Tim Breitfeld

Biography

Educational Background

I have achieved a Vordiplom (equal to BSc) in 2007 and a Diplom (equal to MSc) in 2010 in Geology/Palaeontology by Technische Universität (TU) Bergakademie Freiberg, Germany. Most recent, I finished my PhD study with the SE Asia Research Group at Royal Holloway University of London.

Past fieldwork experience

I have undertaken extensive fieldwork in West and Central Sarawak (Malaysia) for my PhD study, sampling and analysing sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic rocks. In these fieldwork periods, I stayed up to 2 months in Sarawak for my work and a related MRes project which I have planned and co-supervised. Furthermore, I have conducted short field trips to Indonesia (Java & Sulawesi) and Sabah (Malaysia) during my PhD project.

In my undergraduate study, I have done fieldwork in the austroalpine basement in the Eastern Alps in Austria for my diploma thesis/mapping (equal to MSc). Additionally, I have done various field trips in Germany, including mapping in Miocene sedimentary deposits at the coal mine Klettwitz, sedimentology and facies reconstruction of fluvial deposits in Otterndorf-Okrilla, mapping of folds and faults in the Helvetic nappe in Obermaiselstein in the Alps and stratigraphy of Mesozoic sediments (continental and marine environments) in Gera/Jena.

Relevant past research

Provenance, stratigraphy and tectonic history of Mesozoic to Cenozoic sedimentary rocks of West and Central Sarawak, Malaysia

This was my PhD project of the Southeast Asia Research Group. It investigated terrestrial to marginal marine sandstones from the Kuching Zone to determine their provenance and their relation to the deep marine Rajang Group in the Sibu Zone to understand the Cretaceous-Cenozoic evolution of eastern Sundaland. Mesozoic igneous, sedimentary, and metasedimentary rocks were also analysed to improve the understanding of the pre-Cenozoic tectonic evolution of Sarawak and Borneo and to reconstruct basin development in NW Borneo.

Geological mapping and geochemistry of metabasites from the Austroalpine basement of the Oetztal-Stubai complex, Sulztal east of the Amberger Hütte

This was my diploma thesis and mapping project. It investigated the petrology and geochemistry of various metabasites in the austroalpine basement of the Oetztal-Stubai complex and their tectonic origin.

Current Research Projects

Correlation of the onshore and offshore stratigraphy of Vietnam using zircon U-Pb age dating and provenance analysis

Well cuttings from offshore Vietnam will be analysed for heavy mineral modes and zircon U-Pb radiometric age dating in order to study their age and provenance. This will aid identification of potential source regions for the sediments of the area and reconstruction of sediment transport pathways, as well as improving our understanding of the tectonic evolution of the Sundaland Indochina-East Malaya region.

Ages and character of tonalites and metatonalites from West Kalimantan, Borneo

This project aims to date tonalites and metatonalites from the Upper Kualan District, West Kalimantan by zircon U-Pb LA-ICP-MS to study potential Triassic rocks in this region and to characterise pre-Cretaceous magmatism in Borneo. The results will help to reconstruct the Early Mesozoic tectonic history; i.e. if this region already belonged to the Sundaland margin in the Triassic, and therefore where the boundary between the Southwest Borneo block and the Malay Tin Belt (Triassic Sundaland) may be located.

Stratigraphy and provenance of the Nyalau Formation, Sarawak

To evaluate the provenance of terrestrial and shallow marine sedimentary rocks of the Nyalau Formation and integrate this information with stratigraphic and sedimentological studies to improve our knowledge of a critical Oligo-Miocene interval in the development of northern Borneo.

Relevant Presentations

Breitfeld, H. T., Galin, T., Hall, R., Sevastjanova, I., Forster, M. & Lister, G. 2015. Proto-South China Sea and South China Sea Early History: A View from Sarawak. AAPG Asia Geosciences Technology Workshop, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. “Tectonic Evolution & Sedimentation of the South China Sea”, 26-27 May, 2015 (Oral Presentation).

Breitfeld, H. T., Galin, T. & Hall, R. 2015. Age and provenance of Triassic to Cenozoic sediments of West and Central Sarawak, Malaysia. European Geosciences Union General Assembly 2015, Vienna, Austria, 12 – 17 April, 2015 (Oral Presentation).

Breitfeld, H. T., Galin, T. & Hall, R. 2014. U-Pb detrital zircon ages from Sarawak: changes in provenance reflecting the tectonic evolution of Southeast Asia. AGU Fall Meeting 2014, San Francisco, USA, 15 – 19 December, 2014 (Poster Presentation).

Breitfeld, H. T. & Hall, R. 2014. U-Pb detrital zircon dating and provenance of sandstones in the Kayan and Ketungau Basins of West Sarawak, Malaysia. Symposium in Honour of David Roberts 2013, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, UK. “Basin Dynamics and Petroleum Systems: Geophysics, Structure, Stratigraphy, Sedimentology and Geochemistry”, 14 – 15 April, 2014 (Poster Presentation).

Recent Papers –

Max Webb et al., 2020. Isotopic mapping reveals the location of crustal fragments along a long-lived convergent plate boundary. Lithos.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lithos.2020.105687

Max Webb et al., 2020. The history of Cenozoic magmatism and collision in NW New Guinea – New insights into the tectonic evolution of the northernmost margin of the Australian Plate. Gondwana Research.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gr.2019.12.010

Amy Gough et al., 2020. Mid-Cenozoic fluvio-deltaic to marine environments of the Salin Sub-basin, Central Myanmar. Journal of Asian Earth Sciences.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jseaes.2019.104143

Recent News –

Amy Gough and Max Webb attended the Restech 2.0 Virtual Reservoir Conference. Amy Gough presented new SEARG research on the pitfalls of light mineral studies for sedimentary provenance in tropical climates.

Amy Gough was awarded an honorary research fellowship of the British Geological Survey and continues to foster collaborative relationships between SEARG and the BGS.