My main field of research lies within structural geology and tectonics, understanding motions and deformation of the crust in response to tectonic processes. I have a passion for field-based research, but also employ numerical and physical modeling, seismic data, and various dating techniques. In my work I aim to understand more about the way the planet works, particularly within the framework of plate tectonics and gravity tectonics. Understanding progressive evolution of geologic processes and the development of regions through geologic time attract me.

I focus on:
-Orogeny and orogenic collapse, with a primary focus on the Scandinavian Caledonides and later also the Brasiliano orogen in Brazil.
-Rifting, mostly related to the North Sea rift.
-Shear zones and their evolution from the microscale to crustal scale.
-Transpression/transtension in theory and application.
-Fault anatomy, geometry and evolution.
-Reactivation of shear zones during brittle faulting.
-Fluid reservoir deformation and fluid flow 
-Deformation bands and other subseismic structures, and their implications for fault nucleation and fluid flow in porous rocks and sediments.
-The Caledonian orogen and its extensional collapse
-Evolution of onshore-offshore S Norway since the Caledonian orogeny
-Landslides and mass transport complexes
-Geomorphology

Geographically I have been focusing on Caledonian and post-Caledonian evolution of Western Norway and the offshore North Sea basin, the Pan-African orogenic system and subsequent Cretaceous rifting in Brazil, and the Colorado Plateau in the US. I enjoy  international collaboration with researchers in the US, Brazil, Argentina, France, Germany, Sweden, and the UK.

In a deeply interdisciplinary project within the framework of the University Museum (UiB) I am, together with colleagues, currently exploring how integrating geosciences, biology, archeology and anthropology can advance our understanding of natural–societal interaction and societal evolution, with Western Norway as a case study region. 

I am passionate about communicating research through a combination of spoken and written words, photos, illustrations, animations and videos. This has resulted in a number of emodules, YouTube videos, books and book chapters, notably the internationally acclaimed texts "Structural geology" and "Plate Tectonics" (Cambridge University Press) and a Norwegian text "Geologi – Stein, mineraler, fossiler og olje". I also disseminate research through my position as a subject writer/editor at the free Norwegian online encyclopedia Store Norske Leksikon, where I am responsible for ca. 1000 geoscience articles (https://brukere.snl.no/5085). Through the University Museum I  contribute to exhibitions, podcasts and presentations, and I have contributed to the production of videos and given presentations for high-school teachers. 

I teach and supervise students from bachelor to PhD levels in structural geology, tectonics and basin analysis and developed an annual UiB Utah graduate level field course. I have been involved in digital learning and project-based learning, and focus on the importance of learning through observations in the field and in the lab. I have written two international textbooks in Structural Geology and Plate tectonics, and I put a lot of effort into the visual part of teaching/learning. Hence I also produce animations and emodules for students as an addition to textbooks. 

See a complete overview of publications in Cristin.

Applying for a Center of Excellence (SFF) through the University Museum called Center for integrated Earth–Society Dynamics (ESD), which is a curiosity-driven initiative to fundamentally advance the science of human-environment interaction. The idea is to break down the boundaries between Geoscience, Biology, Archeology and Anthropology to create a novel transdisciplinary framework in which we  aim to understand how today’s society has been built upon a foundation shaped over geologic time, to decode the interactive mechanisms behind natural and societal changes over the past 10,000 years, and to use this insights to build actionable scenarios for the future.

Running project: Source-to-Sink Dynamics of the northeastern North Sea region, funded by Equinor and Vår Energi (2025-)

Previous projects include the MultiRift NFR project (WP leader), Integrated orogen-sedimentary basin studies: Project number CAPES-SIU-2013/10080 (2016-2017) Brazil, De orogenias a rifteamentos: um estudo de cinturões orogênicos brasileiros e uma comparação com cinturões escandinavos do Atlântico norte e margens continentais. FAPESP Project 2015/23572-5 (2016-2017)(USP) and  Contractional Deformation of Porous Sandstones (COPS), UNI Research/CIPR and Statoil