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Professor Bob Holdsworth's Outputs (194)

U–Pb apatite geochronology shows multiple thermal overprints within the Neoarchean foreland basement of the Faroe–Shetland Terrane (2024)
Journal Article
Strachan, R. A., Kirkland, C. L., Finlay, A. J., Wray, D. S., Metcalfe, J. H., & Holdsworth, R. E. (2024). U–Pb apatite geochronology shows multiple thermal overprints within the Neoarchean foreland basement of the Faroe–Shetland Terrane. Journal of the Geological Society, 181(5), https://doi.org/10.1144/jgs2024-003

The Neoarchean foreland basement of the Faroe–Shetland terrane (FST) displays abundant evidence for isotopic resetting of U–Pb systems in apatite between c. 1800 and 200 Ma, interpreted to result from episodic heating pulses associated with regional-... Read More about U–Pb apatite geochronology shows multiple thermal overprints within the Neoarchean foreland basement of the Faroe–Shetland Terrane.

Overprinting orogenic events, ductile extrusion and strain partitioning during Caledonian transpression, NW Mainland Shetland (2024)
Journal Article
Armitage, T. B., Holdsworth, R. E., Strachan, R. A., Dempsey, E. D., Walker, R. J., Alvarez-Ruiz, D. T., & Lloyd, G. E. (2024). Overprinting orogenic events, ductile extrusion and strain partitioning during Caledonian transpression, NW Mainland Shetland. Journal of Structural Geology, 180, Article 105088. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsg.2024.105088

A 3.6 km thick stack of mid-crustal deformed Precambrian rocks is associated with the North Roe Nappe (NRN) and Walls Boundary Fault in the northernmost Scottish Caledonides on NW Mainland Shetland. The greenschist- to amphibolite-facies rocks displa... Read More about Overprinting orogenic events, ductile extrusion and strain partitioning during Caledonian transpression, NW Mainland Shetland.

Older than you think: using U–Pb calcite geochronology to better constrain basin-bounding fault reactivation, Inner Moray Firth Basin, western North Sea (2023)
Journal Article
Tamas, A., Holdsworth, R. E., Tamas, D. M., Dempsey, E. D., Hardman, K., Bird, A., …Selby, D. (2023). Older than you think: using U–Pb calcite geochronology to better constrain basin-bounding fault reactivation, Inner Moray Firth Basin, western North Sea. Journal of the Geological Society, 180(5), https://doi.org/10.1144/jgs2022-166

Like many rift basins worldwide, the Inner Moray Firth Basin (IMFB) is bounded by major reactivated fault zones, including the Helmsdale Fault and the Great Glen Fault (GGF). The Jurassic successions exposed onshore close to these faults at Helmsdale... Read More about Older than you think: using U–Pb calcite geochronology to better constrain basin-bounding fault reactivation, Inner Moray Firth Basin, western North Sea.

An onshore-offshore interpretation of structures in the Devonian rocks of the Pentland Firth, Scotland using high resolution bathymetry and drone-enabled field observations. (2023)
Journal Article
Utley, T. A., Holdsworth, R. E., Walker, R. J., Dempsey, E. D., McCaffrey, K. J., Dichiarante, A., & Jones, T. L. (2023). An onshore-offshore interpretation of structures in the Devonian rocks of the Pentland Firth, Scotland using high resolution bathymetry and drone-enabled field observations. Journal of Structural Geology, 174, Article 104922. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsg.2023.104922

Strong tidal currents in the Pentland Firth separating NE Scotland and Orkney have stripped recent seafloor sediments revealing geological structures in parts of the Devonian Orcadian Basin that are otherwise limited to narrow coastal outcrops. Here... Read More about An onshore-offshore interpretation of structures in the Devonian rocks of the Pentland Firth, Scotland using high resolution bathymetry and drone-enabled field observations..

Strike-slip influenced stratigraphic and structural development of the Foula Sandstone Group, Shetland: implications for offshore Devonian basin development on the northern UK continental shelf (2023)
Journal Article
Utley, T. A. G., Holdsworth, R. E., Blackbourn, G. A., Dempsey, E., Strachan, R. A., McCaffrey, K. J. W., …Walker, R. J. (2023). Strike-slip influenced stratigraphic and structural development of the Foula Sandstone Group, Shetland: implications for offshore Devonian basin development on the northern UK continental shelf. Journal of the Geological Society, 180(3), https://doi.org/10.1144/jgs2022-148

The island of Foula, located 25 km SW of Shetland, preserves a gently folded, 1.6 km thick sequence of Middle Devonian sandstones spectacularly exposed in kilometre-long cliff sections >350 m high. These rocks unconformably overlie likely Precambrian... Read More about Strike-slip influenced stratigraphic and structural development of the Foula Sandstone Group, Shetland: implications for offshore Devonian basin development on the northern UK continental shelf.

Structural evolution of the reactivated Møre–Trøndelag Fault Complex, Fosen Peninsula, Norway (2023)
Journal Article
Watts, L. M., Holdsworth, R. E., Roberts, D., Sleight, J. M., & Walker, R. J. (2023). Structural evolution of the reactivated Møre–Trøndelag Fault Complex, Fosen Peninsula, Norway. Journal of the Geological Society, 180(3), https://doi.org/10.1144/jgs2022-139

The ENE–WSW-trending Møre–Trøndelag Fault Complex (MTFC) in Central Norway is a 10–50 km-wide, steeply dipping reactivated fault zone. Onshore, it transects Devonian sedimentary rocks and a series of east to SE transported metamorphic nappes, which w... Read More about Structural evolution of the reactivated Møre–Trøndelag Fault Complex, Fosen Peninsula, Norway.

Geology and evolution of fissure systems in fractured basement rocks, Calabria, southern Italy: implications for sub-unconformity reservoirs and aquifers (2023)
Journal Article
Hardman, K., Holdsworth, R., Palladino, G., Prosser, G., Killingback, Z., & McCaffrey, K. (2023). Geology and evolution of fissure systems in fractured basement rocks, Calabria, southern Italy: implications for sub-unconformity reservoirs and aquifers. Journal of the Geological Society, 180(3), https://doi.org/10.1144/jgs2022-085

Basement-hosted fissure-fill networks in sub-unconformity settings are increasingly recognized globally and have the potential to act as important subsurface reservoirs and/or migration pathways for hydrocarbons, geothermal fluids and groundwater. We... Read More about Geology and evolution of fissure systems in fractured basement rocks, Calabria, southern Italy: implications for sub-unconformity reservoirs and aquifers.

Mid-crustal reactivation processes linked to frictional melting and deep void development during seismogenic slip: examples from the Lewisian Complex, NW Scotland (2023)
Journal Article
Hardman, K., Holdsworth, R., Scott, L., Dempsey, E., & McCaffrey, K. (2023). Mid-crustal reactivation processes linked to frictional melting and deep void development during seismogenic slip: examples from the Lewisian Complex, NW Scotland. Journal of the Geological Society, 180(2), https://doi.org/10.1144/jgs2022-037

Exhumed examples of ancient fault voids formed during seismic slip at depths >10 km are well preserved in the Assynt Terrane of the Lewisian Complex, NW Scotland. They are interpreted to have formed during regional Mesoproterozoic (c. 1.55 Ga; ‘Assyn... Read More about Mid-crustal reactivation processes linked to frictional melting and deep void development during seismogenic slip: examples from the Lewisian Complex, NW Scotland.

Using UAV-Based Photogrammetry Coupled with In Situ Fieldwork and U-Pb Geochronology to Decipher Multi-Phase Deformation Processes: A Case Study from Sarclet, Inner Moray Firth Basin, UK (2023)
Journal Article
Tamas, A., Holdsworth, R. E., Tamas, D. M., Dempsey, E. D., Hardman, K., Bird, A., Underhill, J. R., McCarthy, D., McCaffrey, K. J., & Selby, D. (2023). Using UAV-Based Photogrammetry Coupled with In Situ Fieldwork and U-Pb Geochronology to Decipher Multi-Phase Deformation Processes: A Case Study from Sarclet, Inner Moray Firth Basin, UK. Remote Sensing, 15(3), Article 695. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs15030695

Constraining the age of formation and repeated movements along fault arrays in superimposed rift basins helps us to better unravel the kinematic history as well as the role of inherited structures in basin evolution. The Inner Moray Firth Basin (IMFB... Read More about Using UAV-Based Photogrammetry Coupled with In Situ Fieldwork and U-Pb Geochronology to Decipher Multi-Phase Deformation Processes: A Case Study from Sarclet, Inner Moray Firth Basin, UK.

Timescales of faulting through calcite geochronology: A review (2022)
Journal Article
Roberts, N. M., & Holdsworth, R. E. (2022). Timescales of faulting through calcite geochronology: A review. Journal of Structural Geology, 158, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsg.2022.104578

Calcite is a common mineral precipitated within upper crustal fault zones and associated fractures, forming veins, mineral cements and fault coatings. It has the potential to be dated using several radioisotopic systems if parent/daughter isotope abu... Read More about Timescales of faulting through calcite geochronology: A review.

Correlating deformation events onshore and offshore in superimposed rift basins: The Lossiemouth Fault Zone, Inner Moray Firth Basin, Scotland (2022)
Journal Article
Tamas, A., Holdsworth, R. E., Underhill, J. R., Tamas, D. M., Dempsey, E. D., McCarthy, D. J., McCaffrey, K. J., & Selby, D. (2022). Correlating deformation events onshore and offshore in superimposed rift basins: The Lossiemouth Fault Zone, Inner Moray Firth Basin, Scotland. Basin Research, 34(4), 1314-1340. https://doi.org/10.1111/bre.12661

The separation and characterisation of different deformation events in superimposed basins can be challenging due to the effects of overprinting and/or fault reactivation, combined with a lack of detailed geological or geophysical data. This paper sh... Read More about Correlating deformation events onshore and offshore in superimposed rift basins: The Lossiemouth Fault Zone, Inner Moray Firth Basin, Scotland.

New onshore insights into the role of structural inheritance during Mesozoic opening of the Inner Moray Firth Basin, Scotland (2021)
Journal Article
Tamas, A., Holdsworth, R. E., Underhill, J. R., Tamas, D. M., Dempsey, E. D., Hardman, K., Bird, A., McCarthy, D., McCaffrey, K. J., & Selby, D. (2022). New onshore insights into the role of structural inheritance during Mesozoic opening of the Inner Moray Firth Basin, Scotland. Journal of the Geological Society, 179(2), jgs2021-066. https://doi.org/10.1144/jgs2021-066

The Inner Moray Firth Basin (IMFB) forms the western arm of the North Sea trilete rift system that initiated mainly during the Late Jurassic–Early Cretaceous with the widespread development of major NE–SW-trending dip-slip growth faults. The IMFB is... Read More about New onshore insights into the role of structural inheritance during Mesozoic opening of the Inner Moray Firth Basin, Scotland.

Coseismic fault lubrication by viscous deformation (2021)
Journal Article
Pozzi, G., De Paola, N., Nielsen, S., Holdsworth, R., Tesei, T., Thieme, M., & Demouchy, S. (2021). Coseismic fault lubrication by viscous deformation. Nature Geoscience, 14(6), 437-442. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-021-00747-8

Despite the hazard posed by earthquakes, we still lack fundamental understanding of the processes that control fault lubrication behind a propagating rupture front and enhance ground acceleration. Laboratory experiments show that fault materials dram... Read More about Coseismic fault lubrication by viscous deformation.

A revised age, structural model and origin for the North Pennine Orefield in the Alston Block, northern England: intrusion (Whin Sill)-related base metal (Cu–Pb–Zn–F) mineralization (2021)
Journal Article
Dempsey, E., Holdsworth, R., Selby, D., Bird, A., Young, B., & Le Cornu, C. (2021). A revised age, structural model and origin for the North Pennine Orefield in the Alston Block, northern England: intrusion (Whin Sill)-related base metal (Cu–Pb–Zn–F) mineralization. Journal of the Geological Society, 178(4), jgs2020-226. https://doi.org/10.1144/jgs2020-226

Mineralization and associated fluid migration events in the c. 1500 km2 North Pennine Orefield (NPO) are known to be associated with tectonic activity, but the age of these tectonic events and origins of the base metal sulfide mineralization remain u... Read More about A revised age, structural model and origin for the North Pennine Orefield in the Alston Block, northern England: intrusion (Whin Sill)-related base metal (Cu–Pb–Zn–F) mineralization.

Introduction: geology of fractured reservoirs (2020)
Journal Article
Gillespie, P. A., Holdsworth, R., Long, D., Williams, A., & Gutmanis, J. (2021). Introduction: geology of fractured reservoirs. Journal of the Geological Society, 178(2), Article jgs2020-197. https://doi.org/10.1144/jgs2020-197

The characterization of fractured reservoirs and fractured geothermal resources requires a thorough understanding of the geological processes involved during fracturing and the rheological properties of the host rock. The presence or absence of mecha... Read More about Introduction: geology of fractured reservoirs.

Unraveling the origins and P-T-t evolution of the allochthonous Sobrado unit (Órdenes Complex, NW Spain) using combined U–Pb titanite, monazite and zircon geochronology and rare-earth element (REE) geochemistry (2020)
Journal Article
Benítez-Pérez, J. M., Castiñeiras, P., Gómez-Barreiro, J., Martínez Catalán, J. R., Kylander-Clark, A., & Holdsworth, R. E. (2020). Unraveling the origins and P-T-t evolution of the allochthonous Sobrado unit (Órdenes Complex, NW Spain) using combined U–Pb titanite, monazite and zircon geochronology and rare-earth element (REE) geochemistry. Solid Earth, 11(6), 2303-2325. https://doi.org/10.5194/se-11-2303-2020

The Sobrado unit, within the upper part of the Órdenes Complex (NW Spain) represents an allochthonous tectonic slice of exhumed high-grade metamorphic rocks formed during a complex sequence of orogenic processes in the middle to lower crust. In order... Read More about Unraveling the origins and P-T-t evolution of the allochthonous Sobrado unit (Órdenes Complex, NW Spain) using combined U–Pb titanite, monazite and zircon geochronology and rare-earth element (REE) geochemistry.

Fracture attribute scaling and connectivity in the Devonian Orcadian Basin with implications for geologically equivalent sub-surface fractured reservoirs (2020)
Journal Article
Dichiarante, A. M., McCaffrey, K. J., Holdsworth, R. E., Bjørnarå, T. I., & Dempsey, E. D. (2020). Fracture attribute scaling and connectivity in the Devonian Orcadian Basin with implications for geologically equivalent sub-surface fractured reservoirs. Solid Earth, 11(6), 2221-2244. https://doi.org/10.5194/se-11-2221-2020

Fracture attribute scaling and connectivity datasets from analogue systems are widely used to inform sub-surface fractured reservoir models in a range of geological settings. However, significant uncertainties are associated with the determination of... Read More about Fracture attribute scaling and connectivity in the Devonian Orcadian Basin with implications for geologically equivalent sub-surface fractured reservoirs.

Geometry of folded and boudinaged pegmatite veins emplaced within a strike-slip shear zone: A case study from the Caledonian orogen, northern Scotland (2020)
Journal Article
Alsop, G., Strachan, R., Holdsworth, R., & Burns, I. (2021). Geometry of folded and boudinaged pegmatite veins emplaced within a strike-slip shear zone: A case study from the Caledonian orogen, northern Scotland. Journal of Structural Geology, 142, Article 104233. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsg.2020.104233

The deformation of sheet-like igneous intrusions in multiple orientations can give detailed insights into the kinematics of ductile flow in shear zones. Using the Torrisdale Vein Complex in the northern Scottish Caledonides as a case study, we examin... Read More about Geometry of folded and boudinaged pegmatite veins emplaced within a strike-slip shear zone: A case study from the Caledonian orogen, northern Scotland.

Stress fields of ancient seismicity recorded in the dynamic geometry of pseudotachylyte in the Outer Hebrides Fault Zone, UK (2020)
Journal Article
Campbell, L., Lloyd, G., Phillips, R., Walcott, R., & Holdsworth, R. (2021). Stress fields of ancient seismicity recorded in the dynamic geometry of pseudotachylyte in the Outer Hebrides Fault Zone, UK. Journal of the Geological Society, 178(1), jgs2020-101. https://doi.org/10.1144/jgs2020-101

Heterogeneous sequences of exhumed fault rocks preserve a record of the long-term evolution of fault strength and deformation behaviour during prolonged tectonic activity. Along the Outer Hebrides Fault Zone (OHFZ) in NW Scotland, numerous pseudotach... Read More about Stress fields of ancient seismicity recorded in the dynamic geometry of pseudotachylyte in the Outer Hebrides Fault Zone, UK.