University of Tasmania, Australia

UTAS Home | UTAS Staff | UTAS Contacts

Nicholas Direen

UTAS Home › Faculty of Science, Engineering & Technology › School of Earth Sciences (Geology, Geophysics & Geochemistry) › People ›   › Nicholas Direen

Dr Nicholas Direen

Honorary Associate

Contact Details

Contact Campus Sandy Bay Campus
Building Geol,L2
Room Reference 203
Telephone +61 3 6226 7684
Fax +61 3 6226 2547
Email n_direen@utas.edu.au

Teaching Responsibilities

  • Occasionally in Global Tectonics and Volcanology, UTAS, Summer Semester

Career Summary

Dr Nick Direen is a principal geoscientist with FrOG Tech, and an honorary associate of the School of Earth Sciences, and the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies. He received his BSc (Hons) and the University Medal from UTAS in 1995, and his PhD from UTAS in 1999, advised by Tony Crawford and Michael Roach. Nick worked at GA as a research scientist from 1999 to 2002: in the Minerals Division, as part of the Australian Geodynamics CRC program investigating the tectonics and Cu-Au metallogeny of the Lachlan Orogen, and as part of a team investigating the Gawler Craton, Olympic Dam and related IOCG systems; then in the Petroleum and Marine Division as part of the Law of the Sea team defining the limits of the Australian and Antarctic continental shelves. In 2002 Nick was appointed as an adjunct lecturer in geophysics and tectonics at the University of Adelaide, where he was CI on two major ARC Linkage grants to investigate the Musgrave and Gawler provinces of SA, as well as running a research program on southern hemisphere rifted margins. Nick joined FrOG Tech as a structural geologist in 2006, and has since worked worldwide with the upstream petroleum industry. Nick was awarded the 2003 Stillwell Medal of the Geological Society of Australia (with Professor Tony Crawford), the Howchin Medal of the SA Division of GSA, and an Early Career Researchers Fellowship from the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering in 2004. He has also been nominated twice (2008, 2009) for the ENI New Frontiers of Hydrocarbons Prize by the Fondazione ENI Enrico Mattei for his research on volcanic rifted margins, and again for the Stillwell Medal in 2009. Nick was President of the ACT ASEG in 2000-2002, Chair of the GSA SA Division in 2007, and Chair of the GSA Tasmanian Division in 2008-2010.

Research Activity

Nick is internationally sought after for his skills in unravelling the crustal architecture of basins and fold belts by integrating structural geology, seismic reflection, gravity and magnetic datasets. He typically undertakes this research under contract to major oil exploration companies. Nick's research at UTAS is funded by the ARC, FrOG Tech and a private foundation, and focuses on Antarctica and rifted continental margins, and involves collaborations with a number of leading institutions in Spain, the UK and the USA. This fundamental research has challenged existing paradigms for how continents actually break up - and the profound consequences of this for petroleum exploration.

2012 PhD supervision

  • Simone Pilia (ANU)

Publications

View other publications here

       Non-UTAS publications

2012
  1. Direen N G, Stagg H M J, Symonds P A & Norton I O, 2012, Variations in rift symmetry: cautionary examples from the Southern Rift System (Australia-Antarctica), Geological Society of London Special Publication 369, Conjugate Divergent Margins Mohriak,W. U., Danforth, A., Post, P. J., Brown, D. E., Tari, G. C., NemÄok, M.& Sinha, S. T.
2009
  1. HandM, ReidA,SzpunarM, DireenN, & Barovich K. 2009. Crustal architecture during the early Mesoproterozoic Hiltaba-related mineralisation event: are the Gawler Range Volcanics a foreland basin fill? MESA Journal 51: 19-24 (4 citations)
2008
  1. Direen, N.G., Pfeiffer, K.,andSchmidt, P.W., 2008. Strong remanent magnetisation in pyrrhotite: a structurally-controlled example from the Paleoproterozoic Tanami Orogenic gold province, northern Australia. Precambrian Research 165: 96-106 doi:10.1016/j.precamres.2008.05.007 (Journal Impact Factor: 2.927)(1 citation)
  2. Direen N G, StaggH M J,Colwell J B, & Symonds P A, 2008. Architecture of volcanic rifted margins: new insights from the Exmouth - Gascoyne margin, Western Australia. Australian J Earth Sciences 55, 325-347. (Journal Impact Factor: 1.000) (6 citations)
  3. Thomas, J L, Direen N G, & Hand M, 2008. Blind orogen: integrated appraisal of multiple episodes of Mesoproterozoic deformation and reworking in the Fowler Domain, western Gawler Craton, Australia. Precambrian Research 166, 263-282. 10.1016/j.precamres.2007.05.006 (Journal Impact Factor: 2.927) (7 citations)
  4. Tikku A A & Direen N G, 2008, Suspect evidence for a major Australian-Antarctic plate reorganization at Hawaiian-Emperor bend time. Science 321, 490c (Journal Impact Factor: 30.028). (1 citation)
2007
  1. Direen, N G, Borissova I., Stagg H.M.J., Colwell J.B., & Symonds P. A. 2007. Nature of the continent-ocean transition zone along the southern Australian continental margin: a comparison of the Naturaliste Plateau, south-western Australia, and the central Great Australian Bight sectors. Imaging, Mapping and Modelling Continental Lithosphere Extension and Breakup. G Karner, G Manatschal & L Pinheiro (eds). Special Publication of the Geological Society (London) 282, 235-261 (Impact Factor: 2.435) (15 citations)
  2. Direen, N G, & Lyons P, 2007. Regional crustal setting of iron oxide Cu-Au mineral systems of the Olympic Dam region, South Australia: insights from potential-field data. Economic Geology 102(8), 1397-1414. (Journal Impact Factor: 1.408) (6 citations)
2006
  1. Heinson G S, Direen N G, & Gill R M. 2006. Magnetotelluric evidence for a deep-crustal mineralising system beneath the giant Olympic Dam Iron-Oxide Copper Gold deposit, southern Australia. Geology 34, 573-576. (Journal Impact Factor: 2.925) (18 citations)
  2. 10. Crawford A J, Direen N G , Coffin M, Cohen B, Paul B & Mitrovic L, 2006, Extensive basaltic magmatism on the Naturaliste Plateau, offshore SW Australia. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 18: A116. (Journal Impact Factor: 3.811)
  3. 11. Colwell J.B., Stagg H.M.J., Direen, N G, Bernardel, G., & Borissova, I., 2006. Chapter 6.6 The Structure of the Continental Margin off Wilkes Land and Terre Adelie Coast, East Antarctica. In: Fütterer DK, Damaske D, Kleinschmidt G, Miller H, & Tessensohn F (eds) (2005) Antarctica: Contributions to global earth sciences. Springer-Verlag, Berlin Heidelberg New York, pp 325-338. (16 citations)
2005
  1. Direen, N G, Cadd A G, Lyons P & Teasdale J P. 2005. Architecture of Proterozoic shear-zones in the Christie Domain, western Gawler Craton, Australia: geophysical appraisal of a poorly exposed orogenic terrane. Precambrian Research 142, 28-44. (Journal Impact Factor: 2.486) (29 citations)(15th Hottest article, Precambrian Research, 2005)
  2. Direen, N G, Brock D & Hand M. 2005.Geophysical testing of balanced cross sections of fold-thrust belts with potential field data: an example from the Fleurieu Arc of the Delamerian Orogen, South Australia. Journal of Structural Geology 27, 964-984. (Journal Impact Factor: 1.949) (8 citations)(13th most downloaded paper in JSG, 2005: SciVerse Direct)
  3. 14. Direen N G, Goleby B R, Skirrow R G, Daly S J, Lyons P & Heithersay P, 2005, Eastern Gawler deep seismic proposal. In: Lyons, P. & Goleby, B.R. (eds) The 2003 Gawler Craton seismic survey: Notes from the Seismic Workshop. Geoscience Australia Record 2005/19, pp 1-10.
  4. 15. Direen N G, Lyons P, Milligan P R, Heinson G S, & Gill R. 2005. Crustal architecture of the central Olympic Cu-Au province: constraints from gravity, magnetic and magnetotelluric data. In: Lyons, P. & Goleby, B.R. (eds) The 2003 Gawler Craton seismic survey: Notes from the Seismic Workshop. Geoscience Australia Record 2005/19, pp 70-71.
  5. 16. Gill R., Heinson G., Direen N., Milligan P. and White A. 2005. Crustal architecture beneath Olympic Dam from magnetotelluric sounding In: Lyons, P. & Goleby, B.R. (eds) The 2003 Gawler Craton seismic survey: Notes from the Seismic Workshop. Geoscience Australia, Record 2005/19, pp 68-69.
  6. 17. Heath P J, Greenhalgh S A, & Direen N G, 2005. Modelling gravity and magnetic tensor responses for exploration within the regolith. Exploration Geophysics 36, 357-364.
  7. 18. Heath, P., Greenhalgh, S. A., & Direen N G, 2005. Investigations of surface magnetic susceptibilities at Fowler's Gap, NSW. In: Roach I C, ed., Regolith 2005. Cooperative Research Centre for Landscape Environments and Mineral Exploration. Bentley, West. Aust., Australia. 2005.
  8. Lyons P, Drummond B J, Goleby B R, Direen N G, Schwarz M, Shearer A J, Fairclough M C, & Skirrow R G, 2005, Notes on detailed basement interpretation of Traverse 03GA-OD 1-6s data. In: Lyons, P. & Goleby, B.R. (eds) The 2003 Gawler Craton seismic survey: Notes from the Seismic Workshop. Geoscience Australia Record 2005/19, pp 58-60
  9. Richardson R, Olaru D, Besant P, & Direen N, 2005. Is it practical to consider self-diagnosis as a viable alternative in the future, or is it more likely that we will still use traditional procedures but in a different form? In: 'Living Longer, Living Better': Proceedings of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences & Engineering, Adelaide, November 2004. Pp 267-269. ISBN 1 875618 83 X ISSN 0157-7824
  10. Stagg, H.M.J., Colwell, J.B., Direen, N.G., O'Brien, P.E., Brown, B.J., Bernardel, G., Borissova, I., Carson, L. and Close, D.B., 2005. Geological framework of the continental margin in the region of the Australian Antarctic Territory. Geoscience Australia Record, 2004/25. (14 citations)
2004
  1. Anderson N., Direen N. G. & Hill S. M. 2004. The Warratta Fault; geophysical architecture and landscape evolution significance. In: Roach I C (ed.), Regolith 2004. Cooperative Research Centre for Landscape Environments and Mineral Exploration. Bentley, West. Aust., Australia. 2004. (3 citations)
  2. Heath P. & Direen N. G. 2004. Gravity and magnetic forward modelling of the regolith. In: Roach I C (ed.), Regolith 2004. Cooperative Research Centre for Landscape Environments and Mineral Exploration. Bentley, West. Aust., Australia. 2004.
  3. 24. Pfeiffer, K., Direen, N G & Sexton, M. 2004. Exploration under regolith cover, and the problem of remanent magnetism; an example from the Tanami Au province. In: Roach I C (ed.), Regolith 2004. Cooperative Research Centre for Landscape Environments and Mineral Exploration. Bentley, West. Aust., Australia. 2004.
  4. Stagg H.M.J., Colwell J.B., Direen, N G, O'Brien P.E., Bernardel G., Borissova I. & Ishihara T. 2004.Geology of the continental margin of Enderby and Mac. Robertson lands, East Antarctica: insights from a regional dataset. Marine Geophysical Researches 25:183-219. (24 citations) (Journal Impact Factor: 1.482)
2003
  1. Cadd, A. G., Direen, N. G. & Lyons, P. 2003. Geophysical investigations of crustal architecture around the Challenger Au mine, NW Gawler Craton, South Australia; a basic step towards understanding Au dispersion pathways. In: Roach I C (ed.), Advances in regolith. Cooperative Research Centre for Landscape Environments and Mineral Exploration. Bentley, West. Aust., Australia. 2003.
  2. Fairclough M.C., Schwarz M P, Ferris G M, Daly S J, Cowley W M, Zang W, Davies M B, Direen N G, Lyons P, Skirrow R G, Hoatson D M, Raymond O R, Fraser G, Neumann N, Whitaker A J, Lane R J L, Betts P, McPhie J & Allen S, 2003, Interpreted crystalline basement geology of the Gawler Craton, South Australia. Geological Survey Special Map. 1: 1 000 000. Department of Primary Industries and Resources SA, Adelaide.
2002
  1. Direen N G & Lyons P, Geophysical interpretation of the Olympic Cu-Au province, 1:250 000 scale map. 2002, Geoscience Australia, Canberra.
  2. Glen R A, Korsch R J, Direen N G, Jones L E A, Johnstone D W, Lawrie K C, Finlayson D M & Shaw R D, Crustal structure of the Ordovician Macquarie Arc, eastern Lachlan Orogen, based on seismic reflection profiling: responses to contractional and extensional deformation, Australian J. Earth Sciences, 49, 2002 pp 323-348. (Journal Impact Factor: 1.333) (26 Citations)
  3. Hoatson D M, Direen N G, Whitaker A J, Lane R, Daly S J, Schwarz M P, & Davies M B, Geophysical interpretation of the Harris Greenstone Belt, 1:250 000 scale map. 2002, Geoscience Australia, Canberra. (2 citations)
2001
  1. 31. Direen N G, Lyons P, Korsch R J, & Glen R A, Integrated geophysical appraisal of crustal architecture in the eastern Lachlan Orogen, Exploration Geophysics, 32, 2001, pp 225-235. (Impact Factor: 0.404) (12 citations)
  2. Direen N G, Lyons P, Korsch R J, & Glen R A, 2001, Three-dimensional integrated geophysical appraisal of major structures in the northeastern Lachlan Orogen. AGSO Record 2001/09, 54-58. (1 citation)
  3. 33. Archibald N J, Hill E J, Direen N G, Lyons P, Raymond O L, Holden D J, Mason R, & Korsch R J, 2001, AGCRC-Fractal Graphics northeastern Lachlan Orogen Project, AGSO Record 2001/09 p 59.
  4. 34. Archibald N J, Hill E J, Direen N G, Lyons P, Raymond O L, Holden D J, Mason R, & Korsch R J, 2001, Wavelet-based edge detection processing (worming) and interpretation of magnetic and gravity data sets, northeastern Lachlan Orogen, AGSO Record 2001/09 pp 60-65.
  5. 35. Lyons P, Direen N G, Archibald N J, Raymond O L, & Korsch R J, 2001, Mineral systems implications of multi-scale edge detection of crustal structures in the northeastern Lachlan Orogen, AGSO Record 2001/09 pp 81-85.
  6. 36. Lyons, P., Tomkins, A. G., Fraser, G. L., Direen, N. G., Daly, S. J. & Frances, D. J. 2001. The geology and mineral potential of the Mulgathing Complex, NW Gawler Craton. In: Cassidy, K. F., Dunphy, J. M. & van Kranendonk, M. J. (eds.) Geoscience Australia Record 2001/37, pp 70-71.
  7. 37. Sayers J, Symonds P A, Direen N G & Bernardel G, Nature of the continent-ocean transition on the non-volcanic rifted margin of the central Great Australian Bight, In: Non-Volcanic Rifting of Continental Margins: a Comparison of Evidence from Land and Sea. R C L Wilson, R B Whitmarsh, B Taylor, B. & N Froitzheim (eds.) Special publication of the Geological Society of London, 187, 2001, pp 51-77. (Impact Factor: 2.435) (48 Citations)
  8. 38. Stevens B P J, Mills K J, Direen N G, Buckley P M and Cooper I, Koonenberry Pre-Permian Interpretation 1: 250 000 scale Map, version 2. 2001. Geological Survey of New South Wales, Department of Mineral Resources, St Leonards, NSW. (5 citations)
2000
  1. Direen N. G., Crawford A.J. & Willcox J. B. 2000. Structure and geological evolution of the Koonenberry fold belt, NSW; implications for mineralisation. In: Peljo, M. (comp), Broken Hill Exploration Initiative. AGSO Record 2000/10, pp. 33-34.
  2. Milligan P R, Direen N G, & Shaw R D, Geophysical atlas of the Curnamona Province 1:2 million scale. 2000, Australian Geological Survey Organisation, Canberra. 23pp.