Webb, Gregory E. and Wang, Xiangdong (2016). Global microbial carbonate proliferation after the end- Devonian mass extinction: mainly controlled by demise of skeletal bioconstructors. Scientific Reports, 6 (39694) 39694, 39694. doi: 10.1038/srep39694
2016
Journal Article
Earliest Mississippian rugose corals of eastern Australia: post-disaster fauna across the Devonian-Carboniferous boundary?
Denayer, Julien and Webb, Gregory E. (2016). Earliest Mississippian rugose corals of eastern Australia: post-disaster fauna across the Devonian-Carboniferous boundary?. Palaeobiodiversity and Palaeoenvironments, 97 (3), 1-13. doi: 10.1007/s12549-016-0261-0
2016
Journal Article
Beachrock formation via microbial dissolution and re-precipitation of carbonate minerals
McCutcheon, Jenine, Nothdurft, Luke D., Webb, Gregory E., Paterson, David and Southam, Gordon (2016). Beachrock formation via microbial dissolution and re-precipitation of carbonate minerals. Marine Geology, 382, 122-135. doi: 10.1016/j.margeo.2016.10.010
2016
Journal Article
In search of early life: carbonate veins in Archean metamorphic rocks as potential hosts of biomarkers
Peters, Carl A., Piazolo, Sandra, Webb, Gregory E., Dutkiewicz, Adriana and George, Simon C. (2016). In search of early life: carbonate veins in Archean metamorphic rocks as potential hosts of biomarkers. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 453, 44-55. doi: 10.1016/j.epsl.2016.08.003
2016
Journal Article
Modern lacustrine microbialites: towards a synthesis of aqueous and carbonate geochemistry and mineralogy
Chagas, Anderson A.P., Webb, Gregory E., Burne, Robert V. and Southam, Gordon (2016). Modern lacustrine microbialites: towards a synthesis of aqueous and carbonate geochemistry and mineralogy. Earth-Science Reviews, 162, 338-363. doi: 10.1016/j.earscirev.2016.09.012
2016
Journal Article
Shoal-water dynamics and coastal biozones in a sheltered-island setting: Upper Devonian Pillara Limestone (Western Australia)
Baarli, B. Gudveig, Webb, Gregory E., Johnson, Markes E., Cook, Alex G. and Walsh, Daniel R. (2016). Shoal-water dynamics and coastal biozones in a sheltered-island setting: Upper Devonian Pillara Limestone (Western Australia). Lethaia, 49 (4), 507-523. doi: 10.1111/let.12162
Funding
Supervision
Availability
- Professor Gregory Webb is:
- Available for supervision
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Supervision history
Current supervision
-
Doctor Philosophy
The Springbok Sandstone; implications for aquifer connectivity and coal seam gas development in the Surat Basin
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Phil Hayes
-
Doctor Philosophy
Advanced dating techniques for establishing the history of the Great Barrier Reef
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Jianxin Zhao, Dr Daniel Harris
-
Doctor Philosophy
Identification of coral deposition, accretion, and erosional zones from detailed benthic and substrate mapping using hyperspectral image data
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Stuart Phinn, Associate Professor Chris Roelfsema, Dr Daniel Harris
-
Doctor Philosophy
Late Quaternary faunas and cave fossil deposits of north Queensland, Australia
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Gilbert Price
-
Doctor Philosophy
Application of new technologies to rapidly evaluate critical metals in drill core and waste materials
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Steven Micklethwaite
Completed supervision
-
2019
Master Philosophy
Variation in Australian Cretaceous Sauropterygian and Ichthyopterygian Postcranial Material
Principal Advisor
-
2018
Doctor Philosophy
Characterization of South Australian microbialites with emphasis on the identification of geochemical signatures
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Gordon Southam, Honorary Professor Robert Burne
-
2016
Doctor Philosophy
Reef cores as records of Holocene water temperatures of the southern Great Barrier Reef: Geochemical analysis of traditional (Porites) and non-traditional (Acropora) reef building corals
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Jianxin Zhao
-
2022
Doctor Philosophy
Environmental change during a warmer climate in the recent geological past: Mid-Pliocene pollen, charcoal and calcareous nannofossil palaeoreconstructions from marine cores adjacent to the Wet and Dry Tropics of northeast Australia.
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Kevin Welsh
-
2021
Doctor Philosophy
From Rubble to Reef: The physical and biological dynamics of coral reef rubble beds
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Daniel Harris, Professor Peter Mumby
-
2019
Doctor Philosophy
Holocene reef development and water quality reconstruction, Heron Reef and One Tree Reef, southern Great Barrier Reef
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Jianxin Zhao
-
2018
Doctor Philosophy
Tracking inshore water quality using coral-based trace elements geochemistry from the Great Barrier Reef
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Jianxin Zhao
-
2018
Doctor Philosophy
The application of geochemical analyses to interpret the diagenetic history and provenance of fossilised remains from Australia.
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Gilbert Price
-
2017
Doctor Philosophy
Mesozoic gymnosperms: megafloral changes through the Triassic-Jurassic of Eastern Gondwana
Associate Advisor
-
2017
Doctor Philosophy
Microbial carbonation in natural and engineered environments
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Gordon Southam
-
2004
Doctor Philosophy
THE EFFECTS OF DIFFERENT TECTONO-STRATIGRAPHIC SETTINGS ON LATE DEVONIAN AND EARLY CARBONIFEROUS REEFS IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA, EASTERN AUSTRALIA AND SOUTH CHINA
Associate Advisor
Media
Enquiries
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