A fascination with the outdoors fostered as a child led to a prestigious career as a geologist in the United States for Outram-raised John Cottle. Reporter Eileen Goodwin interviewed the University of Otago graduate.
Roaming the hills of Central Otago hunting for elusive earthquake faults gave his degree a good mix of theory and real fieldwork, geologist John Cottle says.
Now based at the University of California, Associate Prof Cottle (35) studied at the University of Otago and the University of Oxford. Last month, he received a prestigious ‘‘early career'' award from the Geological Society of America.
‘‘It's gratifying that the research community in North America recognises our group's research achievements,'' Prof Cottle says of the award.
His main research interest is understanding what happens when two continents collide.
‘‘The large mountain belts, such as the Himalaya, produced by these events tell us much about how the continentals grow - and eventually break apart - through time.
‘‘To study such processes I use detailed geologic mapping and field observations combined with state-of-the-art laboratory analyses that enable us to measure the composition, age and formation conditions of rocks that were once deep within the crust.
‘‘By combining all these pieces of the puzzle, we are able to deduce the processes that are responsible for mountain building and the time-scales over which they operate.''
Field excursions undertaken at Otago formed the bedrock for later work in more extreme environments.
There was also plenty of outdoor fun outside of formal studies: the university tramping club, house parties and trips to ‘‘truly remote and beautiful mountains'' are among his fond memories.
A love of the outdoors started in childhood.
‘‘My parents played a big role in fostering and developing this interest through camping, hiking, hunting, sailing and just spending time together outside.
‘‘Later, with help from many friends, this turned into a passion for skiing, climbing and tramping.
‘‘Geology seemed like the natural progression when I was deciding what to study at university.''
Prof Cottle completed a bachelor of science degree in 2000, and his master's, in geology, in 2002, both at Otago. Attaining a doctorate in philosophy at the University of Oxford, where he studied from 2004 to 2008, was followed by postdoctoral research at the British Geological Survey.
In 2009, he moved to the University of California Santa Barbara, where he was awarded tenure in 2012.
‘‘Fantastic mentors'' at Otago helped foster his career.
‘‘In particular, Alan Cooper, Tony Reay, Rick Sibson and James White taught me the fundamentals of geology, and also took the time to give me sound career advice.
‘‘My time at Otago culminated in the opportunity to do work in Antarctica, after which I felt confident I could actually undertake research as a geologist.''
Fieldwork in the Antarctic included leading four scientific expeditions in the Transantarctic Mountains on three separate visits to the continent.
A love of fieldwork is a plus for someone whose goal is unlocking the earth's secrets.
‘‘Particularly in places like the Himalaya, where the geology is complicated, I'm always seeing and learning new things about how the earth works,'' he said.
‘‘We get to use some really cool instruments that tell us a lot of new information.
‘‘I still get excited when I see the data coming off the machines and being able to think about how it relates to the observations we make in the field, to pull together a bigger picture of how the earth works.
''The Californian climate affords opportunities for year-round activities, making Santa Barbara a ‘‘phenomenal place to live and work''.
The student life was another highlight, and the campus attracted people from diverse backgrounds.
‘‘They have taught me a lot about the great qualities of America and its people, positive things that perhaps aren't reflected very often in the international media.''
