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Staff profile

Overview

Professor Robert (Bob) Holdsworth

Professor of Structural Geology

BSc (Hons), PhD, FRSE, FGS, FGSA

Affiliations
AffiliationRoom numberTelephone
Professor of Structural Geology in the Department of Earth SciencesLevel 2 East Wing Annex, Rm 250+44 (0) 191 33 42299

Biography

2004 – present: Professor, Earth Sciences, University of Durham

2001 – 2004: Reader, Geological Sciences, University of Durham

1998 – 2001: Senior Lecturer, Geological Sciences, University of Durham

1989 – 1998: Lecturer, Geological Sciences, University of Durham

1987 – 1989: Lecturer, University of Reading

1985 – 1987: Lecturer, Geology, University of Liverpool

Career Research Highlights

Bob’s main research interests lie in the study of the structure, mechanics and transport properties of weak fault zones using fieldwork, microstructure and rock deformation experiments. Together with Nicola De Paola and Stefan Nielsen, he has recently established the Rock Mechanics Laboratory in the Earth Sciences Department at Durham. He has also pioneered studies of fractured basement reservoirs and the role played by pre-existing structures in controlling crustal deformation patterns at all scales. His international expertise in these areas has led to significant industry funding for his research, most notably in work related to the Clair oil field, the largest remaining asset in the UKCS. He also provides expert advice to the nuclear industry (new builds, geological disposal of waste) and is a member of the Office of Nuclear Regulation (ONR) Expert Panel in Seismic Hazard and Climate Change, contributing expertise on reactivation and capable faulting in the UK.

 
Bob has published 174 peer-reviewed papers and has edited 12 books. Since 2001, he has obtained research funding in excess of £2.9 Million. He is a former Head of Department (twice) and NERC KE Fellow.

Rock Mechanics Laboratory bannerStructural Geology Research Group link button

Committee and Society Service

2022-Present: Chair, Scottish Geology Trust

2013 – 2016: PRC Panel Chair (RATE and Oil & Gas Decommissioning Programmes) NERC

2015 - 2016: NERC Anniversary Ambassador

2011 – present: Office of Nuclear Regulation (ONR) Expert Panel in Seismic Hazard and Climate Change (nuclear new-builds and geological disposal of radioactive waste)

2012 – 2015: Durham University NERC Liaison Group (Chair from 2012)

2010 – 2012: Peer Review College Member NERC

2009 – 2013: NERC KE Fellow, representing the Institute for Hazards, Risk and Resilience and the Durham Energy Institute NERC

Pre-2009: Special Advisor in Structural Geology for RAE 2008; Council Member, Geological Society of London; President of the Tectonic Studies Group Geological Society of London

Conferences and Workshops

2017: Convenor of Special Session 'Dynamics in Mobile Belts' JpGU-AGU, Tokyo.

2014: Convenor of Conference: 'Geometry and Growth of Normal Faults’,Geological Society of London.

2011: Convenor: Special Session on; 'Fault zone structure, mechanics and evolution in nature and laboratory' - EGU General Assembly, Vienna.

2011: Co-organizer - Tectonic Studies Group Annual Meeting: Research in Progress, Durham.

2010: Convened Special Session on; 'Deformation Mechanisms, Microstructures, and Frictional Properties of Upper Crustal Fault Zones' - EGU General Assembly, Vienna.

2009: Convenor: Scientific session TS26: 'Tectonic Reactivation Processes and Fault Zone Weakening' - AGU Fall Meeting, San Francisco.

Editorial Roles

2017- present: Editorial Board Member, Nature Scientific Reports

2017 – present: Editorial Advisory Board Member, GEOLOGY

2013 – 2016: Associate Editor, GEOLOGY

2013 – present: Editorial Advisory Board Member, Journal of Structural Geology

2004 – 2006: Editorial Advisory Board Member, Geology

2004 – 2012: Editor, Journal of Structural, Geology

1998 – 2004: Series Editor, Geological Society of London, Special Publications

Membership of Organizations and Societies


Fellow, Geological Society of America

Fellow, Higher Education Academy

Fellow, Geological Society of London

Member, American Geophysical Union

Member, European Geosciences Union

Prizes & Awards

2022: Fellowship - Royal Society of Edinburgh

2018: Durham University Impact & Engagement Award for ‘Fractured Basement Reservoirs’

2018: Runner-up in the 2018 NERC Impact Awards (Economic Category) for project: “Opening-up a New Type of Petroleum Reservoir to Supply Energy to the UK”

2018: Coke Medal - Geological Society of London

2017: Clough Medal - Edinburgh Geological Society 

2007: Vice Chancellor's award for Excellence in Doctoral Supervision - Durham University

2006: Aberconway Medal - Geological Society of London

2004: Elected Fellow - Geological Society of America

2000: Lyell Fund - for 'excellence in published research' - Geological Society of London

Bob's PhD students have also won several major international awards, including:

Ramsay Medal (6 times: Nic De Paola 2006, Juilin Guo 2010, Steve Smith 2011, Rich Walker 2012, Chris Harbord 2018; Kit Hardman 2021)

GSL Young Author/Early Career Award (Nic De Paola 2005, Kit Hardman 2021)

GSL Presidents Award (Steve Smith 2008)

AGU Best Paper (twice: Steve Smith,2008, Rachael Bullock 2014)

EGU Tectonics and Structural Geology Division Outstanding Young Scientists Award (Steve Smith 2013).

Recent Research Grants and Consultancy

2015 - NERC capital grant (as Co-I), “HiFAST, A portable, high-frequency acquisition system to measure dynamic stress and strain in natural rocks experimentally deformed at seismic, high strain-rates”

2015 - BP: "Understanding the Clair Field Fractured Basement: Implcations for Reservoir Appraisal"

2014 - EDC Philippines, "Fracture systems in a volcanic geothermal field, Philippines"

2013 - NERC Oil & Gas Catalyst Award (as Co-I): "Commercial development & application of the Re-Os geochronometer"

2012  - Clair Joint Venture Group: "Re-Os Geochronology, Scotland"

2011 - Clair Joint Venture Group: "Fracturing in the Orcadian Basin"

2011  - NERC Standard Grant (as Co-I): "Fault lubrication during earthquake propagation in thermally unstable rocks"

2009 - Statoil/SINDRI: "Fractures in Crystalline Rocks"

2009 - Leverhulme Fellowship: "Frictional slip localisation along weak faults"

2009 - NERC KE Fellowship

Research Interests

Reactivation tectonics in continental settings.

Long-term and dynamic weakening mechanisms along faults.

Fractured crystalline reservoirs.

Strain partitioning in deformation zones.

Flow kinematics in crustal and mantle shear zones.

Study areas: NW Scotland, Greenland, Newfoundland, Brazil, SW Cyprus, California, Central Norway, Shetland, Faroes, Northern England, SW England, SE Scotland, Italy, Japan, Vietnam, Middle East, Philippines.

Selected Invited Keynotes

2017: AAPG ICE, London:"Cracked and full of sand: insights into how fractures enable ingress of oil into crystalline basement"

2017: EGU Annual General Meeting, Vienna: "Tectonic Inheritance, Reactivation and Long Term Fault Weakening Processes"

2016: JpGU Dynamics of Mobile Belts Conference, Takayama, Japan: "Going Beyond Brittle Deformation: Insights into Seismogenic Slip Processes from Natural and Experimental Faults".

2015: AGU Annual General Meeting, San Francisco:"Beyond Brittle Deformation: Insights into Seismogenic Slip Processes from Natural and Experimental Faults"

2013: Tectonic Studies Group: “Geological constraints on fault dynamic weakening mechanisms from natural slip surfaces in carbonate faults.”

2010: Padova University International Workshop on Faults and Seismicity: "When seismic faults go bad: some geological insights into the causes of weakening & creep"

2009: AGU Annual General Meeting, San Francisco: "The microstructural character and evolution of fault rocks from the SAFOD core and potential weakening mechanisms along the San Andreas Fault"

2009: AGU Annual General Meeting, San Francisco: “Continental basement inheritance and multiscale rifted ocean margin architectures: case studies from the N Atlantic-Greenland region.”

Research groups

  • Geoenergy, Resources and Waste
  • Geohazards
  • Structural Research Group

Awarded Grants

  • 2016: Inspire: Identifying North Sea Palaezozoic Prospectivity(£239948.00 from Oil and Gas Authority)
  • 2015: CREEP: Complex RhEologies in Earth dynamics and industrial processes(£173549.30 from European Commission)
  • 2015: High frequency acquisition system for the dynamic measurement of stress, strain and friction in laboratory-produced earthquakes(£173000.00 from NERC - Natural Environment Research Council)
  • 2014: Commercial development and application of the Re-Os geochronometer and tracer to petroleum systems(£43605.93 from NERC - Natural Environment Research Council)
  • 2012: Clair Sponsored Studentship(£140000.00 from BP Exploration Operating Company Ltd)
  • 2008: A DETAILED STUDY OF THE INTERACTION(£100000.00 from Statoil ASA)

Esteem Indicators

  • 2018: Coke Medal:

    Awarded by the Geological Society of London for outstanding research and contributions to the geosciences community.

  • 2018: Durham University Impact & Engagement Award: Overall winner ;for Impact Case Study on ;‘Fractured Basement Reservoirs’
  • 2018: NERC Impact Award (Runner-up):

    Runner-up in the 2018 NERC Impact Awards (Economic Category) for project: “Opening-up a New Type of Petroleum Reservoir to Supply Energy to the UK”

Media Contacts

Available for media contact about:

  • The Earth: Rocks & natural forces: structural geology
  • The Earth: Rocks & natural forces: tectonics
  • The Earth: Rocks & natural forces: geological faults
  • The Earth: Rocks & natural forces: geology of the British Isles and adjacent regions
  • Earth energy systems: Structural geology and tectonics: the response of the Earth's outer shell (the crust) to plate tectonic forces. I am particualrly interested in faults and their deeper crustal equivalents, shear zones.
  • Earth Sciences: Continental tectonics: how the Earth's continents undergo deformation in response to plate tectonic forces, generating mountains, basins, earthquakes and mineral deposits
  • Earth energy systems: Continental tectonics: how the Earth's continents undergo deformation in response to plate tectonic forces, generating mountains, basins, earthquakes and mineral deposits
  • Geophysics: Continental tectonics: how the Earth's continents undergo deformation in response to plate tectonic forces, generating mountains, basins, earthquakes and mineral deposits
  • Oil and gas: Continental tectonics: how the Earth's continents undergo deformation in response to plate tectonic forces, generating mountains, basins, earthquakes and mineral deposits
  • Tectonics: Continental tectonics: how the Earth's continents undergo deformation in response to plate tectonic forces, generating mountains, basins, earthquakes and mineral deposits
  • Volcanism: Continental tectonics: how the Earth's continents undergo deformation in response to plate tectonic forces, generating mountains, basins, earthquakes and mineral deposits
  • Science & Technology: Continental tectonics: how the Earth's continents undergo deformation in response to plate tectonic forces, generating mountains, basins, earthquakes and mineral deposits
  • Geological hazards: Continental tectonics: how the Earth's continents undergo deformation in response to plate tectonic forces, generating mountains, basins, earthquakes and mineral deposits
  • The Earth: Rocks & natural forces: Continental tectonics: how the Earth's continents undergo deformation in response to plate tectonic forces, generating mountains, basins, earthquakes and mineral deposits
  • Earth Sciences: Fault reactivation and mechanics: why do faults move repeatedly over very long time periods? What are the main weakening mechanisms leading to this behaviour?
  • Earth energy systems: Fault reactivation and mechanics: why do faults move repeatedly over very long time periods? What are the main weakening mechanisms leading to this behaviour?
  • Oil and gas: Fault reactivation and mechanics: why do faults move repeatedly over very long time periods? What are the main weakening mechanisms leading to this behaviour?
  • Tectonics: Fault reactivation and mechanics: why do faults move repeatedly over very long time periods? What are the main weakening mechanisms leading to this behaviour?
  • Science & Technology: Fault reactivation and mechanics: why do faults move repeatedly over very long time periods? What are the main weakening mechanisms leading to this behaviour?
  • Geological hazards: Fault reactivation and mechanics: why do faults move repeatedly over very long time periods? What are the main weakening mechanisms leading to this behaviour?
  • The Earth: Rocks & natural forces: Fault reactivation and mechanics: why do faults move repeatedly over very long time periods? What are the main weakening mechanisms leading to this behaviour?
  • Earth Sciences: Predicting fracture networks in rocks: what are the 3D attributes of fracture systems in rocks and how can we predict their evolution in the subsurface and its impacts on fluid flow
  • Earth energy systems: Predicting fracture networks in rocks: what are the 3D attributes of fracture systems in rocks and how can we predict their evolution in the subsurface and its impacts on fluid flow
  • Geophysics: Predicting fracture networks in rocks: what are the 3D attributes of fracture systems in rocks and how can we predict their evolution in the subsurface and its impacts on fluid flow
  • Oil and gas: Predicting fracture networks in rocks: what are the 3D attributes of fracture systems in rocks and how can we predict their evolution in the subsurface and its impacts on fluid flow
  • Tectonics: Predicting fracture networks in rocks: what are the 3D attributes of fracture systems in rocks and how can we predict their evolution in the subsurface and its impacts on fluid flow
  • Science & Technology: Predicting fracture networks in rocks: what are the 3D attributes of fracture systems in rocks and how can we predict their evolution in the subsurface and its impacts on fluid flow
  • Geological hazards: Predicting fracture networks in rocks: what are the 3D attributes of fracture systems in rocks and how can we predict their evolution in the subsurface and its impacts on fluid flow
  • The Earth: Rocks & natural forces: Predicting fracture networks in rocks: what are the 3D attributes of fracture systems in rocks and how can we predict their evolution in the subsurface and its impacts on fluid flow
  • Earth Sciences: Digital geological mapping and 3D visualisation: development of new methods ultimatley leading to the use of 'virtual geological outcrops' for use by scientists and industry.
  • Earth energy systems: Digital geological mapping and 3D visualisation: development of new methods ultimatley leading to the use of 'virtual geological outcrops' for use by scientists and industry.
  • Oil and gas: Digital geological mapping and 3D visualisation: development of new methods ultimatley leading to the use of 'virtual geological outcrops' for use by scientists and industry.
  • Tectonics: Digital geological mapping and 3D visualisation: development of new methods ultimatley leading to the use of 'virtual geological outcrops' for use by scientists and industry.
  • Science & Technology: Digital geological mapping and 3D visualisation: development of new methods ultimatley leading to the use of 'virtual geological outcrops' for use by scientists and industry.
  • Geological hazards: Digital geological mapping and 3D visualisation: development of new methods ultimatley leading to the use of 'virtual geological outcrops' for use by scientists and industry.
  • The Earth: Rocks & natural forces: Digital geological mapping and 3D visualisation: development of new methods ultimatley leading to the use of 'virtual geological outcrops' for use by scientists and industry.

Publications

Authored book

  • Holdsworth, R.E, Strachan, R.A & Alsop, G.I (2001). Solid Geology of the Tongue District (Sheet 114E). British Geological Survey.

Chapter in book

Conference Proceeding

  • Holdsworth, R.E, Bailey, W.R, Imber, J, Butler, C.A & Lloyd, G.E (1997). The structural role played by fluids during reactivation of mid-crustal and upper mantle fault zones.

Edited book

  • Alsop, G.I., McCaffrey, K.J.W., Holdsworth, R.E. & Hand, M. (2004). Flow Processes in Faults and Shear Zones. Spec. Pub. Geol. Soc., London.
  • Storti, F., Holdsworth, R.E. & Salvini, F. (2003). Intraplate Strike-Slip Deformation Belts. Spec. Pub. Geol. Soc., London.
  • Turner, J.P. & Holdsworth, R.E. (2002). Extensional Tectonics: Regional-scale Processes (part 1). Key Issues in Earth Sciences, 2. London: Geological Society.
  • Turner, J.P. & Holdsworth, R.E. (2002). Extensional Tectonics: Faulting & Related Processes (Part 2). Key Issues in Earth Sciences, 2. London: Geological Society.
  • Holdsworth, R.E., Strachan, R.A., Magloughlin, J.F. & Knipe, R.J. (2001). The Nature and Tectonic Significance of Fault Zone Weakening. Spec. Pub. Geol. Soc., London.
  • Miller, J.A., Holdsworth, R.E., Buick, I.S. & Hand, M. (2001). Continental Reactivation and Reworking. Spec. Pub. Geol. Soc., London.
  • Holdsworth, R.E., Strachan, R.A. & Dewey, J.F. (1998). Continental Transpressional and Transtensional Tectonics. Spec. Publ. Geol. Soc. London.

Journal Article

Report

  • ONR (Forthcoming). TAG 013 ANNEX 1 – EARTHQUAKE HAZARDS. ONR document.
  • ONR Expert Panel on Seismic Hazard and Climate Change. (2017). Seismic Hazard Assessment for Nuclear Sites. ONR Expert Panel Report No: 1/15-EP-SH-GEN.
  • Daniels, S.,, Holdsworth R.E., Tucker, M., Oxlade, D., Vsemirnova, E., Roberts, A., Wilkinson, M., Woods, C. & Jarvis, Z. (2016). Integrated Zechstein Study: Observations of Breccia and Breccia Pipes at Marsden Bay, Tyne and Wear. Confidential multi-client report, Geospatial Research Ltd, 90pp.
  • ONR Expert Panel on Seismic Hazard and Climate Change. (2016). Evaluation of the Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Analysis and Capable Faulting Hazard for the Hinkley Point C Nuclear Site. ONR Expert Panel Report No: 1/16-EP-SH-HPC.
  • Daniels, S.,, Long, J., Tucker, M., Mawson, M., Holdsworth R.E., Wilkinson, M., & Gluyas, J. (2016). The Integrated Zechstein Study: An Overview. Confidential multi-client report, Geospatial Research Ltd, 16pp.
  • Holdsworth, R.E. & McCaffrey, K.J.W. (2016). Understanding the Clair field basement and its associated fracture systems: implications for reservoir appraisal. Confidential Final report for the Clair JVG.
  • Long, J., Daniels, S., Holdsworth R.E., Oxlade, D., Woods, C., Gilment, S., Roberts, A., Jarvis, Z., & Jones, R.R. (2016). Integrated Zechstein Study: Fracture Analysis Report. Confidential multi-client report, Geospatial Research Ltd, 187pp.
  • Holdsworth, R.E., McCaffrey, K., Jones, R. & Imber, J. (2007). Outcrop Data as an Analogue to HEX Lewisian Basement Acreage: Characterisation of Lewisian Fracturing in Scotland & the Møre-Trøndelag Fault Zone in Norway. Consultancy Report commissioned by Hurricane Exploration plc. Consultancy Report commissioned by Hurricane Exploration plc.
  • Jones, R. Imber, J., Holdsworth, R.E. & McCaffrey, K. (2007). Outcrop Data as an Analogue to HEX Lewisian Basement Acreage: Analysis of Fracturing on Lewis & Harris, Outer Hebrides. Consultancy Report commissioned by Hurricane Exploration plc. Consultancy Report commissioned by Hurricane Exploration.
  • O'Brien, S.J & Holdsworth, R.E (1992). Geological development of the Avalon Zone, the easternmost Gander Zone, and the ductile Dover Fault in the Glovertown (NTS 2D/9, East Half) map area, eastern Newfoundland. Current Res., Newf. Dept. Mines & Energy Report.
  • O'Brien, S.J, O'Neill, P.P & Holdsworth, R.E (1991). Preliminary geological map of part of the Glovertown 2D/9 map area, Newfoundland. Newfoundland Dept. of Energy & Mines - Geological Survey Branch.

Supervision students

Mr Fadul Dawood

Rock Mechanics Lab Technician (also PhD student)

Mr. Zak Milner

PhD