Dr. Phil McCausland has a research program and group that pursues Earth history and its Solar System context, along several exploration themes. Paleogeography of the Earth: determining the Earth’s Precambrian-Paleozoic paleogeography via paleomagnetic and other techniques, as a context for understanding extreme paleoclimates, burgeoning life, and as a tracer of global geodynamics. Tectonics of accretionary orogens and mountain belts: paleomagnetic tracking of the collision, obduction and lateral motion of crustal fragments –terranes– to investigate the mechanisms of their assembly into mountain belts (Applalachians-Caledonides, Canadian Cordillera, Central Asia).

Shock metamorphism and parent body processes in the Early Solar System: investigation of the mineralogy and petrology of meteorites as recorders of impact shock deformation, redox processes and small body evolution. Petrophysical properties, mineralogy and mineral exploration: investigation of mineralogy, density, porosity, magnetic, electrical and acoustic properties of ore deposits and their host rocks, as a guide for mineral exploration.