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Dr Andrew R Gorman

Andrew Gorman

BSc(Calgary) PhD(Br Col)

Geophysics

 

Office - Geology 2S03

Tel 64 3 479 7516

Email andrew.gorman@otago.ac.nz

Contact for

100-level courses, geophysics

Teaching

100-level

200 Level

300 Level

400 Level

Research Interests

My research interests are in the application of geophysical analytical techniques to geological problems. Currently, my research ranges across the spectrum of controlled-source seismology: from high-resolution marine reflection seismology to lithosphere-scale refraction seismology. Two of my main focuses these days are the examination of gas hydrates on the continental shelf and the characterisation of fault structures on the South Island of New Zealand.

Gas hydrates research is currently centred on New Zealand's continental margins - specifically the Fiordland Margin off the southwest coast of the South Island and the Hikurangi Margin off the east coast of the North Island. Extensive data sets of petroleum industry (and other) data facilitate the characterisation of these ice-like compounds of natural gas (mostly methane) and water within the ocean floor sediments. In collaboration with researchers at New Zealand's GNS Science and the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) and elsewhere, we are (1) investigating the distribution and concentration of this significant hydrocarbon resource, (2) examining the role that hydrates play in the global climate cycle, and (3) evaluating the link between hydrate deposits and sea floor instabilities. The new high-frequency seismic capabilities of the University of Otago’s research vessel, RV Polaris II , will be used to examine features within the upper 500 m of the seafloor that may be related to underlying hydrate accummulations.

Land seismic methods can be used to constrain the position of faults at depth – primarily by imaging the geological units on either side of the fault and interpreting how the fault has moved between them. In collaboration with structural geology colleagues, I am conducting research into the shallow structure of the Alpine Fault and associated plate boundary faults on the South Island. In particular, I am using the University of Otago’s 48-channel seismic system to collect reflection seismic datasets to characterise the sedimentary basins associated with the Alpine Fault, near Haast and the Ostler Fault in West Mackenzie Country.

Selected Recent Publications

  • Crutchley GJ, Gorman AR, Pecher IA, Toulmin S, Henrys SA 2011. Geological controls on focused fluid flow through the gas hydrate stability zone on the southern Hikurangi Margin of New Zealand – implications for attractive deposits. Marine and Petroleum Geology in press: doi:10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2010.12.005.
  • Campbell FM, Ghisetti FC, Kaiser AE, Green AG, Horstmeyer H, Gorman AR 2010. Structure and evolution of the seismically active Ostler Fault Zone (New Zealand) based on interpretations of multiple high-resolution seismic reflection profiles. Tectonophysics 495(3-4): 195-212, doi:10.1016/j.tecto.2010.09.016
  • Gorman, A.R., and Senger, K. 2010. Defining the updip extent of the gas hydrate stability zone on continental margins with low geothermal gradients, Journal of Geophysical Research: 115, B07105, doi:10.1029/2009JB006680.
  • Crutchley G.J., Geiger S., Pecher I.A., Gorman A.R., Zhu H., Henrys SA 2010. The potential influence of shallow gas and gas hydrates on sea floor erosion of Rock Garden, an uplifted ridge offshore of New Zealand. Geo-Marine Letters: 30, 283-303, doi: 10.1007/s00367-010-0186-y
  • Pecher I.A., Henrys S.A., Wood W.T., Kukowski N., Crutchley G.J., Fohrmann M., Kilner J., Senger K., Gorman A.R., Coffin R.B., Greinert J., Faure K. 2010. Focused fluid expulsion on the Hikurangi Margin, New Zealand – Evidence from possible local upwarping of the base of gas hydrate stability. Marine Geology: 272(1-4), 99-113, doi:10.1016/j.margeo.2009.10.006.
  • Campbell F.M., Kaiser A., Horstmeyer H., Green A.G., Ghisetti F.C., Gorman A.R., Finnemore M., Nobes D. 2010. Processing and preliminary interpretation of noisy high-resolution seismic reflection / refraction data across the active Ostler Fault zone, South Island, New Zealand. Journal of Applied Geophysics: 70, 332-342, doi: 10.1016/j.jappgeo.2009.05.001.

  • Crutchley G.J., Pecher I.A., Gorman A.R., Henrys S.A., and Greinert J. 2010. Seismic imaging of gas beneath seafloor vent sites in a shallow marine gas hydrate province, Hikurangi Margin, New Zealand. Marine Geology: 272(1-4), 114-126, doi:10.1016/j.margeo.2009.03.007.

  • Pysklywec R.N., Ellis S.M., Gorman A.R. 2010. Three-dimensional mantle lithosphere deformation at collisional plate boundaries: A subduction scissor across the South Island of New Zealand. Earth and Planetary Science Letters: 289(3-4), 334-346, doi: 1016/j.epsl.2009.11.022
  • Fohrmann, M., Gorman, A.R., and Pecher, I.A. 2009. Chapter 17: Seismic characterization of the Fiordland gas hydrate province, New Zealand. In Collett, T., Johnson, A., Knapp, C. and Boswell, R., eds. Natural Gas Hydrates: Energy Resource Potential and Associated Geological Hazards: AAPG Memoir 89, 467-480.
  • Ghisetti, F.C., Gorman, A.R., Grasso, M. and Vezzani, L. 2009. Imprint of foreland structure on the deformation of a thrust sheet: The Plio- Pleistocene Gela Nappe (southern Sicily, Italy). Tectonics: 28, TC4015: doi:10.1029/2008TC002385
  • Hornbach, M.J., Saffer, D.M., Holbrook, W.S., van Avendonk, H.J.A., and Gorman, A.R. 2008. 3D seismic imaging of the Blake Ridge methane hydrate province: Evidence for large concentrated zones of gas hydrate and morphologically-driven advection. Journal of Geophysical Research 113:B07101, doi: 10.1029/2007JB005392.
  • Johnston, L., Wilson, G.S., Gorman, A.R., Henrys, S.A., Horgan, H., Clark, R., and Naish, T.R. 2008. Cenozoic basin evolution beneath the southern McMurdo Ice Shelf, Antarctica. Global and Planetary Change 62: 61-76.
  • Ghisetti, F.C., Gorman, A.R., and Sibson, R.H. 2007. Surface break-through of a basement fault by repeated episodes of seismic slip: the Ostler Fault, South Island, New Zealand. Tectonics 26: TC6004, doi: 10.1029/2007TC002146
  • Crutchley, G.J., Gorman, A.R., and Fohrmann, M. 2007. Investigation of the role of gas hydrates in continental slope stability west of Fiordland, New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics 50(4): 357-364.
  • Gorman, A.R., Németh, B., Clowes, R.M., and Hajnal, Z. 2006. An investigation of upper mantle heterogeneity beneath the Archaean and Proterozoic crust of western Canada from Lithoprobe controlled-source seismic experiments, Tectonophysics, 416: 187-207.
  • Leslie, A., Cox, S.C., Woodward, D.J., Gorman, A.R. 2005. Seismic experiments at Macraes Flat, Otago, New Zealand. Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences science report 2005/32. 42 pp.
  • Hornbach, M.J., Holbrook, W.S., Gorman, A.R., Hackwith, K.L., Lizarralde, D., and Pecher, I. (2003) Direct seismic detection of methane hydrate on the Blake Ridge. Geophysics, 68: 92-100.
  • Gorman, A.R. (2002) Ray-theoretical seismic traveltime inversion - Modifications for a two-dimensional radially parameterized Earth. Geophys. Journ. Int., 151: 511-516.
  • Holbrook, W.S., Lizarralde, D., and Pecher, I., Gorman, A.R., Hackwith, K.L., Hornbach, M.J., and Saffer, D.M. (2002) Escape of methane gas through sediment waves in a large methane hydrate province. Geology, 30: 467-470.
  • Gorman, A.R., Holbrook, W.S., Hornbach, M.J., Hackwith, K.L., Lizarralde, D., and Pecher, I. (2002) Migration of methane gas through the hydrate stability zone in a low-flux hydrate province. Geology, 30: 327-330.
  • Clowes, R.M., Burianyk M.J.A., Gorman, A.R., and Kanasewich, E.R. (2002) Crustal velocity structure from SAREX, the Southern Alberta Refraction Experiment. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences, 39: 351-373.
  • Gorman, A.R., Clowes, R.M., Ellis, R.M., Burianyk, M.J.A., Kanasewich, E.R., Asudeh, I., Hajnal, Z., Spence, G.D., Henstock, T.J., Levander, A.R., Keller, G.R., and Miller, K.C. (2002) Deep Probe - Imaging the roots of western North America. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences, 39: 375-398.
  • Gorman, A.R. and Clowes, R.M. (1999) Wave-field tau-p analysis for 2-D velocity models: Application to western North American lithosphere. Geophysical Research Letters, 26: 2323-2326.]
  • Deep Probe Working Group, including A.R. Gorman (1998) Probing the depths of western North America: Contrasting Archean and Proterozoic lithosphere with controlled source seismology. GSA Today, 8 (No. 7): 1-5.

Also See Publications

Current Students

James Ashley (MSc) – New Zealand surface heat flow and its tectonic implications (Co-supervised by Dr. Rob Funnell, GNS Science).

Callum Bruce (MSc) – Seismic imaging of natural gas occurrences and migration pathways in the seafloor of the Reinga Basin, west of Northland.

Joanna Cooper (PhD) – Investigating water-mass mixing across the Sub-tropical Front east of the South Island using seismic oceanography (Co-supervised by Dr. Ross Vennell, Marine Science)

Claudine Curran (PhD) (on hold)- A structural and stratigraphic investigation of the Waihemo Valley (Co-supervised by Prof. Richard Norris)

Douglas Fraser (PhD) – Seismic characterisation of hydrate / shallow gas systems associated with active margin sediments in the Pegasus Sub-basin, Hikurangi Margin, New Zealand (Co-supervised by Dr. Ingo Pecher, University of Auckland).

Jeremy Kilner (MSc) (on hold)- Seismic imaging of eastern Otago active fault structures (Co-supervised by Prof. Richard Norris.)

Adrienn Kovacs (PhD) – Geophysical characterisation of the Alpine Fault through and beneath the Whataroa Valley, Westland, New Zealand.

Tim Lennon (MSc) (on hold)– Geophysical exploration offshore Stewart Island (sponsored by GeoSphere Ltd. through a TEC Enterprise Scholarship.)

Recent Students

Betina Flemming (BSc(Hons) 2012) – Characterisation of the modern sand wedge on the South Otago shelf (Co-supervised by Dr. Chris Moy).

Matthew Smillie (MSc 2012) -  Seismic oceanographical imaging of the ocean southeast of NZ.

Daniel Jones (MSc 2012) – Geophysical characterisation of the Foulden Hills Maar, Central Otago, New Zealand (Co-supervised by Prof. Gary Wilson).

Paul Viskovic (MSc 2011) - Fluid flux through the seafloor of the Great South Basin (sponsored by OMV New Zealand through a TEC Enterprise Scholarship.)

Callum Bruce (BSc Hons 2010) – Shallow marine seismic characterisation of coast-parallel faulting south of Dunedin.

Amy Shears (MSc – EnvSci 2010) - Characterisation of the sediment budget of Otago Harbour (Co-supervised by Dr. Abby Smith, Marine Science)

Gareth Crutchley (PhD 2009) - Gas hydrate characterisation on the Hikurangi Continental Margin (Co-supervised by Dr. Ingo Pecher, GNS Science).

Miko Fohrmann (PhD 2009) - Examination of marine seismic reflection data for the occurrence and distribution of gas hydrates on the continental margins of New Zealand (Co-supervised by Dr. Ingo Pecher, GNS Science)

Matt Hill (MSc 2007) - Geophysical and Geomorphological mapping of present and past landscapes, Lake Rotoiti, Nelson Lakes. (Co-supervised by Prof. Gary Wilson.)

Kim Senger (BSc Hons 2006) - Seismic interpretation of the Canterbury slope to identify links between gas hydrate occurrences and slope stability.

Lisa Johnston (MSc 2006) - McMurdo Ice Shelf Seismic Reflection Experiment, Antarctica. (Co-supervised by Dr. Gary Wilson.)
Hamish Blakemore (MSc 2006) - Shallow seismic investigation of the Oreti River aquifer, Southland.

Anna Leslie (MSc 2006) - Seismic characterisation of mineralisation at the Oceana Gold Ltd Gold Mine at Macraes, Otago.