51st Annual Bennett Lecture

Monday 1st March 2010 at 6 p.m. in the Rattray Lecture Theatre

"Climate Change Lessons from a warm world: a history of Pliocene climate research and the United States Geological Survey PRISM project”

Dr Harry J. Dowsett
Leader of the PRISM Paleoclimate Project at the United States Geological Survey

The Pliocene is a natural laboratory for the study and analysis of global warming. Some 20 years of focused research is leading to the production of computer-based reconstructions of Pliocene global environmental conditions.

The historical development of the USGS Pliocene Research, Interpretation and Synoptic Mapping (PRISM) Project closely parallels our understanding of Pliocene climate and contains lessons applicable to any palaeoclimate reconstruction as well as to future climate projections. 

Ticket Only - Contact Gail Andrews ga16@le.ac.uk

Download the 51st Bennett Lecture poster 835kb

February

ENI Geological Challenge Award Winner

GeoHut at West View Farm, Alstonefield, Derbyshire

Albert Benghiat (2nd year BSc Geology) and his wife Jill have won the ENI Geological Challenge award 2009 for their Alstonefield Geo-Hut and the Geo-Hut concept. The ENI Geological Challenge seeks to recognise the achievements of individuals or groups in the field of conservation, interpretation or field geological education in the UK. The prize will be formally awarded at the Geologists' Association meeting at Burlington House, London, on the 5th February. ENI is a multinational oil and gas company.

The GeoHut can be found at West View Farm, Alstonefield, Near Ashbourne Derbyshire DE6 2FS and is usually open at weekends and Bank Holidays

2009

December

Whistlestop USA - Jan Zalasiewicz

The trouble with geology is that, as a subject, it comes with travel – so to speak – built-in.  Now for most people that is not a hardship at all;  quite the converse, in fact.  But, I’m one of these rare geologists who is not a globetrotter by nature.  Faced with travel to exotic countries, high adventure and stunning landscapes, I generally prefer an armchair, a good book, a cup of tea, and the chocolate biscuits within easy reach.  But last month there came a couple of invitations that were not to be resisted.

First, there was an invitation from the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC, to be an advisor at a meeting to help plan the next exhibition at the National Museum of Natural History.   That invitation was just too good to refuse:  it is, after all, arguably the world’s greatest museum, with enormous collections, at some 46 million specimens (though they did say that they get slightly different numbers each time they make a count…).   And it was, in truth, splendid.  The museum staff are very firm about the scientific value of their collections, and of the importance of the totality of the geological record, and they were quite clear that if they don’t come up with the best display on geological history in the whole wide world, it won’t be for want of trying. 

Then, two weeks later, it was off to New Orleans - via Birmingham, New York and Houston – about 24 hours of travelling, in all.  It was worth it.  I had been asked to take part in the filming of a National Geographic TV programme on the far future – some 200 million years on – of America.  The film crew, from Australia and New Zealand, were marvellously professional – and also patient with me as utter cinematic greenhorn.  New Orleans, within a very few hours, became my favourite city in the USA, bar none:  for its people (hospitable beyond measure);  its music (the number of local brownie points I gained when mentioning I had, in my youth, seen Louis Armstrong play live in concert, was astronomical);  its food (the gumbo, of course, but also I wasn’t allowed to forget, or forgo, the alligator cheesecake);  and, indeed, for le tout ensemble.

So that’s it.  Try as one might to avoid travel, in geology, travel comes hard-wired, as it were, into the core of the subject.  Our subject, after all, is the whole Earth (and for geology students today, the other planets of the Solar System are becoming fair game too).  It’s all too much for me.  Time to put the kettle on, find that book, and see what’s left in the biscuit tin. 

November

Special Lecture - EAGE Student Lecture Tour

“What Energy Future after the World Oil Production Peak?”
Lecture by – Pierre Mauriaud of Total
One of the EAGE (European Association of Geoscientists and Engineers) Student Lecture Tour

September

Dave Holwell

Dr David Holwell has joined the department as Lecturer of Applied and Environmental Geology

BSc Geology (Durham), 2001; MSc Mining Geology (Camborne School of Mines), 2002; PhD (Cardiff) 2006. Following a year as an engineering geologist in the UK and three years in the mineral exploration industry with SRK Exploration Services, Dr Holwell has joined the department as a Lecturer in Applied and Environmental Geology. His main research is in the nature and genesis of platinum-group element and magmatic Cu-Ni sulphide mineralisation and the implications for mineral exploration, using a variety of geochemical and mineralogical techniques. Current interests are focussed on the ore deposits associated with Tertiary intrusions in east Greenland, including the world famous Skaergaard intrusion; and the largest platinum-group element resource on the planet: the Platreef of the Bushveld Complex, South Africa.

International Award

Dave Holwell post-conference field trip to the Mount Isa inlier, NW Queensland

In August 2009, Dr Dave Holwell travelled to the 10th biennial meeting of the Society for Geology Applied to Mineral Deposits (SGA) in Townsville, Queensland, Australia, where he received the prestigious SGA-Barrick Young Scientist award. This award is offered biennially to a young scientist who contributed significantly to the understanding of mineral deposits. The award consists of a citation, prize money of EUR 1500, and travel to the Biennial meeting for the presentation. The meeting is one of the largest international mineral deposit conferences on the calendar and involves a large number of representatives from both academia and the minerals exploration and mining from around the globe".
 

August

Tom Harvey, Xiaoya Ma and Rob Sansom hike to Walcott's original quarries

3rd - 8th August 2009,  Xiaoya Ma (PhD student) Tom Harvey (Research Associate) and Rob Sansom (Research
Associate) attended the International Conference on the Cambrian Explosion in Banff, Alberta, Canada, high up in the Canadian Rockies.

Tom Harvey, Xiaoya Ma and Rob Sansom hike to Walcott's original quarries.

The conference was held to mark the 100th anniversary Charles Walcott's discovery of the Burgess Shale, which is now recognized as one of the most important fossil sites in the world and has transformed our understanding on the early evolution of animal life (the Cambrian Explosion). As part of this International Conference, the Leicester delegates attended hikes to Walcott's original quarries and presented papers. All were well received, and Robert Sansom was presented with the prize for the best oral presentation by a young scientist.

July

Geology graduates celebrate

Congratulations to all students who graduated.

View photographs of the celebrations and list of prize winners.

The 2009 University Teaching Fellowships

Dr Gawen Jenkin received a University Teaching Fellowship at the Degree Celebrations on 10th July 2009

Dr Gawen Jenkin was awarded a University Teaching Fellowship, at the Degree Celebrations held in De Montfort Hall, in recognition of his inspiring and imaginative teaching and his involvement in national initiatives which promote student learning in Geology.

 
Vice-Chancellor Professor Robert Burgess said: “The University of Leicester is a leading international research and teaching University. Our reputation for teaching excellence stems from the quality of our academic staff and the support systems that are in place for our students. At a time when people from around the world gathered at the University of Leicester to celebrate the achievements of their families, we think it is also appropriate to recognise the teaching initiatives developed by staff that contribute to students’ success.
“All our Teaching Fellows have achieved great distinction in their respective fields and this recognition reflects the importance this University attaches to teaching and learning. Leicester is among the top universities in the country for student satisfaction and the efforts made by our teaching fellows and other staff contribute greatly to this success” 

Awards

Congratulations to Professor Randy Parrish who has been awarded the 2010 Schlumberger Medal of the Mineralogical Society.
This annual award was founded in 1990 through the generous sponsorship of Schlumberger Cambridge Research and has the purpose: To recognize scientific excellence in mineralogy and its applications; mineralogy being broadly defined and reflecting the diverse and worldwide interests and membership of the Society with its various specialist groups. Evidence of such excellence should be in the form of published work by a currently active scientist.

June

Exhibition of Roddon Research

Dinah Smith, Research Student presented her work on Fenland roddons – “fossilised tidal creeks of fenland prehistory” at Open Farm Sunday, Park Farm, Thorney, Cambridgeshire. Dinah had been invited by the farmer and organiser, Mr. Michael Sly, who is helping with the research. Click here for full details

May 

Hay Literary Festival Appearance

Dr Jan Zalasiewicz was invited to speak at the Hay Literary Festival on 25th May 2009.  An audience of 400 heard him speak about his new book "The Earth After Us"
What might human civilization leave behind as relics into the far geological future? The geologist envisions what extra-terrestrial aliens, exploring Earth one hundred million years from now, might uncover in their excavations.

Book Details

Making wiggles - life with the physical properties of deep sea sediments!

PhD Student, Pete Fitch, sailing as a physical properties specialist on IODP Expedition 320 has been writing a blog which has now been published online with NERC's Planet Earth click here

Good News in National Subject League Tables

The Department of Geology came 4th in the National Guardian University Subject League Tables announced 12th May 2009.

Details 

ECORD Distinguished Lecturer Programme 

Lecture by Professor R. John Parkes, Cardiff University

 "The Sub-seafloor Biosphere: the largest prokaryotic habitat on Earth?"

The Geomicrobiology research group lead by Professor Parkes has been instrumental in establishing the global significance of the deep sub-seafloor biosphere, and has made key contributions to recent science as part of the Integrated Ocean Drilling Programme (IODP).

The lecture took place on Thursday 7th May.

 April

Scientists on Expedition

Kayd Platform in Atlantic City 2009

IODP Research Associates, Drs Jenny Inwood and Sally Morgan are currently in Atlantic City, New Jersey working to mobilise the L/B Kayd Platform for an expedition drilling the New Jersey Shelf on the North American margin of the Atlantic Ocean. The New Jersey Shallow Shelf (NJSS) expedition was planned and is conducted by the European Consortium for Ocean Research Drilling (ECORD) under the auspices of the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP). The International Continental Scientific Drilling Program (ICDP) also supports the expedition. Sediments preserved beneath the New Jersey Shelf hold information needed to better understand the Earth’s natural rhythms and the NJSS  Expedition aims at reconstructing sea-level changes during the period 24-14 million years ago and deciphering how sedimentation on the shelf responded to these changes.

New Professor Appointed

Michael Petterson has been appointed as Professor of Applied and Environmental Geology.

Professor Mike Petterson

On joining the University of Leicester Mike says “I was a graduate and PhD postgraduate at Leicester, so after quite a long time away it feels a little surreal , though very exciting, to return to one of my ‘points of origin’. I take over a chair in applied and environmental geosciences within the Geology Department. There is already plenty of activity in this area and one of my first jobs is to learn what Leicester is involved with and see where I can best fit in. I am really looking forward to working with the great range of talent and expertise present at the University of Leicester, not only with geosciences but, hopefully, collaborating with a range researchers and workers from different disciplines.”

“Personal research interests I would like to explore include the link between metals, magmas and tectonics, natural hazards and communities, applying geosciences to real (as opposed to purely rhetorical) sustainable development, improving quality of life in the Developing World, and seeking and promoting opportunities for science and social science to interface within a meaningful dialogue, adding value to each others’ approach, research and impact. “

After leaving Leicester Mike had a short sojourn into school teaching before landing a position with the British Geological Survey (BGS), a research institute part-funded by NERC and part-funded from many other sources. He says “I began work in the Lake District mapping volcanic rocks and applying this knowledge with respect to nuclear waste decommissioning solutions. I moved onto working in the Developing world in the fields of primary scientific research, institutional strengthening and very practical aid, educational and poverty-alleviation related work. “

“I was lucky enough to live with my family in the Pacific and South America and have worked in shorter spells throughout Asia, parts of Africa and the Caribbean. My most recent international work has involved working in Afghanistan (2003 – 2007) and on the Montserrat volcano in the Caribbean.

“My later years within BGS have been as Head of the Economic Minerals and Geochemical Baseline programme and Director for Science Resources with responsibility for, 800 staff, numerous laboratories and, as a member of the Senior Leadership Team, trying to keep the organisation relevant and firing on all cylinders.

“The highlights of my career have involved numerous scientific ‘eureka’ moments that I won’t bore you with but also include particularly human moments such as working with indigenous communities on volcanic hazards, helping people come to terms with gold mining, seeing numerous scientists grow, develop and make an impact, reflecting on the great hardships of people living with tremendous poverty, seeing a country torn apart by 30 years of war slowly being reborn, and sadly, seeing very brave Afghan Ministers and advisers I have worked with being killed trying to progress things towards a better future.

“I am, an Honorary Researcher at BGS and Peshawar University, on several NERC-HQ committees, Chair of Governors at a Rutland Comprehensive School, and enjoy playing rock and blues guitar with like-minded fun-loving musicians.”

New Book Published

New book on caves of the Peak District by Trevor Ford, Honorary Research Fellow.

As the Peak’s foremost geologist, Trevor, spent his early years exploring the caves and is the first to admit that age has now robbed him of the ability to go underground again. This is a pity, for his worthy successors have found two enormous systems – Titan and Leviathan – which are the deepest in the country.

Even if you have no desire to set off on a 500ft descent of one of these monsters, or wade through passages full of fast flowing water, the fantastic work of underground photographer Paul Deakin shows you what you may be glad you are missing. Paul’s incredible technique and skill has produced images of passages stretching into the distance. Even the vast height of Titan and Leviathan were mastered as cavers were caught by his lens, making their descent hundreds of feet above him.

Trevor Ford describes the cave systems (and there are many) in detail and tantalisingly speculates on others which have been lost or offer potential sites for new discoveries. There are numerous plans and diagrams as well as the photographs mentioned above.

‘Castleton Caves’ will be an eye opener to most casual observers of caving, let alone the enthusiasts, but comes with a word of warning: under any circumstances, never go underground without the company of an experienced caver. Like Trevor’s last book – Rocks & Scenery of the Peak District – we now have another really worthwhile book on the Peak.

• Title: Castleton Caves
• Author: Trevor Ford
• Publisher: Landmark Publishing
• Price: £9.99
• Pages: 96
• Binding: Paperback
• Published: October 08
• ISBN: 9781843064060

For more information or to purchase a copy, please click here .

 March

New Grants and Funding

Sarah Davies has been awarded a grant, worth a total of approximately £1.3 million, from the European Consortium on Ocean Drilling, part of IODP

Awards to Students

David Riley was awarded £513 from the Timothy Jefferson Field Research Fund for field work in Herefordshire.

Ben Ellis was awarded £920 from the Geological Society W G Fearnside Fund

50th Annual Bennett Lecture

Lecture by Professor Dr Stefan Schmid, University of Basel

The mountains of the Alps

"Anatomy and growth of a mountain belt: a look at the Alps from the earth's surface down into the mantle"

The Lecture was held on Monday 23rd March 2009 
 

Society of Exploration Geophysicists Honorary Lecturer Programme

Society of Exploration Geophysicists Honorary Lecturer Programme presents:

Lecture by Professor Per Avseth

“Mind the gap in seismic reservoir prediction: How rock physics can bridge the gap between qualitative geology and quantitative geophysics”.

The Lecture was held on Wednesday 18th March 2009

Faculty of Science Annual Lecture

King Coal: Time for restoration of the mucky monarch?

Lecture by Professor Paul Younger

"Isn't Old King Coal dead and buried?  Ranging widely over the issues of climate change, renewable energy, peak oil, nuclear power and the troubled concept of economic growth, Professor Younger will argue in this provocative lecture that a new approach to coal explotation probably representsthe world's best chance of bridging the gulf to a genuinely low carbon future.

 January

New Grants and Funding

Mike Branney and Dickson Cunningham have been awarded NERC funding to investigate "Scales and Frequencies of 'Snake River-type' super-eruptions from the Yellowstone hotspot track"
 
An application to the Mineral Industry Research Organisation (MIRO) /MIST by Kip Jeffrey and Ian Hill, "Deposit Knowledge for Efficient Production: an evidence based approach to the sampling of sand and gravel deposits. " has been successful.

Awards to Students and Researchers

Stephen Grebby won a Student Award from the Geological Remote Sensing Group (GRSG) for £750 towards fieldwork in Cyprus for his PhD. The results were announced at the GRSG conference in London.

Rob Sansom (Researcher with Dr Sarah Gabbott) won the President's Prize for the best talk by an early-career researcher at the Palaeontological Association Annual Meeting in Glasgow, December 2008.

David Jones (currently post doc with Mark Purnell) has been awarded a Marie Curie outgoing fellowship to study in Australia.

2008

October

 Iconic T. rex Unveiled

Iconic T-Rex

A cast of a 21-foot long Tyrannosaurus rex (a rare, sub-adult individual), commissioned from the makers of specimens of T. rex that featured in the film ‘Jurassic Park’ has gone on permanent display.
The ferocious predator, nicknamed ‘Jane’, will take pride of place in a showcase in the refurbished Department, and will be an educational facility for members of the public, school visits as well as for staff, students and academic research.
The 65-million year old carnivore is one of a number of exhibits illustrating Flying dinosaurs….and the origin of birds.

Official Opening of 'Flying Dinosaurs - the origin of Birds'. Professors Siveter, Lovell and Mr Bolsover

The exhibition was officially opened on Wednesday 29 October by Mr Bill Bolsover, Group Chief Executive of Aggregate Industries UK Limited, in the presence of Professor Bob Burgess, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Leicester.

National Science Student of the Year!

Kaushika Mistry - SET Student of the Year

2nd year MGeol Geology student Kaushika Mistry has been named as winner of the Xcel Science Student of the Year. On hearing about her success Kaushika said “I am extremely proud of the geology department and felt honoured to be nominated. Winning the Xcel Student of the Year for Sciences is a great achievement for me. I have thoroughly enjoyed my first year on the MGeol course. It has been challenging to return to university, and the degree has amplified my interest in geology. Together with my first year experience, this award has makes me more determined to succeed in this degree and my future ambitions. I would like to thank the department, all of the lecturers, support staff as well as the PhD students and my peers who have aided and supported me. Furthermore, I would not have been able to embark on my dream without the help and encouragement from my family, especially my husband and my two children.

Kaushika was nominated for the award by Head of Department Prof Mike Lovell who said “I am delighted to congratulate Kaushika on behalf of everyone in the Geology Department. Kaushika’s success in winning the 'Xcel Sciences Student of the Year 2008' is well deserved and clearly reflects her dedication and hard work throughout the year. In her first year she has not only succeeded in the course, but has achieved first class marks overall and this is a great foundation on which to continue to build. I take great pride in her achievement, look forward to watching her continued success, and send her our very best wishes for her future studies.”

The Xcel Student of the Year awards aim to recognise and celebrate the achievements of students from a multi-ethnic or minority group background, and who have demonstrated excellence.  Xcel is Britain’s largest careers magazine aimed at widening university participation of ethnic minority school and college students, as well as women and people with disabilities.

Research Project of the year - well almost!

In addition to the University winning the University of the Year Award at the Times Higher Awards, a project from the Geology department was short-listed for national title of Research Project of the year. The project, looking at how dietary shifts drive evolutionary change in stickleback, developed a new way of analysing the diets of living and fossil fishes based on the microscopic scratch patterns on their teeth. For more details, visit Mark Purnell's web pages.

September

More Grants!

Richard England received from NERC funding for SEIS-UK for a further five years through to 31st March 2014. SEIS-UK was particularly commended has having a high international standing. This is brilliant news for the department and secures continuation of the department as a geophysical centre of expertise.

Randy Parrish awarded a NERC grant with Yani Najman at Lancaster to study the capture of the Indus-Tsangpo River by the Brahaputra in the eastern Himalayan syntaxis'.

David Siveter has been awarded an FEC NERC grant, on Reconstruction of the Herefordshire (Silurian) Lagerstatte biota. This is with Prof. Derek Siveter (Oxford) and Dr Mark Sutton (Imperial College London).

Sarah Davies has been awarded research grants from Columbia University (to provide logging staff scientists and research services from within Europe for IODP Non-Riser Vessel expeditions) and further grants from ECORD/NERC (for Mission Specific Platform operations)

Stewart Fishwick has been awarded an FEC NERC grant on 'Seismological Investigations of the Continental Upper Mantle'. .

Appointments

Richard England has been awarded a SPLINT Fellowship to work with the CETL based in Geography; this will run from 1st August 2008 to 31 January 2010. This involves work with the BGS on digital mapping and is an exciting and innovative development.

Dick Aldridge has been appointed Chair of the Executive Organising Committee of the 3rd International Palaeontological Congress (IPC 2010) to be held in London in June-July 2010; he is also Co-chair of the Scientific Committee for the meeting.  Mark Purnell is Chair of the Publicity and Sponsorship Committee for the same meeting.

Richard England has been appointed to the University's Student Experience Enhancement Committee

August

Antarctic ostracods

Dr Mark Williams, Prof David Siveter and colleagues have discovered an exceptionally well preserved 14 million year old fossil ostracod in Antarctica which shows the area was once much warmer than it is now. Link to press release.

 July

More Grants!

Dr. Stewart Fishwick has been awarded an FEC NERC grant on 'Seismological Investigations of the Continental Upper Mantle'. This is an award under NERC's new investigator proposal - well done Stewart!

Dr. Richard England has been awarded a SPLINT Fellowship to work with the CETL based in Geography; this will run from 1 August 2008 to 31 January 2010, and will involve working with the BGS on digital mapping.

Additionally Richard has received news from NERC that SEIS-UK will be funded for a further five years through to 31 March 2014. This is excellent news for the department and secures continuation of the department as a geophysical centre of expertise.

Appointments

Many congratulations to Dr. Jan Zalasiewicz who has been appointed Director of University’s Centre for Environmental RESearch (CERES). This is great news and is a good opportunity for the department to become more involved with CERES.

Degree Day Celebrations

Congratulations to all students who graduated. View photographs of the celebrations and list of prize winners.

March

Dynamic Dinosaurs! Cutting edge approaches to ecology and behaviour

March 15, 9.00 - 17.00

The Geology Section (C) of the Leicester Literary and Philosophical Society presents its Annual Saturday Seminar in Ken Edwards Building, LT1. Subsidised tickets available for Leicester Geology Undergrads; a limited  number of free tickets for Schools. For details, download the flyer and ticket order form here.

February 27, 00.56 am

Earthquake hits Leicester!

Richard England reports: The largest earthquake for nearly 25 years was felt in Leicester and widely across the UK early this morning. The magnitude 5.3 event, which had its epicentre a few km north of Market Rasen in Lincolnshire struck just before 1 am this morning. There are reports of minor damage across the East of England and an injury to one person when a chimney collapsed into a house. In Leicester there was minor damage to buildings and numerous calls to the emergency services, mostly from people alarmed by the earthquake which lasted for about 10 seconds. More details here.

 February

Special Lecture - IODP Distinguished Researcher & International Leadership Lecture Series (DRILLS)

The Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) introduces its inaugural lecture series DRILLS:

Dr. Yoshiyuki Tatsumi (Institute for Research on Earth Evolution (IREE), Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology) will be presenting: Drilling into the Memory of Earth.

The lecture will be held at 5pm on Wednesday 20th February in the Ken Edwards Building, Lecture Theatre 1.

For details, download the flyer here or contact Janette Thompson should you have any questions. Information on the whole lecture series can be found at the DRILLS website.

 January

Special Lecture - EAGE Student Lecture Tour

New Monitoring Technologies for Natural Hazards and Surface Displacements. Prof. Benoit Deffontaines, University of Marne-la-Vallee.

Abstract, details and a booking form are available from the Leicester Geophysical Society website. January 29

2007

New Website Goes Live

2007 was an eventful year in the department, with lots of news to report. Unfortunately, much of this didn't make it onto the new website but a few highlights are listed below.

More Grants!

Two applications from the department were funded in this year's round of NERC Small Grant awards. Dr Mark Williams and Professor David Siveter, and Dr Mark Purnell are the investigators, and both will employ postdoc research associates.

More New Blood!

Dr. Stewart Fishwick has been appointed to the New Blood Lectureship in Geophysics. Among other things, he works on surface wave tomography and the structure of the upper mantle. Dr. Fishwick was previously at Cambridge University, before which he studied and worked at the University of Edinburgh and the Australian National University.

Grants

Drs Sarah Gabbott and Mark Purnell awarded NERC grant to investigate 'The problem of vertebrate origins – comparative taphonomy and gaps in the fossil record'.

Kip Jeffrey fronts successful bid for DeBeers training.

Lots more news items have yet to make the transfer from the old web pages...

Spring 2006

New Blood!

We are delighted to announce that Dr Mark Williams has been appointed to the New Blood Lectureship in Palaeobiology in Geology. His research interests will link with many areas of research in the department and revolve around reconstructing deep time climates (using fossil proxies), exceptional preservation of organisms, and major ecological transitions. Current projects include a book on ‘Deep time perspectives on climate change’, reconstructing latitudinal temperature variation for the Pliocene Atlantic Ocean using shallow marine bryozoans, climate change of the Early Palaeozoic glaciation, the study of exceptionally preserved fossil faunas from the Cambrian and Ordovician, and tracking organism transitions from marine to non-marine aquatic environments. Mark is currently Lecturer at Portsmouth University, and has previously worked at the British Antarctic Survey and the British Geology Survey.

The department’s research profile is further enhanced by the appointment of Dr David Unwin to the New Blood Lectureship in Museum Studies. Dr Unwin's research in palaeobiology will link strongly with that of researchers in the Geology Department.

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Winter 2005/06

Skittles

Peter Fitch (PhD student) wins high-score prize in Department skittles evening.

International Networking

Drs Gary Mullins and Mark Purnell have been invited to Sweden by The British Council as part of a group of “20 promising researchers from Sweden and the UK” to attend and present at the International Networking of Young Scientists (INYS) workshop on 22nd-24th March.

The latest issue of Earth Science 2000 contains a piece by Graham Andrews on how he got interested in geology, a two page essay on geohazards by DrJan Zalasiewicz and an article about the Herefordshire Lagerstätte project involving Prof David Siveter.

Pal Soc Council

Dr Gary Mullins has been invited to serve on the Council of the Palaeontographical Society of London

Grants

Dr Richard England has been awarded a grant with colleagues in the Norwegian Geological Survey for a project entitled ‘Neogene uplift of Scandinavia’. Norwegian Geological Survey Network Fund (NKR 240,500).

And also, with colleagues from the Greenland Geological Survey and Graham Pearson (Durham), a NERC Geophysical Equipment Facility loan for a project entitled ‘Lithospheric structure of West Greenland’ (equivalent value £96,000) and DK 388,100 for instrument deployment from the Greenland Bureau of Minerals and Natural Resources.

And also, with Prof Peter Maguire and Monika Wilde- Piorko (Warsaw University) NERC Geophysical Equipment Facility loan for a project entitled ‘Recognition of the lithosphere asthenosphere system in the transition between Proterozoic and Phanerozoic Europe – PASSEQ’ (equivalent value £228,000)

Dr Gawen Jenkin (with Prof Andy Saunders) has been awarded a NERC isotope geosciences facilities grant-in-kind (£38,530) for isotope support for Dan Smith's PhD project.

Professor David Siveter has been awarded a grant in kind of £3520 from NERC (NIGL) for Isotope studies on Carboniferous ostracods from Scotland.

Professor Andy Saunders receives an additional grant of £138,000 (in kind) to carry out Argon/Argon and Uranium/Lead dating of basalts and relatedrocks from the Siberian Traps large igneous province (to be carried out at SUERC, NIGL, and MIT).

Debate

Dr Mark Purnell participates in a public debate on the question “ Can humans evolve or are we the end-product?“ as part of the Loughborough Logic meeting series (Swan and Rushes, Loughborough, March 23).

Awards to students

Ameena Camps has been awarded money from UCAC and to enable her to write two papers (£1000).

PhD Students Ameena Camps, Dan Smith, and Simon Jowitt have all recieved funding from the BGS Robert’s Skills Fund: £650 for Ameena to present a paper at the Greenhouse Gas Technological Conference in Trondheim, Norway in June; £1500 towards travel to a volcanology course in New Zealand; and £1000 towards the cost of attending the Society of Economic Geologists student's chapter conference.

PhD student Simon Jowitt has had a poster presentation selected for presentation at the first International Society of Economic Geologists Student's Chapter Conference in Keystone Colorado - selection includes $1200 towards conference expenses and Simon was the only person from the UK to be selected.

PhD students Graham Andrews and James Blight have been given funding to attend the Mineral Deposit Studies Group Meeting at Imperial College London in January 2006.

Visiting Prof

Professor David Siveter has been appointed to a Visiting Professorship to the University of Lyon, France for 2006.

Palaeo-Exodus?

Almost all the members of the Palaeobiology Group are decamping to Oxford for the 2005 Annual Meeting of the Palaeontological Association. Between them, they are giving 6 presentations - abstracts online here.

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Autumn 2005

Keith Cooper, one of our graduates, stages large solo exhibition 'the Bones of Landscape' at the Richard Attenborough Centre for the Arts. This is an exhibition of landscape photographs 'with a bit of geology slipped in'. Runs October 19th to November 23rd, 2005.

New Recruits – Nine new PhD students from the UK and around the world start research projects in the department this September.

Dr Mark Purnell presents 'The Myth of Missing Links' at Leicester's Cafe Scientifique.

Professor Mike Lovell awarded £54,000 by Burlington and the London Petrophysical Society. This will fund the PhD research of Jo Tudge.

PhD student David Cornwell receives the award for best presentation at the British Geophysical Association Meeting in Galway.

Dr Mark Purnell presents talk on 'What's left of where we came from - the fossil record of early chordates' at the British Association Festival of Science in Dublin.

Professors Dick Aldridge and David Siveter appointed Guest Professors at Yunnan University, Kunming, China.

Professor Andy Saunders receives NERC Grant for £186,972 to investigate 'Extent and Environmental Impact of Permo-Triassic Siberian Trap Volcanism'. Leicester graduate Marc Reichow will be employed on the grant.

Summer 2005

Tahiti Bound - Members of the Borehole Research group participating in the IODP drilling expedition to Tahiti.

Highly cited: a paper by Dr Sarah Davies (Davies and Gibling, 2003, Architecture of coastal and alluvial deposits in an extensional basin: the Carboniferous Joggins Formation of eastern Canada) was one of the three most highly cited papers of 2003 in the journal Sedimentology.

More from the Herefordshire Lagerstätte: Professor David Siveter and colleagues have yet another paper on this exceptional biota accepted for publication in Nature!

Applied and Environmental undergraduate Richard Caine gains a summer placement with Rio Rinto to work in Turkey.

Paul Denton receives grant from the Royal Astronomical Society and sponsorship from GEES (Higher Education Academy Subject Centre for Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences)to support school seismology workshops in July and also £500 sponsorship from.

PhD student Simon Jowitt awarded the Edgar Pam Fellowship by the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining for 2005.

PhD student Kerry Howard wins Best Presentation in Science and Engineering, at the University's Festival of Postgraduate Research 2005.

Whittaker funding for 2005 awarded to Pablo Divila-Harris and Sheila Gomez.

£3.5 million for research into Biologically Inspired Acoustic Systems (BIAS) awarded by EPSRC to a consortium including Profesor Mike Lovell.

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