Dr Eric Vandenburg
ARC Grant-Funded Researcher B
School of Physics, Chemistry and Earth Sciences
College of Science
Dr. Eric Vandenburg is an isotope geochemist whose research focuses on igneous systems, magmatic ore deposits, and the processes that generate them. As a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Adelaide University and the ARC Training Centre in Critical Resources for the Future, he combines trace element geochemistry, stable and radiogenic isotope geochemistry, geochronology, and geochemical and phase equilibrium modelling. His work traces the evolution of magmatic systems from mantle source to ore deposit.
Eric completed his BSc (Hons) at the University of British Columbia, where he studied the petrogenesis of a Mesozoic convergent margin-hosted Ni-Cu-(PGE) deposit in the Canadian Cordillera. He went on to undertake a PhD at Monash University, using trace element geochemistry, radiogenic and non-traditional stable isotopes, and petrogenetic trace element modelling to explore the evolution of Earth’s early continental crust and the origins of subduction-like processes in the Archean, particularly in the Pilbara Craton.
Eric has experience across academia, government, and industry across two continents, including work with the Ontario Geological Survey, collaborations with the Geological Survey of Western Australia, and roles in mineral exploration.
His research interests include Ni-Cu-(PGE-Cr) and porphyry Au-Cu mineral systems, as well as novel stable isotope method development and applications, subduction zone volcanism, and ocean island basalts.
My research is currently focused on the development and application of non-traditional stable isotopes (Mg, Ca, Sr, Cr, Zn, Cu, Mo, Fe) to a) elucidate the source components and magmatic and ore-forming processes required to generate porphyry Au-Cu, Ni-Cu (PGE-Cr) and IOCG deposits; and b) trace element cycling in subduction zones.
| Date | Position | Institution name |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 - ongoing | Level B ARC Grant-Funded Postdoctoral Research Fellow | Adelaide University |
| Date | Type | Title | Institution Name | Country | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Award | Monash University Postgraduate Publication Award | Monash University | Australia | - |
| 2024 | Award | European Association of Geochemistry Student Sponsorship | European Association of Geochemistry | France | - |
| 2021 | Scholarship | Monash Graduate and International Tuition Scholarship | Monash University | Australia | - |
| 2020 | Award | Mineralogical Association of Canada Undergraduate Student Award | Mineralogical Association of Canada | Canada | - |
| 2019 | Scholarship | George E. Loveseth Award in Geological Sciences | University of British Columbia | Canada | - |
| 2019 | Scholarship | Dr. Christopher Westerman Memorial Scholarship | University of British Columbia | Canada | - |
| 2018 | Scholarship | Endeavour Silver Corp. Undergraduate Scholarship in Earth Sciences | University of British Columbia | Canada | - |
| 2018 | Scholarship | Thomas and Marguerite McKay Memorial Scholarship | University of British Columbia | Canada | - |
| Language | Competency |
|---|---|
| English | Can read, write, speak, understand spoken and peer review |
| French | Can read and write |
| Date | Institution name | Country | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 - 2025 | Monash University | Australia | PhD |
| 2016 - 2020 | University of British Columbia | Canada | BSc. (Hons.) |
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Vandenburg, E. D., Nebel, O., Smithies, R. H., Cawood, P. A., Miller, L. A., Millet, M. A., & Capitanio, F. A. (2026). Modern arc-like water content in the source of 3.1-billion-year-old volcanic rocks. Nature Communications, 17(1), 16 pages. |
| 2024 | Baggott, K., Jacobsen, Y., Nebel, O., Mulder, J., Raveggi, M., Wang, X. Y., . . . Jennings, L. (2024). On the virtues and pitfalls of combined laser ablation Rb–Sr biotite and U–Pb monazite–zircon geochronology: an example from the isotopically disturbed Cape Woolamai Granite, SE Australia. Geological Society Special Publication, 537(1), 435-454. Scopus3 |
| 2024 | Nebel, O., Vandenburg, E. D., Capitanio, F. A., Smithies, R. H., Mulder, J., & Cawood, P. A. (2024). Early Earth “subduction”: short-lived, off-craton, shuffle tectonics, and no plate boundaries. Precambrian Research, 408, 17 pages. Scopus14 WoS16 |
| 2023 | Vandenburg, E. D., Nebel, O., Cawood, P. A., Smithies, R. H., Capitanio, F. A., Miller, L. A., . . . Jacobsen, Y. (2023). The stability of cratons is controlled by lithospheric thickness, as evidenced by Rb-Sr overprint ages in granitoids. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 621, 8 pages. Scopus5 WoS5 |
| 2023 | Vandenburg, E. D., Nebel, O., Smithies, R. H., Capitanio, F. A., Miller, L., Cawood, P. A., . . . Nebel-Jacobsen, Y. (2023). Spatial and temporal control of Archean tectonomagmatic regimes. Earth-Science Reviews, 241, 104417-1-104417-13. Scopus20 WoS20 |
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Vandenburg, E., Nebel, O., Spencer, L. M., Millet, M. -A., Smithies, R. H., Cawood, P. A., . . . Chowdhury, P. (2026). Molybdenum isotopes in Archean granitoids: the role of source evolution and melt polymerization on the systematics of early continental crust. In Goldschmidt 2026 Conference. Montreal: GOLDSCHMIDT. |
| 2025 | Vandenburg, E., Nebel, O., Cawood, P., Capitanio, F., Miller, L., Millet, M. -A., & Smithies, H. (2025). A widespread, short-lived, off-craton subduction source for hidden crustal growth in Earth’s infancy. DOI |
| 2025 | Churchus, A., Nebel, O., Wang, X., Tomkins, A., Vandenburg, E., & Foden, J. (2025). Fe-Sr-Pb isotope variations in Sunda arc lavas: Where on Earth is the subducted Fe?. In Goldschmidt2025 abstracts. European Association of Geochemistry. DOI |
| 2025 | Nebel, O., Zoleikhaei, Y., Jacobsen, Y., Wang, X., Wille, M., Burnham, A., . . . Cawood, P. (2025). Forging the I-to-S-type granitic continuum through relamination. In SGGMP 2025. Port Macquarie. |
| 2023 | Vandenburg, E., Nebel, O., Cawood, P., Smithies, H., Capitanio, F., Miller, L., . . . Nebel-Jacobsen, Y. (2023). <i>The thickness of diversely constructed lithosphere controls the ages of isotopic reset in Archean cratons</i>. In Goldschmidt2023 abstracts. European Association of Geochemistry. DOI |
| 2022 | Vandenburg, E., Nebel, O., Millet, M. -A., Bruand, E., McCoy-West, A., Cawood, P., . . . Nebel-Jacobsen, Y. (2022). <i>Insights into Secular Changes in Archean Crustal Formation Processes: The necessity for representative databases</i>. In Goldschmidt2022 abstracts. European Association of Geochemistry. DOI |
| 2022 | Vandenburg, E., Nebel, O., Smithies, R. H., Nebel-Jacobsen, Y., Capitanio, F. A., Cawood, P. A., . . . Wang, X. (2022). Paleogeographic controls on granitoid chemistry reveal the Mesoarchean diversification of tectonomagmatic regimes. In S. J. Barnes, & K. Gessner (Eds.), ‘Earth, Sea and Sky’— Specialist Group in Geochemistry, Mineralogy & Petrology (SGGMP) Biennial Conference Abstracts Vol. Record 2022/18 (pp. 75). Perth: Geological Survey of Western Australia. |
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2020 | Vandenburg, E., Scoates, J. S., & Lightfoot, P. C. (2020). The E&L Magmatic Ni-Cu-(PGE) Deposit, Northwestern British Columbia: Preliminary Sulfide Petrology and Platinum-Group Element Mineralogy. Poster session presented at the meeting of AME Roundup. Vancouver. |
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2025 | Vandenburg, E. (2025). The formation of Archean lithotectonic blocks in non-plume environments inferences on craton assembly and stabilization from the Pilbara Craton Western Australia. (PhD Thesis, Monash University). |
| 2020 | Vandenburg, E. (2020). The E&L magmatic Ni-Cu-(PGE) deposit, northwestern British Columbia: Preliminary sulfide petrology, platinum-group element mineralogy and lead isotope systematics. (Undergraduate Dissertation, University of British Columbia). |
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Vandenburg, E. (2026). 3.1 billion-year-old rocks in Australia reveal a forgotten chapter of Earth’s water cycle. DOI |
Amount: AUD$210,400 2026-
Title: “Closing the gap in K-Ca-Ar geochronology with TIMS/ZEPTONA: Enabling multi-scale and high-precision K-Ca dating”
AuScope Opportunity Grant, AuScope NCRIS
PI: J. Farkaš, Co-investigators: C. Spandler, S. Gilbert, E. Vandenburg
Amount: CAD$1,000 2019-2020
Title: “Constraints on the Petrogenesis of the E&L Magmatic Ni-Cu-(PGE) Deposit, Northwestern British Columbia, from LA-ICP-MS Lead Isotope Systematics of Sulfides”
Society of Economic Geologists Canada Foundation Undergraduate Research Grant
PI: E. Vandenburg, Co-PI: J. Scoates
Demonstrator: Igneous and Metamorphic Processes (Year 3), Monash University Q1-Q2 2024
Demonstrator: Deep Earth Processes (Year 2), Monash University Q3-Q4 2023
Demonstrator: Field Geology and Mapping (Year 2), Monash University Q4 2022
Demonstrator: Earth, Atmosphere and Environment (Year 1), Monash University Q1-Q2 2022
| Date | Role | Membership | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 - 2023 | President | Society of Economic Geologists, Monash Student Chapter | Australia |
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