UC Spark

Dr Mark Cameron Quigley

Geological Sciences

Fields of Research

  • Continental Tectonics
  • Landscape Evolution
  • Structural Geology
  • Quantitative geomorphology
  • Cosmogenic nuclide dating
  • Quaternary geochronology
  • Quaternary paleoclimates

Researcher Summary

My active research projects are broad and multi-disciplinary, involving collaboration with physicists, chemists, archaeologists, climatologists and geologists. Active research in Mexico combines paleoseismology, field mapping and 10Be cosmogenic nuclide dating to unravel the relationships between continental extension and landscape evolution along the Sierra San Pedro Martir escarpment in northern Baja.  Work with Iranian colleagues in the Qazvin Plain, Iran, integrates mapping and OSL dating of alluvial sequences, paleoseismology and archaeology to determine the extent to which Holocene human migration patterns were influenced by climate change and/or large paleo-earthquakes. Work in East Timor is exploring the relationships between subduction zone geodynamics, surface uplift, oceanic circulation and climate change. Continued collaboration in Australia has focused on the relationships between intraplate neotectonism, Quaternary climate change, and the geomorphic evolution of the Australian continent. A new ANSTO-UM research grant will allow us to continue to study patterns of continental erosion across the extreme tectonic and climatic gradients of Australia. In New Zealand, we are focused on the interplay between fault activity and surface processes. Projects on the West Coast and Canterbury involve several post-graduate students at the University of Canterbury.

Subject Area: Disciplines

Research Groups

Prizes and Awards

  • Groves Award (2007)
  • Powell Medal (2007)
  • F.L. Stillwell Award Nominee (2006)

Publications


  • Bastin, S., Quigley, M. and Bassett, K. (2012) Characterisation of modern and paleo-liquefaction features in Christchurch following the 2010-2011 Canterbury earthquake sequence. San Francisco, CA, USA: American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting (AGU), 3-7 Dec 2012. (Conference Contribution - Poster presentation)
  • Mackey, B.H. and Quigley, M.C. (2012) Cosmogenic exposure dating of paleo-rockfall deposits, Port Hills, Canterbury. Hamilton, New Zealand: Geoscience Society of New Zealand Conference, 25-28 Nov 2012. (Conference Contribution - Oral presentation)
  • Bastin, S., Bassett, K., Quigley, M. and Wilson, T.M. (2012) Liquefaction in Christchurch during the 2010-2011 Canterbury earthquake sequence and evidence for paleo-liquefaction. University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand: 6th Australasian Natural Hazards Management Conference, 21-22 Aug 2012. (Conference Contribution - Poster presentation)
  • Villamor, P., Litchfield, N., Barrell, D., Van Dissen, R., Hornblow, S., Quigley, M., Levick, S., Ries, W., Duffy, B., Begg, J., Townsend, D., Stahl, T., Bilderback, E., Noble, D., Furlong, K. and Grant, H. (2012) Map of the 2010 Greendale Fault surface rupture, Canterbury, New Zealand: Application to land use planning. New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics 55(3): 223-230. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00288306.2012.680473. (Journal Article)
  • Khajavi, N., Quigley, M., McColl, S.T. and Rezanejad, A. (2012) Seismically-induced boulder displacement in the Port Hills, New Zealand during the 2010 Darfield (Canterbury) earthquake. New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics 55(3): 271-278. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00288306.2012.698627. (Journal Article)
  • Shcherbakov, R., Nguyen, M. and Quigley, M. (2012) Statistical Analysis of the 2010 MW 7.1 Darfield Earthquake Aftershock Sequence. New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics 55(3): 305-311. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00288306.2012.676556. (Journal Article)
  • Quigley, M., Van Dissen, R., Litchfield, N., Villamor, P., Duffy, B., Barrell, D., Furlong, K., Stahl, T., Bilderback, E. and Noble, D. (2012) Surface rupture during the 2010 Mw 7.1 Darfield (Canterbury) earthquake: Implications for fault rupture dynamics and seismic-hazard analysis. Geology 40(1): 55-58. http://dx.doi.org/10.1130/G32528.1. (Journal Article)
  • Quigley, M. (2012) The personal side of science communication. Te Papa, Wellington, New Zealand: Science Communicators Association of New Zealand Conference (SCANZ), 2012. (Conference Contribution - Oral presentation)
  • Quigley, M. (2012) The structural anatomy of New Zealand active faults, from surface to seismogenic depths. Waratah Bay, Australia: Specialist Group in Tectonics and Structural Geology Conference, 29 Jan-3 Feb 2012. (Conference Contribution - Oral presentation)
  • Quigley, M.C., Duffy, B., Woodhead, J., Hellstrom, J., Moody, L., Horton, T., Soares, J. and Fernandes, L. (2012) U/Pb dating of a terminal Pliocene coral from the Indonesian Seaway. Marine Geology 311-314: 57-62. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.margeo.2012.01.004. (Journal Article)
  • Quigley, M., Fink, D. and Fifield, K. (2011) Earthquakes, climate, and the long-term denudation of bedrock landscapes. Wellington, New Zealand: Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Conference 2011 (AMS-12), 20-25 Mar 2011. (Conference Contribution - Oral presentation)
  • Ely, K.S., Sandiford, M., Hawke, M., Phillips, D., Quigley, M. and dos Reis, J.E. (2011) Evolution of Ataúro Island: Temporal constraints on subduction processes beneath the Wetar zone, Banda Arc. Journal of Asian Earth Sciences 41(6): 477-493. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jseaes.2011.01.019. (Journal Article)
  • Green, R.A., Cubrinovski, M., Ashford, S.A., Hutchinson, T., Kavazanjian, E., Bradley, B., Cox, B., Orense, R., Pender, M., Allen, J., Quigley, M., Wotherspoon, L., O'Rourke, T. and Algie, T. (2011) Geotechnical Aspects of the MW7.1, 4 September 2010, Darfield, New Zealand, Earthquake. Memphis, TN, USA: Seismological Society of America Annual Meeting, 13-15 Apr 2011. (Conference Contribution - Paper in published proceedings)
  • Schmidt, A., Quigley, M., Fattahi, M., Azizi, G., Maghsoudi, M., Sohbati, R. and Fazeli, H. (2011) Holocene settlement shifts and palaeoenvironments on the Central Iranian Plateau: investigating linked systems. The Holocene 21(4): 583-595. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0959683610385961. (Journal Article)
  • Quigley, M. and Duffy, B. (2011) How does continental lithosphere respond to the transition from subduction to arc-continent collision? Melbourne, Australia: XXV International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics General Assembly, 28 Jun-7 Jul 2011. (Conference Contribution - Oral presentation)
  • Quigley, M. (2011) Of Life and Earthquake Science in the Red Zone: Insights into the 2010-2011 Canterbury earthquake sequence. Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand: Wellman Lecture, 11 Oct 2011. (Oral Presentation)
  • Quigley, M., Fattahi, M., Sohbati, R. and Schmidt, A. (2011) Palaeoseismicity and pottery: Investigating earthquake and archaeological chronologies on the Hajiarab alluvial fan, Iran. Quaternary International 242(1): 185-195. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.quaint.2011.04.023. (Journal Article)
  • Holden, C., Beavan, J., Fry, B., Reyners, M., Ristau, J., Van Dissen, R., Villamor, P. and Quigley, M. (2011) Preliminary Source Model of the Mw 7.1 Darfield Earthquake from Geological, Geodetic and Seismic Data. Auckland, New Zealand: 9th Pacific Conference on Earthquake Engineering (PCEE 2011), 14-16 Apr 2011. In PCEE 2011: Building an Earthquake-Resilient Society Paper 186. (Conference Contribution - Paper in published proceedings)
  • Scholz, C., Downs, D. T., Gravley, D., Quigley, M. and Rowland, J.V. (2011) Soft-sediment deformation in New Zealand: Structures resulting from the 2010/11 Christchurch earthquakes and comparison with Pleistocene sediments of the Taupo Volcanic Zone (TVZ). San Francisco, CA, USA: American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fall Meeting, 5-9 Dec 2011. (Conference Contribution - Poster presentation)
  • Quigley, M. and Wilson, T. (2011) Standing strong on shaking ground: being a local earth scientist during the 2010-2011 Canterbury earthquake sequence. Melbourne, Australia: XXV International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics General Assembly, 28 Jun-7 Jul 2011. (Conference Contribution - Oral presentation)
  • Quigley, M. (2011) Standing strong on shaking ground: earth science in the aftermath of the Canterbury earthquakes. University of Canterbury, New Zealand: New Zealand Skeptics Conference, 26-28 Aug 2011. (Conference Contribution - Oral presentation)
  • Barrell, D.J.A., Litchfield, N.J., Townsend, D.B., Quigley, M., Van Dissen, R.J., Cosgrove, R., Cox, S.C., Furlong, K., Villamor, P., Begg, J.G., Hemmings-Sykes, S., Jongens, R., Mackenzie, H., Noble, D., Stahl, T., Bilderback, E., Duffy, B., Henham, H., Klahn, A., Lang, E.M.W., Moody, L., Nicol, R., Pedley, K. and Smith, A. (2011) Strike-slip ground-surface rupture (Greendale Fault) associated with the 4th September 2010 Darfield Earthquake, Canterbury, New Zealand. Quarterly Journal of Engineering Geology & Hydrogeology 44(3): 283-291. http://dx.doi.org/10.1144/1470-9236/11-034. (Journal Article)
  • Van Dissen, R., Barrell, D., Litchfield, N., Villamor, P., Quigley, M., King, A., Furlong, K., Begg, J., Townsend, D., Mackenzie, H., Stahl, T., Noble, D., Duffy, B., Bilderback, E., Claridge, J., Klahn, A., Jongens, R., Cox, S., Langridge, R., Ries, W., Dhakal, R., Smith, A., Horblow, S., Nicol, R., Pedley, K., Henham, H., Hunter, R., Zajac, A. and Mote, T. (2011) Surface rupture displacement on the Greendale Fault during the Mw 7.1 Darfield (Canterbury) earthquake, New Zealand, and its impact on man-made structures. Auckland, New Zealand: Ninth Pacific Conference on Earthquake Engineering: Building an Earthquake-Resilient Society, 14-16 Apr 2011. Paper 186. http://db.nzsee.org.nz/2011/186.pdf. (Conference Contribution - Paper in published proceedings)
  • Quigley, M. (2011) Surface rupture during the 2010 Mw 7.1 Darfield (Canterbury) earthquake: Implications for fault development, orogenesis, and palaeoseismology. Melbourne, Australia: XXV International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics General Assembly, 28 Jun-7 Jul 2011. (Conference Contribution - Oral presentation)
  • Furlong, K.P., Hayes, G.P., Quigley, M. and Benz, H. (2011) Tectonic Context and Implications of the Canterbury, New Zealand Earthquake Sequence. Melbourne, Australia: XXV International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics General Assembly, 28 Jun-7 Jul 2011. (Conference Contribution - Oral presentation)
  • Quigley, M. (2011) The Canterbury earthquake sequence, our seismic future, and how to fix the east. Christchurch, New Zealand: 18 May 2011. (Oral Presentation)
  • Quigley, M. (2011) What's happening beneath our feet? A science update. Lincoln University, New Zealand: Lincoln University Postgraduate Student Conference, 1 Sep 2011. (Conference Contribution - Oral presentation)
  • Jakica, S., Quigley, M., Sandiford, M., Clark, D., Fifield, L.K. and Alimanovic, A. (2010) Geomorphic and cosmogenic nuclude constraints on escarpment evolution in an intraplate setting, Darling Escarpment, Western Australia. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms 36(4): 449-459. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/esp.2058. (Journal Article)
  • Cubrinovski, M., Green, R.A., Allen, J., Ashford, S., Bowman, E., Bradley, B., Cox, B., Hutchinson, T., Kavazanjian, E., Orense, R., Pender, M., Quigley, M. and Wotherspoon, L. (2010) Geotechnical Reconnaissance of the 2010 Darfield (Canterbury) Earthquake. Bulletin of the New Zealand Society for Earthquake Engineering 43(4): 243-320. (Journal Article)
  • Cubrinovski, M., Green, R., Allen, J., Ashford, S., Bowman, E., Bradley, B.A., Cox, B., Hutchinson, T., Kavazanjian, E., Orense, R., Pender, M., Quigley, M. and Wotherspoon, L. (2010) Geotechnical reconnaissance of the 2010 Darfield (New Zealand) earthquake. University of Canterbury. 173pp. http://hdl.handle.net/10092/5124. (Technical Report)
  • Quigley, M., Horton, T., Hellstrom, J., Cupper, M. and Sandiford, M. (2010) Holocene climate variability in arid Australia from speleothem and alluvial records. The Holocene 20(7): 1093-1104. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0959683610369508. (Journal Article)
  • Seiler, C., Fletcher, J., Quigley, M., Gleadow, A. and Kohn, B. (2010) Neogene structural evolution of the Sierra San Felipe, Baja California: Evidence for proto-gulf transtension in the Gulf Extensional Province? Tectonophysics 488(1-4): 87-109. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tecto.2009.09.026. (Journal Article)
  • Quigley, M., Villamor, P., Furlong, K., Beavan, J., Van Dissen, R., Litchfield, N., Stahl, T., Duffy, B., Bilderback, E., Noble, D., Barrell, D., Jongens, R. and Cox, S. (2010) Previously Unknown Fault Shakes New Zealand's South Island. Eos, Transactions, American Geophysical Union 91(49): 469-471. http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2010EO490001. (Journal Article)
  • Bilderback, E.L., Stahl, T., McColl, S., Massey, C.I., Quigley, M., Villamor, P., Nobes, D. and Noble, D. (2010) Reconnaissance of an earthquake induced landslide from the Canterbury quake. Auckland, New Zealand: GeoNZ 2010, 21-24 Nov 2010. In Geological Society of New Zealand Miscellaneous Publication 129A 34. (Conference Contribution - Full conference paper)
  • Karlstrom, K., Heizler, M. and Quigley, M. (2010) Structure and 40Ar/39Ar K-feldspar thermal history of the Gold Butte block: Reevaluation of the tilted crustal section model. Geological Society of America Special Paper 463: 331-352. http://dx.doi.org/10.1130/2010.2463(15). (Journal Article)
  • Quigley, M., Van Dissen, R., Villamor, P., Litchfield, N., Barrell, D., Furlong, K., Stahl, T., Duffy, B., Bilderback, E., Noble, D., Townsend, D., Begg, J., Jongens, R., Ries, W., Claridge, J., Klahn, A., Mackenzie, H., Smith, A., Hornblow, S., Nicol, R., Cox, S., Langridge, R. and Pedley, K. (2010) Surface rupture of the Greendale Fault during the Mw 7.1 Darfield (Canterbury) earthquake, New Zealand: Initial Findings. Bulletin of the New Zealand Society for Earthquake Engineering 43(4): 236-242. http://drquigs.com/images/pdfs/quigley_bnzsee.pdf. (Journal Article)
  • Quigley, M.C., Clark, D. and Sandiford, M. (2010) Tectonic geomorphology of Australia. Geological Society, London, Special Publications 346: 243-265. http://dx.doi.org/10.1144/SP346.13. (Journal Article)
  • Quigley, M., Karlstrom, K., Kelley, S. and Heizler, M. (2010) Timing and mechanisms of basement uplift and exhumation in the Colorado Plateau-Basin and Range transition zone, Virgin Mountain anticline, Nevada-Arizona. Geological Society of America Special Papers 463: 311-329. http://dx.doi.org/10.1130/2010.2463(14). (Journal Article)
  • Quigley, M. and Horton, T.W. (2009) Holocene climate variability in arid Australia from speleothem and alluvial records. Wellington, New Zealand: Past Climates Meeting, Symposium and Australasian-INTIMATE Workshop, 15-17 May 2009. In GNS Science Miscellaneous Series(23) (Conference Contribution - Abstract)
  • Quigley, M., Horton, T., Hellstrom, J. and Cupper, M. (2009) Of Drought and Flooding Rains: Holocene Precipitation Variability an Arid Australia from Speleothem and Alluvial Records. Portland, OR, USA: Geological Society of America (GSA) Annual Meeting 2009, 18-21 Oct 2009. In GSA Abstracts with Programs 41(7) 227. (Conference Contribution - Abstract)
  • Sandiford, M., Quigley, M., de Broekert, P. and Jakica, S. (2009) Tectonic framework for the Cainozoic cratonic basins of Australia. Australian Journal of Earth Sciences 56(S1): S5-S18. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/08120090902870764. (Journal Article)
  • Sandiford, M. and Quigley, M. (2009) TOPO-OZ: insights into the various modes of intraplate deformation in the Australian continent. Tectonophysics 474(1-2): 405-416. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tecto.2009.01.028. (Journal Article)
  • Somerville, P., Quijada, P., Thio, H.K., Sandiford, M. and Quigley, M. (2008) Contribution of Identified Active Faults to Near Fault Seismic Hazard in the Flinders Ranges. Ballarat, Australia: 2008 Australian Earthquake Engineering Society Conference, 21-23 Nov 2008. In Proceedings of AEES 2008 Paper 45 9pp. (Conference Contribution - Paper in published proceedings)
  • Hillis, R., Sandiford, M., Reynolds, S. and Quigley, M. (2008) Present-day stresses, seismicity and Neogene-to-Recent tectonics of Australia's ‘passive’ margins: intraplate deformation controlled by plate boundary forces. Geological Society of London Special Publications 306: 71-90. http://dx.doi.org/10.1144/SP306.3. (Journal Article)
  • Quigley, M., Yu Liangjun, Gregory., C., Corvino., A., Wilson., C.J.L., Sandiford., M, Xiaohan. and L. (2008) U-Pb SHRIMP zircon geochronology and T-t-d history of the Kampa Dome, southern Tibet. Tectonophysics 446(1-4): 97-113. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tecto.2007.11.004. (Journal Article)
  • Quigley, M., Sandiford, M., Fifield, K. and Alimanovic, A. (2007) Bedrock erosion and relief production in the northern Flinders Ranges, Australia. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms 32(6): 929-944. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/esp.1459. (Journal Article)
  • Quigley, M., Sandiford, M., Alimanovic, A. and Fifield, L.K. (2007) Landscape responses to intraplate tectonism: Quantitative constraints from 10Be nuclide abundances. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 261(1-2): 120-133. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2007.06.020. (Journal Article)
  • Quigley, M., Liangjun, Y., Xiaohan, L., Wilson, C.J.L., Sandiford, M. and Phillips, D. (2006) 40Ar/39Ar thermochronology of the Kampa Dome, southern Tibet: Implications for tectonic evolution of the North Himalayan gneiss domes. Tectonophysics 421(3-4): 269-297. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tecto.2006.05.002. (Journal Article)
  • Quigley, M.C., Cupper, M.L. and Sandiford, M. (2006) Quaternary faults of south-central Australia: Palaeoseismicity, slip rates and origin. Australian Journal of Earth Sciences 53(2): 285-301. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/08120090500499271. (Journal Article)
  • Celerier, J., Sandiford, M., Hansen, D.L. and Quigley, M. (2005) Modes of active intraplate deformation, Flinders Ranges, Australia. Tectonics 24: TC6006 (17pp). (Journal Article)