Richard Armstrong

Dr Richard Armstrong is an Honorary Associate Professor at the Research School of Earth Sciences (RSES) at the Australian National University (ANU). He holds a B.Sc (Hons.), M.Sc., and PhD, with expertise in geochronology, tectonics, and continental dynamics. His research focuses on crustal evolution, magmatism, and metamorphic processes across diverse terranes, including Proterozoic to Phanerozoic orogens. He employs advanced geochronological techniques (e.g., SHRIMP U-Pb, laser ablation ICP-MS) and integrates isotopic data (O, Hf, Nd, Sr) to unravel tectonic histories of continental margins, orogenic belts, and metallogenic provinces.

Research Interests:

• Archean-Proterozoic crustal growth and recycling
• Continental collision and accretionary processes
• Volcanic-sedimentary basin dynamics
• Ore deposit genesis (Cu-Ni-PGE, Au)
• Paleomagnetic and palinspastic reconstructions

Key Projects:

• Geochronology of the Lappi-Sápmi Large Igneous Province (Fennoscandia)
• Tectonic evolution of the Ribeira Orogen (Brazil)
• Exhumation mechanisms in the Sibela Mountains (Indonesia)
• Crustal architecture of the Namaqua-Natal Belt (Southern Africa)

His collaborative work spans global regions, including Brazil, Indonesia, Antarctica, and Australia, with emphasis on linking field observations, laboratory data, and numerical models to understand Earth’s dynamic systems.