Dr Renjie Zhou

Snr Lecturer in Geochro & Tectonics

School of the Environment
Faculty of Science
renjie.zhou@uq.edu.au
+61 7 344 31437

Overview

---- New projects in 2024 ----

Recruiting new research students: I am always looking for highly motivated PhD and MPhil students to join my group to work on a range of research topics around geochronology and its applications to critical minerals, global tectonics, and past environmental changes. Please email me for details on projects, funding, and application timelines.

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I am a Senior Lecturer in Geochronology and Tectonics. My research advances fundamentals of Plate Tectonics, the unique and unifying theory for our home planet. My group uses a set of field, laboratory, and computational approaches to reveal the geologic history of modern and ancient plate boundaries, focusing on reconstructing the evolution of plate-margin mountains and basins. Such regions are among the most dynamic in the Earth system: their development alters regional and global climate, impacts biogeographic evolution, triggers earthquakes and other geologic hazards, and determines formation and distribution of natural resources such as critical minerals. I have been fortunate to work in some of the most rewarding areas for geologists, including the Himalaya-Tibetan Plateau, Central Andes, eastern Australia, New Zealand, and Pacific Islands. Check out some of my field photos here. I am the lead of UQ Thermochronology Lab that focuses on apatite fission-track analysis. As an in-depth user of UQ RIF (Radiogenic Isotope Facility), I also work with laser ablation ICP-MS with recent work around laser ablation U-Pb dating of low-U mineral phases such as calcite, hydrothermal garnet, and fluorite.

Editorial activities: I am a Subject Editor for Journal of the Geological Society and a member of the Editorial Board for Results in Earth Sciences. I am the lead Editor for issue 'Geochronology and Critical Minerals Systems' at Ore Geology Reviews. More information could be found here.

Teaching activities: My teaching duties range from delivering introductory courses, upper-year disciplinary courses, to research training courses. Here's a YouTube video of one of my courses: https://youtu.be/31TV3wUOv1Q

Qualifications

  • Doctor of Philosophy, University of Toronto

Publications

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Supervision

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Available Projects

  • I have projects available for Honours and PhD students. Please email me for details.

    UQ offers a competitive scholarship package, including full tuition support, stipends, and additional opportunities for tutoring or teaching assistantship. PhD students could commence their studies at UQ in January, April, July, or October. Get in touch if you’re interested in learning more about possible projects with our team.

View all Available Projects

Publications

Journal Article

Conference Publication

Other Outputs

Grants (Administered at UQ)

PhD and MPhil Supervision

Current Supervision

  • Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor

    Other advisors:

  • Master Philosophy — Principal Advisor

    Other advisors:

  • Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor

Completed Supervision

Possible Research Projects

Note for students: The possible research projects listed on this page may not be comprehensive or up to date. Always feel free to contact the staff for more information, and also with your own research ideas.

  • I have projects available for Honours and PhD students. Please email me for details.

    UQ offers a competitive scholarship package, including full tuition support, stipends, and additional opportunities for tutoring or teaching assistantship. PhD students could commence their studies at UQ in January, April, July, or October. Get in touch if you’re interested in learning more about possible projects with our team.