The University of Western Australia

UWA Staff Profile


Klaus Gessner

Assoc/Prof Klaus Gessner

Associate Professor

Contact details

Address School of Earth and Environment
The University of Western Australia (M006)
35 Stirling Highway
CRAWLEY WA 6009
Australia
Phone 6488 7148
Fax 6488 1178
Personal homepage http://www.csiro.au/people/ps2ni.html

Key research

  • My main interests are in Structural Geology, Tectonics, and Mineral deposit research, including
  • · The interaction between deformation, heat transfer and fluid flow in hydrothermal ore deposits and geothermal fields
  • · The thermal and mechanical evolution of continental rifts (particularly in the Aegean region and in Australian Proterozoic domains)
  • · The tectonic evolution of western Turkey
  • In addition to conventional geological methods I use a number of quantitative techniques such as numerical simulation, digital photogrammetry, and 3D visualisation and analysis of geological data, to better understand Earth processes.
  • I have worked in South Australia, Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory, Turkey, and Spain.

Qualifications

Diplom Frankfurt, PhD Johannes Gutenberg Mainz

Publications

Barnes SJ, Fiorentini ML, Austin P, Gessner K, Hough RM, Squelch A, (in press) Three-dimensional morphology of magmatic sulfides sheds light on ore formation and sulfide melt migration. Geology



· Baker B, Gessner K, Holden EJ, Squelch A (2008) Automatic detection of anisotropic features on rock surfaces. Geosphere 4: 418–42, doi: 10.1130/GES00145.1



· Ring U, Will T, Glodny J, Kumerics C, Gessner K, Thomson S, Güngör, T, Monié P, Okrusch M, Drüppel K, (2007) Early exhumation of high-pressure rocks in extrusion wedges: The Cycladic blueschist unit in the eastern Aegean, Greece and Turkey. Tectonics 26, TC2001, doi:10.1029/2005TC001872



· Gessner K, Wijns C, Moresi L (2007) Significance of strain localization in the lower crust for structural evolution and thermal history of metamorphic core complexes, Tectonics 26:TC2012, doi:10.1029/2004TC001768



· Gessner K (2007) Causative links between thermal history, deformation mode and hydrothermal mineralization in continental lithosphere of the Australian Proterozoic. In: Andrew, C. and 48 others (eds.) ‘Digging Deeper’: Proceedings of the Ninth SGA Biennial Meeting, Dublin, 2007: 31-33



· Wilde AR, Jones PA, Gessner K, Aillères L, Gregory MJ, Duncan RJ (2006) A Geochemical Process Model For The Mt Isa Copper Orebodies. Economic Geology 101:1547–1567



· Gessner K, Jones PA, Wilde AR, Kuehn M (2006) Significance of Strain localisation and fracturing in relation to hydrothermal mineralization at Mount Isa, Australia. Journal of Geochemical Exploration 89:129-132



· Kühn M, Gessner K (2006) Reactive transport model of silicification at the Mount Isa copper deposit, Australia. Journal of Geochemical Exploration 89:195-198



· Kühn M, Dobert F, Gessner K (2006) Numerical investigation of the effect of heterogeneous permeability distributions on free convection in the hydrothermal system at Mount Isa, Australia, Earth and Planetary Science Letters 244:655-671



· Kühn M, Zeeb C, Gessner K (2006) 2D or not 2D: Are two dimensions enough to accurately model convective fluid flow through faults and surrounding host rocks? CMWR XVI -Computational Methods in Water Resources, XVI International Conference, Copenhagen, Denmark, June 18-22, 2006 http://proceedings.cmwrxvi.org/materialDisplay.py?contribId=58&sessionId=12&materialId=paper&confId=a051



· Wijns C, Weinberg R, Gessner K, Moresi L (2005) Mode of crustal extension determined by rheological layering. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 236:120-134



· Wilde AR, Gregory M, Duncan R, Gessner K, Kühn M, Jones Pa (2005) Geochemical process model for the Mt Isa Cu-Co-Ag deposits. In: Bierlein FP and Mao J (Editors), Mineral Deposit Research: Meeting the Global Challenge. Springer, Berlin, pp.199-202.



· Gessner K, Collins AS, Ring U, Güngör T (2004) Structural and thermal history of poly-orogenic basement: SHRIMP geochronology of granitoid rocks in the southern Menderes Massif, Western Turkey. Journal of the Geological Society of London 161: 93-101



· Ring U, Buchwaldt R & Gessner K (2004) Pb/Pb dating of garnet from the Anatolide belt in western Turkey: Pan-African metamorphism related to the collision of Angara with Gondwana, Zeitschrift Der Deutschen Geologischen Gesellschaft: 154:537-555



· Gessner K, Wijns C, Weinberg RF, Moresi L (2004) Strain partitioning during crustal extension. GeoMod2004 International Conference, Emmetten, Switzerland. Bolletino di Geofisica teorica ed applicata 45/1(suppl.): 283-287



· Kühn M, Alt-Epping P, Gessner K, Wilde AR (2004) Application of reactive transport modelling to the Mount Isa copper mineralisation. In Korsch RJ, Barnicoat AC (eds) Predictive Mineral Discovery Cooperative Research Centre – Extended Abstracts from the June 2004 Conference. Geoscience Australia Record 2004/09: 107-110



· Wilde AR, Gessner K, Jones PA, Gregory M, Duncan R (2004) Reducing risk through research: Project I4 – Predictive discovery of Mt Isa style copper in Korsch RJ, Barnicoat AC (eds) Predictive Mineral Discovery Cooperative Research Centre – Extended Abstracts from the June 2004 Conference. Geoscience Australia Record 2004/09: 225-228



· Régnier JL, Ring U, Passchier CW, Gessner K, Güngör T (2003) Contrasting metamorphic evolution of metasedimentary rocks from the Çine and Selimiye nappes in the Anatolide belt,



· Ring U, Johnson C, Hetzel R, Gessner K (2003) Tectonic Denudation Of A Late Cretaceous-Tertiary Collisional Belt: Regionally Symmetric Cooling Patterns And Their Relation To Extensional Faults In The Anatolide Belt Of Western Turkey. Geological Magazine 140:421-441



· Gessner K, Wijns C, Moresi L, Boschetti F, Ord A (2001) Flow partitioning in the lithosphere during core complex formation: An interactive evolutionary computation approach using particle-in-cell finite elements. AGU Chapman Conference on Exploration Geodynamics, Dunsborough, Australia



· Gessner K, Piazolo S, Güngör T, Ring U, Passchier CW (2001) Tectonic significance of deformation patterns in granitoid rocks of the Menderes Massif, southwest Turkey. International Journal of Earth Sciences 89:766-780



· Gessner K, Ring U, Johnson C, Passchier CW, Güngör T (2001) An active bivergent rolling-hinge detachment system: The Central Menderes metamorphic core complex in western Turkey. Geology 29:611-614



· Gessner K, Ring U, Passchier CW, Güngör T (2001) How to resist subduction: Evidence for large-scale out-of-sequence thrusting during Eocene collision in western Turkey. Journal of the Geological Society of London 158:769-784



· Ring U, Gessner K, Güngör T, Passchier CW (1999) The Menderes Massif of western Turkey and the Cycladic Massif in the Aegean — do they really correlate? Journal of the Geological Society of London 156:3-6



· Gessner K, Güngör T, Ring U, Passchier CW (1998) Structure and crustal thickening of the Menderes massif, southwest Turkey, and consequences for large-scale correlations between Greece and Turkey. Bulletin of the Geological Society of Greece 32/1:145-152

Funding received

2008

Australian Synchrotron Research Program (Dynamic permeability in ductile shear zones, with F. Fusseis and R. Hough, ~$15,000)

2007

iVEC Project on Visualisation and Quantification of Rock Sample CT Data for Petroleum Exploration (with CSIRO Petroleum Resources) ($5,000)
pmd*CRC research Module Modelling extension of the Mt Isa Inlier ($5,000)

2006

pmd*CRC research Module M18 Geodynamics of the Mt Isa Inlier ($10,000)
Industry Honours project grant (AngloGoldAshanti Pty Ltd, $2,900)
Industry Honours project grant (Birla Nifty Pty Ltd, $4,800k)
iVEC Research Grant, equipment, travel costs ($49,000k)
UWA Faculty grant distinguished visitors scheme (Prof Passchier, $2,500)
iVEC internship project for Bodey Baker ($8,000)

2005

internship project for Cameron Walsh ($8,000)

2004

UWA Research grant (Digital Photogrammetry ($18,000)

2002

Geological Society of America Penrose conference committee, conference and accommodation (through NSF) (~$1,500)

2000

DAAD (D/00/39304), Visiting Fellowship to Australia, Stipend and Travel (~$26,000)
German Research Coucil (DFG; GE 1155/1-1), Conference travel (GSA) and field trip to Nevada, USA ($3,000)

Teaching

I am involved in teaching the following units/courses.



UWA



Mineral Resources (EART3351) http://units.handbooks.uwa.edu.au/units/eart/eart3351



Structural Geology and Tectonics (EART3343)

http://units.handbooks.uwa.edu.au/units/eart/eart3343



Computer-aided Exploration Techniques (EART8506)

http://units.handbooks.uwa.edu.au/units/eart/eart8506



Structural and Field Geology

http://units.handbooks.uwa.edu.au/units/eart/eart8504





Externally



Process Modelling of Hydrothermal Systems

http://www.rwth-academy.com/geophysics.html

Current projects

Opportunities for Postgrads and Honours Students: Various opportunities in field studies and modelling of rock deformation, fluid flow and heat transfer in hydrothermal mineralisation and geothermal applications.

Research profile