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Professor Geoffrey Clayton

Fellow Emeritus (Geology)
MUSEUM BUILDING
      
Profile Photo

Professor Geoffrey Clayton

Fellow Emeritus (Geology)
MUSEUM BUILDING

 gclayton@tcd.ie

 3531896 2002


  BIOSTRATIGRAPHY   Earth Sciences   Geology   Hydrocarbons, exploration and production   PALAEOTEMPERATURE   PALEOBIOLOGY   PALEOGEOGRAPHY   Paleontology   PALYNOLOGY   Palynostratigraphy, Devonian and Carboniferous   Stratigraphy
Project Title
 Nitrogen isotopes as indicators of climate change
From
1 September 2007
To
31 August 2010
Summary
14N/15N ratios will be determined from late Devonian - early Carboniferous marine rocks and chemostratigraphic profiles will be constructed. The stratigraphic interval selected spans glaciation and deglaciation around the palaeo-south pole and is represented mostly by marine black shales in the USA. A novel aspect of the project will be the analysis of separated organic constituents such as Tasmanites and woody land plants tissues, rather than the crude 'whole-rock' approach used in previous investigations. Comparison of the stable isotope results with the known climatic changes will establish whether this is a viable technique for the study of such old rocks.
Funding Agency
SFI
Programme
Research Frontiers Programme
Project Title
 Palynological correlation of Mississippian (Carboniferous) stage boundaries in Western Europe and the USA
From
1 July 2005
To
30 June 2008
Summary
The recent decision to revise the stratigraphic classification of the Carboniferous System by introducing the North American divisions, 'Mississippian' and 'Pennsylvanian' worldwide has focussed attention on the lack of adequate correlation of the constituent North American stages with those in Europe. The various Mississippian stage boundaries can be recognised in numerous outcrop sections, principally in Kentucky, Missouri and Illinois, that include grey shales suitable for palynological investigation. The project will build on highly successful pilot projects by establishing a comprehensive Mississippian miospore zonation for the first time in the USA and correlating this with the existing European zonal scheme.
Funding Agency
SFI
Programme
Research Frontiers Programme
Project Title
 Stratigraphic Palynology of the Palaeozoic of Saudi Arabia
From
1990
To
2019
Summary
Investigation of the sub-surface Palaeozoic stratigraphy of Saudi Arabia using palynology. Samples from many hydrocarbon exploration wells drilled throughout Saudi Arabia are being studied by specialists in several European universities in order to determine the detailed distributions of all of the palynomorph groups encountered. Comprehensive zonal schemes are being erected and palynostratigraphic correlations of the well sections are being established.
Funding Agency
Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi Aramco)
Programme
Saudi Aramco / CIMP Joint Study

Details Date
Vice-Chair, Subcommission for Carboniferous Stratigraphy 2000 -2008
Councillor, International Federation of Palynological Societies 1996 - 1999
President, Commission Internationale de Microflore du Paleozoique 1991 - 1999
Secretary-General, Commission Internationale de Microflore du Paleozoique 1983 - 1987
Details Date From Date To
American Association of Stratigraphic Palynologists 1973
Commisssion Internationale de Microflore du Paleozoique 1968
Lopes, G. and McLean, D. and Mangerud, G. and Clayton, G., A new Mississippian biozonal scheme for the Finnmark Platform, Norway â€" Palynostratigraphic integration of exploration wells 7128/4-1 and 7128/6-1, Marine and Petroleum Geology, 92, 2018, p94-108 , Notes: [cited By 0], Journal Article, PUBLISHED  DOI
Spina, A. and Vecoli, M. and Riboulleau, A. and Clayton, G. and Cirilli, S. and Di Michele, A. and Marcogiuseppe, A. and Rettori, R. and Sassi, P. and Servais, T. and Riquier, L., Application of Palynomorph Darkness Index (PDI) to assess the thermal maturity of palynomorphs: A case study from North Africa, International Journal of Coal Geology, 188, 2018, p64-78 , Notes: [cited By 0], Journal Article, PUBLISHED  DOI
Lopes, G. and Mangerud, G. and Clayton, G., The palynostratigraphy of the Mississippian Birger Johnsonfjellet section, Spitsbergen, Svalbard, Palynology, 2018, Notes: [cited By 0], Journal Article, PUBLISHED  DOI
Clayton, G. and Goodhue, R. and Abdelbagi, S.T. and Vecoli, M., Correlation of Palynomorph Darkness Index and vitrinite reflectance in a submature Carboniferous well section in northern Saudi Arabia, Revue de Micropaleontologie, 60, (3), 2017, p411-416 , Notes: [cited By 0], Journal Article, PUBLISHED  DOI
CLARK, N.D.L., GILLESPIE, R., MORRIS, S.F., CLAYTON, G., A new early Carboniferous crustacean from the Forest of Dean, England, Journal of Systematic Palaeontology, 14, (9), 2016, p799-807 -, Journal Article, PUBLISHED  DOI
ROONEY, A., GOODHUE, R., CLAYTON, G., Stable nitrogen isotope analysis of the Upper Devonian palynomorph, Tasmanites, Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 429, 2015, p13 - 21, Notes: [ ], Journal Article, PUBLISHED  DOI
NAYLOR, D., AL-RAWI, M., CLAYTON, G., FITZPATRICK, M.J. and GREEN, P. F. , Hydrocarbon potential in Jordan, Journal of Petroleum Geology, 36, 2013, p205 - 236, Journal Article, PUBLISHED  DOI
FERNANDES, P., RODRIGUES, B., BORGES, M., MATOS, V. and CLAYTON, G. , Organic maturation of the Algarve Basin (southern Portugal) and its bearing on thermal history and hydrocarbon exploration, Marine and Petroleum Geology, 46, 2013, p210 - 233, Journal Article, PUBLISHED  DOI
ROONEY, A., CLAYTON, G. and GOODHUE, R., The dispersed spore Retusotriletes loboziakii sp. nov., affiliated with the enigmatic Late Devonian alga Protosalvinia Dawson 1884, Palynology, 37, (2), 2013, p196 - 201, Journal Article, PUBLISHED  DOI
FERNANDES, P., MUSGRAVE, J.A., CLAYTON, G., PEREIRA, Z., OLIVEIRA, J.-T., GOODHUE, R. and RODRIGUES, B., New evidence concerning the thermal history of Devonian and Carboniferous rocks in the South Portuguese Zone, Journal of the Geological Society, 169, 2012, p647 - 654, Journal Article, PUBLISHED  DOI
  

Page 1 of 4
Lopes, G., Mangerud, G., Clayton, G., Mørk, A., New insights on East Finnmark Platform palynostratigraphy and paleogeography - A study of three shallow cores from a Mississippian succession in the Barents Sea, Norway, Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 450, 2016, p60-76 , Journal Article, PUBLISHED

  


Award Date
Visiting Professor of Palynology, University of Sheffield 2014-2019
Senior Fellow, Trinity College Dublin 2012-2013
Berkeley Research Fellow, Trinity College Dublin 2002
Member of Royal Irish Academy 2000
Fellow, Trinity College Dublin 1981
My main research interests are: 1) PALYNOLOGY - the use of palynomorphs in Palaeozoic rocks to determine their age, depositional environment and palaeogeographic setting. 2) ORGANIC PETROLOGY - interpretation of thermal histories of rocks based on studies of microscopic plant debris and other organic particles. Current areas of interest include Ireland, Bolivia, Portugal, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the USA.