May ESE Newsletter

An monthly update on all the work and achievements in the ESE Department, from graduate students to the emeritus professors.

Publications

McIntyre, N, Warner, N., Gupta, S., Kim, J-R., Muller, J-P. (2012), Hydraulic modeling of a distributary channel of Athabasca Valles, Mars, using a high-resolution digital terraino model. Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol. 117, E03009, 15 pp., 2012, doi:10.1029/2011JE003939. Article available online.

Whittaker, A.C. and Boulton, S.J., (2012), Tectonic and climatic controls on knickpoint retreat rates and landscape response times. Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 117, F02024, doi:10.1029/2011JF002157. Article available online.

Jackson C.A-L. (2012) The initiation of submarine slope failure and the emplacement of mass-transport deposits in salt-related minibasins: a 3D seismic reflection case study from the Santos Basin, offshore Brazil. Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 124, p. 746-761, doi: 10.1130/B30554.1. Article available online.

Cole, K.E., Brito-Parada, P.R., Xu, C., Neethling, S.J., Cilliers, J.J. (2012) Experimental studies and numerical model validation of overflowing 2D foam to test flotation cell crowder designs. Chemical Engineering Research and Design. doi: 10.1016/j.cherd.2012.05.009. Article available online. 

Awards

The AMIRA P1060 project research team, which includes Jamie Wilkinson and Clara Wilkinson from the ESE/NHM LODE research group as well as researchers from the University of Tasmania, have won the AMIRA 2012 Award for Geoscience Research Excellence in recognition of their work into geochemical vectors as used in exploration for porphyry-related mineralisation.

Axelle Vire, Marie Curie Research Fellow in the Applied Modelling and Computation Group, has been selected amongst UK-based engineers (from MSc to professors, both in academia and industry) to take part in "Strictly Engineering". This initiative is funded by the Royal Academy of Engineering and coordinated by the British Science Association. Axelle is invited to present her work at the 2012 British Science Festival and participate in a workshop on public engagement.

James Hammond has been accepted on to the Royal Society MP-scientist pairing scheme. This provides the opportunity for scientists to understand the policy process and explore methods of sharing knowledge with Government.

Research Grants

The SEG Foundation has awarded the Petroleum Geophysics MSc course a grant of $5000 towards the costs of the Colorado Field Trip.

Impact, Outreach, Media

The new Rio Tinto and Imperial Educational Partner agreement was covered in Times Higher Education Online. This agreement provides funding for 6 undergraduate scholarships in the department, a teaching fellow and the Urra field trip. The scholarships will be awarded upon return from the Rio Tinto Urra Fieldtrip and interviews for the Rio Tinto Teaching Fellow will take place on the 14th and 15th June.

ESE came top in the University and Department rankings released this month. The Guardian scored them an exclusive excellence rating of 100/100.

Professor Sanjeev Gupta gave his inaugural lecture on “New vistas of Mars”.

Professor Velisa Vesovic gave his inaugural lecture on “The molecular world: the rise and fall of viscosity”. 

PhD Vivas

Anthony Burnham passed his viva, with internal examiner Matt Genge and external Simon Kohn (Bristol). The title of this thesis was "Zircon as a recorder of the oxygen fugacity of magmas" supervised by Andrew Berry. Anthony is currently looking for a position to continue his research.

Research Activity

The 3rd Year field trip recently returned from Kinlochleven, Scotland. This involved an examination of rhyolite flows within Glen Coe; cross cut by later Etive dykes displaying negative topography.