Associate Professor Jonathan Tyler
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.
Dr. Jonathan Tyler is an Associate Professor in Earth Sciences with a PhD from University College London and research experience from the Universities of Tokyo, Oxford and Melbourne. His teaching and research revolve around climate variability past and present and the way Earth surface processes can be deciphered using chemical signatures.
When not working, Jonathan is being re-educated about the world via his three children. He tries to spend as much time as he can outside, but otherwise indulges in following the travails of the English cricket team whilst listening to '90s alternative rock.
- My Research
- Career
- Publications
- Grants and Funding
- Teaching
- Supervision
- Professional Activities
- Contact
I am a palaeoclimatologist and isotope geochemist. That means I am interested in past climates and the use of chemical tracers in sediments to develop our understanding of past climate changes. I mostly work with lake sediments, but also work in terrestrial, marine, estuarine and cave environments.
Mainly, I am interested in developing isotope-based tools for quantifying past climate variability. This involves field and experimental studies on modern systems. I then apply these techniques to examine the patterns and causes of past climate change, in regions as diverse as coastal Antarctica, central Australia and Japan. In 2024 I will start an ARC Future Fellowship, which aims to better understand climate variability in southern Australia through the last 2000 years, with a view to providing data and knowledge relevant to policy makers and environmental managers. Similarly, I am actively researching the interplay between climate variability and changing vegetation and fire regimes in order to better understand bushfire risks and mitigation strategies, most notably on Kangaroo Island, South Australia.
During my career I have worked with a variety of techniques, both geochemical and palaeoecological, including oxygen and silicon isotopes in biogenic silica, carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis of sedimentary chlorins and branched GDGTs as a proxy for surface air temperature and soil pH. Recent projects involve the use of 'clumped isotope' palaeothermometry and sub-annual geochemical analysis of fossil and modern bivalves. I've supervised over 30 Honours students, and over 10 PhD students and place a high value on mentorship and fostering an inclusive and positive research environment.
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Appointments
Date Position Institution name 2023 - ongoing Associate Professor, Earth Sciences, School of Physics, Chemistry and Earth Sciences University of Adelaide, 2018 - 2022 Senior Lecturer, Earth Sciences University of Adelaide, Adelaide 2013 - 2017 Lecturer University of Adelaide 2012 - 2013 Research Fellow University of Melbourne 2009 - 2012 NERC Research Fellow University of Oxford 2009 - 2009 NERC Research Fellow Natural History Museum 2008 - 2009 JSPS Research Fellow University of Tokyo -
Awards and Achievements
Date Type Title Institution Name Country Amount 2009 Fellowship Fellow, Wolfson College Wolfson College, Oxford United Kingdom - 2005 Scholarship Marie Curie Postgraduate Scholarship University of Bergen Norway - -
Research Interests
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Journals
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Book Chapters
Year Citation 2013 Tyler, J. J. (2013). Silicon Isotopes in Diatoms. In Encyclopedia of Quaternary Science: Second Edition (pp. 734-743).
DOI2013 Tyler, J. J. (2013). PALEOBOTANY | Silicon Isotopes in Diatoms. In Encyclopedia of Quaternary Science (pp. 734-743). Elsevier.
DOI- Flower, R. J., Monteith, D. T., Tyler, J., Shilland, E., & Pla, S. (n.d.). The Aquatic Flora of Lochnagar. In Developments in Paleoenvironmental Research (pp. 199-229). Springer Netherlands.
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Conference Items
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Report for External Bodies
Year Citation 2022 Priestley, S., Mosley, L., Farkas, J., Tyler, J., Shao, Y., Shanafield, M., . . . Leyden, E. (2022). Sources and transport of nutrients in the Coorong. 2020 Mosley, L., Priestley, S., Brookes, J., Dittmann, S., Farkas, J., Farrell, M., . . . Welsh, D. (2020). Coorong water quality synthesis with a focus on the drivers of eutrophication (Goyder Institute for Water Research Technical Report Series No. 20/10). http://www.goyderinstitute.org/_r3428/media/system/attrib/file/699/TI_1.1.2_TRS_20-10_Nutrient%20Synthesis_2020-08-26_Final%20v2.pdf. -
Datasets
Year Citation - Falster, G., Grant, K., Tyler, J., Tibby, J., Turney, C., Lohr, S., . . . Kershaw, A. P. (n.d.). Falster_et_al_2018_Lake_Surprise.xlsx.
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- ARC Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities grant (LE180100185): 'Mass spectrometry for next generation isotope analysis of silicate minerals'. Lead CI with 14 additional collaborators at 9 institutions. $784,351. 2018.
- ARC Discovery Project (DP140104093): ‘The application of clumped isotope thermometry to the terrestrial environment’. With Allan Chivas (Lead CI; Wollongong) and Russell Drysdale (Melbourne). $450,000. 2014-2017.
- Adelaide University Environment Institute Grant: ‘Refining the timing and palaeoenvironmental context for megafauna extinction records at Naracoorte, South Australia’. Lead CI: Liz Reed, $75,000. 2015.
- Adelaide University Environment Institute Grant: ‘Development of a new method for cromium isotope analysis’. Lead CI: Juraj Farkas, $15,000. 2015.
- AINSE Honours awards to Briony Chamberlayne and Eliza Lockier, 2015.
- AINSE Postgraduate award to Georgina Falster, 2015.
- Adelaide University Environment Institute, ECR Grant: ‘An annual record of climate variability spanning several millennia from mainland Australia’. $18,000. 2014.
- Adelaide University Environment Institute Grant: ‘Discovery and identification of microscopic volcanic ash remains in southeastern Australian lake sediments: towards improved palaeoclimate chronologies and volcanic histories’. $21,000. 2014.
- Adelaide University Environment Institute, Interdisciplinary Research Fund: ‘Leaves as rain gauges: ancient hydrology from the isotopic signatures of leaves’. With Cesca McInerney (Lead CI), John Tibby, Seth Westra and Mark Thyer. $30,000. 2014.
- Sir Mark Mitchell Research Foundation Award: ‘Mollusc shell geochemistry as a tool for reconstructing past climate, pollution and life history’. With Bronwyn Gillanders and Chris Izzo. $8,000. 2014.
- AINSE Research Award: ‘Sub-decadal climate variability during the Holocene: radiocarbon age constraints for ITRAX geochemical data from West Basin Lake, Victoria (ALNGRA13510)’. $10,275. 2013.
- AINSE Research Award: ‘Sub-decadal climate variability during the last 3000 years: ITRAX geochemical records from western Victorian maar lake sediments (ALNGRA13006).’ AU$12,550. 2013.
- NERC Small Grant (as CI with Dr. David Ryves, Loughborough): ‘Critically testing the role of d30Sidiatom as a novel productivity signal in lakes (NE/H011978/1).’ £69,246. 2010-2012.
- NERC Fellowship: ‘Calibrating the fractionation of stable oxygen and silicon isotopes in diatom silica through laboratory culture experiments (NE/F014708/1).’ £305,190.02. 2009-2012.
- JSPS Bridge Fellowship. Funding a 6 week research visit to Tokyo to facilitate collaborative discussions and paper writing. JP¥892,000. Nov 2010 - Jan 2011.
- NERC Isotope Geoscience Facilities grant in kind for isotope analysis of diatom silica (culture samples). £30,500.
- NERC Isotope Geoscience Facilities grant for isotope analysis of diatom silica (Rostherne Mere; as co-investigator with Dr. David Ryves, Loughborough). £22,980.
- JSPS Fellowship: ‘Late Quaternary environmental change at Lake Suigetsu, central Japan: organic geochemical evidence for past primary productivity (PE07622)’. JP¥4,608,500. 2008-2009.
- Centre for Advanced Marine Core Research, Kochi, grant in kind for 500 organic carbon and nitrogen isotope analyses. AU$27,500 (approx. value).
Earth Systems I (GEOLOGY 1103)
This course draws from all fields of geoscience to explore the evolution of Planet Earth. My lectures introduce students to the energy balance on Earth, the fundamentals of atmospheric and ocean circulation and their effects on the hydrosphere, cryosphere and biosphere.
Geochemistry II (GEOLOGY 2505)
This course focuses on the chemistry of the natural world and the chemical evolution of the Earth over geological time. I coordinate this course and my lectures include the partitioning of elements on Earth, low temperature geochemical processes and the fundamentals of stable isotope geochemistry.
Earth Systems History III (GEOLOGY 3505)
This course focuses on the chemistry of the natural world and the chemical evolution of the Earth over geological time. I coordinate this course and my lectures primarily cover climate variability during the late Cenozoic and Quaternary up to present day, including the various techniques used to reconstruct climate change over those timescales.
Structural Geology II (GEOLOGY 2501)
This year (in 2016) I'll be joining my first Pichi Richi field camp with Structural Geology. I'm really looking forward to spending a week out in the Flinders Ranges, and being part of one of Adelaide's longest running geology traditions.
Principles and Practice of Research II and III (SCIENCE 2300 and 3100)
I regularly contribute to the PPR courses for the BSc Advanced program, leading tutorials and supervising research projects.
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Current Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)
Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name 2024 Principal Supervisor Decadal resolution climate reconstruction of south-eastern Australia through the last 2,000 years. Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mrs Kym Elizabeth Edwards 2024 Principal Supervisor Bacterial biomarkers as a tool for reconstruction of palaeotemperatures Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Nashley Aaron Griffiths 2023 Principal Supervisor Understanding multi-decadal drought risk in southern and south-eastern Australia using oxygen isotopes and lake sediments Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Mahfuzur Rahman 2022 Principal Supervisor Reconstruction of the East Asian Monsoon through the last ~140,000 years- Isotope palaeoclimatology of Lake Suigetsu, Japan. Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Vanessa Nowinski 2022 Principal Supervisor Application of clumped isotope analysis of central Australian carbonates for reconstructing palaeoclimate in Australia's arid interior Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Fletcher Clancy Nixon 2021 Principal Supervisor The development and application of weather and intra-annual scale features in climate proxy records for understanding future climate risk Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Part Time Mr Darren Andrew Ray -
Past Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)
Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name 2021 - 2023 Co-Supervisor Oxygen Isotopes Ratios of Phytoliths as a Proxy for Past Climates and Environments Master of Philosophy Master Full Time Mrs Kym Elizabeth Edwards 2020 - 2023 Principal Supervisor Holocene climate, fire and ecosystem change on Kangaroo Island (Karti), South Australia Master of Philosophy Master Full Time Miss Lucinda Cameron Duxbury 2019 - 2023 Co-Supervisor Feather forensics: tracing Australian parrot trade with online trade analysis, stable isotopes, and citizen science Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Katherine Georgia Weston Hill 2019 - 2023 Principal Supervisor Holocene hydroclimate variability in south-eastern Australia; validation and application of cellulose oxygen isotopes at Lake Surprise, Victoria, Australia. Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Asika Dharmarathna 2018 - 2023 Co-Supervisor The Hydroclimatic History of Subtropical Australia Inferred from Minjerribah (North Stradbroke Island) Lake Sediments Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Charles Reynolds Maxson IV 2017 - 2021 Co-Supervisor Calibration of alkaline earth metal isotope tracers in semi-arid coastal environments Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Dr Yuexiao Shao 2016 - 2021 Principal Supervisor Oxygen isotope and elemental ratios in waters and bivalves as tracers of hydrological change in the modern and ancient waters of the Coorong Lagoons, South Australia Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Briony Kate Chamberlayne 2016 - 2019 Co-Supervisor Development and Application of Leaf Wax Geochemistry to Reconstruct Late Cenozoic Climate and Environmental Change in Australia Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Jake William Andrae 2016 - 2020 Co-Supervisor Climate, humans, fire and megafauna - Key drivers of Australian subtropical vegetation Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Dr Haidee Rochelle Cadd 2016 - 2020 Principal Supervisor Hydrologic and Isotopic Lake Modelling for Palaeoclimate Research Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Martin James Ankor 2015 - 2019 Principal Supervisor Reconstructing Australia's Late Quaternary Climates from the Geochemistry of Lake Sediments and Snail Shells Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Part Time Georgina Maja Falster 2015 - 2020 Principal Supervisor Lake Sediment Archives of Late Holocene Climate Variability in Lutzow-Holm Bay, East Antarctica Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Rachel Claire Rudd
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Committee Memberships
Date Role Committee Institution Country 2015 - 2014 Member PAGES Aus2k - Data Manager - - 2015 - ongoing Member PAGES Iso2k PAGES - -
Memberships
Date Role Membership Country 2015 - ongoing Member American Geophysical Union - -
Editorial Boards
Date Role Editorial Board Name Institution Country 2019 - ongoing Editor Scientific Reports University of Adelaide Australia
Connect With Me
External Profiles