Juraj Farkas

Associate Professor Juraj Farkas

Associate Professor

School of Physics, Chemistry and Earth Sciences

Faculty of Sciences, Engineering and Technology

Eligible to supervise Masters and PhD - email supervisor to discuss availability.


My research focuses on biogeochemistry and non-traditional isotopes, and their application to solve problems relevant to earth system sciences and environmental studies.

My research focuses on biogeochemistry and non-traditional isotopes, and their application to solve problems relevant to earth system sciences and environmental studies. Specifically, I am interested in the stable isotope systems of alkaline earth metals (e.g., Ca, Mg, Sr) and redox-sensitive elements, and how these new isotope tracers can be used to further constrain: (1) the isotope evolution of seawater over geologic time, (2) diagenetic processes in marine carbonates, (3) material cycling in the Earth’s outer shell, and (4) paleo-environmental conditions and depositional settings in large sedimentary basins (i.e., Paleozoic and Proterozoic basins in Europe and Australia).

In 2018, I have established 'Metal Isotope Group' (MIG) whose primary research focus is on stable and radiogenic isotope systems of selected metals, and their application to solve problems relevant to earth system evolution studies, geochronology, metallogenesis and environmental issues. For more details on specific research projects, collaborators, and analytical facilities see also the link below for the MIG webpage: 

https://sciences.adelaide.edu.au/physical-sciences/metal-isotope-group

MIG Logo

 

 

 

  • Appointments

    Date Position Institution name
    2024 - ongoing Associate Professor University of Adelaide
    2015 - 2023 Senior Lecturer University of Adelaide
    2012 - 2014 Lecturer Czech University of Life Sciences Prague
    2010 - 2014 Researcher Czech Geological Survey
    2007 - 2010 Postdoctoral Fellow Harvard University
    2002 - 2007 PhD studies University of Ottawa
  • Awards and Achievements

    Date Type Title Institution Name Country Amount
    2007 Fellowship Postdoctoral Fellowship - CIFAR - - -
    2002 Scholarship International admission scholarship - University of Ottawa - - -
  • Education

    Date Institution name Country Title
    University of Ottawa Canada PhD
    Comenius University in Bratislava Slovakia MSc
  • Postgraduate Training

    Date Title Institution Country
    Postdoctoral Training Harvard University United States
  • Certifications

    Date Title Institution name Country
    2013 Habilitation (Docent) Czech University of Life Sciences Prague Czech Republic

2024 – 2026 (as co-CI): Middle Age Earth: Ocean chemistry and evolution in the boring billion. Funded by Australian Research Council - ARC DP - Discovery Project Scheme

2023 – 2025 (as CI): Novel Isotope Techniques to Explore Centralian Superbasin, Australia. Funded by Australian Research Council - ARC LP - Linkage Project Scheme

2021 – 2024 (as CI): Glauconite: An archive recording the timing and triggers of the Cambrian radiation, Funded by Australian Research Council - ARC DP - Discovery Project Scheme

2021 – 2022 (as co-CI): Founding an Australian Critical Zone Observatory Network (OzCZO). Funded by Australian Research Council - ARC LIEF - Infrastructure Project Scheme

2020 – 2021 (as CI): MIF-AS: Metal Isotope Facility with ATONA System, Installation of a new signal amplification system - ATONA - developed by IsotopX, for TIMS Phoenix instrument, Funded by AuScope Opportunity and Infrastructure Grant 

2020 – 2022 (as co-CI): Project Coorong and HCHB Initiative, Research Module on Isotope tracing of nutrient and water sources in the Coorong Lagoon. Funded by Commonwealth and SA Government via Goyder Institute. 

2020 – 2021 (as co-CI): Effects of Bushfires on Estuarine Systems of Kangaroo Island, Research module on isotope tracing of heavy metals released into the environment due to bushfires. Funded by: Department of Environment and Water (DEW) via the Coastal Research & Development Grant Scheme 

2018 – 2028 (as co-CI): MinEx CRC - Cooperative Research Centres (CRC) Grant for development of new technologies and methods for mineral exploration, Research Theme focused on "Metal Isotope Tracers for Exploration" 

2017 – 2019 (as co-CI): Tectonic Geography of the World's Oldest Petroleum Play, McArthur Basin: Research Theme on "New Isotope Proxies for Past Depositional Environments", Collaborative 'Academia-Industry' Project, Funded by Australian Research Council - ARC Linkage Scheme

2017 – 2019 (as co-CI): Calcium and Oxygen Isotope Constraints on the Origin of Carbon Isotope Anomalies: Testing the Model of Global "Carbonate Hypersaturation" of Silurian Seawater, Funded by Czech Science Foundation (GACR)

2015 – 2018 (as co-CI): BASE-LiNE Earth: Brachiopods as Sensitive Tracers of Global Marine Environment: Insights from alkali and alkaline earth metal element ratios and isotope systems (www.baseline-earth.eu), Funded by European Commission (Marrie Curie Actions ITN-ETN: European Training Network)

2016 – 2017 (as CI): New laboratory facility for trace-metal isotope applications, Funded by DVCR - Uni of Adelaide Infrastructure Scheme - New Equipment 

2015 – 2016 (as CI): Development of new method for chromium isotope analysis, Funded by the Environmet Institute - University of Adelaide (www.adelaide.edu.au/environment/)
 
2015 – 2017 (as co-CI): Tracing the continental weathering during the mid-Paleozoic with Cr isotopes: Implications for nutrient fluxes and their effects on marine evolution, Funded by Czech Science Foundation (GACR)
 
2012 – 2014 (as CI): Magnesium isotope record of Phanerozoic marine carbonates: Implications for chemical evolution of seawater and the formation of massive dolomites, Funded by Czech Science Foundation (GACR)
 
2012 – 2015 (as co-CI): Moldavite formation: unconventional components and processes indicated by isotopic fractionation, Funded by Czech Science Foundation (GACR).
 
2011 – 2014 (as co-CI): Chromium isotopes as an indicator of natural attenuation of water pollution: Introducing mass-spectrometry based technology, Funded by Technological Agency of Czech Republic (TACR).
 
2009 – 2010 (as co-CI): Recycled Carbonate-Rich Sediment in the Hawaiian Plume: Evidence from Calcium Isotopes, Funded by National Science Foundation (NSF) under the Early Grant for Exploratory Research (EaGER) program.
 
2007 – 2008 (as CI): The application of calcium isotopes to study diagenetic processes in carbonate sedimentary systems, Funded by GDL Foundation.
 
2003 – 2004 (as CI): Reconstruction of Calcium isotopic evolution of seawater for Cretaceous and Jurassic, and Tentative extension of the calcium isotopic evolution curve of seawater to the Precambrian, Funded by Geological Society of America – GCA Reseach Grants.

Geochemistry II (Semester 2) - This course focuses on the chemistry of the natural world and the chemical evolution of the Earth and other planets over geological time. It covers practical and theoretical geochemistry, with an emphasis on how chemical principles are used to study problems relevant to Earth and Environmental Sciences 

Earth System History III (Semester 2) - This course studies the fundamental geological and biological processes comprising the Earth System. It focuses on the interactions between the biosphere and the geosphere as the Earth System evolved as recorded in the geochemical and sedimentary record.

Earth's Interior I (Semester 2) - This course provides a global perspective of Planet Earth and the dynamic processes that have modified it over its 4 billion-year history. We explore Earth's place in space and time and examine the operation of its internal chemical and physical processes. Fundamental concepts are developed: the formation and structure of the Earth; the driving forces of plate tectonics and continental drift; earthquakes and volcanoes, the formation and identification of geological materials, mountain building and rock deformation; the development of the geologic timescale.

  • Current Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)

    Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
    2024 Co-Supervisor Novel Isotope Techniques for Basin Exploration: Chrono and Chemostratigraphy of the Officer Basin Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Elnaz Khazaie
    2022 Principal Supervisor Geological evolution of Braemar Iron Formation Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Ruiqi Zheng
    2022 Principal Supervisor Chemostratigraphy and novel geochronology applications for basin exploration Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Yaser Noorian Madavan
    2021 Principal Supervisor Tracing subsurface ore deposits through the isotope analysis of regolith/cover in Australia: Coupled Cu and S isotope approach applied to a rock-soil-water-plant system. Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Zara Jean Frances Woolston
    2021 Principal Supervisor iPhD Project: Exploring the Paleozoic Warburton-Amadeus Depositional System with Novel Isotope Techniques: New Constraints on Chronostratigraphy and Thermal History of the Basins Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Cecilia Vanina Loyola
    2021 Principal Supervisor Application of Novel Isotope Techniques for Basin Exploration and Earth System Evolution Studies Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Zhufu Shao
  • Past Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)

    Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
    2019 - 2023 Co-Supervisor Palaeoenvironments of the Tonian to Cryogenian transition in the Adelaide Superbasin Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Georgina Mitford Virgo
    2019 - 2023 Co-Supervisor The sedimentary geochemistry and geochronology of the Proterozoic greater McArthur Basin, northern Australia Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Darwinaji Subarkah
    2018 - 2019 Co-Supervisor Tectonic geography of Mesoproterozoic Wilton package, north Australia Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Bo Yang
    2017 - 2022 Principal Supervisor New geochronological tool for Cu-Au mineralisation in the Arabian Shield,
    Saudi Arabia: Testing in-situ Rb-Sr dating via LA-ICP-MS/MS
    Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Dr Ahmad Abdullah A Redaa
    2017 - 2021 Principal Supervisor Calibration of alkaline earth metal isotope tracers in semi-arid coastal environments Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Dr Yuexiao Shao
    2017 - 2022 Co-Supervisor EFFECT OF RISING SEA LEVELS ON THE GEOCHEMISTRY OF COASTAL SOILS IN SOUTHERN AUSTRALIA Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Ms Emily Ruth Leyden
    2017 - 2020 Co-Supervisor Hydrologic and Isotopic Lake Modelling for Palaeoclimate Research Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Martin James Ankor
  • Position: Associate Professor
  • Phone: 83136794
  • Email: juraj.farkas@adelaide.edu.au
  • Fax: 83134380
  • Campus: North Terrace
  • Building: Mawson, floor G
  • Org Unit: Earth Sciences

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