People

Dr. Alexander L. Peace, PhD P.Geo

Principal Investigator

• Research interests include: tectonics, structural geology, magmatism, geohazards, petroleum geology, sedimentary basins, seismic interpretation and potential-field studies.
• I am always seeking new collaborations and opportunities with industry, academia and government so please get in touch.

Email: peacea2@mcmaster.ca

Daniel Dick, PhD

Postdoctoral Fellow (2023-2025)

Project title: Geotrails

This project in association with APGO educational Foundation will develop new interactive geoscience outreach ‘Geotrails’.

Ugi Kurnia Gusti, M.Sc

PhD student (2020-2024)

Project title: Causes and consequences of seismicity in Eastern Canada

This project will use a combination of geological mapping of deformation, both in the field and also on geophysical data, in addition to numerical models of stress to provide new insights into the causes and consequences of seismicity in Eastern Canada.

Ai Gusti Guna, B.Geo.Eng. M.Sc, G.I.T

PhD student (2021-2025)

Project title: Structural Inheritance and Volcano-Tectonic evolution of Newfoundland and Labrador, Eastern Canada

This project will establish comprehensive insights into geological structure architecture, geochronology, and the distribution of the magmatism related tectonic processes, and their relationship with petroleum systems. The study will integrate and analyse geological field work data, geophysical data, and tectonic reconstruction numerical modelling.

Egor Koptev, B.S, M.S

PhD student (2023-2027)

Project title: Causes of intraplate magmatism in Eastern Canada

In this project the spatiotemporal distribution of Mesozoic intraplate magmatism will be investigated though field and geophysical approaches.

Justiina Devries, BSc

MSc student (2024-2026)

Project title: CCS feasibility on the Grandbanks, offshore Newfoundland

Catherine Kupiec, BSc

MSc student (2024-2026)

Project title: Niagara Escarpment erosion and geohazards

Ethan Davies, BSc

MSc student (2022-2024)

Project title: Prince Edward County structural mapping, reactivation and geophysics

Hannah Salbi

BSc Thesis student 2024-2025

Project title: Schmidt hammer study of Niagara Escarpment

Erica Pew

BSc Thesis student 2024-2025

Project title: Notre Dame Bay fault rock analysis

Corey Lang

BSc Thesis student 2024-2025

Project title: Drone-based analysis of Niagara Escarpment

NSERC USRA summer student (2024)

Kayci Street

BSc thesis student 2024-2025

Project title: Petrology of felsic rocks in Iceland

Mitacs Accelerate Summer Intern 2024

Keira Hum

BSc Thesis student 2024-2025 (co-supervised with Dr. Papangelakis)

Mitacs Accelerate Summer Intern 2024

Patricia Berrafati

BSc Independent Project Student 2025

Nicole Santos

BSc Independent Project Student 2025

Jeremy Rimando, PhD

Postdoctoral Fellow (2021 – 2023)

Project 1: Neotectonics and Seismic Hazards in Eastern Canada

The objective of this project is to map active structures in Eastern Canada, particularly areas with spatial clustering of earthquakes, and to determine the nature of the structures controlling seismicity in this region. This will be achieved through a multidisciplinary approach which includes structural analysis using remote sensing, GIS-based quantitative geomorphic analysis, and interpretation of geophysical, geodetic datasets and numerical stress modelling.

Project 2: Structural Controls of Mineralization of the Sixtymile, Yukon Gold project

The goal of this study is to de-risk and significantly enhance the rate of discovery success in the Sixtymile district where previous studies in the nearby Klondike gold district have shown promising correlation between placer deposits and bedrock occurrences. This study will use a combined geological-geophysical approach.

Jeremy’s website: https://www.jeremyrimando.com

Katie Maloney, PhD

Postdoctoral Fellow (May 2022 – September 2022)

Project: Lithological and thermal controls on fracture development on the Niagara Escarpment, Hamilton, Ontario: Implications of future climate change for erosion and geohazards

This Mitacs Accelerate funded project seeks to build a Niagara Escarpment ‘geotrail’ in collaboration with APGO.

Pei Yang, PhD

Postdoctoral Fellow (October 2022 – April 2023)

Project: Structural setting and evolution of the Bathurst Mining Camp from lineament mapping and 3D geophysical inversion, NB, Canada

This Mitacs Accelerate funded project seeks to process Full Tensor Gradiometry data from the Bathurst Mining Camp (BMC) in New Brunswick to establish structural controls on mineralisation in collaboration with Bell Geospace.

Emma Keefe, BSc

MSc student (2022-2024)

Project title: Influence of pre-existing structures on emplacement and deformation of Late Jurassic rift-related magmatism, Newfoundland, Canada

Abigail Clark, BSc

MSc student (2022-2024)

Project title: Neotectonic features in southern Ontario: An in-depth analysis of pop-up structures and their implications for seismic risk 

Paige Schotanus

BSc thesis student (2023-2024)

Project title: Use of Schmidt hammer to quantify rockfall hazards

Daniel Djurakov

BSc thesis student (2023-2024)

Project title: Structural controls on Abitibi gold exploration, ON, Canada

Justiina Devries

BSc thesis student (2023-2024)

Project title: Seismic interpretation of the Grand Banks, offshore Newfoundland

Catherine Kupiec

BSc thesis student (2023-2024)

Project title: Geophysical interpretation of nuclear waste storage sites in Ontario

Ethan Davies

BSc Thesis student (2022-2023)

Project title: Geologic fractures of the Niagara Escarpment in Hamilton, Ontario: Implications for rockface stability and geohazards

Elysia Feaver

BSc Thesis student (2022-2023)

Project title: Petrology and microstructure of mineralized rocks from the Sixtymile gold exploration project, Yukon, Canada

Samuel Nichols

BSc Thesis student (2022-2023)

Project title: Interaction of rivers, geomorphology and deformation in Western Quebec

Cassis Lindsey

BSc Thesis student (2021-2022)

Project title: Microstructural and mineralogical analysis of greenschist-facies deformation in the eastern Yukon-Tanana terrane, Yukon, Canada

The aim of this project was to study the microstructure and deformation style of a greenschist facies samples from the Yukon-Tanana terrane of the northern Canadian Cordillera in order to understand the geological evolution of the area. This included acquisition of an oriented sample that was analysed using both a polarising optical microscope and SEM.

Serena Formenti

Project title: Control of fracture distribution, style and orientation on stability of the Niagara escarpment in Hamilton

BSc Thesis student (2020-2021)

This project is being co-supervised by Dr. Carolyn Eyes, and will involve mapping fractures on the Hamilton Escarpment, which is a highly fractured outcrop that is susceptible to collapses. As such, we are interested in studying the stability and how this is influenced by fractures.

Olivia Filson

BSc Thesis student (2020-2021)

Project title: GPlates deformable plate tectonic modelling of rifts and ocean basins

Many plate tectonic models of rifts assume that plates are rigid and therefore don’t fully account for rift-related deformation. As such, this project will build a new style of deformable plate models using GPlates 2 that better represent rift-related deformation at the crustal scale.

Sarah Beney

BSc Independent study student (Fall 2020)

Project title: Tectonic evolution of the Indian Ocean

This project used GPlates to investigate Gondwana’s dispersal.

Riah Mongrain

BSc Independent study student (Fall 2020)

Project title: Tectonic evolution of the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans

This project used GPlates to investigate the opening of the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans.

Arden McPhail

BSc Thesis student (2020-2021)

Project title: Seismic interpretation of Rockall Basin

During the opening of the North Atlantic voluminous igneous rocks were emplaced on the continental margins. This project will look at the distribution of these occurrences in the Rockall Basin using seismic reflection data.

Laura Hoover

BSc Independent Project Student (2023)

Project title: Petrology and origin of the Ford’s Bight Diatreme, Labrador, Canada

Maxwell Cain

BSc Thesis student (2022-2023)

Project title: Microstructural analysis of the Murray Fault, Ontario

Zargham Ahmed

BSc Thesis student (2021-2022)

Project title: Geologic fractures at Fletcher Creek and their relationship to fluid flow and local geohazards

The aim of this project was to analyse the fracture networks in outcrops at the Fletchers Creek Ecological Preserve through field-based studies and subsequent construction of discrete fracture network (DFN) models to consider their role in local erosion and geohazards.

Isla Turcke

BSc Thesis student (2021-2022)

Project title: Geophysical investigations and interactive visualisations of the Charlie-Gibbs Fracture Zone.

This project focused on the structure and evolution of the Charlie-Gibbs fracture zone, North Atlantic Ocean, using a number of openly available magnetic, gravitational, topographical, bathymetric, and crustal thickness datasets. This analysis utilised GMT (Generic Mapping Tools), and the final results were visualised using ArcGIS Storymaps.

Paige Schotanus

BSc Independent Project Student (2023)

Project title: Neotectonic deformation of Manitoulin Island using remote sensing data

Jonathan Spence

BSc Independent study student (Winter 2021) and summer student (2021)

Project title: GPlates deformable plate models of India-Asia collision

This project used GPlates to investigate the India-Asia collision.

Emma Keefe

BSc Thesis student (2019-2020)

Project title: An analysis of salt tectonics in the Mid North Sea High using 2D seismic reflection data

This project looked at rift development in the North Sea. In particular, the structural evolution of rift-related faulting was studied as well as the role of salt tectonics in the regional development.

Evangeline Ng

BSc Thesis student (2019-2020) / Research Assistant (Summer 2020)

Project title: Salt Tectonics and its Influence on Sedimentation and Faulting in the Mid North Sea High

This project looked at rift development in the North Sea. In particular, the structural evolution of rift-related faulting was studied as well as the role of salt tectonics in the regional development.

Isabel Cory

Mitacs Globalink International summer student (2024)

Project title: Drone-based approaches to finding hidden faults in the Dundas valley, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

Keira Hum

Mitacs Accelerate Summer Intern 2024

Project title: Geotrails

Leah Smith

Mitacs Accelerate Summer Intern 2024

Project title: Geotrails

Subhamathi Thiruvenkatam

Mitacs Globalink research student 2021

Project title: Crustal structure and evolution of the Black Sea region

The aim of this project is to constrain the crustal structure and evolution of the Black Sea region using an integrated geophysical and plate modelling approach.

Ananya Mittal

Mitacs Globalink research student 2021

Project title: Crustal structure and evolution of the Black Sea region

The aim of this project is to constrain the crustal structure and evolution of the Black Sea region using an integrated geophysical and plate modelling approach.

Jeremy Gabriel

Research Assistant (2020-2021)

Employed as a Research Assistant using OER (Open Educational Resources) Grant to develop materials related to a virtual fieldtrip to Whitefish Falls Ontario.

Rebecca Lee

Research Assistant (2020-2022)

Employed as a Research Assistant using Mitacs Accelerate (sponsored by APGO Education Foundation) and eCampus Ontario grants to develop materials related to a Niagara Escarpment virtual fieldtrip.