Mark Rupert Sutherland FRSNZ (born 1967) is a New Zealand geologist and academic specialising in tectonics and geophysics at the Victoria University of Wellington and a principal scientist at GNS Science.[1][2] Sutherland has been described as "one of New Zealand’s leading earth science researchers" by the Royal Society of New Zealand.[3]

Rupert Sutherland
Born1967 (age 56–57)
NationalityNew Zealander
TitleProfessor
AwardsHutton Medal (2022)
Academic background
Alma materUniversity of Otago
ThesisLate Cenozoic tectonics in the SW Pacific, and development of the Alpine Fault through southern South Island, New Zealand (1995)
Doctoral advisorRichard Norris
Academic work
DisciplineGeology
Sub-disciplineGeophysics and tectonics
InstitutionsGNS Science
Victoria University of Wellington
Notable ideasMoa Plate

Education edit

Sutherland completed his BA with honours from the University of Cambridge in 1989. His PhD at the University of Otago in 1995 was on the development of the Alpine Fault.[1]

Career and impact edit

Sutherland's research has included the deep ocean drilling of the Zealandian continent[4] and ancient climate change.[5] He has identified and named the ancient Moa tectonic plate.[6]

He is a co-leader of the Deep Fault Drilling Project (DFDP) of the Alpine Fault. As a result of this project, exceptionally high heat flow was discovered on the West Coast.[7][8] Sutherland was the lead author reporting this in Nature.[9]

Sutherland is often used by the national and international media as an expert on seismic surveys,[10] earthquakes[11] and geology in general.[12] His involvement of the promotion of Zealandia to a continent gained a particularly high amount of media attention.[13][14]

Awards and honours edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b "Rupert Sutherland | School of Geography, Environment and Earth Sciences | Victoria University of Wellington". www.victoria.ac.nz. Retrieved 12 February 2019.
  2. ^ "ORCID". orcid.org. Retrieved 12 February 2019.
  3. ^ a b "2013 Academy Annual Report" (PDF).
  4. ^ "Explorers probe hidden continent of Zealandia | Australasian Science Magazine". www.australasianscience.com.au. Retrieved 12 February 2019.
  5. ^ Sutherland, R.; Kim, K.; Zondervan, A.; McSaveney, M. (2007). "Orbital forcing of mid-latitude Southern Hemisphere glaciation since 100 ka inferred from cosmogenic nuclide ages of moraine boulders from the Cascade Plateau, southwest New Zealand". Geological Society of America Bulletin. 119 (3–4): 443–451. Bibcode:2007GSAB..119..443S. doi:10.1130/B25852.1. ISSN 0016-7606.
  6. ^ Rupert Sutherland and Chris Hollis (March 2001). "Cretaceous demise of the Moa plate and strike-slip motion at the Gondwana margin". Geology. 29 (3): 279–282. Bibcode:2001Geo....29..279S. doi:10.1130/0091-7613(2001)029<0279:cdotmp>2.0.co;2.
  7. ^ "The spas in our Fault: Potential for geothermal resources discovered on South Island's Alpine Fault". 17 May 2017. ISSN 1170-0777. Retrieved 12 February 2019.
  8. ^ "Drill just short of Alpine Fault". Radio New Zealand. 15 January 2015. Retrieved 12 February 2019.
  9. ^ Sutherland, Rupert; Woodman, Nick; Williams, Jack; Wiersberg, Thomas; Weaver, Konrad; Valdez, Robert; Tobin, Harold; Teagle, Damon; Taylor-Offord, Sam (2017). "Extreme hydrothermal conditions at an active plate-bounding fault". Nature. 546 (7656): 137–140. Bibcode:2017Natur.546..137S. doi:10.1038/nature22355. ISSN 1476-4687. PMID 28514440. S2CID 205256017.
  10. ^ "Greenpeace exploiting emotive issue of seismic surveying, says professor". Stuff. 8 May 2017. Retrieved 12 February 2019.
  11. ^ Martin, Sean (18 May 2017). "BIG ONE WARNING: New Zealand in store for 'EXTREME' earthquake as fault lines collide". Express.co.uk. Retrieved 12 February 2019.
  12. ^ "Scientists just came back from an expedition to Earth's lost eighth continent". The Independent. 5 October 2017. Retrieved 12 February 2019.
  13. ^ "Secrets of lost continent Zealandia revealed". Otago Daily Times Online News. 28 September 2017. Retrieved 12 February 2019.
  14. ^ Williams, Jacqueline (28 July 2017). "Scientists Take to the Sea to Study a Lost Land: Zealandia". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 12 February 2019.
  15. ^ "Major accolades / Media Releases / News and Events / Home – GNS Science". www.gns.cri.nz. Retrieved 12 February 2019.
  16. ^ "Research Honours Aotearoa winners celebrated in Te Whanganui-a-Tara". Royal Society Te Apārangi. Retrieved 22 November 2022.

External links edit