CV

• Assistant Professor, University of Toronto Scarborough (2021 – present)
• Operational Researcher, UK Government (2020 – 2021)
• Marie Skłodowska Curie Research Fellow, Durham University, 2018-2020
• COFUND Junior Research Fellow (Geodynamics),  Durham University, 2017
• Post-doctoral fellow (Geodynamics), University of Toronto, 2014-2016
• PhD (Physics), University of Toronto, 2010-2014
• MSc (Physics), University of Toronto, 2009-2010
• Teaching English, Paris, France, 2007-2009
• Chestnut Productions, UK/France/Canada, 2005-2010
• MGeophys (Earth Sciences), University of Leeds, 2002-2006
• Visiting student (Physics), University of Alberta, 2004-2005

Publications

Google scholar link – ORCID Bold indicates our group, * indicates Grad or UG students.

2025

Yu, A*. J., Gün, E., McCaffrey, K. J. W., & Heron, P. J. (2025). A recipe for exotic continental fragment formation: Key constraints from numerical rift models. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, 130, e2024JB030041. https://doi.org/10.1029/2024JB030041

Housam*, J., Pysklywec, R.N., & Heron, P. J. (2025). Bimodal structural evolution of the mantle lithosphere and crust during continental shortening: Development of the Eurekan Orogen. Tectonics, 44,e2025TC009069. https://doi.org/10.1029/2025TC009069

Gün E., P. J. Heron, R. N. Pysklywec; Slab break-off and subduction polarity reversal after collision can be very fast. Geology 2025; doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/G52507.1

Heron P.J., Crameri F, Canaletti E.F*., Harrison D., Hashemi S.*, Leigh P., Narayan S.*, Osowski K.*, Rantanen R. and Williams J.A. (2025) Art, music, and play as a teaching aid: applying creative uses of Universal Design for Learning in a prison science class. Front. Educ. 10:1524007. doi:10.3389/feduc.2025.1524007  

P. J. Heron, J. Dannberg, R, Gassmöller, G. E. Shephard, J. van Hunen, R. N. Pysklywec, (2025), The impact of Pangean subducted oceans on mantle dynamics: passive piles and the positioning of deep mantle plumes, Gondwana Research, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gr.2024.10.007.

2024

Yin, Y.*, F. Crameri, G.E. Shephard, and P. J. Heron, (2024). Changing your perspective: the impact of different visualisation methods on seismic hazard maps. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences. https://doi.org/10.1139/cjes-2023-0123

Crameri, F., Shephard, G. E., & Heron, P. J. (2024). Choosing suitable color palettes for accessible and accurate science figures. Current Protocols, 4, e1126. doi: 10.1002/cpz1.1126

Gün, E.,  Pysklywec, R. N.,  Topuz, G.,  Göğüş, O. H., &  Heron, P. J. (2024).  Syn-drift plate tectonics. Geophysical Research Letters,  51, e2023GL105452. https://doi.org/10.1029/2023GL105452

2023

Martin, E.L., P.A. Cawood, J.B. Murphy, R.D. Nance, P.J. Heron, 2023, The tectonics of introversion and extroversion: Redefining interior and exterior oceans in the supercontinent cycle, Geological Society, London, Special Publications, https://www.lyellcollection.org/doi/abs/10.1144/SP542-2023-54

Heron, P.J., E. Gün, G. E. Shephard, J. Dannberg, R. Gassmöller, E. L. Martin, A. Sharif*, R. N. Pysklywec, R. D. Nance, J. B. Murphy, 2023, The role of subduction in the formation of Pangean oceanic large igneous provinces, Geological Society, London, Special Publications, https://www.lyellcollection.org/doi/full/10.1144/SP542-2023-12

Heron, P.J., Kath, Dalton, G. E. Shephard, S. Hutchins, M. Stewart, D. George, R. Reynolds, A. Sharif*, A. Lewis, J. A. Williams, Student perspectives on creating a positive classroom dynamic: science education in prison, Research for All, https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10175269/

Heron, P.J., A. L. Peace, K. J. W. McCaffrey, J. K., Sharif*, A., Yu*, A.J., and R. N. Pysklywec, 2023, Stranding continental crustal fragments during continent breakup: Mantle suture reactivation in the Nain Province of Eastern Canada: Geology, https://doi.org/10.1130/G50734.1

2022

Heron, P. J. and Williams, J. A., 2022, Building confidence in STEM students through breaking (unseen) barriers, Geosci. Commun., 5, 355–361, https://doi.org/10.5194/gc-5-355-2022.

2020

Crameri, F., Shephard, G.E. & Heron, P.J. 2020, The misuse of colour in science communication. Nat Commun 11, 5444 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-19160-7

Heron, P. J., B. Murphy, D. Nance, and R. N. Pysklywec, 2020, Pannotia’s mantle signature: the quest for supercontinent identification. In: Murphy, J.B., Strachan, R.A., and Quesada, C., eds. Pannotia To Pangea: Paleozoic orogenic cycles in the circum-North Atlantic region. Geological Society of London Special Publication, https://doi.org/10.1144/SP503-2020-7

Murphy, J.B., Nance, R.D. , Cawood, P.A., Collins, W.J., Dan, W., Doucet, L., Heron, P.J., Li, Z.-X., Mitchell, R.N., Pisarevsky, S., Pufahl, P., Quesada, C., Spencer, C.J., Strachan, R.A., & Wu, L., 2020. Pannotia: In defence of its existence and geodynamic significance. In: Murphy, J.B., Strachan, R.A., and Quesada, C., eds. Pannotia To Pangea: Paleozoic orogenic cycles in the circum-North Atlantic region. Geological Society of London Special Publication, https://doi.org/10.1144/SP503-2020-96

G-P Farangitakis*, P. J. Heron, K. J. McCaffrey, J. van Hunen, L. M. Kalnins, (2020), The impact of oblique inheritance and changes in relative plate motion on the development of rift-transform systems, Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 541, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2020.116277

Heron, P. J. (2020), Teaching geoscience in prison, Nature Reviews Earth & Environment, https://doi.org/10.1038/s43017-020-0020-7

2019

Heron, P. J., A. L. Peace, K. J. W. McCaffrey, J. K. Welford, R. Wilson, J. van Hunen, & R. N. Pysklywec, (2019). Segmentation of Rifts Through Structural Inheritance: Creation of the Davis Strait. Tectonics, 38. https://doi.org/10.1029/2019TC005578.

Heron, P. J., Pysklywec R. N., Stephenson  R., and van Hunen J. (2019), Deformation driven by deep and distant structures: Influence of a mantle lithosphere suture in the Ouachita orogeny, Geology, https://doi.org/10.1130/G45690.1.

Heron, P. J., Unlocking the doors to education for prisoners, Astronomy & Geophysics, Volume 60, Issue 5, October 2019, Page 5.13, https://doi.org/10.1093/astrogeo/atz173

Heron, P. & Garnero, E., What lies beneath: Thoughts on the lower mantle. Geoscientist 29 (3), 10-15, 2019 https://doi.org/10.1144/geosci2019-015; Download the pdf here

2018

Heron, P. J. (2018), Mantle plumes and mantle dynamics in the Wilson Cycle, Geological Society Special Publication, Fifty Years of the Wilson Cycle Concept in Plate Tectonics, https://www.lyellcollection.org/doi/full/10.1144/SP470-2018-97

Heron, P. J., Pysklywec R. N., and Stephenson  R., (2018), Exploring the theory of plate tectonics: the role of mantle lithosphere structure, Geological Society Special Publication: Fifty Years of the Wilson Cycle Concept in Plate Tectonics, https://doi.org/10.1144/SP470.7

2016

Heron, P. J., Pysklywec R. N., and Stephenson  R., (2016), Identifying mantle lithosphere inheritance in controlling intraplate orogenesis, J. Geophys. Res. (Solid Earth), 6966–6987, doi:10.1002/2016JB013460. 

Heron, P.J., Pysklywec R. N., and Stephenson, R., (2016), Lasting mantle scars lead to perennial plate tectonics, Nature Communications, doi:10.1038/ncomms11834.

Heron, P.J. and Pysklywec R. N., (2016), Inherited structure and coupled crust-mantle lithosphere evolution:  Numerical models of Central Australia, Geophysical Research Letters, 10.1002/2016GL068562.

2015

Heron, P.J., Pysklywec R. N., and Stephenson, R., (2015), Intraplate orogenesis within accreted and scarred lithosphere: Example of the Eurekan Orogeny, Ellesmere Island, Tectonophysics, 664, 28, 202-213(invited manuscript).

Heron, P.J., Lowman, J.P., and Stein, C., (2015), Influences on the position of large igneous provinces following supercontinent formation, J. Geophys. Res. (Solid Earth), Vol. 120, 3628-3648, doi:10.1002/2014JB011727.

2014

Trim, S.J., Heron, P.J., Stein, C., and J. P. Lowman, (2014), The feedback between surface mobility and mantle compositional heterogeneity: implications for the Earth and other terrestrial planets, Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., Vol. 405, 1-14.

Heron, P.J., and Lowman, J.P., (2014), The impact of Rayleigh number on assessing the influence of supercontinent insulation, J. Geophys. Res. (Solid Earth), Vol. 119, doi:10.1002/2013JB010484.

Heron, P.J., Mantle dynamics following supercontinent formation, PhD thesis, University of Toronto.

2011

Heron, P.J., and Lowman, J.P., (2011), The role of supercontinent thermal insulation and area in the formation of mantle plumes, Tectonophysics, 510, 28-38.

2010

Heron, P.J., and Lowman, J.P., (2010), The influence of continental thermal properties on mantle flow, Geophysical Research Letters, 37, L22302.

2007

Roman, D.C., and Heron P, (2007), Effect of regional tectonic setting on local fault response to episodes of volcanic activity, Geophysical Research Letters, 34, L13310, doi:10.1029/2007GL030222.

Awards

2025: UTSC Teaching Award, Assistant Professor category winner

2020: Stem For Britain Awards finalist

2020: N8 New Pioneer Award winner

2019: Impact and Engagement Award, Durham University shortlisted

2019: European Geosciences Union outreach award recipient

2019: British Geophysical Association outreach award recipient

2013: Machlan-Gilchrist Scholarship, Canada recipient

2011: The Van Kranendonk Teaching Assistant Award, University of Toronto recipient

2003: Conoco-Phillips Scholarship for highest overall grade, University of Leeds recipient