Gobona Lizzie Tau
University of Johannesburg
Email: lizziet@uj.ac.za

 

Ms Tau is the DSI-NRF CIMERA Manager and holds an MSc in Geology from the University of Johannesburg with a specialisation in structural geology and geochemistry. Her areas of interest encompass structural geology and tectonics, geosciences R&D in Africa, strategic partnership development, and the sustainable management of mineral resources with emphasis on ESG considerations.

Ms Tau has also taken on roles such as co-supervising an Honours research project in structural geology, serving as a stand-in lecturer for structural geology courses at the University of Johannesburg, and mentoring students from both the University of Johannesburg and the University of the Witwatersrand.

Her dedication to sustainability earned her an invitation to participate in the World-Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Living Planet Conference Think Shop on water management in 2017. Furthermore, her passion for geoeducation resulted in an invitation to speak at the Sandton Rotary Club (Bryanston Country Club) in Johannesburg in 2023. She was nominated for the Young Leaders Programme at the 2023 Mining Indaba.


Geoscientific Interests and Areas of Expertise: 

  • Crust-mantle geodynamics and tectonics (regional geology)
  • Crustal-scale shear zones
  • Ore systems; structural controls and geochemistry
  • Microstructural analysis on deformed rocks using Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD)

Peer-reviewed Journal Publications 

  1. Tau et al. (submitted). The Lanseria palaeosol: implications for palaeoweathering and terrestrial life at ∼2.6 Ga on the Kaapvaal Craton. Precambrian Research.
  2. Tau et al. (in prep). Contractional ductile deformation along the northern margin of the Johannesburg Dome – a review of the Jukskei River Shear Zone

Conference Proceedings

  1. Tau, G.L., Hofmann, A., Lehmann, J., Owen-Smith, T., Pellerin, A., Thomazo, C., Wilson, A. and Reinke, C. (2023). The Lanseria palaeosol: implications for palaeoweathering and terrestrial life at ∼2.6 Ga on the Kaapvaal Craton. Geocongress, Stellenbosch, South Africa. [Oral Presentation].
  1. Tau, G.L., Lehmann, J. and Ormond, R.J. (2019). The role of fluids on strain localization in the Jukskei River shear zone, central Kaapvaal Craton. 19th Oppenheimer Research Conference, Johannesburg, South Africa. [Poster Presentation].
  1. Tau, G.L., Lehmann, J. and Ormond, R.J. (2019). Strain distribution across the 1 km Jukskei River Shear Zone, central Kaapvaal Craton. Igneous and Metamorphic Studies Group Conference, Johannesburg, South Africa. [Oral Presentation].

Academic Qualifications 

  • MSc in Geology – cum laude (University of Johannesburg)
  • Specialisation: Structural geology and geochemistry (major and trace elements, and carbon isotopes)
  • Thesis title: The geological significance of basement-cover contacts along the northern margin of the Johannesburg Dome
  • BSc in Geology (Honours) – cum laude (University of Johannesburg)
  • Thesis title: The structural and microstructural evolution of the Jukskei River shear zone, central Kaapvaal Craton
  • BSc in Life and Environmental Sciences (University of Johannesburg)
  • Majors: Environmental Management and Geology

Organisations 

 

The South African Council for Natural Scientific Professions (SACNASP)

The Geological Society of South Africa (GSSA)

Society for Geology Applied to Mineral Deposits (SGA)

Golden Key International Honour Society – Invited Member