March 2014 ESE Newsletter

ESE staff and students on the second year undergraduate fieldtrip to the Pyrenees in Torla, near the border with France.

'Snap by the nappe’ photo of ESE Staff and second year students in Torla, near the border with France, on the ‘Sediments and Structures’ fieldtrip to the Pyrenees.

From the Pyrenees to Argentina via Morocco: this month's fieldwork takes ESE researchers around the world!

Publications
Conference Talks and Lectures
Awards
Conferences and Workshops
Impact and Media
Outreach Activities
Fieldwork
Research Activity
PhD Vivas
Employment Opportunities

Publications

Andrew, M., Bijeljic, B. and Blunt, M.J. (2014). Pore-scale imaging of trapped supercritical carbon dioxide in sandstones and carbonates. International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control. Doi: 10.1016/j.ijggc.2013.12.018.

Goddard, K., Warner, N.H., Gupta, S. and Kim, J.-R. (2014), Mechanisms and timescales of fluvial activity at Mojave and other young Martian craters. Journal of Geophysical Research – Planets. Doi: 10.1002/2013JE004564.

Hammond, J.O.S. (2014). Constraining melt geometries beneath the Afar Depression, Ethiopia from teleseismic receiver functions: The anisotropic H-k stacking technique. Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems. Doi:10.1002/2013GC005186.

Magee, C., McDermott, K.G., Stevenson, C.T.E and Jackson, C.A.-L. (2014). Influence of crystallised igneous intrusions on fault nucleation and reactivation during continental extension. Journal of Structural Geology. Doi: 10.1016/j.jsg.2014.02.003.

Michael, N.A., Carter, A., Whittaker, A.C. and Allen, P.A. (2014). Erosion rates in the source region of an ancient sediment routing system: Comparison of depositional volumes with thermochronometric estimates. Journal of the Geological Society. Doi:10.1144/jgs2013-108.

Montgomery, W., Watson, J. S. and Sephton, M. A. (2014). An Organic Cosmo-barometer: Distinct Pressure and Temperature Effects for Methyl Substituted Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons. The Astrophysical Journal. Doi: 10.1088/0004-637X/784/2/98.

Conference Talks and Lectures

Rebecca Bell gave a Guest Lecture to the Derby University Geological Society on “Slow tsunami earthquakes and slow slip events- stress relief or silent assassins?”

David Cronan gave a paper entitled ´Pacific Manganese Nodules: 2020¨ at the Oceanology International 2014 Conference in London on March 12th, and Chaired a Session on ¨Prospecting and Exploration for Deep Sea Minerals¨ at the Deep Sea Mining Summit 2014 on March 18th, also in London.

Chris Jackson presented two talks at the Reducing Subsurface Uncertainty and Risk through Field-based Studies conference, which was held at the Geological Society of London (4^th-6^thMarch 2014). His first talk (co-authored by ex-PhD student Matthew Lewis) focused on the role that fault-propagation folds play in controlling sediment dispersal during rift initiation and the resultant stratal architecture of early syn-rift deposits. His second talk highlighted the role of outcrop analogues in understanding sediment routing above MTC-related seabed relief.

Dick Selley spoke on fracking shale gas at the Geological Society Shale Gas conference, the National Farmer's Union conference, and at Worthing and Portsmouth.

Awards

Nigel Brandon has been recognised as a RISE (Recognising Inspirational Scientists and Engineers) Renowned Fellow by EPSRC. EPSRC recognises ten of the UK’s most inspirational scientists and engineers as RISE Leaders.

PhD Student Ali Al-Menhali was awarded the Qatar Energy R&D award at the Gulf Intelligence Qatar Energy R&D Forum. The 2014 Gulf Intelligence Qatar Energy R&D Forum PhD Student Awards for the Advancement of Education recognizes current PhD candidates or recent graduates for their outstanding research achievements as part of PhD studies that could impact Qatar industry.

Conferences and Workshops

Zita Martins was the Co-Chair of the organising committee of the UK-Brazil-Chile Frontiers of Science meeting. She was also the organizer of the Astrobiology session. The meeting was a great success and special attention was paid to gender equality of the participants, with approximately 40% of female scientists.

Impact and Media

Dick Selley was interviewed on Wealden shale gas & oil for the Sunday Times, published on 16th and 30th, recycled in the Daily Mail, Midhurst and Petworth Observer. His lecture on fracking shale gas to the Mole Valley Geological Society was published in the Dorking Advertiser on the 27th. An interview for BBC Radio 4 on the impact of climate change on UK viticulture was broadcast on the 25th.

Outreach Activities

Ian Bastow was a guest speaker at an A-level Plate Tectonics and Geohazards conference, fronted by the BBC’s Iain Stewart in Plymouth.

The UK Space Design Competition was hosted by ESE on the 29^th and 30^th of March.

Fieldwork

Chris Jackson undertook fieldwork in the Neuquén Basin, Argentina. Together with co-workers from Leeds University, he studied the internal stratigraphic architecture of MTCs and the role that MTC-related relief has on sediment dispersal on deep-water margins.

Undergraduate Geophysics fieldtrip to Morocco.

The second year geophysics field to Morocco, led by Adrian Muxworthy, Ian Bastow and Paul Denton (BGS), returned successfully without incident. Everybody seemed to enjoy themselves. Further photos of the fieldtrip are available here.

Alex Whittaker and Emma Passmore led the ‘Sediments and Structures’ fieldtrip to the Pyrenees for Y2 students, 19-29 March. Despite the unpredictable weather (from blazing sunshine to hail to snow) the group were able to explore the regional geology and sedimentology of this thin-skinned fold-and-thrust belt and its accompanying sedimentary basins with great enthusiasm. Alex and Emma were ably assisted by Julie Prytulak, Jon Hill, Mike Streule, Duna Roda-Boluda, Mitch D’Arcy, Matt Loader, Alan Spencer and Alex Norori-McCormac.

Research Activity

Rebecca Bell will be visiting GNS Science in New Zealand to work as a visiting scientist for 3 weeks. She will be working to learn more about the seismic behaviour of the Hikurangi subduction margin in New Zealand from the analysis of seismic reflection data.

Craig Magee and Chris Jackson visited Royal Holloway to present and discuss their research related to the emplacement of igneous intrusions in sedimentary basins.

Martin Neumaier from Schlumberger, Aachan, visited Chris Jackson’s group to work with Abdulaziz Al-Balushi. Abdul’s PhD, which is focused on the geodynamic evolution of the eastern Mediterranean and is supervised by Al Fraser and Chris Jackson, uses PetroMod basin modelling software to investigate the impact of the Messinian Salinity Crisis (MSC) on basin subsidence and uplift, and the phases of hydrocarbons contained in traps along the Levantine Margin, offshore Israel.

PhD Vivas

Nick Holgate successfully passed his PhD viva on 2^nd March. His PhD, entitled “Geological characterisation of shallow marine-to-deltaic sandstone reservoir targets: Krossfjord and Fensfjord formations, Troll Field, Norwegian North Sea”, was supervised by Gary Hampson and Chris Jackson and examined by Dave Hodgson (University of Leeds) and Howard Johnson. Nick has now taken a position with Shell UK and is based in London.

Matt Lewis successfully passed his PhD viva on 27^th March. His PhD, entitled “Structural style and stratigraphic response to normal fault growth in extensional basins”, was supervised by Chris Jackson and examined by Mary Ford (CRPG) and Al Fraser. Matt now works for BP and is based in London.

Many congratulations to Nick and Matt!