Dr Catherine Chague-goff

Biography

  Role at ANSTO   Catherine is a Research Fellow in the Institute for Environmental Research. Her research focuses mainly on developing proxies to identify palaeotsunamis and palaeostorms in the geological record, with emphasis on geochemistry and isotopes. She has recently carried out post-tsunami and post-cyclone surveys in the Pacific.   She is a pioneer in the use of geochemical markers to assess the true extent of tsunami inundation, and identify palaeo-events, thereby providing a means to re-evaluate the magnitude of old events, which is crucial for risk mitigation and preparedness. Catherine is also involved in studies of wetlands as archives of palaeoenvironmental changes. Expertise   Geochemistry, geochemical markers, natural hazards, wetlands, tsunamis, cyclones, proxies, isotopes, palaeoenvironmental changes. Qualifications & Achievements Supervision and co-supervision of Honours students and PhD students Publication of more than 50 refereed research articles in international journals, as well as book chapters; publication of over 70 reports. Managing guest editor of Sedimentary Geology Special Issue "the 2011 Tohoku-oki tsunami" Invited talks at American Geophysical Union Fall meeting, 2011, 2012 Invited visiting Professor at the University of Hokkaido, Japan (February-March 2012) Invited visiting Professor at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (November 2012) PhD in Earth Sciences (peat geochemistry and petrology), University of Western Ontario, Canada (1994) MSc in Geology (palaeomagnetism in Cretaceous), University of Cologne, Germany BSc in Earth Sciences, University of Clermont-Ferrand, France Committees, Affiliations and Appointments Joint appointment with the School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales Reviewer for international journals (e.g.  Marine Geology, Geomorphology, International Journal of Coal Geology) Research scientist and laboratory manager 2000-2008 at the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, Christchurch, New Zealand

Research Interest

 Geochemistry, Geology, Environmental studies, Toxicology