Experience

The expertise offered by McPhie Volcanology is based on 35 years of experience in volcanology and the volcanic host successions to ore deposits. This experience includes presentation of 50 professional short courses in physical volcanology for mineral exploration companies, geoscience organisations, and conferences, and completion of 25 short consulting contracts primarily for companies exploring in volcanic successions.

Areas of expertise include:

  • subaerial and submarine volcanic successions

  • basaltic, andesitic and felsic volcanic successions

  • altered volcanic rocks

  • breccias in mineralized volcanic successions

  • mapping and logging volcanic rocks

  • naming, describing and interpreting volcanic facies

Jocelyn McPhie, on the flanks of Lastarria volcano, view north to Llullaillaco, Chile

Jocelyn McPhie, on the flanks of Lastarria volcano, view north to Llullaillaco, Chile

About Jocelyn McPhie

Jocelyn McPhie (PhD, FTSE) is a world leader in the application of volcanology to the exploration for mineral deposits. She has developed  techniques to unravel the complex geology of volcanic terrains that have been adopted world-wide.

She is recognised internationally for providing high-quality volcanology training to academic and industry geologists, focusing on how to map, log, name, describe and interpret volcanic rocks and volcanic successions.

Her research contributes directly to the knowledge and understanding of fundamental physical volcanology, and the links between volcanic and hydrothermal processes. Her research has been funded by the Australian Research Council (ARC), the University of Tasmania, CODES, geological surveys and the mineral exploration industry.

She has undertaken field-based research on diverse volcanic successions, both modern and ancient (all Australian states, New Zealand, Indonesia, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Thailand, Greece, Portugal, Spain, Iceland, USA, Chile, Argentina, Peru, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Mongolia, Eritrea, Algeria, Namibia, Serbia). She has developed particular expertise in textural interpretation of altered volcanic rocks, volcanic facies analysis, volcanic eruption and emplacement processes, breccias in volcanic settings, and volcanic influences on ore formation.

She has published 115 papers in peer-reviewed international journals. She is senior author of the book, Volcanic Textures, published by CODES at the University of Tasmania. This book is widely used by academic and industry geoscientists working in volcanic successions and at least 4800 copies of the book have been sold worldwide.

Teaching and supervision

Her wide experience in teaching general geology and volcanology includes:

  • designing and delivering undergraduate units

  • supervising 45 Honours students

  • supervising one MSc and 27 PhD students

  • currently supervising 1 PhD student

Fellowships

  • 1992 - 1993: Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, GEOMAR, Christian-Albrechts-Universität, Kiel, Germany

  • 1987 - 1990: Queen Elizabeth II Award, Division of Petrology and Geochemistry, BMR (now Geoscience Australia), Canberra

  • 1985 - 1987: Fulbright Award (AAEF), Hawaii Institute of Geophysics, University of Hawaii and Department of Geology, University of Texas, USA

Membership of learned societies

  • Fellow, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering

  • Geological Society of Australia

  • American Geophysical Union, Volcanology Section

  • International Association for Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth’s Interior (IAVCEI)