The Group has research programmes in Crustal and Applied Geophysics that focus on crustal evolution and environmental geophysics, and in Borehole Petrophysics focussing on gas hydrates, reservoir characterization and key support to the Integrated Ocean Drilling Programme (IODP).

Crustal Geophysics staff lead international projects studying rifting and the break up of continents in Africa, Europe and Asia. They are also at the forefront of studies of NW European topographic changes not predicted by plate tectonic theory. The group hold the contract to run the NERC Geophysical Equipment Facility, SEIS-UK.

Applied Geophysics staff have developed via collaboration with industry, an innovative multi-sensor platform for high resolution geophysical surveying applicable to hydrological, environmental and archaeological research which is now commercially available.

Leicester's Borehole Research is internationally recognised for the measurement and interpretation of the physics and chemistry of rocks and fluids on a variety of scales. Through an international consortium, IODP research staff provide major support and expertise in the fields of wireline logging, core-log integration and petrophysics on a variety of drill platforms. They hold the contract to provide logging services and expertise worldwide to the IODP.

Petrophysics research at the industry-academia interface includes investigations of natural and synthetic hydrates and their potential as a geohazard, hydrocarbon reservoir characterisation, and the development of novel measurement and imaging techniques - including bio-inspired acoustics.

Academic Staff

Professor Mike Lovell    Dr Richard England
Dr Ian Hill                      Dr Sarah Davies
Dr Stewart Fishwick

Research Staff

Dr Alex Brisbourne      Dr Said Assous
Dr David Hawthorn      Ms Clare Hopper
Dr Jenny Inwood      Dr Louise Anderson

Research Students

Sam Cheyney: 3D quantitative interpretation of archaeomagnetic surveys: application of mathematical modelling to determine depths and physical characteristics of buried materials

Jennifer Graham: Controls on the temporal and spatial distribution of organic matter in siliciclastic mudstones: implications for source rock development in shale gas plays

Peter Fitch: Petrophysical character and heterogeneity in carbonate reservoirs

Joanne Tudge: Low resistivity pay: the role of mineralogy in controlling the electrical resistivity of hydrocarbon reservoirs

Alex Lemon: Modelling marine gas hydrate dissociation and sediment stability

Computing staff

Dr Andrew Myers (Senior Computing Officer)

Technical Staff

David York (Geophysics and Departmental Technician)

Administrative Staff

Janette Thompson (Borehole Research)

Honorary Research Staff

Dr Heike Delius (Honorary Visiting Fellow)
Professor Peter Harvey (Emeritus Professor)
Professor Peter Maguire (Emeritus Professor)
Mr Roger Samworth (Industrial Visiting Associate)

Current Projects

• Continental rifting in the East African Rift System
• The causes of topographic variation in NW Europe
• The architecture and evolution of transpressional basins in Mongolia
• Origin, structure and evolution of the Troodos Ophiolite
• IODP petrophysics (wireline logs, LWD, and core measurements)
• European Petrophysics Consortium
• BIAS: biologically inspired acoustic systems
• Development of near-surface geophysical techniques
• EIGG test sites

Collaborations

• Universities of Birmingham; Nottingham; Southampton; Leeds; Edinburgh; Strathclyde; Durham; Bremen; Montpelier, France
• Dublin Institute of Advanced Studies
• Lamont Doherty Geological Observatory, Columbia University, NY
• British Geological Survey
• English Heritage
• RWTH Aachen
• BG-group
• Conoco Phillips
• Lafarge Aggregates
• Geomatrix
• Baker Inteq