PEOPLE

Dr Nicky White
Head of Basins Research Group

Research Profile

My research group is concerned with extracting quantitative information about Earth processes from sedimentary basins located world-wide. We acquire, process, and model seismic reflection and wide-angle data. We also exploit large volumes of three-dimensional seismic reflection data, well-log information, igneous geochemistry, sedimentology, computer modelling, and geological field studies to develop a quantitative understanding of basins. Our global studies have important implications for problems as wide-ranging as lithospheric rheology, epeirogenic uplift, and petroleum generation. We have close and fruitful links with the petroleum industry.

Projects are currently being carried out in: Falkland Islands, Argentina, South Africa, onshore/offshore West Africa, Middle East, North America, South Australia, Southern Spain, British Isles, Siberia, Southeast Asia and India.

Current interests:

• Independent constraints on the rheology of the crust and lithosphere
• Link between pulsed fan deposition, uplift, magmatism and plumes
• Strain rate variation from inversion of 2-dimensional subsidence data
• Inverse techniques to constrain 2- and 3-dimensional fault geometry
• Temporal and spatial evolution of hanging wall structures
• Temporal and spatial evolution of global extensional sedimentary basins
• Sedimentary basins associated with subduction zones in SE Asia
• Deep seismic reflection, wide-angle, and gravity characteristics of underplated crust
• Measuring dynamic topography
• High quality seismic reflection imaging of active foreland basins

Teaching and Department

• Undergraduate courses on geophysics, global seismology, continental tectonics and sedimentary basins.
• Annual lecture course at Institut Francais du Petrole, Paris.
• Annual lecture course on basin analysis at Institut Francais du Petrole, Paris.
• Annual lectures on plate tectonics & petroleum for I.B.M. (Cambridge & Brussels).
• Geological & geophysical field courses (Greece, Texas, Spain, SW England & Scotland).

• 16 successful PhD research students.
• 14 current PhD students: 4 in 4^th year, 3 in 3^rd year, 3 in 2^nd year, & 4 in 1^st year.
• 16 have been funded by industry, 8 by NERC, remainder by foreign governments.
• 5 post-doctoral associates over a period of 5 years.

Publications

1. White, N. J. & Hutton, D. H. W., 1985. The structure of the Dalradian rocks in West Fanad, County Donegal. Irish Journal of Earth Science, 7, 79--92.
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2. White, N. J., Jackson, J. A. & M^cKenzie, D. P., 1986. The relationship between the geometry of normal faults and that of the sedimentary layers in their hanging walls. Journal of Structural Geology, 8, 897--909.
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3. White, N., 1987. Constraints on the measurement of extension in the brittle upper crust. Norske Geologisk Tidsskrift Special Volume on North Sea, 67, 269--279.
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4. Jackson, J. A., White, N. J., Garfunkel, Z., & Anderson, H. J., 1988. Relations between normal fault geometry, tilting and vertical movements in extensional terranes: an example from the Southern Gulf of Suez. Journal of Structural Geology, 10, 155--170.
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5. White, N. & M^cKenzie, D., 1988. Formation of the ``Steer's Head'' geometry of sedimentary basins by differential stretching of the crust and mantle. Geology, 16, 250--253.
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6. White, N., 1989. Nature of lithospheric extension in the North Sea. Geology, 17, 111--114.
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7. Jackson, J. A. & White, N. J., 1989. Normal faulting in the upper continental crust: observations from regions of active extension. Journal of Structural Geology, 11, 15--36.
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8. Su, Daquan, White, N., & M^cKenzie, D., 1989. Extension and subsidence in the Pearl River Mouth Basin, northern South China Sea. Basin Research, 2, 205--222.
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9. Klemperer, S. L. & White, N., 1990. Co-axial stretching or lithospheric simple shear in the North Sea? Evidence from deep seismic profiling and subsidence. in Tankard, A.J., & Balkwill, H., eds., Extension tectonics and stratigraphy of the North Atlantic margins. American Association for Petroleum Geologists Memoir 46, 511--522.
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10. White, N., 1990. Does the uniform stretching model work in the North Sea? in Blundell, D.J. & Gibbs, A.D. Tectonic evolution of the North Sea Rift. Oxford University Press. Chapter 11, 213--235.
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11. Latin, D. & White, N.J., 1990. Generating melt during lithospheric extension: pure shear vs. simple shear. Geology, 18, 327--331.
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12. Matthews, D.H., Flack, C.A., Hobbs, R.W., Klemperer, S.L., Snyder, D.B., Warner, M.R., & White, N.J., 1990. Progress in BIRPS deep seismic reflection profiling around the British Isles. Tectonophysics, 173, 387--396.
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13. Latin, D.M., Dixon, J.E., Fitton, J.G., & White, N.J., 1991. Mesozoic magmatic activity in the North Sea Basin: implications for stretching history. in Hardman, R.F.P., & Brooks, J.R.V., Tectonic movements responsible for Britain's oil and gas reserves, 55, 207--227.
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14. White, N. & Yielding, G., 1991. Calculating normal fault geometries at depth: theory and examples. for Roberts, A., Yielding, G., & Freeman, B., eds., The geometry of normal faulting. Geological Society of London Special Publication No. 56, 251--260.
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15. White, N., Tate, M., & Conroy, J.J., 1992, Lithospheric stretching in the Porcupine Basin, west of Ireland. in Parnell, J., ed., Basins on the Atlantic Seaboard: Petroleum geology, sedimentology and basin evolution. Geological Society of London Special Publication No. 62, 327--349.
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16. White, N., 1992, The automatic determination of normal fault geometry at depth. Journal of Geophysical Research, 97, 1715--1733.
     
17. Wooler, D., Smith, A., & White, N., 1992, Measuring lithospheric stretching on the margins of Tethys. Journal of Geological Society, London, 149, 517--532.
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18. Kerr, H. & White, N., 1992, Laboratory testing of an automatic method for determining normal fault geometry at depth. Journal of Structural Geology, 14, 873--885.
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19. White, N. & Latin, D., 1993, Subsidence analyses from the North Sea `triple-junction'. Journal of Geological Society, London, 150, 473--488.
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20. Tate, M., White, N., & Conroy, J.J., 1993, Lithospheric extension and magmatism in the Porcupine Basin, West of Ireland. Journal of Geophysical Research, 98, 13905--13923.
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21. Latin, D. & White, N., 1993, Magmatism in extensional sedimentary basins. Annali di Geofisica, XXXVI, 123--138.
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22. Kerr, H.G., White, N., & Brun, J.P., 1993, An automatic method for determining 3-dimensional normal fault geometries. Journal of Geophysical Research, 98, 17,837--17,857.
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23. White, N., 1993, Recovery of strain rate variation from inversion of subsidence data. Nature, 366, 449--452.
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24. White, N., 1994, An inverse method for determining lithospheric strain rate variation on geological timescales. Earth & Planetary Science Letters, 122, 351--371.
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25. Brodie, J. & White, N., 1994, Sedimentary basin inversion due to igneous underplating: Northwest European continental shelf. Geology, 22, 147--150.
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26. Brodie, J., Latin, D., & White, N., 1994, Rare earth element inversion of forward-modelled melt compositions. Journal of Petrology, 35, 1155--1174.
     
27. Hall, B. & White, N., 1994, The origin of anomalous Tertiary subsidence adjacent to North Atlantic continental margins. Marine & Petroleum Geology, 11, 702--714.
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28. Kerr, H.G. & White, N., 1994, Application of an automatic method for determining normal fault geometries. Journal of Structural Geology, 16, 1691--1709.
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29. Brodie, J. & White, N., 1996, The causes of sedimentary basin inversion. J. Geol. Soc. London Spec. Publ., 99, 179--188.
     
30. Kerr, H.G. & White, N., 1996, Application of an inverse method for calculating three-dimensional fault geometries and horizontal slip vectors: the Nun River field, Nigeria. Bulletin of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, 80, 432--444.
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31. Newman, R. & White, N., 1997, Rheology of the continental lithosphere inferred from sedimentary basins. Nature, 385, 621--624.
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32. White, N. & Lovell, J.P.B., 1997, Measuring the pulse of a plume with the sedimentary record. Nature, 387, 888--891.
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33. Lonergan, L., & White, N., 1997, The origin of the Betic-Rif mountain belts. Tectonics, 16, 504--522.
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34. Rowley, E., & White, N., 1998, Inverse modelling of extension and denudation in the East Irish Sea and surrounding areas. Earth Planet. Sci. Letts., 161, 57--71.
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35. Newman, R., & White, N., 1999, The dynamics of extensional sedimentary basins: constraints from subsidence inversion. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, Series A, 357, 805--834.
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36. Lonergan, L. & White, N., 1999, Three-dimensional seismic imaging of a dynamic Earth. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, Series A, 357, 3359--3375.
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37. Wheeler, P. & White, N., 2000, Quest for dynamic topography: observations from Southeast Asia. Geology, 28, 963--966.
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38. Bellingham, P. & White, N., 2000, A general inverse method for modelling extensional sedimentary basins. Basin Research, 12, 219--226.
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39. Jones, S., White, N., & Lovell, B., 2001, Cenozoic and Cretaceous transient uplift in the Porcupine Basin and its relationship to a mantle plume. Geol. Soc. London Spec. Pub., 188, 345--360.
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40. White, N. & Bellingham, P., 2002, A two-dimensional inverse model for extensional sedimentary basins: 1. Theory. J. Geophys. Res.., in press.
     
41. Bellingham, P. & White, N., 2002, A two-dimensional inverse model for extensional sedimentary basins: 2. Application. J. Geophys. Res.., in press.
     
42. Hanne, D., White, N., & Lonergan, L., 2002, Subsidence analysis of the Betic Cordillera, Spain. Basin Research, in press.
     
43. Jones, S., White, N., Clarke, B., Rowley, E. & Gallagher, K., 2002, Present and past influences of the Iceland plume on sedimentation. Geol. Soc. London Spec. Pub., in press.
     
44. Walford, H.L., White, N.J., & Mackay, L.M., sub judice, Subsidence analysis of African basins. Tectonics.
     
45. White, N.J., O'Leary, N.A., Tull, S.J., Bashilov, V.I., Kuprin, V.F., Natapov, L.M., & MacDonald, D.I.M., sub judice, Quantitative modelling of lithospheric stretching and strain rates in the Timan-Pechora Basin and South Barents Sea, Former Soviet Union. Bulletin of the Geological Society of America.
     
46. White, N. & Rowley, E., sub judice, Inverse Modelling of a Global Vitrinite Reflectance Database. Bulletin of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists.
     
     
47. Wheeler, P. & White, N., sub judice, Cenozoic kinematics and dynamics of sedimentary basins in NE Asia. J. Geophys. Res.
     
48. Al Kindi, S., White, N., Sinha, M., & England, R., in preparation, The crustal trace of a hot convective sheet.
     
49. Hanne, D., White, N., Jones, S. & Butler, A., in preparation, Geological significance of the Hudson Bay basin.
     
50. Jones, S., White, N., & Clarke, B., in preparation, Distal influences of the Iceland Plume.
     
51. Jones, S., White, N., & Maclennan, J., sub judice, V-shaped ridges around Iceland: implications for spatial and temporal patterns of mantle convection. G cubed.