Prof Nigel Harris

Nigel Harris is Emeritus Professor at the Open University, appointed from 1st Jan 2019; previously he held the position of Professor of Tectonics at the Open University. His valedictory address was presented in January 2019.

My doctoral research focussed on the origin of granites in the Pyrenees (University of Cambridge). Following post-doctoral studies in the field of Archean tectonics and zircon geochronology at the University of Toronto and the Carnegie Geophysical Laboratory (Washington D.C.) I developed my taste for fieldwork as a survey geologist on the Arabian-Nubian Shield (Saudi Arabia) and for mineral exploration on the Semail ophiolite (UAE). Returning to the U.K. I worked as a lecturer for the University of London and then the Open University where my research focussed on crustal growth in the Arabian-Nubian shield and on the evolution of the lower crust (origin of charnockites) in South India. Since 1985 I have been working primarily in Tibet and the Himalaya, linking tectonics, metamorphism and magmatism to improve our understanding of the evolution of both crust and lithospheric mantle during continental collision.

Recently, my research has been concerned with the consequences of mountain building resulting in: (i) extending the use of isotopic proxies for silicate weathering; (ii) testing climate-topography linkages in southern Asia by quantifying the elevation history of the Tibetan Plateau and by exploring its impact on monsoon intensity. Other projects include intra-plate magmatism in Mongolia, post-collisional magmatism in the Caucasus (Georgia) and assessing variations in monsoon intensity on millenia timescales through speleothem studies in NE India. This research has provided projects and logistical support for many PhD studentships and forms an integral part of the outputs of the Dynamic Earth Research Group at the Open University. 

Research interests

The scope of my scientific interests covers the following topics:

• Isotope geochemistry of high-grade metamorphic and granitic systems.
• Causes and mechanisms of melt production in tectonically thickened crust.
• Mountain building and seismic risk at the southern margins of the Eurasian plate.
• Chemical proxies for global weathering fluxes and linkage to CO₂ reservoirs.
• Linkage between orography and climate.
• Post-collision and intra-plate magmatism and tectonics.

A complete publications list is available from my Web of Science profile. Most of these are available through ResearchGate.

PhD projects:

I have supervised over 30 PhD students, all to a successful conclusion.

PhD studentships I have recently co-supervised:

• The formation and age of leucogranite melt in the Garhwal Himalaya (Charlie Oldman, NERC funded - awarded 2023).
• Enrichment of critical metals in pegmatites: the role of crustal melting and fractionation (Tim Webster, NERC funded - award subject to corrections).

Recent research projects:

• Testing models for mountain building in the northeastern Himalaya (Royal Society funded).
• Assessing speleothems from NE India as proxies for monsoon evolution (NERC funded).
• The role of collisional volcanism in the evolution of the Greater Caucasus (NERC funded).

Teaching interests

Teaching activities are underpinned by synergy with my research activities, covering the broad fields of igneous and metamorphic petrology, Earth systems science and tectonics. I have been particularly active in the provision of field training to Open University students, both as part of the undergraduate curriculum and as extra-curricular activites as exemplified by OUGS Himalayan field trips to Nepal, Bhutan, Sikkim and Ladakh. 

Current teaching appointments:

Earth Processes (S309); module team member and author of Mountains, six weeks tuition on the causes and consequences of mountain building delivered using online fast-track production methods via edX and, more recently, using moodle.

Previous responsibilities:

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Impact and engagement

My work currently attracts citations at a rate of ~2000 pa, with an h-index of 79 (Google Scholar), 71 (Web of Science).

In recent years I have presented international seminars and led workshops on mountain building and on the Indian monsoon at institutions in India (University of Delhi, University of Kashmir, Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology), China (China University of Geosciences Wuhan), Turkey (Istanbul Technical University), Germany (Ruhr-University Bochum), Vietnam (Vietnam Academy of Science & Technology, Hanoi University of Mining & Geology), Lithuania (Vilnius University), Estonia (Tallinn University of Technology), Cyprus (Cyprus University of Technology) and Malta (University of Malta) and at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (Sofia), Albanian Academy of Sciences (Tirana) and the Moldovan Academy of Sciences (Chesinau).

External collaborations

UK collaborations in recent years have been with Dr Ian Parkinson (University of Bristol), Prof Mark Allen (University of Durham), Dr Nick Roberts (British Geological Survey), Prof Randy Parrish (University of Portsmouth), Prof Mike Bickle (University of Cambridge) and Prof Dave Mattey (University of London).

International links

International links that enable my research include the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology (Prof Talat Ahmad), NODIA Institute of Geophysics, Tbilisi (Prof Shota Adamia) and China University of Geosciences, Wuhan (Prof Hongfei Zhang). I am a member of the College of Expert Reviewers for the European Science Foundation. 

In November 2018 I led the Oxford-Cambridge universities alumni excursion The Making of the Himalaya: a geological traverse across Bhutan.