Dr Rupert Sutherland
Rupert Sutherland is a geoscientist with the Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences where he is researching plate tectonics in the South Pacific and New Zealand as well as marine geology and New Zealand hydrocarbon geology.
He gained a BA with first class honours in the natural sciences at Cambridge University in the UK. He has a PhD from Otago University for his work on tectonics in the southwest Pacific in the late Cenozoic (some 45 million years ago) and subsequent development of the Alpine Fault through the southern South Island of New Zealand.
Rupert has edited academic journals on tectonics and geophysics and has also been involved in communicating about his research field to a wider public. He appeared on an Inside New Zealand television documentary about earthquakes, entitled Earthstorms and worked for Te Papa (the Museum of New Zealand) in helping prepare the "Awesome Forces" displays.
Rupert's other interests include windsurfing (he is a former UK National Junior Champion), ski-ing, white water canoeing, scuba diving and snorkelling, surfing, ice hockey, sailing, tramping and camping.