Emeritus ProfessorLidiaLonergan

These are some of the important research contributions that I have made that give an indication of my research interests throughout my career; most of this work has been done with an inspiring and talented cohort of over 20 PhD students listed below; and of course colleagues!

1. Pizzi, M., Lonergan, L., Whittaker, A.C. & Mayall, M. 2020 Growth of a thrust fault array in space and time: an example from the deep-water Niger Delta. Journal of Structural Geology, 10.1016/j.jsg.2020.104088
This paper is the first quantification in time and space of shortening and strain for a thrust array, allowing us to propose a new model for how thrust systems grow. It is one of the principal outputs of 10 year’s work quantifying the interaction of contractional gravitational systems and deep-water slope deposits.

2. McDermott, C., Lonergan, L., Collier JC, McDermott KG, Bellingham P (2018) The geometry of seaward-dipping reflectors and implications for magma-influenced continental breakup, along the South American Atlantic margin. Tectonics. DOI:10.1029/2017TC004923.
This paper resolves a longstanding debate on the importance of the magmatic contribution to the rifting of continents and the formation of oceans and provides a unified model for the formation of different types of seaward-dipping reflectors observed on other data. 

3. Stewart, M.A., Lonergan, L. (2011) Direct evidence for seven glacial cycles in the Middle-Late Pleistocene of NW Europe. Geology, 39, 283-286.
The paper was one of the outputs of a project I did that was entirely outside my original field of research. I spent ~ 7 years, with 2 PhD students and M. Stoker in the British Geological Survey working on glacial systems in the Pleistocene of the North Sea. Despite being neither a glaciologist, nor Quaternary scientist, I realised that my research tool and datasets (3D seismic data) could lead to valuable contributions in this field. Our work led to the complete reinterpretation of the glacial history of the Pleistocene British-Isles -Scandinavian ice sheets. We also showed how the glacial history of the North Sea is consistent with that predicted by proxy records of glacial and interglacial climate change in the last 500,000 years. The onshore UK and western Europe records only provide evidence of 3 glaciations, which is at odds with global climate records. (109 citations on google scholar; 95 WoS)

4. Jolly, R.J.H. & Lonergan L. (2002). Mechanisms and controls on the formation of sand intrusions, J Geological Society of London, 159, 605-617.
This paper is one of a number I wrote on sandstone remobilization and injection; we were the first to recognize the importance of sedimentary injection of sandstone at a large scale and its impact on Tertiary petroleum reservoirs in the North Sea. This led to a new field in Petroleum Geology/Sedimentology where these deposits and reservoirs are now known as ‘injectites’. This paper is highly cited (225 WoS; 344 Google Scholar).

5. Lonergan, L. & White, N. (1997). The origin of the Betic-Rif Mountain Belts. Tectonics, 16, 504-522.
This paper proposed a new plate tectonic model for the western Mediterranean area and has been cited >590 (WoS) 800 (Google Scholar) times. It is now cited outside of the earth sciences, in the field of evolutionary biology and migration of plant and animal species.

6. Cartwright, J., & Lonergan, L. (1996). Volumetric contraction during the compaction of mudrocks: a mechanism for the development of regional-scale polygonal fault systems. Basin Research, 8, 183-193
Using 3D seismic data, polygonal faults were recognized as an entirely new form of non-tectonic deformation in the mid-1990s by J. Cartwright. They occur in fine-grained sedimentary rocks at a basin scale, and have subsequently been discovered in basins world-wide. In this paper we provide the first evidence that the deformation was an intrinsic response of mudrocks to burial and compaction and not applied tectonic forces.   Paper cited 185 (WoS) /323 (Google Scholar) times.

Current PhD students

Adam Lajos Csicsek (2017-) “The effects of Salt Tectonics in the evolution of a Fold and Thrust belt” NERC Oil and Gas CDT funding co supervised with Rod Graham. October 2017-

Habibah Mat-Yusoff (2019-). “Fluvial-Coastal Plain Depositional Systems in the Sarawak Basin: Analysis of Shallow 3D Seismic Data of Plio-Pleistocene Rivers on the Central Luconia Shelf”. Malaysian Government Scholarship. Co-supervised with Howard Johnson and Alex Whittaker;  January 2019-

Former PhD students

Samuel Brooke-Barnett: 2022. The effects of Salt Tectonics in the evolution of a Fold and Thrust belt. Imperial College President’s Scholarship; co-supervised with Rod Graham. 

Andrew Proctor : 2022. Fold growth in the South Caspian Sea Basin: Mechanisms and interaction with deep-water lacustrine sediment”. NERC Oil and Gas CDT funding; co supervised with Mike Mayall .

Hamish Mitchell: 2021.Sediment pathways across intra-slope basins – optimal reservoir prediction and trapping potential. NERC Oil and Gas CDT funding, with data from PGS. Co-supervised with Mike Mayall, Alex Whittaker. 

Marco Pizzi: 2019. Predicting slope reservoir distribution and quality through quantification of tectonic influence and autocyclic processes. NERC Oil and Gas CDT funding, with data from PGS. Co-supervised with Mike Mayall and Alex Whittaker. Now works for Furgo.

Carl McDermott: 2018. Magmatism and breakup in the South Atlantic. Imperial College Janet Watson Scholarship with research funding from IonGeo. Co-superivsed with Jenny Collier and Paul Bellingham (IonGeo). Now works for Exxon.

Xiaoguang Wang: 2016. Bulk properties of fracture networks in carbonates for multi-scale flow modelling. Total Grant. Co-supervised with Oliver Gosselin, John Cosgrove, Gerard Massonat (Total) and Herve Jourde (Université Montpellier II); now works as Post-Doc at Université Montpellier II

Pedro A. Galindo: 2015. Tectonics and basin formation, offshore Colombia, Caribbean Sea. Colciencias Scholarship, Colombian Government.Now works for Ecopetrol

Gemma Jones: 2014. The influence of fold and salt-wall growth on deepwater sedimentary systems in an active salt mini-basin, offshore Angola. NERC Case award with BP. Now works for BP.

Byami Jolly: 2014. The interaction between deepwater channel systems and growing thrusts and folds, toe-thrust region of the deepwater Niger Delta. PTDF Nigerian Scholar.  Co-supervised with Alex Whittaker; Now lecturer at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria.

Grace Cairns: 2012. The Feasiblity of using Seismic Monitoring for Leakage at CO2 Storage Sites; Co Supervised with Helmut Jakubowicz, and Ann Muggeridge; Now works for BP.

Margaret Stewart: 2009. 3D Seismic Analysis of Pleistocene Tunnel Valleys in the Central North Sea. Now works with BGS and formerly Neftex Petroleum Consultants.

Ulrike Freitag: 2008. Back-stripping of displacement on normal growth faults (co-supervised with David Sanderson) . Now works with Statoil Hydro.

Alistair Graham: 2007. Reconstructing Pleistocene glacial environments in the Central North Sea using 3D seismic and borehole data. (British Geological Survey UCAC studentship; co-supervised with Martyn Stoker, BGS). Lecturer University of Exeter since 2013; previously worked as research scientist at the British Antarctic Survey.

Robert Leckenby; 2005. Characterisation and modelling of 3-dimensional fracture networks for enhanced recovery from reservoirs (NERC industrial Case with Golder Associate; co-supervised with David Sanderson). Now works with Oryxk Petroleum (Formerly Addax), Switzerland.

Jorge Acosta, April 2002. Structural Evolution of the Middle Magdalena Valley, Colombia. (co-supervised with Mike Coward). Now works with Pedevesa, in Venezuela.

Dustin Lister, October 2001. Computational techniques for analysing polygonal fault systems  (co-supervised with Joe Cartwright). Now works for Schlumberger.

Nick Lee, September 2001. The nature and origin of injected sands associated with deep-water sandstones. (co-supervised with Howard Johnson). Now works for British Gas.

Steve Molyneux, March 2001. Sandstone remobilisation in the Eocene to Mio-Pliocene of the Central and Northern North Sea. (Co-supervised with Joe Cartwright).

Pui Leng Tay,  April 1999, Upper crustal velocity and structures from surface seismics: applications to the Mediterranean Ridge and West Orkney Basins. systems.  (co-supervised with Mike Warner). Now works with Horizon EP after 5 years with Shell.

FUNDING

PetroChina Research Institute of Petroleum Exploration & Development (RIPED) “Formation and evolution of intra-cratonic rift from Late Sinian to Early Cambrian in the Sichuan Basin, South China” PI L. Lonergan; Researcher Dr Gu Zhidong (Petrochina). £146,000 and additionally secondment of researcher to Imperial College (1/6/2017-31/5/2019).

Woodside Energy: Integrated dynamic pressure, fluid property, fluid chemistry, reservoir architecture study of the Rankin Trend gas fields. Post Doctoral Project’ PI Professor Ann Muggeridge; Co-I L. Lonergan; PDRA: Jason Go; ; £146,000 (09/2013-08/2014)

Total E&P "Bulk properties of fracture networks in carbonates for multi-scale flow modelling" £140,000 With Professors Olivier Gosselin, John Cosgrove; G. Massonnat (Total) and Hervé Jourde (University Montpellier II) (1/10/2012-30/9/2015)

NERC CASE award with BP. Full PhD funding with research funds. "The influence of active salt tectonics on the development of deepwater slope channel and canyon systems."  (10/2010-10/2013)

Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation Joint Industry Grant with REPSOL. €180,000. "Evaluating shale diapirism in petroleum exploration: in the diapric provinces of the Alboran and Caspian Seas".  PI Juan Soto Granada University; Co-Is: F. Nieto Garcia, A. Hernandez Laguna, F. Fernández Ibáñez; (Granada University); Lidia Lonergan. Jan 2010-March 2012.

Landmark Graphics University Grant $222 Million - Software grant for seismic  processing, interpretation and visualization software (06/2010-06/2013 and renewed 2013 for further 3 years).  (with M. Warner)

BP Exploration £100,000 Structural evolution and depositional systems, deepwater Gulf of Mexico.(08/2006-08/2008)

 Landmark Graphics University Grant $55 Million - Software grant for seismic  processing, interpretation and visualization software (08/2007-08/2010  (with M. Warner).

 British Geological Survey UCAC grant for PhD Studentship; £23,950. “Reconstructing Pleistocene ice limits in the Central North Sea: implications for climate change” (1/10/03-30/9/06)