Film awards, Martian peaks and the Annual Huxley Lecture: ESE ends 2014 on a high!

Contents

Publications
Conferences, Lectures and Seminars
Awards
Research Grants
Workshops and Courses
Impact and Media
Fieldwork
New Staff

Publications

Agrusta, R., J. van Hunen, and  Goes S.(2014). The effect of metastable pyroxene on slab dynamics, Geophys. Res. Lett., 41, doi:10.1002/2014GL062159.

Davies D.R., Goes S., Sambridge M.  (2015). On the relationship between volcanic hotspot locations, the reconstructed eruption sites of large igneous provinces and deep mantle seismic structure, Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 41, 121–130, doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2014.11.052

Fourel, L., Goes S., and Morra G. (2014). The role of elasticity in slab bending, Geochem. Geophys. Geosyst., 15, 4507–4525, doi:10.1002/2014GC005535. 

Holgate, N.E., Hampson, G.J., Jackson, C.A-L. and Petersen, S.A. (2014) Constraining uncertainty in interpretation of seismically imaged clinoforms in deltaic reservoirs, Troll Field, Norwegian North Sea: Insights from forward seismic models of outcrop analogs. AAPG Bulletin, 98, 2629-2663. DOI: 10.1306/05281413152.

Manzoor, S., Korre, A., Durucan, S., Simperler, A. (2014). Atmospheric chemistry modelling of amine emissions from post combustion CO2 capture plants. Energy Procedia, 12th International Greenhouse Gas Control Technologies (GHGT) conference, Austin, Texas. DOI:10.1016/j.egypro.2014.11.093

McPhillips, D., Bierman, P.R., and Rood, D.H. (2014). Millennial-scale record of landslides in the Andes consistent with earthquake trigger. Nature Geoscience. DOI:10.1038/NGEO02278.

Patruno, S., Hampson, G.J., Jackson, C.A-L. and Dreyer, T. (2015). Geomorphology, facies character and stratigraphic architecture of an ancient sand-rich subaqueous delta: Upper Jurassic Sognefjord Formation, Troll Field, Offshore Norway Sedimentology, 62, 350-388. DOI: 10.1111/sed.12153.

Reeve, M.T., Bell, R.E., Duffy, O., Jackson, C.A-L. and Sansom, E. (2015). The development of non-colinear fault systems; what can we learn from 3D seismic reflection data? Journal of Structural Geology, 70, 141-155. DOI: 10.1016/j.jsg.2014.11.007

Stephenson, S., Roberts, G., Hoggard, M. and Whittaker, A. (2014). A Cenozoic uplift history of Mexico and its surroundings from longitudinal river profiles, Geochem. Geophys. Geosyst., 15, doi:10.1002/ 2014GC005425. 

Conferences, Lectures and Seminars

The annual Huxley Lecture was given by Dr Angela Strank, BP’s Chief Scientist. The lecture “The factory of new knowledge - science, technology and innovation in the oil and gas sector” examining the history of oil extraction and technical solutions to energy challenges ahead was well received by a packed audience. 

Adam Booth gave an invited talk at the AGU conference, entitled “A classification scheme for seismic AVA responses in glaciology.”  Adam’s attendance was part-funded by an Arthur Holmes award. 

Craig Magee presented an invited talk in the ‘Continental Volcanic Rifted Margin’ session at AGU in December entitled, “Constraining the role of magma before, during and after the break-up of continents using seismic reflection data”. He also presented a poster on, “Reconstructing the birth, life and death of ancient monogenetic basalt volcanoes using seismic reflection data”. 

Chris Jackson gave December’s London Lecture Series talk at Burlington House, Geological Society of London, 10 November. His talk was entitled “Terra Infirma; What Has Salt Tectonics Ever Done For Us?”. Further details and a video recording of the talk can be viewed here. 

PhD students Idrus Puasa, Duna Roda Boluda, Dan Collins and Marijn van Cappelle from the Basins Research Group (BRG presented on-going research at the British Sedimentological Research Group (BSRG) Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Nottingham, 20-22 December, hosted by the British Geological Society (BGS). The event was also attended by Alex Whittaker, Gary Hampson and Chris Jackson.

Ian Bastow delivered departmental seminars on Cenozoic volcanism in Africa at Zurich and Durham.

PhD student Saba Manzoor, gave a poster presentation at the Atmospheric Chemical Mechanisms Conference held at University of California, Davis in the United States, 10-12 December 2014 entitled, ‘’A theoretical study of the reaction kinetics of amines released into the atmosphere during CO₂ capture’’.

Awards

PhD students Christoph Mazur and Chris Emmott revieved a Highly Commended Award in the TVE Global Sustainability Film Awards held at the BAFTA headquarters. Their film "Powering the top of the world: empowering communities" was funded by the Energy Futures Lab. 

Recent graduate Simon Stevenson was awarded the BSRG Prize for Masters Sedimentology for his MSci project "A Cenozoic uplift history of Mexico and its surroundings from longitudinal river profiles" supervised by Gareth Roberts, Alex Whittaker and Mark Hoggard.

Grants

PhD student Helen Lacey received The Geologists Association New Researchers Grant for geochemical analysis on fault breccia samples from the Gulf of Corinth, Greece.

Workshops and Courses

Oliver Duffy, Rebecca Bell, Han Claringbould, Antje Lenhart and Tom Phillips of the Basins Research Group (BRG) hosted a two-day workshop on Fault Analysis Techniques (4-5 December). The workshop, part of a multi-institutional research project aiming to understand the evolution of multiphase rift basins, was attended by collaborators from the University of Bergen and fellow members of the BRG. The workshop examined the range of techniques that can be used to analyze faults and fault networks using a mix of presentations and practical exercises.

Impact and Media

Sanjeev Gupta took part in a NASA press conference, 8 December, on how water helped to shape the Martian landscape detailing the findings of Mars Curiosity Rover. This was subsequently reported on NBC. http://www.nbcnews.com/science/space/mars-curiosity-rover-finds-clues-genesis-ancient-lake-peak-n264081

Curiosity rover's MastCam showing sandstone beds inclined towards Mt Sharp, Mars

Dick Selley's 2008 research on the impact of climate change on UK viticulture was used in articles "Climate change alters taste of wine" in the Sunday Times and "Chardonnay & Pinot Noir under threat from climate change" in the Daily Telegraph on 28 and 29 December respectively.

Dylan Roods' 2014 research Millennial-scale record of landslides in the Andes consistent with earthquake trigger was reported in the 17 December issue in the Imperial Reporter in article "Mountain range is being created and destroyed by earthquakes." 

Fieldwork

PhD student Helen Lacey carried out fieldwork in Tenerife with Veerle Vandeginste to study the origins of 'seismites'. This was facilitated by an International Association of Sedimentologists 2014 Grant. 

New Staff

On 1 October Mike Mayall joined the Department as a Visiting Professor. Mike worked for with BP for over 30 years where he fulfilled roles such as senior sedimentology advisor teaching in-house courses and leading field trips. He has extensive expertise in deep-water sedimentology and has spent the past 15 years working in the Angola region.