Dean of Postgraduate Research
Vice-Chancellor’s Office
Extension: 7285
Email:
lucy.johnston@canterbury.ac.nz
Summer Research Scholarship Scheme
2015-2016
Project Application Form
Please complete and submit the application form as a WORD document and send to
summerscholarships@canterbury.ac.nz
The Project
Title of Project (max 30 words):
Modern Depositional Systems
Project Leader(s):
Dr Kari Bassett, Department of Geological Sciences
Dr Greg Browne, GNS Science, Lower Hutt
Host Department/Organization:
GNS Science, Lower Hutt
Other persons involved in this topic/activity:
Name
(Dr Peter King, GNS Science, Lower Hutt
Affiliation to project
Advisor on this project
Brief outline of project
Describe the proposed research project – maximum of 400 words (box will expand as you type).
Studying modern depositional systems is an integral part of understanding ancient geological environments.
Using the premise that the present is the key to the past, this project will collate data on modern depositional
systems principally fluvial and/or shoreface coastal settings, as analogues for ancient sandstone reservoirs,
seals & source rocks. The project will create a digital atlas of modern environments mostly from New
Zealand examples, capturing photographic examples (from aerial photos), Google Earth, ground photos, as
well as data in the form of published databases on dimensions and geometry (channel width, channel depth,
sediment type, grain size etc). Such information will be sought from thesis material, from publications and
web-based searches. For such environments, metadata will be captured, images stored, and spreadsheets
of data developed. Sometimes the data collected might need to be reinterpreted or stored in a different way
from the manner in which it was captured. The student would research one sedimentary facies in detail, and
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develop concepts about their architecture and component facies.
If the project involves work away from the University campus (e.g., at fieldwork sites) please detail all locations.
The project will be based at the offices of GNS Science, 1 Fairway Drive in Lower Hutt. The successful
applicant will need to have accommodation in the broader Wellington region. Some small amount of time
may be spent in the field collecting information relevant to the project.
If the student be required to work outside of normal university hours (8am-5pm) please provide details
Benefits student will gain from involvement in the project
As the student will be compiling data from a range of different sources, they will develop skills in literature
and web-based searches, and in developing databases from these. Selecting the correct types of data will
involve a good understanding of sedimentary environments and the facies developed in them, as well as
applying that knowledge to ancient petroleum reservoirs.
Specific student requirements
Please provide details of all requirements you have for the student to work on this project – for example, if specific
courses/experience are necessary.
The ideal student would have a good understanding of sedimentology and the types of facies developed in a
range of depositional settings. They should have at least completed a 3 rd year course in sedimentology or
basin analysis, and be competent with searches of the internet and published literature. Experience with a
graphic package such as Corel Draw would be an advantage.
This project is based at GNS Science offices in Lower Hutt and the student will be required to organise their
own accommodation and transport in the Wellington region.
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