Alex Burton-Johnson
Honorary Researcher
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Alex Burton-Johnson
Honorary Researcher
Biography
Specialising in the interplay between global tectonics and the growth of continents, I worked at BAS as a field geologist researching the tectonic history of the Antarctic Peninsula and the origin of its magmatic events. This work continues on the Lassiter Coast of the Antarctica, looking into how crustal deformation led to the emplacement of thousands of kilometres of new granitic crust. My work uses a combination of geochemistry, magnetic fabric analysis, and field data, which I have applied in Antarctica, SE Asia, and New Zealand, looking at how these processes change around the Pacific margin. Beyond tectonic-magmatic relations, my work covers a diverse range of geological science. This includes working on Antarctic geothermal heat flow; satellite remote sensing of exposed rocks and volcanoes; and the large-scale tectonic histories of the Pacific margin.
Research interests
– Tectonics of Antarctica and SE Asia
– Generation and evolution of felsic magma
– Crustal growth
– Granite emplacement
– Ophiolite formation
BURTON-JOHNSON, A. 2013. Origin, Emplacement and Tectonic Relevance of the Mt. Kinabalu Granitic Pluton of Sabah, Borneo. Durham University. http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/9450/.
CULLEN, A., MACPHERSON, C., TAIB, N.I., BURTON-JOHNSON, A., GEIST, D., SPELL, T. & BANDA, R.M. 2013. Age and petrology of the Usun Apau and Linau Balui volcanics: Windows to central Borneo’s interior. Journal of Asian Earth Sciences, 76, 372–388, doi: 10.1016/j.jseaes.2013.05.003.
BURTON-JOHNSON, A. & MACPHERSON, C.J. 2012. Mt. Kinabalu Multi-phased Post-collisional I-Type Granite. In: Abstract American Geophysical Union Annual Meeting.
Publications from NERC Open Research Archive
2024
Bastias-Silva, J., Burton-Johnson, A. ORCID record for A. Burton-Johnson, Chew, D., Riley, T. ORCID record for T. Riley, Jara, W., Chiaradia, M.. (2024) A temporal control on the isotopic compositions of the Antarctic Peninsula arc. Communications Earth & Environment, 5. 11 pp. 10.1038/s43247-024-01301-1
2023
Burton-Johnson, A. ORCID record for A. Burton-Johnson, Cullen, A.B.. (2023) Continental rifting in the South China Sea through extension and high heat flow: An extended history. Gondwana Research, 120. 29 pp. 10.1016/j.gr.2022.07.015
Riley, Teal R. ORCID record for Teal R. Riley, Burton-Johnson, Alex ORCID record for Alex Burton-Johnson, Hogan, Kelly A. ORCID record for Kelly A. Hogan, Carter, Andrew, Leat, Philip T.. (2023) Cretaceous – Paleogene tectonic reconstructions of the South Scotia Ridge and implications for the initiation of subduction in the Scotia Sea. Journal of the Geological Society, 180. 10 pp. 10.1144/jgs2023-013
Cox, Simon C., Smith Lyttle, Belinda, Elkind, Samuel, Smith Siddoway, Christine, Morin, Paul, Capponi, Giovanni, Abu-Alam, Tamer, Ballinger, Matilda, Bamber, Lauren, Kitchener, Brett, Lelli, Luigi, Mawson, Jasmine, Millikin, Alexie, Dal Seno, Nicola, Whitburn, Louis, White, Tristan, Burton-Johnson, Alex ORCID record for Alex Burton-Johnson, Crispini, Laura, Elliot, David, Elvevold, Synnøve, Goodge, John, Halpin, Jacqueline, Jacobs, Joachim, Martin, Adam P., Mikhalsky, Eugene, Morgan, Fraser, Scadden, Phil, Smellie, John, Wilson, Gary. (2023) A continent-wide detailed geological map dataset of Antarctica. Scientific Data, 10. 14 pp. 10.1038/s41597-023-02152-9
Burton-Johnson, Alex ORCID record for Alex Burton-Johnson, Bastias, Joaquin, Kraus, Stefan. (2023) Breaking the Ring of Fire: How ridge collision, slab age, and convergence rate narrowed and terminated the Antarctic continental arc. Tectonics, 42. 18 pp. 10.1029/2022TC007634
Riley, Teal R. ORCID record for Teal R. Riley, Millar, Ian L., Carter, Andrew, Flowerdew, Michael J., Burton-Johnson, Alex ORCID record for Alex Burton-Johnson, Bastias, Joaquin, Storey, Craig D., Castillo, Paula, Chew, David, Whitehouse, Martin J.. (2023) Evolution of an accretionary complex (LeMay Group) and terrane translation in the Antarctic Peninsula. Tectonics, 42. 10.1029/2022TC007578
Bastias, Joaquin, Spikings, Richard, Riley, Teal ORCID record for Teal Riley, Chew, David, Grunow, Anne, Ulianov, Alexey, Chiaradia, Massimo, Burton-Johnson, Alex ORCID record for Alex Burton-Johnson. (2023) Cretaceous magmatism in the Antarctic Peninsula and its tectonic implications. Journal of the Geological Society, 180. 18 pp. 10.1144/jgs2022-067
Riley, Teal R. ORCID record for Teal R. Riley, Burton-Johnson, Alex ORCID record for Alex Burton-Johnson, Flowerdew, Michael J., Poblete, Fernando, Castillo, Paula, Hervé, Francisco, Leat, Philip T., Millar, Ian L., Bastias, Joaquin, Whitehouse, Martin J.. (2023) Palaeozoic – Early Mesozoic geological history of the Antarctic Peninsula and correlations with Patagonia: Kinematic reconstructions of the proto-Pacific margin of Gondwana. Earth-Science Reviews, 236. 10.1016/j.earscirev.2022.104265
2022
Burton-Johnson, A. ORCID record for A. Burton-Johnson, Riley, T.R. ORCID record for T.R. Riley, Harrison, R.J., Mac Niocaill, C., Muraszko, J.R., Rowley, P.D.. (2022) Does tectonic deformation control episodic continental arc magmatism? Evidence from granitic magnetic fabrics (AMS). Gondwana Research, 112. 23 pp. 10.1016/j.gr.2022.09.006
Riley, Teal R. ORCID record for Teal R. Riley, Carter, Andrew, Burton-Johnson, Alex ORCID record for Alex Burton-Johnson, Leat, Philip T., Hogan, Kelly A. ORCID record for Kelly A. Hogan, Bown, Paul R.. (2022) Crustal block origins of the South Scotia Ridge. Terra Nova, 34. 8 pp. 10.1111/ter.12613
2021
Sanchez, G., Halpin, J.A., Gard, M., Hasterok, D., Stål, T., Raimondo, T., Peters, S., Burton-Johnson, A. ORCID record for A. Burton-Johnson. (2021) PetroChron Antarctica: A geological database for interdisciplinary use. Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, 22. 14 pp. 10.1029/2021GC010154
Cullen, A., Burton-Johnson, A. ORCID record for A. Burton-Johnson. (2021) [Comment] New zircon radiometric U-Pb ages and Lu-Hf isotopic data from the ultramafic-mafic sequences of Ranau and Telupid (Sabah, eastern Malaysia): Time to reconsider the geological evolution of Southeast Asia?. Geology, 49. 1 pp. 10.1130/G49414C.1
Riley, Teal R. ORCID record for Teal R. Riley, Burton-Johnson, Alex ORCID record for Alex Burton-Johnson, Leat, Philip T., Hogan, Kelly A. ORCID record for Kelly A. Hogan, Halton, Alison M.. (2021) Geochronology and geochemistry of the South Scotia Ridge: Miocene island arc volcanism of the Scotia Sea. Global and Planetary Change, 205. 12 pp. 10.1016/j.gloplacha.2021.103615
Van de Lagemaat, S.H.A., Swart, M.L.A., Vaes, B., Kosters, M.E., Boschman, L.M., Burton-Johnson, A. ORCID record for A. Burton-Johnson, Bijl, P.K., Spakman, W., van Hinsbergen, D.J.J.. (2021) Subduction initiation in the Scotia Sea region and opening of the Drake Passage: When and why?. Earth-Science Reviews, 215. 25 pp. 10.1016/j.earscirev.2021.103551
2020
Burton-Johnson, Alex ORCID record for Alex Burton-Johnson, Dziadek, Ricarda, Martin, Carlos ORCID record for Carlos Martin. (2020) Geothermal heat flow in Antarctica: Current and future directions. The Cryosphere, 14. 31 pp. 10.5194/tc-14-3843-2020
Riley, Teal R. ORCID record for Teal R. Riley, Flowerdew, Michael J., Burton-Johnson, Alex ORCID record for Alex Burton-Johnson, Leat, Philip T., Millar, Ian L., Whitehouse, Martin J.. (2020) Cretaceous arc volcanism of Palmer Land, Antarctic Peninsula: Zircon U-Pb geochronology. geochemistry, distribution and field relationships. Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, 401. 10.1016/j.jvolgeores.2020.106969
Burton-Johnson, A. ORCID record for A. Burton-Johnson, Macpherson, C.G., Millar, I.L., Whitehouse, M.J., Ottley, C.J., Nowell, G.M.. (2020) A Triassic to Jurassic arc in north Borneo: Geochronology, geochemistry, and genesis of the Segama Valley Felsic Intrusions and the Sabah ophiolite. Gondwana Research, 84. 16 pp. 10.1016/j.gr.2020.03.006
Burton-Johnson, Alex ORCID record for Alex Burton-Johnson, Dziadek, Ricarda, Martin, Carlos ORCID record for Carlos Martin, Halpin, Jacqueline A., Whitehouse, Pippa L., Ebbing, Jörg, Martos, Yasmina, Martin, Adam, Schroeder, Dustin, Shen, Weisen, Ritz, Catherine, Goodge, John, Van Liefferinge, Brice, Pattyn, Frank, Reading, Anya, Ferraccioli, Fausto ORCID record for Fausto Ferraccioli. (2020) Antarctic geothermal heat flow: future research directions. SCAR-SERCE, 9 pp. (SCAR-SERCE White Paper.)
Bastias, Joaquin, Spikings, Richard, Ulianov, Alex, Riley, Teal ORCID record for Teal Riley, Burton-Johnson, Alex ORCID record for Alex Burton-Johnson, Chiaradia, Massimo, Baumgartner, Lucas, Hervé, Francisco, Bouvier, Anne-Sophie. (2020) The Gondwanan margin in West Antarctica: insights from Late Triassic magmatism of the Antarctic Peninsula. Gondwana Research, 81. 1-20. 10.1016/j.gr.2019.10.018
2019
Burton-Johnson, A. ORCID record for A. Burton-Johnson, Macpherson, C.G., Ottley, C.J., Nowell, G.M., Boyce, A.J.. (2019) Generation of the Mt Kinabalu granite by crustal contamination of intraplate magma modelled by Equilibrated Major Element Assimilation with Fractional Crystallisation (EME-AFC). Journal of Petrology, 60. 1461-1487. 10.1093/petrology/egz036
Riley, Teal R. ORCID record for Teal R. Riley, Carter, Andrew, Leat, Philip T., Burton-Johnson, Alex ORCID record for Alex Burton-Johnson, Bastias, Joaquin, Spikings, Richard A., Tate, Alex J. ORCID record for Alex J. Tate, Bristow, Charlie S.. (2019) Geochronology and geochemistry of the northern Scotia Sea: a revised interpretation of the North and West Scotia ridge junction. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 518. 136-147. 10.1016/j.epsl.2019.04.031
Gray, D.M., Burton-Johnson, A. ORCID record for A. Burton-Johnson, Fretwell, P.T. ORCID record for P.T. Fretwell. (2019) Evidence for a lava lake on Mt. Michael volcano, Saunders Island (South Sandwich Islands) from Landsat, Sentinel-2 and ASTER satellite imagery. Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, 379. 60-71. 10.1016/j.jvolgeores.2019.05.002
Burton-Johnson, Alex ORCID record for Alex Burton-Johnson, Macpherson, C.G., Muraszko, J.R., Harrison, R.J, Jordan, Tom A. ORCID record for Tom A. Jordan. (2019) Tectonic strain recorded by magnetic fabrics (AMS) in plutons, including Mt Kinabalu, Borneo: A tool to explore past tectonic regimes and syn-magmatic deformation. Journal of Structural Geology, 119. 50-60. 10.1016/j.jsg.2018.11.014
2018
Riley, Teal R. ORCID record for Teal R. Riley, Burton-Johnson, Alex ORCID record for Alex Burton-Johnson, Flowerdew, Michael J., Whitehouse, Martin J.. (2018) Episodicity within a mid-Cretaceous magmatic flare-up in West Antarctica: U-Pb ages of the Lassiter Coast intrusive suite, Antarctic Peninsula and correlations along the Gondwana margin. Geological Society of America Bulletin, 130. 1177-1196. 10.1130/B31800.1
2017
Burton-Johnson, A. ORCID record for A. Burton-Johnson, Halpin, J.A., Whittaker, J.M., Graham, F.S., Watson, S.J.. (2017) A new heat flux model for the Antarctic Peninsula incorporating spatially variable upper crustal radiogenic heat production. Geophysical Research Letters, 44. 5436-5446. 10.1002/2017GL073596
Burton-Johnson, Alex ORCID record for Alex Burton-Johnson, Macpherson, Colin G., Hall, Robert. (2017) Internal structure and emplacement mechanism of composite plutons: evidence from Mt Kinabalu, Borneo. Journal of the Geological Society, 174. 180-191. 10.1144/jgs2016-041
2016
Burton-Johnson, Alex ORCID record for Alex Burton-Johnson, Black, Martin ORCID record for Martin Black, Fretwell, Peter ORCID record for Peter Fretwell, Kaluza-Gilbert, Joseph. (2016) An automated methodology for differentiating rock from snow, clouds and sea in Antarctica from Landsat 8 imagery: A new rock outcrop map and area estimation for the entire Antarctic continent. The Cryosphere, 10. 1665-1677. 10.5194/tc-10-1665-2016
2015
Burton-Johnson, Alex ORCID record for Alex Burton-Johnson, Riley, Teal ORCID record for Teal Riley. (2015) Autochthonous vs. accreted terrane development of continental margins: a revised in situ tectonic history of the Antarctic Peninsula. Journal of the Geological Society, 172. 822-835. 10.1144/jgs2014-110
2023
New map unlocks deep digital data of Antarctica’s history
News 19 May, 2023
2019
Discovery of rare lava lake on remote sub-Antarctic island
News 3 July, 2019
2015
FEATURED PAPER: New geological history for Antarctic Peninsula
News 29 September, 2015