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Professor Gregory Webb
Professor

Gregory Webb

Email: 
Phone: 
+61 7 336 52181

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

153 works between 1984 and 2025

21 - 40 of 153 works

2021

Journal Article

Taxonomic utility of early cretaceous Australian plesiosaurian vertebrae

Vakil, Vikram, Webb, Gregory and Cook, Alex (2021). Taxonomic utility of early cretaceous Australian plesiosaurian vertebrae. Palaeontologia Electronica, 24 (3) a30. doi: 10.26879/1095

Taxonomic utility of early cretaceous Australian plesiosaurian vertebrae

2021

Journal Article

Micro-scale dissolution seams mobilise carbon in deep-sea limestones

Schrank, Christoph E., Jones, Michael M. W., Kewish, Cameron M., van Riessen, Grant A., Elphick, Kathryn E., Sloss, Craig R., Nothdurft, Luke D., Webb, Gregory E., Paterson, David J. and Regenauer-Lieb, Klaus (2021). Micro-scale dissolution seams mobilise carbon in deep-sea limestones. Communications Earth and Environment, 2 (1) 174, 1-10. doi: 10.1038/s43247-021-00257-w

Micro-scale dissolution seams mobilise carbon in deep-sea limestones

2021

Journal Article

Spatiotemporal variation of rare earth elements from river to reef continuum aids monitoring of terrigenous sources in the Great Barrier Reef

Saha, Narottam, Webb, Gregory E., Zhao, Jian-Xin, Lewis, Stephen E., Duc Nguyen, Ai and Feng, Yuexing (2021). Spatiotemporal variation of rare earth elements from river to reef continuum aids monitoring of terrigenous sources in the Great Barrier Reef. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 299, 85-112. doi: 10.1016/j.gca.2021.02.014

Spatiotemporal variation of rare earth elements from river to reef continuum aids monitoring of terrigenous sources in the Great Barrier Reef

2021

Journal Article

Heterogeneous redox evolution of the Meso-Neoproterozoic ocean: insights from eastern China

Zou, Yu, Webb, Gregory E., Zhao, Fenghua, Liu, Dongna, Kuang, Hongwei, Zhang, Jibiao and Chen, Yuan (2021). Heterogeneous redox evolution of the Meso-Neoproterozoic ocean: insights from eastern China. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 567 110304, 1-12. doi: 10.1016/j.palaeo.2021.110304

Heterogeneous redox evolution of the Meso-Neoproterozoic ocean: insights from eastern China

2021

Journal Article

Can vertebral remains differentiate more than one species of Australian Cretaceous ichthyosaur?

Vakil, Vikram, Webb, Gregory E. and Cook, Alex G. (2021). Can vertebral remains differentiate more than one species of Australian Cretaceous ichthyosaur?. Alcheringa, 44 (4), 537-554. doi: 10.1080/03115518.2020.1853809

Can vertebral remains differentiate more than one species of Australian Cretaceous ichthyosaur?

2020

Journal Article

The effects of rubble mobilisation on coral fragment survival, partial mortality and growth

Kenyon, Tania M., Doropoulos, Christopher, Dove, Sophie, Webb, Gregory E., Newman, Steven P., Sim, Clarence W. H., Arzan, Mohammed and Mumby, Peter J. (2020). The effects of rubble mobilisation on coral fragment survival, partial mortality and growth. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 533 151467, 151467. doi: 10.1016/j.jembe.2020.151467

The effects of rubble mobilisation on coral fragment survival, partial mortality and growth

2020

Journal Article

Comparative taphonomy of deep-sea and shallow-marine echinoids of the genus echinocyamus

Grun, Tobias B., Mihaljevic, Morana and Webb, Gregory E. (2020). Comparative taphonomy of deep-sea and shallow-marine echinoids of the genus echinocyamus. Palaios, 35 (10), 403-420. doi: 10.2110/palo.2019.024

Comparative taphonomy of deep-sea and shallow-marine echinoids of the genus echinocyamus

2020

Journal Article

Mechanisms of spur and groove development and implications for reef platform evolution

Duce, Stephanie, Dechnik, Belinda, Webster, Jody M., Hua, Quan, Sadler, James, Webb, Gregory E., Nothdurft, Luke, Salas-Saavedra, Marcos and Vila-Concejo, Ana (2020). Mechanisms of spur and groove development and implications for reef platform evolution. Quaternary Science Reviews, 231 106155, 106155. doi: 10.1016/j.quascirev.2019.106155

Mechanisms of spur and groove development and implications for reef platform evolution

2020

Journal Article

A new model of Holocene reef initiation and growth in response to sea-level rise on the Southern Great Barrier Reef

Sanborn, Kelsey L., Webster, Jody M., Webb, Gregory E., Braga, Juan Carlos, Humblet, Marc, Nothdurft, Luke, Patterson, Madhavi A., Dechnik, Belinda, Warner, Susan, Graham, Trevor, Murphy, Richard J., Yokoyama, Yusuke, Obrochta, Stephen P., Zhao, Jian-xin and Salas-Saavedra, Marcos (2020). A new model of Holocene reef initiation and growth in response to sea-level rise on the Southern Great Barrier Reef. Sedimentary Geology, 397 105556, 105556. doi: 10.1016/j.sedgeo.2019.105556

A new model of Holocene reef initiation and growth in response to sea-level rise on the Southern Great Barrier Reef

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

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

2019

Journal Article

Vanadium in the massive coral Porites: a potential proxy for historical wood clearing and burning

Saha, Narottam, Webb, Gregory E., Christy, Andrew G. and Zhao, Jian-xin (2019). Vanadium in the massive coral Porites: a potential proxy for historical wood clearing and burning. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 527 115793, 115793. doi: 10.1016/j.epsl.2019.115793

Vanadium in the massive coral Porites: a potential proxy for historical wood clearing and burning

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

Coral-based high-resolution rare earth element proxy for terrestrial sediment discharge affecting coastal seawater quality, Great Barrier Reef

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

Early Carboniferous lignophyte tree diversity in Australia: Woods from the Drummond and Yarrol basins, Queensland

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

Modern carbonate ooids preserve ambient aqueous REE signatures

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

Influence of marine biochemical cycles on seasonal variation of Ba/Ca in the near-shore coral Cyphastrea, Rat Island, southern Great Barrier Reef

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

Seasonal to decadal scale influence of environmental drivers on Ba/Ca and Y/Ca in coral aragonite from the southern Great Barrier Reef

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

Holocene reef growth over irregular Pleistocene karst confirms major influence of hydrodynamic factors on Holocene reef development

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.

Carbonate microbialites

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

Modes of regeneration and adaptation to soft-bottom substrates of the free-living solitary scleractinian Deltocyathoides orientalis

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

Seasonal migration of marsupial megafauna in Pleistocene Sahul (Australia-New Guinea)

Funding

Current funding

  • 2026 - 2028
    Reconstructing climate and coral mortality in the Coral Sea Marine Park
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant

Past funding

  • 2023
    Dating Holocene tufa deposits, major climate change on the Darling Downs, Queensland
    Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation
    Open grant
  • 2018
    The history of late-Holocene relative sea level and coral reef flat carbonate production in the southern Great Barrier Reef
    Australian Synchrotron Access Program (ANSTO)
    Open grant
  • 2017 - 2018
    Centre for Geoanalytical Mass Spectrometry (CGMS) - Achieving excellence in isotope geochemistry and geochronology
    UQ Research Facilities Infrastructure Grants
    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
  • 2013
    Australian Synchrotron Access Program - AS133/XFM/7130: Differential diagenetic behaviour in oolitic limestones: controls on strain patitioning and silicification
    Australian Synchrotron Access Program
    Open grant
  • 2013
    Australian Synchrotron Access Program - AS133/XFM/7225: Implications for biosphere in major and trace element distributions in terrestrial Fe-oxide deposits and oceanic Fe-Mn-oxide accumulations
    Australian Synchrotron Access Program
    Open grant
  • 2013 - 2014
    Confocal microscope for high-resolution microtopographic analysis of surfaces in historical, forensic and polymer sciences (ARC LIEF Grant administered by The Flinders University of South Australia)
    ARC LIEF Collaborating/Partner Organisation Contributions
    Open grant
  • 2013
    Australian Synchrotron Access Program - AS131/XFM/5741: Trace metal distribution in contemporary versus paleo-reef-microbialites: Implications for microbial activity, ocean chemistry & paleocli
    Australian Synchrotron Access Program
    Open grant
  • 2013 - 2016
    Tahiti coral reefs as a natural laboratory for studying coral and microbialite diagenesis IODP Leg 110 Tahiti Sea Level
    Australian National University
    Open grant
  • 2012 - 2018
    Geomorphological development of coral reefs, southern Great Barrier Reef: an integrated record of Holocene palaeoecology and palaeoclimate from cores
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2012
    The Geomicrobiology Laboratory
    UQ Major Equipment and Infrastructure
    Open grant
  • 2011 - 2016
    Australian drilling program: biomarkers, oxygen and geobiology
    Macquarie University
    Open grant
  • 2011
    Refined reservoir correction for radiocarbon dating of the southern Great Barrier Reef based on U-series dated corals
    Australian Institute of Nuclear Science and Engineering
    Open grant

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

    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

  • Doctor Philosophy

    The palaeobiogeographical significance of the Carboniferous flora and fauna assemblage at Hannam's Gap, Queensland

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Gilbert Price

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Tectonic Geomorphology of the Great Barrier Reef: the contribution of geological structures to reef growth and geomorphology

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Professor Stuart Phinn, Associate Professor Chris Roelfsema, Dr Daniel Harris

Completed supervision

Media

Enquiries

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