Geology Department Postgraduate Web Pages
Name: Daniel Döpke
Contact Details
Tel: +353 (0)1 896 1363
Fax: +353 (0)1 6711199
Email: doepked@tcd.ie
Title of Project
Modelling the thermal structure of onshore Ireland and Britain and its offshore basins
Project details
Our knowledge of the thermal structure of Ireland and Britain is still poorly understood. The aim of my PhD project is to determine the timing and causes of Cenozoic exhumation in Ireland and Britain by using low-temperature thermochronology.
To address this problem I have collected samples from around Ireland, Britain and its offshore basins to determine the timing and distribution of exhumation by using apatite fission track dating (AFT) and (U-Th-Sm)/He dating on apatite (AHe). AFT dating has a temperature sensitivity between 60 - 120°C and AHe a sensitivity between 40 – 85°C. The combination of both methods is well suited to determine the exhumation history of the uppermost crust (1 – 3 km).
The counting and length measurements for the AFT dating will be undertaken in the fission track laboratory at Trinity College, Dublin. The 238U content will be measured via laser ablation inductively coupled plasma - mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) also in Trinity College.
AHe dating will be undertaken in cooperation with Dr. Finlay Stuart at the Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre (SUERC). Also, the AHe study will be the first such regional study in Ireland.
The final stage of the PhD will be to compile the results and create a regional 3D model of the thermal structure.
Name of supervisors
Dr. David Chew
Postgraduate personal details
I am originally from Bremen, Germany and moved to Ireland in September 2011 to undertake my PhD in Geology. I did my B.Sc. as well as my M.Sc. in Geosciences at the University of Bremen. My core fields were Sedimentology, Palaeotology/Geobiology, Engineering geology and analysis of geological processes in the field.
My Bachelor thesis was a “Sedimentlogical analysis of a “Rogenstein” Profile at Osterlinde/Salzgitter” (2008). My Master thesis was about the “Final cooling of the Erzgebirge: Simple cooling or (thermal) – reheating?” (2011).
Sponsors
I would like to thank the Earth and Natural Sciences Doctoral Studies Programme for funding this PhD thesis. The Earth and Natural Sciences Doctoral Studies Programme is funded by the higher Education Authority (HEA) through the Programme for Research at Third Level Institutions, Cycle 5 (PRTLI-5) and is co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
Project Start Date
September 2011
Publications
- Döpke, D. 2008. Bachelor thesis: “Sedimentologische Untersuchungen des Rogenstein-Profils (Buntsandstein) von Osterlinde/Salzgitter“.
- Döpke. D. 2011. Master thesis: “Final cooling of the Erzgebirge: Simple cooling or (thermal) – reheating?”.
- Link to the youtube video about my project.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Udz8e5QXBiM
- Poster at the Atlantic Ireland Conference 2012
Fieldwork photos
Top of Goatfell (Isle of Arran, Scotland)