Exploring Deep Time
Through The Looking Glass
Our planet Earth has evolved over 4.54 billion years. Experiencing drastic changes in the environment and the rise and fall of many forms of life. Combining sedimentology, stratigraphy, micropalaeontology, and geochemistry, I explore unanswered questions about how Earth’s environments have changed through time and their relationship with the fossil record of life.
© Deep Time Maps™ 2025
About Me
Hi there, and welcome to my website. My name’s Liam Olden, a geologist and science communicator. My research focuses on using stratigraphic and palaeontological principles to understand how environments and life have changed throughout Earth’s history.
Coming from a small rural town in Western Australia, I grew up surrounded by the natural environment and developed a strong connection to the land. I have also been incredibly fortunate to have explored country with traditional owners of the Minang people of Noongar Boodjar and have endeavoured to interact with traditional owners wherever I go. As a first-generation university graduate, DEI initiatives and STEM outreach are a big motivator for me to help inspire and assist the next generation of geoscientists.
Research Interests
Palaeogeography
By combining geological, micropalaeontological, and geochemical datasets, we can reconstruct what the Earth might have looked like millions of years ago.
Stratigraphy
By comparing fossil assembladges, lithologies, geochemical signatures, geophysical log data, and radiometric dates, geologists can correlate sedimentary sequences. These stratigraphic correlations are essential for understanding the subsurface geology and for reconstructing past palaeoenvironmental conditions. I have developed correlations for both industry and academic endeavors.
Micropalaeontology
While big fossils can be incredibly exciting to stumble across, microscopic fossils can hold incredible amounts of information about the past. By studying their distributions and geochemistry, we can gain an in-depth understanding of ancient environments, climates, and ecosystems. I’m specifically interested in biomineralizing protists such as foraminifera, diatoms, radiolaria, ostracods, and silicoflagellates.
