Newcastle University

Research Interests

Active tectonics and quantitative tectonic geomorphology.
Seismic hazards.
Morphochronology.
Cosmogenic isotopes.

Current Work

1. The Altyn Tagh Fault (Northern Tibet).
2. Late-glacial and Holocene deglaciation chronology of the Icelandic Ice cap (PI, NERC project).  
3. The San Andreas and San Jacinto Faults (Southern California).
4. The Dead Sea Fault (Jordan). 

Research Role

Manager of the Newcastle Cosmogenic Isotope Laboratory.

Projects

• Determining the Importance of Precipitation for Mountain Denudation
  Project Leader(s): Dr A.S. Meriaux
• Late Glacial and Holocene Deglaciation Chronology of the North-East Icelandic Ice Cap
  Project Leader(s): Dr Anne-Sophie Meriaux

Undergraduate Teaching

• GEO1005: Environmental Issues (Geological Hazard Lectures)
• CEG2715: Advanced Study Skills for Physical Geographers
• GE02108: Physical Geography Field Course: Morocco (Module Leader, 20 credits) 
• GEO3110: Tectonic Geomorphology (Module Leader, 20 credits)
• GEO3074: Physical Geography Dissertation (Module Leader and mentor, 30 credits)
• GEO3099: Dissertation (mentor)

• LeBéon M, Klinger Y, Mériaux A-S, Al-Qaryouti M, Finkel RC, Mayyas O, Tapponnier P. Quaternary morphotectonic mapping of the Wadi Araba and implications for the tectonic activity of the southern Dead Sea fault. Tectonics 2012, 31, TC5003.
• Mériaux A-S, Van der Woerd J, Tapponnier P, Ryerson FJ, Finkel RC, Lasserre C, Xu X. The Pingding segment of the Altyn Tagh Fault (91°E): Holocene Slip-rate determination from cosmogenic radionuclide dating of offset fluvial terraces. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth 2012, 117, B09406.
• Dirks PHGM, Kibii JM, Kuhn BF, Steininger C, Churchill SE, Kramers JD, Pickering R, Farber DL, Mériaux A-S, Herries AIR, King GCP, Berger LR. Geological Setting and Age of Australopithecus sediba from Southern Africa. Science 2010, 328(5975), 205-208.
• Le Beon M, Klinger Y, Al-Qaryouti M, Meriaux AS, Finkel RC, Elias A, Mayyas O, Ryerson FJ, Tapponnier P. Early Holocene and Late Pleistocene slip rates of the southern Dead Sea Fault determined from Be-10 cosmogenic dating of offset alluvial deposits. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth 2010, 115, B11414.
• Mériaux A-S, Sieh K, Finkel RC, Rubin CM, Taylor MH, Meltzner AJ, Ryerson FJ. Kinematic behavior of southern Alaska constrained by westward decreasing postglacial slip rates on the Denali Fault, Alaska. Journal of Geophysical Research 2009, 114(B03404).
• Ammon K, Dunai TJ, Stuart FM, Mériaux A-S, Gayer E. Cosmogenic ³He exposure ages and geochemistry of basalts from Ascension Island, Atlantic Ocean. Quaternary Geochronology 2009, 4(6), 525-532.
• Farber DL, Mériaux A-S, Finkel RC. Attenuation length for fast nucleon production of 10Be derived from near surface production profiles. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 2008, 274(3-4), 295-300.
• Hall SR, Farber DL, Audin L, Finkel RC, Mériaux A-S. Geochronology of pediment surfaces in southern Peru: Implications for Quaternary deformation of the Andean forearc. Tectonophysics 2008, 459(1-4), 186-205.
• Ryerson FJ, Tapponnier P, Finkel RC, Mériaux A-S, van der Woerd J, Lasserre C, Chevalier ML, Xu X, Li H, King GCP. Applications of morphochronology to the active tectonics of Tibet. In: Siame L; Bourlès DL; Brown ET, ed. In situ-produced cosmogenic nuclides and quantification of geological processes. Geological Society of America, 2006, pp.61-86.
• Meunier P, Métivier F, Lajeunesse E, Mériaux A-S, Faure J. Flow pattern and sediment transport in a braided river: "The Torrent de St Pierre''; (French Alps). Journal of Hydrology 2006, 330(3-4), 496-505.
• van der Woerd J, Klinger Y, Sieh K, Tapponnier P, Ryerson FJ, Mériaux A-S. Long-term slip rate of the southern San Andreas fault from 10Be-26Al surface exposure datation of an offset alluvial fan. Journal of Geophysical Research 2006, 111.
• Mériaux A-S, Tapponnier P, Ryerson FJ, Xiwei Xu, King G, van der Woerd J, Finkel RC, Haibing Li, Caffee MW, Zhiqin X, Wenbin C. The Aksay segment of the northern Altyn Tagh fault: Tectonic geomorphology, landscape evolution, and Holocene slip rate. Journal of Geophysical Research 2005, 110(B4), B04404.
• Mériaux A-S, Caffee MW, Ryerson FJ, Tapponnier P, van der Woerd J, Finkel RC, Xiwei X, Zhiqin X. Rapid slip along the central Altyn Tagh Fault: Morphochronologic evidence from Cherchen He and Sulamu Tagh. Journal of Geophysical Research 2004, 109(B6), B06401.
• Lasserre C, Gaudemer Y, Tapponnier P, Mériaux A-S, van der Woerd J, Ryerson FJ, Caffee MW, Daoyang Yuan. Fast late pleistocene slip-rate on the Leng Long Ling segment of the Haiyuan fault, Qinghai, China. Journal of Geophysical Research 2002, 107(11), 2276-.
• van der Woerd J, Mériaux A-S, Klinger Y, Tapponnier P. The November 14th, 2001, Mw=7.8 Kokoxili earthquake in north Tibet (Qinghai province, China). Seismological Research Letters 2002, 73, 125-135.
• van der Woerd J, Ryerson FJ, Tapponnier P, Mériaux A-S, Meyer B, Gaudemer Y, Finkel RC, Caffee MW, Zhao G, Zhiqin X. Uniform postglacial slip-rate along the central 600 km of the Kunlun Fault (Tibet), from ²⁶Al, ¹⁰Be, and ^14C dating of riser offsets, and climatic origin of the regional morphology. Geophysical Journal International 2002, 148(3), 356-388.
• Tapponnier P, Ryerson FJ, van der Woerd J, Mériaux A-S, Lasserre C. Long-term slip rates and characteristic slip : keys to active fault behaviour and earthquake hazard. Les Comptes Rendus de l'Académie des sciences 2001, (333), 483-494.
• van der Woerd J, Xiwei X, Haibing L, Tapponnier P, Meyer B, Ryerson FJ, Mériaux A-S, Zhiqin X. Rapid active thrusting along the northwestern range front of the Tanghe Nan Shan (western Gansu, China). Journal of Geophysical Research 2001, 106(12), 475-504.
• van der Woerd J, Ryerson FJ, Tapponnier P, Mériaux A-S, Gaudemer Y, Meyer B, Finkel RC, Caffee MW, Zhao G, Zhiqin X. Uniform slip-rate along the Kunlun fault: Implication for seimic behaviour, large-scale tectonics and climatic imprint on Tibetan landforms. Geophysical Research Letters 2000, 27, 2353-2356.
• van der Woerd J, Ryerson FJ, Tapponnier P, Gaudemer Y, Finkel RC, Mériaux A-S, Caffee MW, Zhao G, He G. Holocene left-slip rate determined by cosmogenic surface dating on the Xidatan segment of the Kunlun fault (Qinghai, China). Geology 1998, 26, 695-698.