Aurora
Aurora is our weekly newsletter aimed at faculty, staff, and students of the department.
Volume
25
No.
13
Employment & Opportunities
Junior/Intermediate Geoscientist - Geofirma Engineering Ltd.
Geofirma Engineering Ltd. is looking to hire multiple contract geoscientist positions to join the Geofirma Team. While Geofirma operates out of our Ottawa, Ontario office, the primary duties for these positions will be to provide field support as part of geoscientific site investigation activities (South Bruce) near Teeswater, Ontario. Contract positions will run between 6 and 12 months duration starting in April 2021. During intensive field activities, work will be scheduled as 12-hour shifts (day or night) for a two-week rotation. Alternate rotations can be discussed and may be considered.
The responsibilities of the position will include, but are not limited to:
- Assist with core photography using leading edge 3D core scanner equipment;
- Core sampling and preservation for laboratory analysis;
- Providing field support to the drill site supervisor and other Team staff as required;
- Collecting groundwater and drilling fluid samples during drilling operations and completing on-site geochemical testing; and,
- Preparation of project deliverables, including report writing, data tabulation and interpretation, and figure preparation using WellCAD, AutoCAD and/or GIS software.
A good fit for this position will include:
- B.Sc. (Geology, Earth Science, Engineering) degree or Geological Technician's diploma with equivalent experience;
- 2+ years of relevant experience completing field work in geoscience;
- Experience with geochemical sampling and testing;
- Strong communication skills (written and verbal) with ability to work well in a team environment;
- Computer literacy is required. Working knowledge of the MS Office, industry-standard digital logging, and database entry; and,
- While not mandatory, the following are considered assets: valid driver’s license and valid First Aid training.
To find out more, visit Geofirma's website or contact them at careers@geofirma.com
Drill Site Supervisor - Geofirma Engineering Ltd.
Geofirma Engineering Ltd. is looking to hire multiple contract geoscientist positions to join the Geofirma Team. While Geofirma operates out of our Ottawa, Ontario office, the primary duties for these positions will be to provide field support as part of geoscientific site investigation activities (South Bruce) near Teeswater, Ontario. Contract positions will run between 6 and 12 months duration starting in April 2021. During intensive field activities, work will be scheduled as 12-hour shifts (day or night) for a two-week rotation. Alternate rotations can be discussed and may be considered.
The responsibilities of the position will include, but are not limited to:
- Ensuring work by Geofirma Team (including subcontractors) is completed in accordance with Geofirma’s project specific Work Plan, Quality Plan and Health, Safety and Environment Plan (HSEP);
- Reporting directly to the Geofirma Project Manager and other Geofirma project staff to update on day to day site activities;
- Completion of daily reports to track overall progress and site inspections; and,
- Providing field support to other Team staff as required.
A good fit for this position will include:
- 3+ years of relevant experience completing drilling or construction site supervision;
- In depth knowledge of Ontario Construction Regulations (Green book);
- Valid driver’s license;
- Valid first aid training;
- Strong communication skills (written and verbal) with ability to work well in a team environment; and,
- Computer literacy is required. Working knowledge of the MS Office, industry-standard digital logging, and database entry.
To find out more, visit Geofirma's website or contact them at careers@geofirma.com
Core Logging Geologist - Geofirma Engineering Ltd.
Geofirma Engineering Ltd. is looking to hire multiple contract geoscientist positions to join the Geofirma Team. While Geofirma operates out of our Ottawa, Ontario office, the primary duties for these positions will be to provide field support as part of geoscientific site investigation activities (South Bruce) near Teeswater, Ontario. Contract positions will run between 6 and 12 months duration starting in April 2021. During intensive field activities, work will be scheduled as 12-hour shifts (day or night) for a two-week rotation. Alternate rotations can be discussed and may be considered.
The responsibilities of the position will include, but are not limited to:
- Logging of sedimentary bedrock drill core (for stratigraphy, hydrogeological and geotechnical properties) using project specific electronic database;
- Selection of rock core samples for targeted laboratory testing;
- Assist with core photography using leading edge 3D core scanner equipment;
- Providing field support to the drill site supervisor and technical staff as required;
- Preparation of project deliverables, including report writing, data tabulation and interpretation; and, figure preparation using WellCAD, AutoCAD and/or GIS software.
A good fit for this position will include:
- B.Sc. (Geology) degree or Geological Technician's diploma with equivalent experience;
- Must hold or be eligible to obtain P. Geo. Designation;
- 1-2 years of relevant core logging experience (sedimentary bedrock an asset);
- Strong communication skills (written and verbal) with ability to work well in a team environment;
- Computer literacy is required. Working knowledge of the MS Office, industry-standard digital logging, and database entry; and,
- While not mandatory, the following are considered assets: valid driver’s license and valid First Aid training.
To find out more, visit Geofirma's website or contact them at careers@geofirma.com
Professor of Chemical Oceanography with Specialization in the Development of Biomarkers - Institut des sciences de la mer de Rimouski (ISMER)
The Institut des sciences de la mer de Rimouski (ISMER) of the Université du Québec à Rimouski (UQAR), a multidisciplinary research center in oceanography, is seeking a new professor of chemical oceanography with a specialization in the development of biomarkers.
The area of expertise sought is marine chemistry with an interest in biomarkers and their development from the molecular scale to the organism, molecular or isotopic tools, the land-sea continuum and environmental and climatic changes at different temporal and spatial scales. The selected candidate will be encouraged to develop his/her own area of research, to develop and manage his/her laboratory, and collaborate with researchers at ISMER and from other departments within the university. The selected candidate will participate in the MSc, PhD and DESS (Specialized Graduate Diploma) oceanography programs through the supervision of graduate students and teaching. The working language is French.
At the time of hiring, the chosen person must have a doctorate in a relevant discipline (marine chemistry, oceanography, biogeochemistry of aquatic environments or related discipline), at least one year of postdoctoral experience and a solid publication record.
Application files must include a motivation letter, a CV including the research and student training experiences and the name and contact details of three referees. Evaluation of applications will begin on July 5, 2021, and will continue until the position is filled.
Candidates interested in this position are invited to submit their application to:
Président de l’Assemblée institutionnelle
Institut des sciences de la mer de Rimouski (ISMER)
Université du Québec à Rimouski
310, allée des Ursulines, Rimouski (Québec), G5L 3A1, CANADA
By email: presid-assemblee_ismer@uqar.ca
Professor of Biological Oceanography with Specialization in Phytoplankton Ecology - Institut des sciences de la mer de Rimouski (ISMER)
The Institut des sciences de la mer de Rimouski (ISMER) of the Université du Québec à Rimouski (UQAR), a multidisciplinary research center in oceanography, is seeking a new professor of biological oceanography with a specialization in phytoplankton ecology.
The selected candidate must be specialized in phytoplankton ecology. The areas of expertise sought are phytoplankton ecology, molecular tools, including omic methods, for the study of biodiversity, marine planktonic biodiversity, specific and functional diversity and marine ecology. The selected candidate will be encouraged to develop his/her own area of research, to develop and manage his/her laboratory, and collaborate with researchers at ISMER and from other departments within the university. The selected candidate will participate in the MSc, PhD and DESS (Specialized Graduate Diploma) oceanography programs through the supervision of graduate students and teaching. The working language is French.
At the time of hiring, the chosen person must have a doctorate in a relevant discipline (oceanography
(biology), marine biology or ecology, ecology, zoology or biology with a thesis in marine ecology or related discipline), at least one year of postdoctoral experience and a solid publication record.
Application files must include a motivation letter, a CV including the research and student training experiences and the name and contact details of three referees. Evaluation of applications will begin on July 5, 2021, and will continue until the position is filled.
Candidates interested in this position are invited to submit their application to:
Président de l’Assemblée institutionnelle
Institut des sciences de la mer de Rimouski (ISMER)
Université du Québec à Rimouski
310, allée des Ursulines, Rimouski (Québec), G5L 3A1, CANADA
By email: presid-assemblee_ismer@uqar.ca
EOAS Graduate Seminar Talk
Title: Monazite, zircon, garnet, and corundum growth in the Thor-Odin migmatite dome as a record of metamorphism and partial melting in the southern Canadian Cordilleras
Speaker: Lindsey Abdale, MSc student Geological Sciences
Date & Time: Thursday, March 25th at 10:00am
Place: Zoom Room!
Abstract:
Using petrological observations, mineral chemistry, and thermodynamic modeling to track and constrain melting and melt crystallization in the context of polyphase exhumation of thickened continental crust. Specific segments of P-T paths are linked with accessory mineral growth using zircon, monazite, garnet, staurolite, sillimanite, and corundum thermobarometry and modeled accessory phases as well as in situ monazite and zircon ages for different growth domains. The goal of this study is to improve our understanding of the timescales and nature of exhumation of thickened continental crust that has undergone anatexis. The results demonstrate how the integration of these data can provide critical information about the tectonic and thermal history of the Cordilleran foreland belt and the evolution of metamorphic core complexes.
EOAS Colloquium - Dr. Erin Adlakha
Title: A Metal on the Move: Examples of Crustal Uranium Cycling in the Churchill Province, Canada
Date & Time: Thursday, March 25th at 11:00am
Place: Zoom Room!
Abstract:
Uranium is designated a “critical element” as it is essential for Canada’s economic security, used mainly as a low-carbon source of energy in nuclear power production. In 2019, Canada was ranked second globally in uranium production and the fourth major exporter, supplying 13% and exporting 12% of the world’s uranium. The largest high-grade uranium resources in the world are in Saskatchewan, occurring in unconformity-type uranium deposits near the contact of the Paleoproterozoic Athabasca Basin with crystalline basement rocks of the Churchill Province. Similar, lower grade styles of mineralization are recognized in, and below, the Paleoproterozoic Thelon, and Nonacho basins, located to the north and northwest of the Athabasca Basin in the Churchill Province.
In this colloquium, we will discuss the geochemistry and mineralogy of uranium, including its mobility during crustal reworking (e.g., partial melting, fractional crystallization, metamorphism) and fluid-rock interaction (e.g., hydrothermal alteration and weathering). We will explore examples of these processes recorded in different styles of uranium mineralization throughout the Churchill Province. Current models for the formation of unconformity-type uranium deposits will be discussed, and the different styles of uranium mineralization in the Churchill Province will be compared. Following this review, we will then evaluate potential source reservoirs that supplied uranium to the deposit styles, and the processes responsible for the formation of the world-class unconformity-type uranium deposits of the Athabasca Basin.
EOAS Seminar - Dr. Erin Adlakha
Title: Protracted Fluid-Rock Interaction Recorded by the P2 Fault, McArthur River Deposit, Athabasca Basin, Canada: Implications for the Controls of Unconformity-Type Uranium Deposits
Date & Time: Friday, March 26th at 11:00am
Place: Zoom Room!
Abstract:
The Athabasca Basin, northern Saskatchewan, Canada, is host to world-class unconformity-type uranium deposits – high-grade, mono- to polymetallic, pods of uraninite (+secondary uranium minerals) immediately above or below the interface between Paleoproterozoic continental sandstone/conglomerate and Archean to Paleoproterozoic, crystalline, magmatic to metasedimentary basement rock. Basement-hosted uranium mineralization of the eastern Athabasca is typically found along reactivated and graphitic basement faults, and spatially associated with impermeable units of basement “quartzite”. These deposits form by the reduction of oxidized and highly saline, uraniferous basinal fluids by either a reduced basement-sourced fluid or these graphite-rich structures. In this seminar, we will examine the paragenesis, mineral chemistry and geochronology of alteration minerals along the P2 fault, which hosts the McArthur River Deposit, the largest high-grade uranium deposit yet discovered at over 2.5 Mt grading 6.91 %U3O8. The results of this research show that the P2 fault was the site of protracted hydrothermal activity since its formation during the Trans Hudson Orogen (~1840 to 1775 Ma; U-Pb rutile). Early hydrothermal activity, promoted by regional asthenosphere upwelling from 1770 to 1730 Ma (U-Pb rutile), remobilized graphite and produced extensive silicification (“quartzite”) upon cooling (1730 to 1700 Ma; U-Pb rutile), which prepared structurally and chemically viable sites for later uranium mineralizing fluids of the basin after its deposition (<1700 Ma). The incursion of basinal fluids into the basement is clocked at 1569 ±31 Ma (U-Pb anatase), within error of the main stage of uranium deposition. Although oxidizing basinal fluids are recorded in alteration minerals along the entire fault in the basement, reducing fluids are only evident in the ore zones, suggesting the main control of ore deposition was the availability of reducing fluids in the structurally and chemical viable areas.
UBC SciComm Week 2021
Please join the UBC Graduate Student Society and the UBC Faculty of Medicine (FoM) Graduate and Postdoctoral Education Office for a series of Science Communication workshops, a Twitter Research Conference, as well as a closing keynote with Dr. Jennifer Gardy from March 29 to 31st, 2021!