Dr Jo Whittaker, PhD

Post-doctoral Research Associate

Madsen Building (F09), Room 404
Phone: +61 2 9351 2467
Fax: +61 2 9351 3644
Email:

Jo is currently working as a post-doctorate research associate in the School of Geosciences investigating Indian Ocean plate reconstructions and continental break-up as part of the “Gondwanaland extension, breakup and continental margin evolution” a StatoilHydro funded research project, and is also a part of the EarthByte Group.
Jo's research interests are in the field of plate tectonics, geophysics and geology specifically looking at the formation and evolution of continental margins and oceanic crust. She completed her PhD from the University of Sydney in 2008 on the tectonic consequences of mid-ocean ridge formation, evolution and subduction.

Journals/Conference Proceedings (Refereed)

Whittaker, J.M. (2009) The hydrangeas of plate tectonics. Nature Geoscience, 2:246-247

Whittaker, J.M., Müller, R.D., Roest, W.R., Wessel, P., and Smith, W.H.F. (2008). How supercontinents and superoceans affect seafloor roughness. Nature, 456:938-941.

Whittaker, J.M., Müller, R.D., Leitchenkov, G., Stagg, H., Sdrolias, M., Gaina, C., and Goncharov, A. (2008) Response to comment on "Major Australian-Antarctic plate reorganization at Hawaiian-Emperor bend time": Science, v. 321, p. U23-U24.

Whittaker, J.M, Müller, R.D. and Goncharov, A. (2008) Australian-Antarctic rifting, In: Blevin, J.E., Bradshaw, B.E. and Uruski, C. (Eds), Eastern Australasian Basins Symposium III, Petroleum Exploration Society of Australia, Special Publication, 271-274.

Whittaker, J.M., Müller, R.D., Leitchenkov, G., Stagg, H., Sdrolias, M., Gaina, C., and Goncharov, A. (2007) Major Australian- Antarctic Plate Reorganisation at Hawaiian-Emperor Bend Time. Science, 318: 83 - 86.

Whittaker, J.M., Müller, R.D., Sdrolias, M. and Heine, C. (2007) Sunda-Java trench kinematics, slab window formation and overriding plate deformation since the Cretaceous. Earth and Planetary Science Letters. 255:445-457.

Henrys SA, Wilson TJ, Whittaker JM, Fielding CR, Hall JM, Naish T. (2007). Tectonic History of mid-Miocene to present, southern Victoria Land Basin, inferred from seismic stratigraphy, in McMurdo Sound, Antarctica. In: Cooper AK, Raymond C.R. et al., editors. Antarctica: A Keystone in a Changing World. Online Proceedings of the 10th ISAES: USGS Open-File Report 2007-1047, Short Research Paper 049

Fielding, C.R., Whittaker, J., Henrys, S.A., Wilson, T.J., Naish, T.R. (2007) Seismic facies and stratigraphy of the Cenozoic succession in McMurdo Sound, Antarctica: Implications for tectonic, climatic and glacial history, Palaeogeography, doi: 10.1016/j.palaeo.2007.08.016

Whittaker, J.M., and Müller, R.D., (2006) Seismic Stratigraphy of the Adare Trough Area, Antarctica. Marine Geology.230: 179-197.

Conference Abstracts

Whittaker, J., Mazur, S., Green, C., Markwick, P., Stewart, M. (2009) Pangaea Plate Reconstructions: Using 2D Gravity Modelling to Constrain Pre-rift Continental Boundaries, AAPG Denver, Denver Colorado, 7-10 June

Whittaker J. (2009) Tectonic consequences of mid-ocean ridge evolution and subduction. Marine Geoscience Leadership Symposium, Washington D.C, March 23-27

Whittaker, J., Müller, R.D. (2008) The origin of seafloor roughness, EGU General Assembly, Vienna Austria, 13-18 April, EGU2008-A-11597

Whittaker, J., Müller, R.D., Sdrolias, M., and Heine, C., 2007. Relationships between plate tectonics, slab windows, stress regimes and heat flow in Indonesia from 80 Ma to the present. Emerging Plays in Australasia, Geological Society, London 17-19th July, 2007

Whittaker, J., and Müller, R.D., 2007. New Australia-Antarctica reconstruction model dramatically alters reconstructed rift basin geometry. Emerging Plays in Australasia, Geological Society, London 17-19th July, 2007

Whittaker, J., Müller, R.D., Sdrolias, M., Heine, C., 2006, Connecting oceanic palaeo age-grids with Sunda Trench kinematics, slab window formation and overriding plate deformation since the Cretaceous EGU General Assembly Vienna (AUT) - Geophys. Res. Abstracts 8, EGU06-A-03251.

Whittaker, J., Müller, R.D., Sdrolias, M., Heine, C., 2006, Connecting oceanic palaeo age-grids with Sunda Trench kinematics, slab window formation and overriding plate deformation since the Cretaceous, American Association of Petroleum Geologists, International Conference and Exhibition, Perth, 5-8 Nov. 2006, Australia, Abstract 106134.

Whittaker, J. and Müller, R.D., New 1-minute satellite altimetry reveals major Australian-Antarctic plate reorganisation at Hawaiian-Emperor bend time, Eos Trans AGU, 87(52), Fall Meet. Suppl., Abstract T51F-08.

Whittaker, J., Müller, R.D., Sdrolias, M., and Heine, C., 2006, Connecting oceanic palaeo-age grids with Sunda trench kinematics, slab window formation and overriding plate deformation since the Cretaceous, EGU General Assembly: Vienna, Austria

Whittaker, J., Henrys, S., Wilson, T., Lawver, L., Barrett, P., and Naish, T., 2004, Seismic Stratigraphy of the Terror Rift, Southern McMurdo Sound, Antarctica, AGU Fall Meeting: San Francsico, POSTER