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Dr. Christopher Nicholas

Assistant Professor (Geology)
MUSEUM BUILDING
      
Profile Photo

Dr. Christopher Nicholas

Assistant Professor (Geology)
MUSEUM BUILDING

 nicholyj@tcd.ie

 3531896 2176


Chris Nicholas is an Exploration Field Geologist. Over the last 30 years he has conducted field surveys all around the world from Arctic Canada, eastern Siberia and the snow-covered Japan Alps, to the rainforests of Java, deserts of Kazakhstan, and on to ocean islands such as the Atlantic Cape Verdes and Kilauea volcano on Hawaii. However, his particular speciality for the last 25 years has been exploration across the Equatorial Tropics of Africa, Arabia and the Caribbean, working in collaboration with geologists from Government Ministries, their Corporations and a suite of major Industry exploration companies in those Countries. Chris graduated with a PhD from the University of Cambridge, UK, followed by Research Fellowships at the University of Cambridge, University of Oxford and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), USA, before joining Trinity College Dublin as a Lecturer in 2001. Chris' current, main research theme is the evolution of African Rift basins from the Neoproterozoic to the modern day East African Rift System (EARS), and in particular, how tectonics coupled with climatic cyclicity have driven sedimentary dynamics in the Pliocene " Recent Albertine Rift in Uganda and DR Congo.
  Geological evolution of the East African Rift System   Geological field surveying in frontier regions   Mesozoic to Recent stratigraphy of Tanzania   Petroleum exploration in East and Central Africa   Quaternary geology of Lake Edward, Uganda & DR Congo
Project Title
 Sedimentary response to coupled East African climate change and active rifting in the Lake Edward basin, Albertine Rift, Uganda
From
2010
To
2012
Summary
Funding Agency
Ministry of Energy, Uganda
Programme
MSc. Research Studentship
Project Title
 Selous Basin Project
From
2007
To
2009
Summary
Funding Agency
Dominion Petroleum Ltd
Project Type
Post-Doctoral Research Project
Project Title
 Geological evolution of the southern Tanzanian continental margin
From
2007
To
2011
Summary
Funding Agency
European Science Foundation / IRCSET
Project Type
PhD Research Studentship
Project Title
 Stratigraphy and sedimentology of the Ara Group in outcrop and its implications for play development in the South Oman Salt Basin
From
2006
To
2010
Summary
Funding Agency
Petroleum Development Oman/Shuram Oil & Gas
Project Type
PhD Research Studentship
Project Title
 Structural evolution and petroleum geology of the Mandawa Basin, southern coastal Tanzania
From
2006
To
2010
Summary
Funding Agency
Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (with Dominion Petroleum)
Project Type
PhD Research Studentship

Page 1 of 3
Details Date
Former Chief Geologist for Dominion Petroleum Ltd., now acting as Geological Advisor
Details Date From Date To
Member of the Board of the National Museum of Ireland 2011 2015
Member of the Science & Technology Committee, Royal Dublin Society 2009 onwards
Member of the Royal Dublin Society
Member of the Geological Society of Africa
Christopher J. Nicholas, Chapter 10."Albertine Rift stratigraphy 2: glacial"interglacial Limnostratigraphy, Geological Society London Memoirs, 61, (1), 2025, p249 - 269, p249-269 , Journal Article, PUBLISHED  DOI
Christopher J. Nicholas, Appendices for sedimentary dynamics in the Albertine Rift Valley, Equatorial East Africa, Geological Society London Memoirs, 61, (1), 2025, p271 - 284, p271-284 , Journal Article, PUBLISHED  DOI
C. J. Nicholas, Sedimentary Dynamics in the Albertine Rift Valley, Equatorial East Africa, Memoir, Geological Society London, Geological Society London, 2024, 900pppp, Book, ACCEPTED
Christopher J. Nicholas, Chapter 2."Tectonics, climate and sedimentation in the Albertine Rift, Geological Society London Memoirs, 61, (1), 2024, p35 - 68, p35-68 , Journal Article, PUBLISHED  DOI
Christopher J. Nicholas, Chapter 4."Evidence of working petroleum play systems: oil seeps and slicks, Geological Society London Memoirs, 61, (1), 2024, p89 - 106, p89-106 , Journal Article, PUBLISHED  DOI
Christopher J. Nicholas, Chapter 8. Albertine Rift fluvial systems and terrestrial rift valley environments, Geological Society London Memoirs, 61, (1), 2024, p193 - 223, p193-223 , Journal Article, PUBLISHED  DOI
Christopher J. Nicholas, Chapter 3."Release of geothermal energy: hot springs and tufa"travertines, Geological Society London Memoirs, 61, (1), 2024, p69 - 87, p69-87 , Journal Article, PUBLISHED  DOI
Christopher J. Nicholas, Chapter 5."Albertine Rift basin lakes, Geological Society London Memoirs, 61, (1), 2024, p107 - 143, p107-143 , Journal Article, PUBLISHED  DOI
Christopher J. Nicholas, Chapter 6."Albertine Rift marginal lacustrine environments, Geological Society London Memoirs, 61, (1), 2024, p145 - 176, p145-176 , Journal Article, PUBLISHED  DOI
Christopher J. Nicholas, Chapter 9. Albertine Rift stratigraphy 1: sedimentary architecture, Geological Society London Memoirs, 61, (1), 2024, p225 - 247, p225-247 , Journal Article, PUBLISHED  DOI
  

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Chris" research focus over the past 17 years has been on the structural evolution and sedimentary dynamics of the Albertine Rift, which is the northern sector of the EARS Western Arm, investigating how tectonics and glacial " interglacial driven climatic cyclicity in East Africa together form a coupled dynamo that drives and controls the sedimentary fill of an early continental rift basin. Chris has conducted many geological field surveys and mapping in the Albertine Rift, both in Uganda and DR Congo (DRC). Chris was also Chief Geologist for Dominion Petroleum Uganda, during its hydrocarbon exploration of the Lake Edward basin and has worked with most of the Industry Companies, Government Ministries and Corporations operating across East, Central and West Africa. From 2015 to 2019, Chris helped and advised in the restructuring of the state oil company in DR Congo, SONAHYDROC (formerly COHYDRO), and provided a strategic exploration plan for the next 5 years. With the drive now away from hydrocarbon investment in the Developed World, this has opened opportunities for Exploration Field Geologists to apply their expertise to prospecting for other natural resources in the Equatorial Tropics, and Africa in particular. Thus, 2018 saw the first involvement of Chris in the mining of precious minerals, devising a detailed mining and financial plan for placer diamond and gold mining in Banalia Province, central DRC. This was followed more recently, in 2021, with another project on gold ore concentrations in hydrothermal veins at Kilima, Rungu-Wamba, DR Congo, and an appraisal of the Alia Gemstone mine in southern Kenya, where there is the occurrence of the rare emerald-like precious gemstone, Tsavorite.