Skip to:

Dr Nicholas Tailby

Lecturer in Geology - School of Environmental and Rural Science

Biography

Nick is a Lecturer in Geology who likes to combine (a) experimental work to grow minerals under controlled conditions, and (b) the study of natural rocks to investigate how minerals respond to environmental conditions (e.g., pressure-temperature-partial pressure). What this means, in a practical sense, is that I like to combine the fields of thermodynamics and kinetics. Thermodynamics essentially controls the chemical response of a mineral as it approaches equilibrium, while kinetics controls the fidelity of a given mineral composition as the system undergoes perturbation/change. This basically summarises what I find to be among the most useful skills in applied geology – how we understand and use mineral compositions to make meaningful inferences about how/when/why specific rocks are formed.

The University of New England respects and acknowledges that its people, courses and facilities are built on land, and surrounded by a sense of belonging, both ancient and contemporary, of the world's oldest living culture. In doing so, UNE values and respects Indigenous knowledge systems as a vital part of the knowledge capital of Australia. We recognise the strength, resilience and capacity of the Aboriginal community and pay our respects to the Elders past, present and future.