Dr Clarisa Vorster
EDUCATION
2013 PhD, Geology, University of Johannesburg
Thesis: Laser Ablation ICP-MS age determination of detrital zircon populations in the Phanerozoic Cape and lower Karoo Supergroups (South Africa) and correlatives in Argentina.
2008 Masters of Science, Chemistry, University of Johannesburg.
Thesis: Precise 87Sr/86Sr isotope ratio measurement by quadrupole-based ICP-MS after ion exchange separation of Rb for provenance determination of agricultural products.
2006 Bachelor of Science Honours, Chemistry, University of Johannesburg.
2003-2005 Bachelor of Science, Natural and Environmental Sciences (Chemistry and Biochemistry).University of Johannesburg.
REASEARCH INTERESTS
- Geochronology
- Geochemistry
- Applied and Environmental Geology
- Development of a method for U-Pb age determination of detrital zircons by means of LA-ICP-MS.
- U-Pb age determination of detrital zircons grains of the Cape and Lower Karoo Supergroup as well as Phanerozoic sequences in Argentina and the Falkland Islands.
RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
- 2009-present. Doctoral Candidate, University of Johannesburg.
- 2007-2008. Graduate Student, Department of Chemistry, University of Johannesburg.
- Master’s project focussed on the development of a method to efficiently separate strontium from rubidium using ion exchange chromatography prior to analysis of strontium isotope ratios by quadrupole-based ICP-MS.
- Investigated the use of strontium and boron isotope ratios as a means of determining provenance of South African wines.
PUBLICATIONS, PEER REVIEWED
- Vorster, C., Greeff, L., Coetzee, P.P., (2010): The determination of 11B/10B and 87Sr/86Sr isotope ratios by Quadrupole-Based ICP-MS for the Fingerprinting of South African wines.South African Journal of Chemistry, 63, 207-214.
- Vorster, C., Van der Walt, T.N., Coetzee, P.P., (2008) Ion exchange separation of strontium and rubidium on Dowex 50W-X8, using the complexation properties of EDTA and DCTA.Analytica and Bioanalytica Chemistry ,392, 287-296.
PUBLICATIONS, NON-PEER REVIEWED
- Vorster, C., Kramers, J., Beukes, N., Van Niekerk, H., (2012) Detrital zircon age populations and provenance of the Cape-Karoo succession in South Africa and correlatives in Argentina. Goldschmidt 2012 Conference Abstracts, Mineralogical Magazine, 2501
PRESENTATIONS AND POSTERS
- Beukes, N., Vorster, C., Frei, D. (Oct 2013) Detrital zircon age constraint of the makganyene snowball earth event (South Africa) at 2.25-2.22 Ga: the youngest of four Huronian glaciations? Poster presented at GSA Annual Meeting 2013, Denver, USA
- Beukes, N., Da Silva, R., Dreyer, D., Vorster, C., Van Niekerk, H. (Oct 2013) New detrital zircon age constraints on the Paleoproterozoic Wolhaarkop-Drakenstein lateritic paleosol, Gamagara karst laterites and the Lucknow heavy carbonate carbon isotope excursion, Griqualand West, South Africa. Oral presentation presented at GSA Annual Meeting 2013, Denver, USA.
- Vorster, C., Kramers, J., Beukes, N., Van Niekerk, H., (June 2012) Detrital zircon age populations and provenance of the Cape-Karoo succession in South Africa and correlatives in Argentina. Oral presentation at Goldschmidt 2012, Montreal, Canada.
- Vorster, C., Greeff, L., Coetzee, P.P. (Dec 2010). The determination of 11B/10B and 87Sr/86Sr isotope ratios by quadrupole-based ICP-MS for the fingerprinting of South African wines. Poster presentation at the Analytica 2010 Conference, Stellenbosch, South Africa.
- Vorster, C., Van der Walt, T.N., Coetzee, P.P., (Oct 2008) Ionexchange separation of strontium and rubidium on Dowex 50W-X8 for ICP-MS analysis, using the complexation properties of EDTA and DCTA. Chromsaams 2008, Bela Bela (Warmbad), South Africa.
- MEMBERSHIPS
June 2012-present. Member, Geochemical Society.