2026 J. Brendan Murphy: Earth Science Researcher – H-Index, Publications & Awards

Discipline name	D-Index	World Ranking	Current World Ranking	National Ranking	Current National Ranking	Publications	Citations
Earth Science	74	766	679	36	32	349	17988

Research.com Recognitions

Fellow of the Geological Society of America
Fellow of the Geological Society of America

Overview

J. Brendan Murphy is affiliated with St. Francis Xavier University in Canada and specializes in Earth and Planetary Sciences with a significant focus on Geophysics, Paleontology, Geology, Artificial Intelligence, and Geochemistry and Petrology. Their body of work reflects an extensive engagement with geological and geochemical analysis, earthquake and tectonic studies, as well as paleontology and stratigraphy of fossils.

Their recent publications highlight broad themes related to supercontinent cycles and crustal formation processes. Notable papers include "The supercontinent cycle" (2021) published in Nature Reviews Earth & Environment, "Critical role of water in the formation of continental crust" (2020) in Nature Geoscience, "Gondwana's interlinked peripheral orogens" (2021) in Earth and Planetary Science Letters, "Paleomagnetic constraints on the duration of the Australia-Laurentia connection in the core of the Nuna supercontinent" (2020) in Geology, and "The role of megacontinents in the supercontinent cycle" (2020) also published in Geology.

Throughout their career, Murphy has frequently collaborated with several researchers. These frequent co-authors include Zheng-Xiang Li, R. Damian Nance, William J. Collins, Ross N. Mitchell, and Sergei Pisarevsky.

Their work has been published predominantly in specialized geological and earth science journals and conference series. Frequent publication venues include:

Geological Society London Special Publications
Abstracts with programs - Geological Society of America
Geological Society of America Bulletin
Earth and Planetary Science Letters
Geology

Murphy's primary fields of study and expertise can be summarized as:

Earth and Planetary Sciences

With a focus on subfields:

Geophysics
Paleontology
Geology
Artificial Intelligence
Geochemistry and Petrology

The main topics of their research include:

Geological and Geochemical Analysis
Earthquake and Tectonic Studies
Paleontology and Stratigraphy of Fossils
High-pressure Geophysics and Materials
Geochemistry and Geologic Mapping
Geological and Geophysical Studies
Geochemistry and Elemental Analysis

J. Brendan Murphy has been recognized as a Fellow of the Geological Society of America, reflecting professional acknowledgment within the geological community.

Best Publications

The supercontinent cycle: A retrospective essay

R. Damian Nance;J. Brendan Murphy;M. Santosh;M. Santosh

754
Citations
Evolution of the Rheic Ocean

R. Damian Nance;Gabriel Gutiérrez-Alonso;J. Duncan Keppie;Ulf Linnemann

702
Citations
Linking collisional and accretionary orogens during Rodinia assembly and breakup: Implications for models of supercontinent cycles

Peter Anthony Cawood;Robin A. Strachan;Sergei A. Pisarevsky;Dmitry P. Gladkochub

444
Citations
Two contrasting Phanerozoic orogenic systems revealed by hafnium isotope data

William J. Collins;William J. Collins;Elena A. Belousova;Anthony I. S. Kemp;J. Brendan Murphy

431
Citations
Contrasting basement isotopic signatures and the palinspastic restoration of peripheral orogens: Example from the Neoproterozoic Avalonian-Cadomian belt

R. Damian Nance;J. Brendan Murphy

421
Citations
Origin of the Rheic Ocean: rifting along a Neoproterozoic suture?

J. Brendan Murphy;Gabriel Gutierrez-Alonso;R. Damian Nance;Javier Fernandez-Suarez

402
Citations
A Cordilleran model for the evolution of Avalonia

R.Damian Nance;J.Brendan Murphy;J.Duncan Keppie

355
Citations
Neoproterozoic—Early Paleozoic evolution of peri-Gondwanan terranes: implications for Laurentia-Gondwana connections

J. Brendan Murphy;Sergei A. Pisarevsky;R. Damian Nance;J. Duncan Keppie

348
Citations
Supercontinent model for the contrasting character of Late Proterozoic orogenic belts

J. Brendan Murphy;R. Damian Nance

342
Citations
A brief history of the Rheic Ocean

R. Damian Nance;Gabriel Gutiérrez-Alonso;J. Duncan Keppie;Ulf Linnemann

325
Citations
Neoproterozoic-early Palaeozoic tectonostratigraphy and palaeogeography of the peri-Gondwanan terranes: Amazonian v. West African connections

R. Damian Nance;J. Brendan Murphy;Rob A. Strachan;J. Duncan Keppie

320
Citations
Basement isotopic signatures and Neoproterozoic paleogeography of Avalonian-Cadomian and related terranes in the Circum-North Atlantic

R. Damian Nance;J. Brendan Murphy

239
Citations
Tethyan, Mediterranean, and Pacific analogues for the Neoproterozoic-Paleozoic birth and development of peri-Gondwanan terranes and their transfer to Laurentia and Laurussia

J.Duncan Keppie;R.Damian Nance;J.Brendan Murphy;J. Dostal

213
Citations
Diachronous post-orogenic magmatism within a developing orocline in Iberia, European Variscides

Gabriel Gutiérrez-Alonso;Javier Fernández-Suárez;Teresa E. Jeffries;Stephen T. Johnston

212
Citations
Model for the evolution of the Avalonian-Cadomian belt

J. Brendan Murphy;R. Damian Nance

205
Citations
Late Proterozoic tectonostratigraphic evolution of the Avalonian and Cadomian terranes

R.D. Nance;J.B. Murphy;R.A. Strachan;R.S. D'Lemos

200
Citations
Provenance and tectonic evolution of Ganderia: Constraints on the evolution of the Iapetus and Rheic oceans

Cees R. van Staal;Sandra M. Barr;J. Brendan Murphy

196
Citations
Proto-Avalonia: A 1.2–1.0 Ga tectonothermal event and constraints for the evolution of Rodinia

J. B. Murphy;Rob Strachan;R. D. Nance;K. D. Parker

191
Citations
Late Neoproterozoic and Early Cambrian palaeogeography: models and problems

Sergei Pisarevsky;Sergei Pisarevsky;J.B. Murphy;Peter Cawood;A.S. Collins

190
Citations
Self-subduction of the Pangaean global plate

Gabriel Gutiérrez-Alonso;Javier Fernández-Suárez;Arlo B. Weil;J. Brendan Murphy

186
Citations
Evolution of the Rheic Ocean

Erdin Bozkurt;M. Francisco Pereira;Robin Strachan;Cecilio Quesada

26
Citations

Frequent Co-Authors

R. Damian Nance Ohio University

J. Duncan Keppie National Autonomous University of Mexico

Gabriel Gutiérrez-Alonso University of Salamanca

Javier Fernández-Suárez Complutense University of Madrid

Sergei Pisarevsky Curtin University

Rob Strachan University of Portsmouth

William J. Collins University of Reading

Georgia Pe-Piper Saint Mary's University

Teresa E. Jeffries Natural History Museum

Michael A. Hamilton University of Toronto

External Links

Personal website of J. Brendan Murphy

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