School of Earth and Environment
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Andrew McCaig Dr Andrew McCaig

Senior Lecturer: Structural Geology and Geochemistry; Admissions & Marketing Co-ordinator

Telephone number: +44(0) 113 34 35219
Email address: a.m.mccaig@leeds.ac.uk
Room: 9.112

Biography

I was born in Sheffield, England and have a BA (Natural Sciences) from Cambridge, an MSc from the University of Western Ontario and gained a PhD from Cambridge in 1983 working on shear zones in the Pyrenees. After a brief period as a lecturer at Dundee University I have been at Leeds since 1984.

Research interests

My research is in the fields of structural geology, tectonics and geochemistry, and for many years I worked on fluid flow in shear zones and thrust faults in the Pyrenees and Alps, using isotopes and fluid inclusions to trace fluid pathways and the SEM to constrain permeability generation mechanisms at the micro scale. For the last ten years I have been interested in ocean floor hydrothermal systems and detachment faulting at slow spreading ridges, sailing on cruise JR63 to the 15N area of the Atlantic and on IODP leg 304 which started the deepest hole so far drilled in young (< 2 million years) ocean floor. I have strong collaborative links with the hydrothermal modelling group at the Institute de Physique du Globe in Paris and am an Adjunct Scientist at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Current projects

  • A major NERC-supported project starting in 2011 is investigating the thermal evolution of oceanic core complexes, linking this to hydrothermal circulation and the tectonics of the recently discovered "detachment mode" of seafloor spreading at slow-spreading ridges.

  • I am a co-proponent on an IODP proposal currently being evaluated "Serpentinization and life: Biogeochemistry and tectono-magmatic processes in young mafic and ultramafic seafloor". If this gets approved we will drill a series of 50-100 m long cores in the top of the Atlantis Massif near the Lost City hydrothermal field, using a sea bottom corer.

  • An ongoing project is looking at mechanisms of fluid flow in the oceanic crust and in particular permeability generated by metamorphic reactions. This project makes use of brand new SEM and electron probe equipment at Leeds

Teaching

I teach in all years of the undergraduate programme, including geological maps in first and second years, and Plate Tectonics in first and third years. I also lead a field mapping training course to NW Scotland and regularly supervise student field projects in the Pyrenees.

Other roles

I am recruitment and marketing co-ordinator for the School and also help with admissions to the MSc in Structural Geology with Geophysics. I am a member of the University Senate. In the past I have been Earth Sciences Admissions Tutor and was Deputy Head of School for four years up till the end of 2009.

Publications

  • Blackman, DK; Ildefonse, B; John, BE; Ohara, Y; Miller, DJ; Abe, N; Abratis, M; Andal, ES; Andreani, M; Awaji, S; Beard, JS; Brunelli, D; Charney, AB; Christie, DM; Collins, J; Delacour, AG; Delius, H; Drouin, M; Einaudi, F; Escartin, J; Frost, BR; Fruh-Green, G; Fryer, PB; Gee, JS; Godard, M; Grimes, CB; Halfpenny, A; Hansen, HE; Harris, AC; Tamura, A; Hayman, NW; Hellebrand, E; Hirose, T; Hirth, JG; Ishimaru, S; Johnson, KTM; Karner, GD; Linek, M; MacLeod, CJ; Maeda, J; Mason, OU; McCaig, AM; Michibayashi, K; Morris, A; Nakagawa, T; Nozaka, T; Rosner, M; Searle, RC; Suhr, G; Tominaga, M; von der Handt, A; Yamasaki, T; Zhao, X (2011) Drilling constraints on lithospheric accretion and evolution at Atlantis Massif, Mid-Atlantic Ridge 30 degrees N, J GEOPHYS RES-SOL EA, 116, . doi:10.1029/2010JB007931
  • McCaig, AM; Delacour, A; Fallick, AE; Castelain, T; Früh-Green, GL (2010) Detachment Fault Control on Hydrothermal Circulation Systems: Interpreting the Subsurface Beneath the TAG Hydrothermal Field Using the Isotopic and Geological Evolution of Oceanic Core Complexes in the Atlantic, In: Rona, PA; Devey, CW; Dyment, J; Murton, BJ (Ed) Diversity of Hydrothermal Systems on Slow Spreading Ocean Ridges, AGU Geophysical Monograph , 108, AGU, pp.207-240.
  • Beard, JS; Frost, BR; Fryer, P; McCaig, A; Searle, R; Ildefonse, B; Zinin, P; Sharma, SK (2009) Onset and Progression of Serpentinization and Magnetite Formation in Olivine-rich Troctolite from IODP Hole U1309D, J PETROL, 50, pp.387-403. doi:10.1093/petrology/egp004
  • Frost, BR; Beard, JS; McCaig, A; Condliffe, E (2008) The formation of micro-rodingites from IODP hole U1309D: Key to understanding the process of serpentinization, J PETROL, 49, pp.1579-1588. doi:10.1093/petrology/egn038
  • McCaig, A; Covey-Crump, SJ; Ben Ismail, W; Lloyd, GE (2007) Fast diffusion along mobile grain boundaries in calcite, CONTRIB MINERAL PETR, 153, pp.159-175. doi:10.1007/s00410-006-0138-8
  • Huang, ZL; Cheng, X; McCaig, A; Liu, CQ; Wu, J; Xu, D; Li, WB; Guan, T; Xiao, HY (2007) REE geochemistry of fluorite from the Maoniuping REE deposit, Sichuan Province, China: Implications for the source of ore-forming fluids, ACTA GEOL SIN-ENGL, 81, pp.622-636.
  • McCaig, AM; Cliff, RA; Escartin, J; Fallick, AE; MacLeod, CJ (2007) Oceanic detachment faults focus very large volumes of black smoker fluids, GEOLOGY, 35, pp.935-938. doi:10.1130/G23657A.1
  • Ildefonse, B; Blackman, DK; John, BE; Ohara, Y; Miller, DJ; MacLeod, CJ; McCaig, AM; Shipboard Scientific Party, A (2007) Oceanic core complexes and crustal accretion at slow spreading ridges, Geology, 35, pp.623-626.
  • Blackman, DK; Ildefonse, B; John, BE; Ohara, Y; MacLeod, CJ; McCaig, AM; Shipboard Scientific Party, A (2005) Oceanic Core Complex Formation, Atlantis Massif ,.
  • Woodward, J; Murray, T; McCaig, A (2003) Reply: Formation and reorientation of structure in the surge-type glacier Kongsvegen, Svalbard, J QUATERNARY SCI, 18, pp.99-100. doi:10.1002/jqs.736
  • Escartin, J; Mevel, C; MacLeod, CJ; McCaig, AM (2003) Constraints on deformation conditions and the origin of oceanic detachments: The Mid-Atlantic Ridge core complex at 15 degrees 45 ' N, GEOCHEM GEOPHY GEOSY, 4, . doi:10.1029/2002GC000472
  • MacLeod, CJ; Escartin, J; Banerji, D; Banks, GJ; Gleeson, M; Irving, DHB; Lilly, RM; McCaig, AM; Niu, YL; Smith, DK (2003) Direct evidence for oceanic detachment faulting at the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, 15°45'N: Reply,.
  • McCaig, AM (2003) Review of Stuwe, K. Geodynamics of the Lithosphere, Eos, 84, pp.221.
  • Woodward, J; Murray, T; McCaig, A (2002) Formation and reorientation of structure in the surge-type glacier Kongsvegen, Svalbard, J QUATERNARY SCI, 17, pp.201-209.
  • MacLeod, CJ; Escartin, J; Banerji, D; Banks, GJ; Gleeson, M; Irving, DHB; Lilly, RM; McCaig, AM; Niu, YL; Allerton, S; Smith, DK (2002) Direct geological evidence for oceanic detachment faulting: The Mid-Atlantic Ridge, 15 degrees 45 ' N, GEOLOGY, 30, pp.879-882.
  • Badertscher, NP; Abart, R; Burkhard, M; McCaig, A (2002) Fluid flow pathways along the glarus overthrust derived from stable and Sr-isotope patterns, AM J SCI, 302, pp.517-547.
  • McCaig, AM; Wayne, DM; Rosenbaum, JM (2000) Fluid expulsion and dilatancy pumping during thrusting in the Pyrenees: Pb and Sr isotope evidence, Geological Society of America. Bulletin, 112, pp.1199-1208.
  • McCaig, AM; Guest, R; Graham, C; Banks, DA (2000) Generation of permeability in metamorphic rocks by reaction with basinal brines: dolomitisation in the SW Highlands of Scotland, Goldschmidt 2000, 5, pp.684.
  • McCaig, AM; Tritlla, J; Banks, DA (2000) Fluid mixing and recycling during Pyrenean thrusting: evidence from fluid inclusion halogen ratios, Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 64, pp.3395-3412.
  • McCaig, AM; Tritlla, J; Banks, DA (2000) Fluid flow patterns during Pyrenean thrusting, Journal of Geochemical Exploration, 69/70, pp.539-543.
  • Wibberley, CAJ; McCaig, AM (2000) Quantifying orthoclase and albite muscovitisation sequences in fault zones, Chemical Geology, 165, pp.181-196.
  • Wayne, DM; McCaig, AM (1998) Dating fluid flow in shear zones: Rb-Sr and U-Pb studies of syntectonic veins in the Neouvielle Massif, Pyrenees, In: Parnell, J (Ed) Dating and duration of fluid flow and fluid-rock interaction, Geological Society, London, Special Publications , 144, Geological Society Publishing House, pp.129-135.
  • McCaig, AM (1998) Fluid flow mechanisms in mylonites: evidence from microcracks, In: Snoke; W, A; Tullis; W, J; Todd; R, V (Ed) Fault-related rocks: a photographic atlas, Princeton University Press, pp.210-211.
  • McCaig, AM (1998) Fluid flow mechanisms in mylonites: evidence from compositional zoning patterns, In: Snoke; W, A; Tullis; W, J; Todd; R, V (Ed) Fault-related rocks: a photographic atlas, Princeton University Press, pp.208-209.
  • McCaig, AM; Gong, LY (1998) Fluid flow in mylonites: pervasive and channelised flow in carbonates, In: Snoke; W, A; Tullis; W, J; Todd; R, V (Ed) Fault-related rocks: a photographic atlas, Princeton University Press, pp.212-213.
  • McCaig, AM (1997) The geochemistry of volatile fluid flow in shear zones, In: Holness, MB (Ed) Deformation-enhanced fluid transport in the Earth's crust, Mineralogical Society Series , 8, Mineralogical Society, pp.227-266.
  • Henderson, IHC; McCaig, AM (1996) Fluid pressure and salinity variations in shear zone-related veins, central Pyrenees, France: implications for the fault-valve model, Tectonophysics, 262, pp.321-348.