Dr Bradley Opdyke

AB (Columbia University), MS (The University of Michigan), PhD (The University of Michigan)
Honorary visitor

Research interests

My Research has followed two main themes; the first is Paleoceanography and the second is investigating Coral reef ecosystems to assess the impact of higher pCO2 on reef sustainability into the future, not just in Australia, but globally.  These investigations led my research team to discover that Dolomite is being deposited in crustose Coralline Algae on the margins of reef platforms.  Following up on this discovery continues at pace with detailed studies progressing with local collaboration with the Research School of Physics as well as geochemical mass-balance studies under way.  We continue to take advantage of the Coral Reef coring that I did in the previous decade to construct detailed climate records that extend back thousands of years with one objective to be able to compare Early and Late Holocene climate records from Northern Australia.

My Paleoceanography research has focused on the Glacial-Interglacial climate dynamics of the surface waters in the tropical regions to the north of Australia.  We now have a core library of dozens of cores to investigate.  Additionally we are researching samples from the Late Eocene of the North Atlantic.  The later involves analyzing samples that were recovered during IODP Expedition 342 to the South East Newfoundland Ridge.  Our Late Eocene research also includes studies of coastal sections that include the Eocene – Oligocene boundary along the southern Australian coastline.

Groups

  • Rees, S. A., Opdyke, B. N., Wilson, P.A., and Henstock, T. J., 2007, Significance of Halimeda bioherms to the global carbonate budget based on a geological sediment budget for the Northern Great Barrier Reef, Australia, Coral Reefs, DOI 1007/s00338-006-0166-x.

  • Tcherepanov E. N., A. W. Droxler, P. Lapointe, G. R. Dickens, S. J. Bentley, L. Beaufort, L. C. Peterson, J. Daniell, B. N. Opdyke (2008), Neogene evolution of the mixed carbonate-siliciclastic system in the Gulf of Papua, Papua New Guinea, J. Geophys. Res., 113, F01S21, doi:10.1029/2006JF000684.

  • Carson B. E., J. M. Francis, R. M. Leckie, A. W. Droxler, G. R. Dickens, S. J. Jorry, S. J. Bentley, L. C. Peterson, B. N. Opdyke (2008), Benthic Foraminiferal response to sea level change in the mixed siliciclastic-carbonate system of southern Ashmore Trough (Gulf of Papua), J. Geophys. Res., 113, F01S20, doi:10.1029/2006JF000629.

  • Muhammad Z., S. J. Bentley, L. A. Febo, A. W. Droxler, G. R. Dickens, L. C. Peterson, B. N. Opdyke (2008), Excess 210 Pb inventories and fluxes along the continental slope and basins of the Gulf of Papua, J. Geophys. Res., 113, F01S17, doi:10.1029/2006JF000676.

  • Francis J. M., J. J. Daniell, A. W. Droxler, G. R. Dickens, S. J. Bentley, L. C. Peterson, B. N. Opdyke, L. Beaufort (2008), Deep water geomorphology of the mixed siliciclastic-carbonate system, Gulf of Papua, J. Geophys. Res., 113, F01S16, doi:10.1029/2007JF000851

  • Febo L. A., S. J. Bentley, J. H. Wrenn, A. W. Droxler, G. R. Dickens, L. C. Peterson, B. N. Opdyke (2008), Late Pleistocene and Holocene sedimentation, organic-carbon delivery, and paleoclimatic inferences on the continental slope of the northern Pandora Trough, Gulf of Papua, J. Geophys. Res., 113, F01S18, doi:10.1029/2006JF000677.

  • Jorry S. J., A. W. Droxler, G. Mallarino, G. R. Dickens, S. J. Bentley, L. Beaufort, L. C. Peterson, B. N. Opdyke (2008), Bundled turbidite deposition in the central Pandora Trough (Gulf of Papua) since Last Glacial Maximum: Linking sediment nature and accumulation to sea level fluctuations at millennial timescale, J. Geophys. Res., 113, F01S19, doi:10.1029/2006JF000649.

  • Bostock, H. C., Opdyke, B.N., and Williams, M.J.M., 2010. Characterising theintermediate depth waters of the Pacific Ocean using d13C and other geochemical tracers, Deep-Sea Research I, 57, 847-859.

  • Tynan, S., and Opdyke, B.N., 2011. Effects of lower surface ocean pH upon stability of shallow water carbonate sediments, Science of the Total Environment, 409, 1082-1086.

  • Nash, M. C., Troitzsch, U., Opdyke, B.N., Trafford, J.M., Russell, B.D. and Kline, D. I., 2011, Biomineralization of dolomite and magnesite discovered in tropical coralline algae: a biological solution to the geological dolomite problem. Biogeosciences Discuss., 8, 5881-5906, doi: 10.5194/bgd-8-5881-2011
  • Bostock, H.C., B.N. Opdyke, M.K. Gagan, et al., Glacial/interglacial changes in the East Australian current [Review]. Climate Dynamics, 2006. 26 (6): p. 645-659.
  • Rees, S.A., B.N. Opdyke, P.A. Wilson, et al., Coral reef sedimentation on Rodrigues and the Western Indian Ocean and its impact on the carbon cycle. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London Series A-Mathematical Physical & Engineering Sciences, 2005. 363 (1826): p. 101-120.

  • Pelejero, C., E. Calvo, M.T. McCulloch, et al., Preindustrial to modern interdecadal variability in coral reef pH. Science, 2005. 309(5744): p. 2204-2207.
  • Bostock, H.C., B.N. Opdyke, M.K. Gagan, et al., Carbon isotope evidence for changes in Antarctic Intermediate Water circulation and ocean ventilation in the southwest Pacific during the last deglaciation - art. no. PA4013 [Review]. Paleoceanography, 2004. 19 (4): p. A4013.
  • Gagan, M.K., L.K. Ayliffe, B.N. Opdyke, et al., Coral oxygen isotope evidence for recent groundwater fluxes to the Australian Great Barrier Reef - art. no. 1982. Geophysical Research Letters, 2002. 29 (20): p. 1982.
  • Ryan, D.A., B.N. Opdyke, and J.S. Jell, Holocene sediments of Wistari Reef: towards a global quantification of coral reef related neritic sedimentation in the Holocene. Palaeogeography Palaeoclimatology Palaeoecology 175(1-4 Special Issue, 2001. 175 (1-4 Special Issue SI): p. 173-184.
  • Muller, A. and B.N. Opdyke, Glacial-interglacial changes in nutrient utilization and paleoproductivity in the Indonesian Throughflow sensitive Timor Trough, easternmost Indian Ocean. Paleoceanography, 2000. 15 (1): p. 85-94.
  • Zachos, J.C., B.N. Opdyke, T.M. Quinn, et al., Early cenozoic glaciation, antarctic weathering, and seawater Sr-87/Sr-86: is there a link? Chemical Geology, 1999. 161 (1-3): p. 165-180.
  • Kleypas, J.A., R.W. Buddemeier, D. Archer, et al., Geochemical consequences of increased atmospheric carbon dioxide on coral reefs.Science, 1999. 284 (5411): p. 118-120.
  • Erba, E., J.E.T. Channell, M. Claps, et al., Integrated stratigraphy of the Cismon APTICORE (Southern Alps, Italy): A "reference section" for the Barremian-Aptian interval at low latitudes [Review]. Journal of Foraminiferal Research, 1999. 29 (4): p. 371-391.
  • Fraser, S., M. Davis, M. Griss, et al., Software Reuse - Nemesis or Nirvana - Panel Session. Sigplan Notices (Acm Special Interest Group on Programming Languages), 1998. 33 (10): p. 417-420.
  • Fraser, S., K. Beck, G. Booch, et al., Beyond the Hype - Do Patterns and Frameworks Reduce Discovery Costs. Sigplan Notices (Acm Special Interest Group on Programming Languages), 1997. 32 (10): p. 342-344.
  • Wilson, P.A. and B.N. Opdyke, Equatorial Sea-Surface Temperatures for the Maastrichtian Revealed through Remarkable Preservation of Metastable Carbonate. Geology, 1996. 24 (6): p. 555-558.
  • Walker, J.C.G. and B.C. Opdyke, Influence of Variable Rates of Neritic Carbonate Deposition on Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide and Pelagic Sediments. Paleoceanography, 1995. 10 (3): p. 415-427.
  • Arnaudvanneau, A., G.F. Camoin, J.A. Haggerty, et al., CARBONATE BUILD-UP OF ATOLLS AND GUYOTS IN THE NORTHWESTERN PACIFIC - PRELIMINARY RESULTS FROM ODP LEG-144 [French]. Comptes Rendus de l Academie des Sciences Serie II-Mecanique Physique Chimie Sciences de la Terre et de l Univers, 1993. 317 (7): p. 947-954.