type of service provided: purpose€¦ · stable isotope facility: isotope analysis of waters,...

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SERVICES & FACILITIES ANNUAL REPORT - FY April 2017 to March 2018

SERVICE FUNDING AGREEMENT ESTABLISHED as S&F TERM NERC Isotope Geosciences

Laboratory (NIGL) Direct from

Swindon via BGS SLA 1987 N/A

TYPE OF SERVICE PROVIDED:

Purpose NIGL is a stable and radiogenic isotope laboratory facility focusing on Environmental Change, Chronology, Biogeochemical Tracers, and Science-based Archaeology. We work in a collaborative research environment, including a strong focus on PhD student training. The science addressed is interdisciplinary, aligned with NERC priorities, and involves problems where isotope analysis is pivotal. NIGL serves many RAE grade 4 and 5 academic departments in the UK, and several NERC institutes, including the British Antarctic and Geological Surveys. NIGL was reviewed by SRG in January 2008 with a score of 4.75/5.0 and was renewed for 5 years until 2014. This has been extended for further years to allow management changes to bed in between BGS and NERC for the S&F Earth Science Facilities.

The Facility and its equipment and expertise NIGL comprises two nodes of analytical facilities complemented by a skilled scientific and technical staff:

Stable Isotope Facility: isotope analysis of waters, carbonates, biogenic silica, phosphates, biomass in both organic and

inorganic materials for the isotopes of H, C, N, O, S, and Si by gas-source stable isotope mass spectrometry.

Geochronology and Tracers Facility: high precision U-Th-Pb dating using ID-TIMS, and in situ dating using laser-ablation

and plasma ionisation mass spectrometry (PIMS); U-Series dating; conventional Sm-Nd, Lu-Hf and Rb-Sr geochronology,

high precision isotope (U, Pb, Hf, Nd, Sr) analysis of solids and solutions using both solution and laser-ablation PIMS, and

TIMS.

Leading capabilities in the UK comprise: U-Th-Pb high precision (isotope dilution) and in situ (laser ablation) chronology; environmental change research using C, H, O, and Si isotopes in waters, carbonates, organic materials and biogenic silica especially in the terrestrial environment; N isotopes in gases, soils, plants, waters and ice; high precision measurement of isotopes of U in environmental materials; Hf, Sr, Nd and Pb isotopes using laser microsampling in geological and environmental materials; very high precision Hf-Sr-Nd-Pb isotopes in geological materials using either TIMS or PIMS, U-series dating for carbonate materials <450,000y, and U-Pb dating on carbonate materials of Pliocene-Quaternary age. NIGL has world-leading capabilities in several of these protocols (especially U-Th-Pb chronology applied to a broad range of geoscience topics, biogenic silica oxygen and silicon isotope analysis in palaeoclimate research, and high precision water analysis for marine waters tracing), and students receiving training are exposed to the best approaches and methods available. Analytical innovation and efficiency are ongoing goals of our development work in support of the programme, and also the concept that complex problem-solving requires multiple isotopic methods. It is the integrated laboratory philosophy that remains a very strong and unique aspect of NIGL. The NIGL operates a total of 17 mass spectrometers in addition to chemical and sample preparation laboratories.

ANNUAL TARGETS AND PROGRESS TOWARDS THEM

The approved programme is comparable in resource terms to the financial allocation, demonstrating strong demand for the facility. NIGL continues to win grants and commissions that assist with co-funding of staff and equipment. Publication output has continued to be strong, with 57 papers published during the calendar year of 2017, 25 published abstracts, and 7 PhD theses completed. In total 45 PhD students (32 University-funded, 4 NERC-funded, 2 NERC CASE, 5 BGS-NERC BUFI and 2 Intern. University-funded), 2 BSc Students, 1 Intern. BSc Student, 2 MSc Students, 3 University-funded Post Docs, 2 NERC Fellows as well as 3 Work Experience A Level Students received training.

Scores at Last Review (each out of 5) Date of Last Review: 2017

Need Uniqueness Quality of Service Quality of Science & Training Average

N/A

N/A N/A N/A N/A

CAPACITY of HOST ENTITY FUNDED by S&F

Staff & Status Next Review (March)

Contract Ends (31 March)

19 NERC BGS Staff supported c.15-80% with S&F funds

Approx. 60% Administration-management provided by BGS

BGS and commissions support PDRAs and remainder of staff TBC TBC

FINANCIAL DETAILS: CURRENT FY

Total Resource Allocation £k

Unit Cost £k Capital Expend £k

Income £k

Full Cash Cost £k Unit 1 Unit 2 Unit 3

1288.66 349 N/A N/A 58.80 1347.46 1456.57

FINANCIAL COMMITMENT (by year until end of current agreement) £k

2017-2018 NERC to confirm





STEERING COMMITTEE Independent Members Meetings per annum Other S&F Overseen

NIGFSC 9 2 AIF, ICSF

APPLICATIONS: DISTRIBUTION OF GRADES (current FY — 2017/18)

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 R* Pilot Not graded

NERC Grant projects* 0 1 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0

Other academic 0 1 2 8 3 1 2 2 0 0 0 1 1 0

Students 0 2 5 12 13 4 2 0 2 0 0 3 1 1

TOTAL 0 4 9 21 16 5 4 2 2 0 0 5 3 1

APPLICATIONS: DISTRIBUTION OF GRADES (per annum average previous 3 financial years —2014/2015, 2015/16 & 2016/17)

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 R* Pilot Not graded

NERC Grant projects* 0.00 0.33 1.67 3.00 0.00 0.67 1.67 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 1.33 1.00 0.00

Other academic 0.33 0.33 2.33 6.00 1.00 1.67 1.00 3.67 1.00 0.00 0.00 3.33 3.00 1.00

Students 0.00 0.00 3.67 7.00 7.00 1.00 4.00 2.67 2.00 0.33 0.33 7.67 4.00 0.00

TOTAL 0.33 0.67 7.67 16.00 8.00 3.33 6.67 6.33 3.00 0.33 0.33 12.33 8.00 1.00

PROJECTS COMPLETED (current FY – 2017/18)

10 (5) 9 8 (4) 7 6 (3) 5 (2) 4 3 (1) 2 1 (β) 0 (Reject) Pilot

NERC Grant projects* 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Other Academic 0 1 3 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2

Students 0 1 3 9 12 0 0 0 0 0 0 5

Project Funding Type (current FY – 2017/18) (select one category for each project)

Grand Total

Infrastructure PAYG

Supplement to NERC Grant * PhD Students NERC

Centre Other

NERC Grant*

PhD Students NERC Centre

Other NERC Other NERC Other

126.00 11 36 37 1 41 0 0 0 0 0

Project Funding Type (per annum average previous 3 financial years - 2014/2015, 2015/16 & 2016/17)

Grand Total

Infrastructure PAYG

Supplement to NERC Grant * PhD Students NERC

Centre Other

NERC Grant*

PhD Student NERC Centre

Other NERC Other NERC Other

126.67 16.00 28.33 42.00 3.00 37.33 0 0 0 0 0

User type (current FY – 2017/18) (include each person named on application form)

Academic NERC Centre NERC Fellows PhD Students Commercial

52 1 1 72 40

User type (per annum average previous 3 financial years - 2014/2015, 2015/16 & 2016/17)

Academic NERC Centre NERC Fellows PhD Students Commercial

49.67 2.67 5.00 69.33 37.67

OUTPUT & PERFORMANCE MEASURES (current year 2017)

Publications (by science area & type) (calendar year 2017)

SBA ES MS AS TFS EO Polar Grand Total Refereed Non-Ref/ Conf Proc PhD Theses

12 54 6 2 13 0 2 89 57 25 7

Distribution of Projects (by science areas) (FY 2017/18)

Grand Total SBA ES MS AS TFS EO Polar

126 11.00 68.55 13.80 5.00 22.45 2.50 2.70 OUTPUT & PERFORMANCE MEASURES (per annum average previous 3 years – 2014, 2015 & 2016)

Publications (by science area & type) (Calendar years 2014, 2015 & 2016)

SBA ES MS AS TFS EO Polar Grand Total Refereed Non-Ref/ Conf Proc PhD Theses

10.33 74.67 5.33 0.67 16.33 0.00 2.00 109.33 73.00 28.33 8.33

Distribution of Projects (by science areas) (FY 2014/2015, 2015/16 & 2016/17)

Grand Total SBA ES MS AS TFS EO Polar

126.67 15.317 60.867 15.050 7.683 19.117 1.433 7.200

Distribution of Projects by NERC strategic priority (current FY 2017/18)

Grand Total

Climate System

Biodiversity Earth System

Science

Sustainable Use of Natural Resources

Natural Hazards

Environment, Pollution & Human Health

Technologies

126 27.30 4.20 70.80 8.20 3.40 10.90 1.20

*Either Discovery Science (Responsive Mode) or Strategic Science (Directed Programme) grants NOTE: All metrics should be presented as whole or part of whole number NOT as a %

OVERVIEW & ACTIVITIES IN FINANCIAL YEAR (2017/18):

The NERC Isotope Geosciences Facilities Steering Committee (NIGFSC) approved 47 new projects with a mean grade of 7, together with 3 pilot projects. During the last financial year 126 projects were worked on, most of a multi-year nature, and more than 72 PhD students, Post-Doctoral Researchers and NERC Fellows received training.

GTF’s U-Pb silicate and phosphate mineral geochronology continues as its flagship activity and the focus of its international leadership along with U-series and U-Pb carbonate Quaternary dating as an important areas of growth for GTF. U-Pb silicate geochronology is developing in the areas of magmatic ore deposit and meteorite geochronology, while U-Pb carbonate work is focussing on non-tradional applications such as the dating of tectonic and fluid flow processes, building upon methodological advances in LA-MC-ICP-MS U-Th and U-Pb carbonate dating in recent years. A major informatics effort has been undertaken to develop a GTF data portal and UK Biosphere Isotope Domain portal that will allow data (published and releases) to be visible. The current version is on the BGS intranet and in 18/19 a publicly accessible version will be developed. This is part of a larger informatics GTF effort to look at developing geochronology/geochemistry functionality and federating existing data bases systems (e.g., Macrostrat, GeoDeepDive, Geobiodiversity Database) that will increase in the future. The ID-TIMS U-Pb geochronology staff and laboratory resources again operated at maximum capacity but laboratory capacity continues to be hampered by ongoing infrastructure failings particularly in the clean lab suite. These problems are increasingly leading to repeat analyses and a constant high state of vigilance regarding Pb blanks.

Environmental change and tracer research continues to develop analytical protocols for the measurement of the major element stable isotopes in particular Si, O and N. In biogeochemical cycling these are definite growth areas (phosphate oxygen in particular). Strategic applications in stable isotopes are being developed and include: research into the use of isotopes in understanding the interaction between groundwater, CO2 and methane in potential CCS/fracking lithologies; nutrient and pollution cycling using non-traditional stable isotopes; and understanding the effect of increasing atmospheric CO2 on carbon cycling in soils/lakes/oceans.

Training continues to be a priority. In addition to the hands on training for researchers involved with projects, NIGL has focussed on delivering training to a wider audience via short courses (e.g., Stable Isotope Short Course for PhD students and ECRs, November 2017, Geochronology / provenance Short Course, Nanjuing, China, October 2017). We are developing online training materials, and we deliver advanced training in isotope geochemistry and mass spectrometry through the Isotope Apprentice scheme.

SCIENCE HIGHLIGHTS. To focus on economic and societal impacts and benefits where possible:

An Early Cambrian greenhouse climate.

The oceans of the early Cambrian (~541–509 million years ago) were the setting for a dramatic diversification of animal life. However, sea temperatures – a key component of the early Cambrian marine environment – remain unconstrained, in part because of a substantial time gap in the stable oxygen isotope (δ18O) record prior to the evolution of euconodonts. Here, we show that previously overlooked sources of fossil biogenic phosphate have the potential to fill this gap. Pristine phosphatic microfossils from the Comley Limestones, UK, yield a robust δ18O signature suggesting sea surface temperatures of 20 to 25 °C at high southern paleolatitudes (~65 to 70 °S) between ~514 and 509 million years ago. These sea temperatures are consistent with the distribution of coeval evaporite and calcrete deposits, peak continental weathering rates, and also our climate model simulations for this interval. Our results support an early Cambrian greenhouse climate comparable to those of the late Mesozoic and early Cenozoic, offering a framework for exploring the interplay between biotic and environmental controls on Cambrian animal diversification. Hearing, T.W., Harvey, T.H.P, Williams, M., Leng, M.J., Lamb, A.L., Wilby, P.R., Gabbott, S.E., Pohl, A., Donnadieu, Y. 2018 An early Cambrian greenhouse climate. Science Advances in press.

Evolution of the Toarcian (Early Jurassic) carbon-cycle.

The late Early Jurassic Toarcian Stage represents the warmest interval of the Jurassic Period, with an abrupt rise in global temperatures of up to ∼7 °C in mid-latitudes at the onset of the early Toarcian Oceanic Anoxic Event (T-OAE; ∼183 Ma). The T-OAE, which has been extensively studied in marine and continental successions from both hemispheres, was marked by the widespread expansion of anoxic and euxinic waters, geographically extensive deposition of organic-rich black shales, and climatic and environmental perturbations. Climatic and environmental processes following the T-OAE are, however, poorly known, largely due to a lack of study of stratigraphically well-constrained and complete sedimentary archives. Here, we establish that the T-OAE in the hemipelagic Cardigan Bay Basin was marked by the occurrence of gravity-flow deposits that were likely linked to globally enhanced sediment fluxes to continental margins and deeper marine (shelf) basins, and explore how early Toarcian siderite formation in the Cardigan Bay Basin may have been linked to low global oceanic sulphate concentrations and elevated supply of iron (Fe) from the hinterland, in response to climatically induced changes in hydrological cycling, global weathering rates and large-scale sulphide and evaporite deposition. Xu, Weimu; Ruhl, Micha; Jenkyns, Hugh C.; Leng, Melanie J.; Huggett, Jennifer M.; Minisini, Daniel; Ullmann, Clemens V.; Riding, James B.; Weijers, Johan W.H.; Storm, Marisa S.; Percival, Lawrence M.E.; Tosca, Nicholas J.; Idiz, Erdem F.; Tegelaar, Erik W.; Hesselbo, Stephen P.. 2018 Evolution of the Toarcian (Early Jurassic) carbon-cycle and global climatic controls on local sedimentary processes (Cardigan Bay Basin, UK). Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 484. 396-411.

http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/518909/


https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=DUfsSsAr&id=7AA5DFD1EF27143BF050F3871D3CC0E0D8B3619B&thid=OIP.DUfsSsAr_8j3Ly9Haqo8ywHaJa&mediaurl=http://www.aaas.org/sites/default/files/styles/magazine_cover/public/journal_covers/journals_advances_20141028.jpg?itok%3dDinc1M7W&exph=371&expw=292&q=science+advances+journal&simid=608053700675241524&selectedIndex=1

Tree height strongly affects estimates of water-use efficiency responses to climate.

Various studies report substantial increases in intrinsic water-use efficiency (W i ), estimated using carbon isotopes in tree rings, suggesting trees are gaining increasingly more carbon per unit water lost due to increases in atmospheric CO2. Usually, reconstructions do not, however, correct for the effect of intrinsic developmental changes in W i as trees grow larger. Here we show, by comparing W i across varying tree sizes at one CO2 level, that ignoring such developmental effects can severely affect inferences of trees’ W i . W i doubled or even tripled over a trees’ lifespan in three broadleaf species due to changes in tree height and light availability alone, and there are also weak trends for Pine trees. Developmental trends in broadleaf species are as large as the trends previously assigned to CO2 and climate. Credible future tree ring isotope studies require explicit accounting for species-specific developmental effects before CO2 and climate effects are inferred. Brienen, R.J.W.; Gloor, E.; Clerici, S.; Newton, R.; Arppe, L.; Boom, A.; Bottrell, S.; Callaghan, M.; Heaton, T.; Helama, S.; Helle, G.; Leng, M.J.; Mielikäinen, K.; Oinonen, M.; Timonen, M.. 2017 Tree height strongly affects estimates of water-use efficiency responses to climate and CO2 using isotopes. Nature Communications, 8 (1), 288.

A late Quaternary record of seasonal sea surface temperatures off southern Africa. The southern Cape coastal region is important for understanding both the behavioural history of modern humans, and regional and global climate dynamics, because it boasts a long archaeological record and occupies a key geographical location near the intersection of two major oceans. The western boundary Agulhas Current, implicated in global heat exchange dynamics, is an important modulator of southern African climates and yet we understand its past behaviour only broadly as the Current itself scours the coastal shelf and marine sediment core records necessarily provide little detail. Numerous archaeological sites from both the late Pleistocene and Holocene provide the opportunity for reconstruction of near-shore seasonal SST records, which respond both to localized wind-driven upwellings and Agulhas temperature shifts, corresponding in turn with terrestrial precipitation trends in the near-coastal and summer rainfall regions. Here we present a record of seasonal SSTs extending over MIS5, MIS4, and the Holocene, from serial δ18O measurements of a single gastropod species, Turbo sarmaticus. The results show that mean SST shifts accord well with global SST trends, although they are larger than those recorded in the Agulhas Current from coarser-scale marine sediment records. Comparison with a record of Antarctic sea-ice suggests that annual SST amplitude responds to Antarctic sea-ice extent, reflecting the positioning of the regional wind systems that drive upwelling dynamics along the coast. Thus, near-shore SST seasonality reflects the relative dominance of the westerly and easterly wind systems. These data provide a new climate archive for an important but understudied climate system. Percival, L M, Cohen, A S, Loftus, E.; Sealy, J.; Leng, M.J.; Lee-Thorp, J.A.. 2017 A late Quaternary record of seasonal sea surface temperatures off southern Africa. Quaternary Science Reviews, 171. 73-84.

A new high-resolution chronology for the late Maastrichtian warming event.

The late Maastrichtian warming event was defined by a global temperature increase of ∼2.5–5 °C that occurred ∼150–300 k.y. before the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) mass extinction. This transient warming event has traditionally been associated with a major pulse of Deccan Traps (west-central India) volcanism; however, large uncertainties associated with radiogenic dating methods have long hampered a definitive correlation. Here we present a new high-resolution, single species, benthic stable isotope record from the South Atlantic, calibrated to an updated orbitally tuned age model, to provide a revised chronology of the event, which we then correlate to the latest radiogenic dates of the main Deccan Traps eruption phases. Our data reveal that the initiation of deep-sea warming coincides, within uncertainty, with the onset of the main phase of Deccan volcanism, strongly suggesting a causal link. The onset of deep-sea warming is synchronous with a 405 k.y. eccentricity minimum, excluding a control by orbital forcing alone, although amplified carbon cycle sensitivity to orbital precession is evident during the greenhouse warming. A more precise understanding of Deccan-induced climate change paves the way for future work focusing on the fundamental role of these precursor climate shifts in the K-Pg mass extinction. Barnet, James S.K.; Littler, Kate; Kroon, Dick; Leng, Melanie J.; Westerhold, Thomas; Röhl, Ursula; Zachos, James C.. 2017 A new high-resolution chronology for the late Maastrichtian warming event: establishing robust temporal links with the onset of Deccan volcanism. Geology, 46 (2). 147-150.

Tracking natural and anthropogenic Pb exposure to its geological source Humans have been exposed to lead (Pb) throughout their history from two sources: (i) natural uptake through ingestion of soils typified by populations that predate mining and (ii) anthropogenic exposure, caused by the exposure to Pb derived from ore deposits. Currently, the measured concentration of Pb within a sample is used to discriminate between these two exposure routes, with the upper limit for natural exposure in skeletal studies given as 0.5/ 0.7ppm in enamel, and 0.5/0.7 μg/dL in blood. This threshold approach to categorizing Pb exposure cannot distinguish between the geological origins of exposure types. However, Pb isotopes provide a means of discriminating between the source types. Whereas Pb from soil displays a crustal

average 238U/204Pb () value of c 9.7, Pb from ore displays a much wider range of evolution pathways. These characteristics are transferred into tooth enamel, making it possible to characterize human Pb exposure in terms of the primary source of ingested Pb and to relate mining activity to geotectonic domains. We surmise that this ability to discriminate between silicate and sulphide Pb exposure will lead to a better understanding of the development of early human mining activity and development of exposure models through the Anthropocene. Evans, J., V. Pashley, R. Madgwick, S. Neil and C. Chenery (2018). 2018 Tracking natural and anthropogenic Pb exposure to its geological source. Nature: Scientific Reports 8(1): 1969.



https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/quaternary-science-reviews

Ichnological evidence for meiofaunal bilaterians from the Ediacaran–Cambrian transition of Brazil The evolutionary events during 36 the Ediacaran–Cambrian transition (~541 Ma) are unparalleled in

Earth history. The fossil record suggests that most extant animal phyla appeared in a geologically

brief interval, with the oldest unequivocal bilaterian body fossils found in early Cambrian. Molecular

clocks and biomarkers provide independent estimates for the timing of animal origins, and both

suggest a cryptic Neoproterozoic history for Metazoa that extends considerably beyond the

Cambrian fossil record. We report an assemblage of ichnofossils from Ediacaran–Cambrian

siltstones in Brazil, alongside U-Pb radioisotopic dates that constrain the age of the oldest

specimens to 555–542 Ma. X-ray microtomography reveals three-dimensionally preserved traces

ranging from 50–600μm in diameter, indicative of small-bodied, meiofaunal tracemakers. Burrow

morphologies suggest they were created by a nematoid-like organism that utilised undulating

locomotion to move through the sediment. This assemblage demonstrates animal-sediment

interactions in the latest Ediacaran Period, and provides the oldest known fossil evidence for

meiofaunal bilaterians. Our discovery highlights meiofaunal ichnofossils as a hitherto unexplored window for tracking animal

evolution in deep time, and reveals that both meiofaunal and macrofaunal bilaterians began to explore infaunal niches during

the late Ediacaran

Parry, Luke ; Boggiani, Paulo C. ; Condon, Daniel ; Garwood, Russell ; de M. Leme, Juliana ; McIlroy, Duncan ; Brasier , Martin D ; Trindade, Ricardo ; Campanha, Ginaldo A. C. ; Pacheco, Mírian L. A. F. ; Diniz, Cleber Q. C. ; Liu, Alexander G. ; Liu, Alexander G./ Ichnological evidence for meiofaunal bilaterians from the Ediacaran–Cambrian transition of Brazil. In: Nature Ecology & Evolution . 2017 ; Vol. 1. pp. 1455-1464

Reducing Disparity in Radio‐Isotopic and Astrochronology‐Based Time Scales of the Late Eocene and Oligocene. A significant discrepancy of up to 0.6 Myr exists between radio‐isotopically calibrated and astronomically tuned time scales of the late Eocene‐Oligocene. We explore the possible causes of this discrepancy through the acquisition of “high‐precision” 206Pb/238U dating of zircons from 11 volcanic ash beds from the Umbria‐Marche sedimentary succession, which hosts the Global Stratotype Section and Point for the base of the Oligocene. Our results indicate that the four 40Ar/39Ar dates from the Umbria‐Marche succession, which underpin the late Eocene‐Oligocene portion of the Paleogene geomagnetic polarity

time scale in the 2012 edition of the Geological Time Scale, are anomalously old by up to 0.5 Myr. Conversely, when integrated with the established magnetic polarity record of the Umbria‐Marche succession, 206Pb/238U (zircon) data from this study result in Oligocene magnetic reversal ages that are generally equivalent to those obtained through the tuning of Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Site 1218 (equatorial Pacific). Furthermore, our results indicate that the late Eocene tuning of ODP Site 1218, and International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Sites U1333–1334 (equatorial Pacific), to the 405 kyr eccentricity signal is accurate, at least back to 36 Ma. Propagating the full uncertainty of our radio‐isotopic data set and, where appropriate, taking into account locally derived astronomical time scales, we arrive at an age of 34.09 ± 0.08 Ma for the Eocene‐Oligocene boundary and 28.11 ± 0.17 Ma for the base of the Chattian. D Sahy, DJ Condon, FJ Hilgen, KF Kuiper, 2017, Reducing Disparity in Radio‐Isotopic and Astrochronology‐Based Time Scales of the Late Eocene and Oligocene, Paleoceanography.

Geology of the Don Manuel igneous complex, central Chile: Implications for igneous processes in porphyry copper systems. The Don Manuel igneous complex and associated porphyry copper mineralization in the Andean Cordillera of central Chile demonstrate similarities between intrusive complexes associated with porphyry copper deposits and arc volcanoes that generate porphyritic volcanics. The Don Manuel igneous complex intrusions progressed from quartz monzonite through rhyolite and biotite tonalite to intermediate porphyritic and basaltic andesite dikes, which intrude the older units. Mineralization is associated with the biotite tonalite and intermediate porphyries, which also contain the greatest abundance of mafic enclaves. Zoning patterns within plagioclase phenocrysts suggest that the later intermediate porphyries comprise a hybridized suite formed by magma mixing. New zircon U-Pb ages and whole-rock Ar-Ar ages indicate that the Don Manuel igneous complex was emplaced between ca. 4 and 3.6 Ma. The time scale for the episodic intrusion of the Don Manuel igneous complex units is similar to observed episodicity of eruption and degassing events in active arc volcanoes. Observations from the Don Manuel igneous complex are consistent with the close spatial and temporal association of mineralization with episodic intrusion and interaction between silicic and mafic magmas during emplacement. The observations are also consistent with the hypothesis that mafic magma provides a source of sulfur for porphyry copper deposit formation. Amy K. Gilmer, R.S.J. Sparks, Alison C. Rust, Simon Tapster, Adam D. Webb, Dan N. Barfod, 2017, Geology of the Don Manuel igneous complex, central Chile: Implications for igneous processes in porphyry copper systems. GSA Bulletin v. 129 (7-8): 920-946.

The initiation and evolution of the River Nile The Nile is generally regarded as the longest river in the world. Knowledge of the timing of the Nile's initiation as a major river is important to a number of research questions. For example, the timing of the river's establishment as a catchment of continental proportions can be used to document surface uplift of its Ethiopian upland drainage, with implications for constraining rift tectonics. Furthermore, the time of major freshwater input to the Mediterranean is considered to be an important factor in the development of sapropels. Yet the river's initiation as a major drainage is currently constrained no more precisely than Eocene to Pleistocene. We use a range of techniques to show that sediments were derived from Phanerozoic sedimentary rocks that blanket North Africa, Arabian–Nubian Shield basement

FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS/STRATEGIC FORWARD LOOK

The stable isotope programme continues to focus on the environment, in particular climate change with increasing importance on the Anthropocene and the modern calibration period. Using stable isotopes as tracers in modern pollution studies and the hydrological cycle is becoming a more critical issue with enhanced emphasis on human impact on the environment, resource security and environment and health. Strategic applications in stable isotopes will be/are being developed and include: research into the use of stable isotopes in understanding the interaction between groundwater, CO2 and methane in potential CCS/fracking lithologies; nutrient and pollution cycling using non-traditional stable isotopes; and understanding the effect of increasing atmospheric CO2 on carbon cycling in soils/lakes/oceans. Developing methodologies around the use of biogenic silica in environmental change and biogeochemical cycling of phosphate and nitrates is still a priority given the leadership NIGL has in these areas.

The Geochronology and Isotope Tracers programme will continue to have a breadth of geoscience and environmental applications, ranging from the chronology of planet formation to using isotope tracers and chronology to inform other fluid-rock interaction topics (radioactive waste, unconventional hydrocarbons). Both high-precision/accuracy ID-TIMS and high-spatial resolution LA-ICP-MS U-Pb geochronology demand is continuing in a wide variety of fields, from planetary evolution to fluid-rock interaction and recent environmental change. Ongoing efforts have seen an increase in demand in the following areas: mineralisation, with a number of projects related to Cu porphyry systems underway including UK academic (including a funded a NERC Directed Grant starting 2017); detrital minerals as tracers of landscape evolution; and using geochronology to constrain records of ‘Earth System’ evolution (including two funded a NERC Directed Grant underway). Data systems is an area where future effort will be expended – we have begun strategic partnerships with groups in the US (EARTHTCHEM, GeoDeepDive and Macrostrat) and China (the Geobiodiversity Database), developing geochronology and isotope funcationality within these systems, and their federation, as well as developing a GTF data portal and new tools. Analytcial developments are focussed developing and testing the limits of micro-analytical isotopic and trace element techniques, coupled with geochronology – a frontier research area that is being developed through a NERC iCASE studentship awarded NIGL and University of Leicester. Community initiatives continue to be a priority and GTF play a lead role in the development of Phase II of the EARTHTIME Initiative, with specific activies including the co-convening of a Geochronology themed Gordon Research Confierence (August 2019), the successful application for a geochronology division within the GSA, contribution to a series of geochronology ‘best parcice’ papers to be published in the GSA Bulletin, as well as the informatics initiaitves centred on standardisation and facilitiating open access for isotope data.

Training will continue to be a top priority. The established programme of isotope apprenticeships will continue to provide hands on training for appropriately motivated candidates wishing to pursue a career in some aspect of mass spectrometry, and we anticipate that effort to be oversubscribed. We are currently seeking to augment this with NERC DTP studenships that are hosted at NIGL.

Non-Mandatory Facility-specific OPMs: utilisation, allocation of capacity etc See Attached Annexes.

terranes, and Ethiopian CFB's. We see no significant input from Archaean cratons supplied directly via the White Nile in any of our samples. Whilst there are subtle differences between our Nile delta samples from the Oligocene and Pliocene compared to those from the Miocene and Pleistocene, the overall stability of our signal throughout the delta record, and its similarity to the modern Nile signature, indicates no major change in the Nile's drainage from Oligocene to present day.. Fielding, L.D., Najman, Y., Millar, I.L., Butterworth, P., Garzanti, E., Vezzoli, G., Barfod, D. & Kneller, B. (2018). The initiation and evolution of the river Nile. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 489, 166-178. (Also reported in article in New Scientist, April 2018).

1

NATURAL ENVIRONMENT RESEARCH COUNCIL

ISOTOPE GEOSCIENCES LABORATORY

ANNUAL REPORT

for the period

1ST APRIL 2017 to 31ST MARCH 2018

Dr D J Condon, Science Director NIGL Geochronology & Tracers Facility (NIGL-GTF)

Prof M J Leng, Science Director NIGL Stable Isotope Facility (NIGL-SIF)

12 February 2019

NERC/IF/438 Contents

Annex 1: Mission Statement 2017-18 ............................................................................................................. 3

Annex 2: Steering Committee membership and Terms of Reference 2017-18 .............................................. 4

Annex 3: Equipment Inventory 2017-18 ......................................................................................................... 7

Annex 4: Future Developments 2017-18 ...................................................................................................... 10

4.1 Stable Isotope Facility ..................................................................................................................... 10

4.3 Training ........................................................................................................................................... 11

Annex 5: Summary of Performance Information 2017-18 ........................................................................... 12

5.1 NIGFSC Applications received ....................................................................................................... 12

5.2 NIGFSC Applications supported expressed as % of α grade science ............................................. 16

5.3 Distribution of supported grade projects by Science Areas ............................................................ 17

5.4 Distribution of supported grade projects related to Science Priority Areas ................................... 17

Annex 6: Publications ................................................................................................................................... 18

6.1 Journal Articles and Book Chapters 2017 ...................................................................................... 18

6.2 Journal Articles and Book Chapters January-April 2018 ............................................................... 21

Annex 7: Targets & Milestones (Facility Reports) ........................................................................................ 24

7.1 Stable Isotope Mass Spectrometry................................................................................................... 24

7.2 Plasma Ionisation and Thermal Ionisation Mass Spectrometry ..................................................... 26

Annex 8 Finance 2017-18 .............................................................................................................................. 28

Annex 9: Service Management ..................................................................................................................... 29

Annex 10: OPMs not covered elsewhere 2017-18 ......................................................................................... 31

Annex 11: Projects supported 2017-18 .......................................................................................................... 33

Annex 12: Visiting Scientists and Students 2017-18 ..................................................................................... 46

Annex 13: Training ........................................................................................................................................ 48

Annex 14: Method Development ................................................................................................................... 50

Annex 15: Infrastructure Issues ..................................................................................................................... 51

3

Annex 1: Mission Statement 2017-18

To provide isotopic analysis and scientific support, through collaborative research endeavours, to scientists within the UK academic community in line with NERC's policy on improving quality of life and wealth creation;

To provide isotopic analysis and scientific support to NERC institutes engaged in science budget or commissioned research and allied activities;

To provide training in isotope analysis and interpretation techniques to postgraduate students at UK universities and other institutions of higher learning;

To promote awareness of the application of appropriate isotope systems to the earth and environmental science community;

Within a collaborative research environment, to make NIGL facilities and training in their use available to NERC institute staff and UK academics (including their research personnel), to undertake their own analytical work for their research programme;

To undertake research and development into the application of isotopic analytical techniques to the earth and environmental sciences in order to provide state of the art methods and to meet evolving requirements of NERC user communities.

In order to achieve its objectives NIGL will:

Monitor user satisfaction on a regular basis;

Maintain its equipment and monitor its performance using Quality Assurance and Quality Control procedures;

Work with HEI and NERC Institute colleagues to promote only the best science, through development of projects aimed at peer review via the NERC Isotope Geosciences Facilities Steering Committee;

Maintain relevant technical and scientific documentation and make it available to visiting scientists;

Maintain a high professional level of staff, including, when appropriate, the initiation of research by NIGL staff in the framework described above;

Inform the users' community of development in methodologies and applications and maintain an awareness of the users' requirements;

Disseminate such information to the scientific community via publications, conference presentations, seminars, etc.;

Seek commissioned research to supplement the Science Budget allocation.

User Communities:

The NERC Isotope Geosciences Laboratory exists to provide specialised research facilities for earth and environmental scientists in NERC institutes and the UK Higher Education sector. The research of the facility is relevant to the sustainable development, the educational sector, and the wider governmental and industrial community concerned with the implications of climate change and natural resource issues.

Annex 2: Steering Committee membership and Terms of Reference 2017-18

2.1 Steering Committee Membership and Fields of Expertise

Chairman: Prof Ian Fairchild School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham. Field of expertise: Low temperature geochemistry; carbonates and aqueous geochemistry. Members: Dr Jason Harvey School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds. Field of expertise: Mantle geochemistry, geochronology, boron isotopes in high temperature geochemistry, Igneous and metamorphic geochemistry. Dr A Henderson School of Geography, Politics and Sociology, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne. Field of expertise: Palaeoclimatology, lake and marine environments, stable isotopes in

carbonates, diatoms and organic matter. Dr J Pike School of Earth & Ocean Sciences, University of Cardiff, Cardiff. Field of expertise: Palaeoceanography, marine environments, stable isotopes in diatoms. Dr Tamsin O’Connell Department of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge. Field of expertise: Archaeological science, stable isotopes in terrestrial (palaeo)environments. Prof S Roberts Ocean and Earth Science, National Oceanography Centre Southampton. Field of expertise: Stable isotopes, hydrothermal systems and ore formation. Dr L Robinson School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol. Field of expertise: Low temperature isotope geochemistry , proxy development, chemical

oceanography, paleoceanography & paleoclimate, Quaternary Geochronology.

Prof U Schaltegger Dept. of Earth Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva Switzerland Field of expertise: Radiogenic isotope geochemistry, secular equilibrium geochronology,

applications to solid rock geology and stratigraphy. Dr Peter Wynn Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster. Field of expertise: Low temperature isotope geochemistry in contemporary biogeochemical

cycling and palaeoclimate studies. Ex-officio: Prof A Boyce Manager, Isotope Community Support Facility, Scottish Universities

Environmental Research Centre, East Kilbride, Glasgow. Dr D J Condon Science Director, NIGL Geochronology & Tracers Facility, NERC

Isotope Geosciences Laboratory, British Geological Survey, Keyworth, Nottingham.

Dr A Gardner Manager, ES Facilities Management Team, British Geological Survey,

Keyworth, Nottingham.

Prof M J Leng Science Director, NIGL Stable Isotope Facility & Centre for Environmental Geochemistry, NERC Isotope Geosciences Laboratory, British Geological

Survey, Keyworth, Nottingham.

Dr D Mark Head, Argon Isotope Facility, Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre, East Kilbride, Glasgow.

Prof R R Parrish Director, NERC Isotope Geoscience Services & Facilities (NIGSF), (Until May 2017) British Geological Survey, Keyworth, Nottingham. Secretary: Dr I L Millar NIGL Geochronology & Tracers Facility, NERC Isotope Geosciences (Until May 2017) Laboratory, British Geological Survey, Keyworth, Nottingham. Dr D Sahy NIGL Geochronology & Tracers Facility, NERC Isotope Geosciences (Since Nov 2017) Laboratory, British Geological Survey, Keyworth, Nottingham. Administration: Mrs B I Bullock-von Moos NIGL Geochronology & Tracers Facility, NERC Isotope Geosciences Laboratory, British Geological Survey, Keyworth, Nottingham.

2.2 Remit

The NERC Isotope Geosciences Facilities Steering Committee exists to:

review applications for usage of the NERC Isotope Geosciences Laboratory (NIGL-GTF & NIGL-

SIF), the Argon Isotope Facility (AIF) and the Isotope Community Support Facility (ICSF), and for

usage of the Cosmogenic Isotope Analysis Facility (CIAF) via the CIAF sub-committee.

monitor outputs from the four Facilities;

provide advice to BGS Director and NERC Director of Science and Innovation on aspects of the

operations of the Facilities.

BGS Director and NERC Director of Science and Innovation, in turn, provide advice to the NERC executive on Services and Facilities relevant to their remit. 2.3 Terms of Reference for the NIGFSC

1. To review applications and establish priorities for the Heads of the Facilities, for the allocation of the

facilities' resources funded from the Services and Facilities Science Budget, taking into account recommendations made through the NERC peer-review mechanisms.

2. To review the scientific quality of work undertaken by users of the Facilities, based on reports and

publications. 3. To analyse the user-bases of Facilities and monitor the levels of user-satisfaction

4. To give guidance to the Heads of Facility on improving facility infrastructure and service. 5. To receive and comment upon the annual report from each Head of Facility, before it is submitted to

NERC Swindon Office. To report annually to the BGS Director and NERC Director of Science and Innovation and to provide advice at other times as appropriate.

6. To advise BGS Director and NERC Director of Science and Innovation on:

a. the level and direction of the internal R&D programme for the Facility; b. anticipated changes in requirements from the Facility and the consequential anticipated

levels of future demand for the Facility; c. other matters as appropriate.

Membership constraints Membership of the Committee will be decided by the head of Earth Science (ES) Services and Facilities at BGS with any advice and suggestions from the Committee itself. It will include the Superintending Officers of the Facilities and a representative from the ES Facilities Management Team at BGS. Members, other than ex-officio members will be invited to serve for a term of up to four years, with a maximum extension of a further two years. The Chairperson will serve a maximum of four years.

7

Annex 3: Equipment Inventory 2017-18

a) items under £10K are not classed as assets and hence no asset number will be allocated

b) Items over £10K purchased during the reporting period are usually allocated during the next financial year

Date Item Manufacturer Asset No Cost £

Extraction Lines

1989 Extraction lines, fluorination, for silicate O and Si NIGL 7838 90,000

1990 Extraction line, carbonate NIGL 11231 7,000

1990 Extraction line, vacuum (was nitrogen) NIGL 11233 10,000

1991 Extraction line, vacuum, mini NIGL 11234 11,000

Laboratory Equipment

1995 Centrifuge (Megafuge 1.0) Heraeus 4474 3,917

2001 Gds style panel HAC Technical Gas N/A 2,097

2001 Fume extraction Dustraction Ltd 111240 3,019

2001 Gas cabinet and manifold BOC 109782 6,078

2003 Induction generator Stanelco 114427 13,037

2007 CEM MARSXpress microwave CEM 118314 14,497

2007 Micromill New Wave 118639 23,913

2008 Elemental analyser ECS4010 Costech 119782 24,969

2008 Plasma Asher K1050X Emitech 119575 15,381

2016 DST-1000 Acid Still Savillex N/A 4,355



2017 Milli-Q Water Purification System Millipore Outstanding 20,628

2016 Shaking water bath Grant Scientific N/A 3,135

Laser Systems

1989 Microscope Leica 7843 14,000

2005 Laser ablation system 193nm UV (UP193 SS) New Wave 116626 117,500

2009 Laser ablation system 193nm UV (UP193 FX) New Wave 121473 167,000

2014 Laser ablation system 193nm UV (NWR193UC) New Wave 186212 155,000

Mass Spectrometer Peripherals

1989 Isoprep 18 upgrade VG 11226 80,000

1995 Turbomolecular pump Balzers 7722 5,251

2000 Desolvating nebulizer (Aridus) Cetec 107240 14,256

2007 Liquid autosampler HT300A Eurovector 118515 6,404

2008 Desolvating Nebuliser DSN/100 Nu Instruments 120277 7,990

2013 APEX Nebuliser ESI 173510 11,040

2014 Desolvating Nebuliser (Aridus II) Cetac 186551 12,000

Mass Spectrometers

1990 Mass Spectrometer, thermal ionisation (MAT262) Finnigan Mat 392 350,000

1993 Mass Spectrometer, stable isotope (Optima) + Manifold VG 750 136,770

1993 Mass Spectrometer, stable isotope (Optima) + EA/IsoCARB VG 751 162,495

2001 Mass Spectrometer, stable isotope (Delta Plus+Conflo+Flash EA+TC/EA)

Thermo-Finnigan 110760 107,891

2002 Mass Spectrometer, stable isotope (Dual inlet Isoprime with Multiprep)

GV Instruments 113732 172,725

2003 Mass Spectrometer, thermal ionisation (Triton) Thermo-Finnigan 115000 414,000

2004 Mass Spectrometer, stable isotope (MAT253) Finnigan Mat 115911 221,785

2005 Mass Spectrometer, thermal ionisation (Triton) Thermo-Electron 116592 395,102

2005 Mass Spectrometer, multicollector ICP (Nu Plasma) Nu Instruments 116182 326,062

2007 Mass Spectrometer, stable isotope (Isoprime + Europyroh + Ref gas box)

GVI 113132 96,548

2008 Mass Spectrometer, single collector sector field (ATTOM) NU Instruments 116182 191,525

2010 Mass Spectrometer, multi collector ICP-MS, NEPTUNE+ Thermo-Electron 124650 550,000

2011 Mass Spectrometer, stable isotope (Multiprep + Megatray + multiple collectors for clumped isotopes)

IsoPrime 152533 250,000

2014 Mass Spectrometer, stable isotope (Dual inlet Isoprime with Multiprep)

GVI 176233 158,613

2017 Triton Mass Spectrometer, upgrade Thermo Fisher Scientific

Outstanding 70,000

2018 Mass Spectrometer, stable isotope (ISOLink + Delta XL) Thermo Fisher Scientific

Outstanding 150,000

Microbalances

1992 Microbalance (M5P) Sartorius 575 7,481

2001 Microbalance Progen Scientific 109420 7,667

2004 Microbalance (CP2P) Sartorius 115093 7,344

2007 Microbalance (M2P) Sartorius 04693 &

30024 8,000

2008 Microbalance, Sartorius CPAZP Sartorius 120214 8,043

Microscopes

1990 Petrographic microscope Leica 7840 5,000

1991 Binocular microscope (SMZ-10) Nikon 417 3,854

1997 Binocular microscope (SMZ-U) Nikon 11723 5,463

1997 Binocular microscope (SMZ-U) Nikon 12262 5,463

2002 Petrographic microscope/digital camera (Eclipse) Nikon 111540 15,653



2009 Inverted binocular microscope + micromanipulator Zeiss 121453 22,000

Miscellaneous

2003 Autosampler, zero-blank (Costech) Pelican Scientific 110760 5,630

2003 Lens stack and sample turret for Triton MS Thermo-Finnigan 392 10,904

2009 Chiller (Intercooler 2p/2s) Polyscience N/A 6,750

Sample Preparation

1989 Magnetic separator (Magnetic barrier separator) Frantz 11242 3,500

1989 Magnetic Separator (Magstream) Intermagnetics 7844 22,900

1989 Disk mill Fritsch 11244 3,000

2013 Diamond Wire Saw Well 170590 29,309

1991 Mineral separation table (Gemini) Gisco 7845 4,400

1997 Mortar, tungsten carbide Torrington 11340 3,895

2003 Freezer mill Spex 114015 11,883

2004 Jaw Crusher (Pulverisette Model II) Fritsch 114763 8,762

2004 Freeze drier (Alpha 1-4) Christ 115707 8,135

2013 Christ Alpha 1-4 LD freeze drier) Sciquip Ltd Outstanding 8,331

Annex 4: Future Developments 2017-18

The 2017-18 year was the ninth year of NIGL’s current funding term, which was renewed in 2008. Capabilities still cover three main science areas: environmental change; geochronology and tracers; and science-based archaeology. The Stable Isotope Facility continues to develop, particularly in the fields of biogenic silica isotopes and biogeochemical cycling and their application to environmental research. The chronology capability has continued to develop U-series and Quaternary U-Pb dating techniques, with combined isotope dilution and laser ablation methodologies becoming a particularly important development area. Training of both students and research fellows has always been at the core of NIGL’s remit and we continue to develop this through the apprenticeship scheme, short courses and other training materials. Demand for isotope support remains very strong. Below are more details on future developments.

4.1 Stable Isotope Facility

Five areas are being targeted for future growth:

(1). Develop research into the use of isotopes in understanding the interaction between groundwater, CO2 and methane in potential CCS/fracking lithologies. Establishing natural baselines as well as using isotopes to inform on origins and reactions of the gases. We have secured an agreement with Sercon to acquire a loan instrument to develop the on-line analysis of atmospheric concentration of 2H/1H and 13C/12C in natural CH4. This prototype instrumentation is due early in 2018/19 and will be the only automated system in the UK. Precision (0.5‰ on >2nmol CH4) (2) Understanding the effect of increasing atmospheric CO2 on carbon cycling in soils/lakes/oceans. Target large wetland areas (i.e. in Panama) and use isotopes to understand the current carbon cycling (source/sink) and differences in the past under different climates (characterise global scale wetlands with remote sensing). This will require capital investment. (3) Nutrient and pollution cycling using non-traditional stable isotopes. In particular to develop the use of phosphate oxygen isotopes in understanding provenance and flow paths of anthropogenic phosphates. (4) Continue to develop the science and measurement of biogenic silica, oxygen and silicon in the polar regions as proxies for ice-cap melting, freshwater influx into the oceans, reorganisation of ocean currents and changes in the ocean productivity. Nearly a decade has been spent developing international status in the biogenic silica isotopes but there are still method development issues around silica maturation and condensation, post mortem exchange, vital effects. (5) Science-based Archaeology. Broaden the range of isotopes to include hydrogen isotopes which provide environmental, migration, and diet information from organic materials (bone collagen, hair, feathers, nails). With fewer physiological/metabolic processes influencing hydrogen isotopes, they are a useful adjunct to oxygen isotopes. Requires capital investment.

4.2 Geochronology and Tracers Facility

(1) Mineral deposit geochronology and isotope geochemistry is an area of increasing, and overlapping, academic, research centre, and industry interest and an area where geochronology and tracer isotopes provide important constraint. NIGL has developed collaboration with a number of UK and international groups and this is a growing area of application. In addition to NIGFSC support (mainly related to PhD research) future work will be supported by industry and NERC (FAMOS consortium grant award (partner) 2017). One area for future work is increased collaboration with AIF and ICSF through increased number of joint projects; (2) Stratigraphic records of biologic and environmental change. This is a long-standing area of expertise with sustained requirement from the UK user community with interest in timescales from the Holocene to the Paleoproterozoic. In conjunction with our EARTHTIME work, the application of U-Pb and U-Th geochronology to the stratigraphic record is an area of continued international leadership. Two NERC (BETR) grants have recently been awarded in this area of research; (3) Sea-floor geochronology and tracers is a recently developed application area for NIGL GTF but rapidly growing. This science area is focussed on the chronology of sea-floor deposits that can be dated by U-Th methods (e.g., deep water corals and methane derived authigenic carbonates, MDACs). An issue with such projects is access to samples and we are working with partners in Norway and the US to build collaboration and access to unique sample sets, and to include other UK interested parties. (4) Tectonics and Crustal evolution is an ongoing research topic with strong UK leadership. Future projects in this area will continue to provide excellent student training opportunities and are increasingly connected to mineral systems research (see above), basin evolution or geomorphic evolution; (5) Planetary evolution. This is a minor area in terms of number of samples but is required to support UK researchers engaged in early Solar System research. NIGL are co-leading standardisation experiments for U-Pb dating of meteorites and a NERC funded student (with Bristol University and NHM) which is in its early phases having started in Oct 2015; (6) EARTHTIME leadership. NIGL continues to drive the EARTHTIME Initiative in its broadest sense, leading efforts for calibration, standardisation and development of best practices for the U-Th-Pb systems, working with a number of other internationally leading geochronology facilities. Future efforts are expected to include quantitative integration of the U-Pb system with Re-Os and 40Ar/39Ar systems (NERC iCASE studentship). (7) Environmental change research continues with projects focussed on Si isotope analysis of seawater and investigating the role of mangrove swamps in Si cycling, in conjunction with NIGL-SIF. (8) Environmental Tracers. This work will continue to develop through the use of isotope tracers for biospheric mapping using contemporary and historic samples (Pb, U, Sr, etc). Associated BGS interests in environmental monitoring will see an increased development in this area although the amount of NIGFSC overlaps is unknown.

(9) Geochronology Informatics. As outlined above, this is an area of growing effort with the potential to impact beyond the direct GTF user community.

4.3 Training

NIGL will continue to focus on high-quality training of early stage researchers through a variety of mechanisms. A proven effective approach is through supervision of PhD students for the part of their research that requires the isotope and analytical expertise at NIGL. 5 new BUFI Students and 4 NERC DTP PhD Students (including 1 hosted) started working within NIGL during 2017-18.

In addition to these ‘hands on’ experiences NIGL contributes to a series of supporting short courses and other training materials and this continues to be developed. NIGL staff will continue to work with NIGF and HEI based partners to develop a semi-coordinated strategy for isotope geochemistry training related to NERC DTPs (ie the Stable Isotope Short Course held in November of each year). A website has been established - http://www.geochemistrytraining.org/.

4.4 Staff issues

Dr Nicola Atkinson had to prolong her maternity leave due to ill health. She will start a progressive return to work starting June 2018.

Lewis Banks from the University of Leicester joined the GTF team on 25Sept17 to work on his NERC PhD. He will be based working at BGS-GTF for the next 2-3 years.

Joshua Bright will completed his student placement with GTF at the end of July 2018. For the following academic year he will return to the University of Surrey to finish his MSc degree in Chemistry.

Beatrice Bullock-von Moos was absent for three and a half months due to ill health. She has made a full recovery and returned back to full-time work mid December 2018.

Mrs Carolyn Chenery’s HRA status has been renewed for 12 month (ending 05 Jan 2019).

Mr Hairuo Fu from the China University of Geosciences, Beijing, PR China worked for four months as an unpaid visitor in the GTF laboratories. At the end of March 2018 Hairuo returned to China to complete his MSc degree and will begin his PhD studies at Harvard University, USA, August 2018.

Dr Jack Lacey completed his second year of the Isotope Apprenticeship at the end of August 2017. Due to his successful application as a full time Isotope Support Scientist Dr Lacey is now a permanent SIF team member.

Ms Roisin Mooney from the University of Waikato, New Zealand has successfully completed her one year student placement with GTF. At the end of Feb 2018 Roisin returned to New Zealand to finish her MSc degree at the University of Waikato.

Dr Virginia Panizzo completed her final year of her 3 year University of Nottingham-NIGL based Anne-MacLaren Fellowship to investigate Si cycling in Asian wetlands on 31st March 2018.

Mr Kenneth J Orr from the University of Leeds worked for three months as an unpaid visitor in the GTF laboratories. On 16 February 2018 and will commence a PhD at Curtin Unviersity, Australia starting August 2018.

Mrs Lauren Selby, BGS Staff, Band 7, Isotope Support Scientist joined GTF temporarily in Aug 2017. Due to increased demand for her technical skills she became a permanent team member at the beginning of Nov 2017.

http://www.geochemistrytraining.org/

Annex 5: Summary of Performance Information 2017-18

5.1 NIGFSC Applications received

NIGFSC No

PI Name Institution Title Funding Source Awarded Grade

IP-1701-0517

Dr P Anand The Open University, Milton Keynes

Reconstructing the sensitivity of Indian Summer Monsoon runoff to climate forcing

NERC Studentship NE/L002493/1

6

IP-1702-0517

Dr T Aze University of Leeds

Death in the Oceans: extinction risk in the marine realm


4

IP-1703-0517

Prof J Barclay University of East Anglia

Constraining the evolution of magmatism at Soufrière Hills Volcano, Montserrat through zircon geochronology and apatite isotope geochemistry.

NERC Academic NE/P016014/1 NE/P015719/1 ES MECD/PRXl6/00151 EU MSCA/749611 NE/J020052/1

R*

IP-1704-0517

Dr N E Barrand

University of Birmingham

Glacial and hydrological change in the deglaciating Virkisá river catchment, Iceland


6

IP-1705-0517

Dr J Bendle University of Birmingham

What drove the late Miocene C4 plant expansion in Southern Asia?


7

IP-1706-0517

Dr J Boyle University of Liverpool

The palaeoenvironmental value of the phosphate oxygen record in characterising P sources in lake sediments

University Studentship Pilot

IP-1708-0517

Dr L J Clarke Manchester Metropolitan University

Mid- to Late Cretaceous palaeoclimate: testing the hypothesised operation of glacioeustacy in a past high atmospheric pCO2 greenhouse-climate world

Academic 4

IP-1709-0517

Ms G Fowler University of Lincoln

Utilising Strontium Isotopes for Forensic Geolocation in Guatemala

University Studentship R*

IP-1710-0517

Dr K Moore CEMPS, University of Exeter

Tracing sources and traps of critical metals in the UK's world class Hemerdon deposit

BGS Studentship (BGS funded employee)

5

IP-1711-0517

Dr J Dean University of Hull

Did the African Humid Period termination in southern Ethiopia really take ~1000 years?

Academic 9

IP-1712-0517

Prof T Elliott University of Bristol

The inventory of 26Al in terrestrial building blocks

NERC Studentship NE/L002434/1 / linked with ERC funded work

8

IP-1714-0517

Prof A Finch University of St Andrews

Reconstructing an Ancient Rift - The Spatial and Temporal Evolution of the Metallogenic Gardar Province, Southern Greenland

NERC Post Doc NE/M010856/1 (NERC SoS RARE)

9

IP-1715-0517

Dr S Granger Rothamsted Research North Wyke, Okehampton

Understanding the cycling of phosphorus: d18OPO4 as a novel tracer of plant adaptation strategies.

Rothamsted Research Career Fellowship

7

IP-1716-0517


Understanding phosphorus dynamics in tropical soils: a novel approach using soil d18OPO4


5

IP-1717-0517

Prof J Holmes University College London

Investigating the ecological impacts of late Holocene salinity change in coastal lakes & wetlands using palaeolimnology


7

IP-1719-0517

Dr J Imber Durham University

Dating Cenozoic extension in northern England with U-Pb petrochronology of calcite-filled faults in the Cleveland Baisn and adjacent offshore areas

Royal Society/Industry Fellowship

7

IP-1720-0517

Dr J Kershaw University of Oxford

Britain's Viking Silver Hoards. An archaeological and archaeometric analysis of the uses and sources of silver in Scandinavian Britain (AD 850-1050)

Leverhulme Trust Career Fellowship ECF-2016-544

6

IP-1721-0517

Ass Prof D Quincey

University of Leeds

HARVEST: High-mountain Asia- building Resilience to water Variability using Experiments, household Surveys and accounts of Tradition

NERC Institute Academic NE/P016146/1

8

IP-1722-0517

Dr D Koehn University of Glasgow

How fast do deformation and stress propagate in the upper crust? Insight from U-Pb dating of Sevier and Laramide syn-tectonic vein calcite cements in the Bighorn Basin, Wyoming, USA

Academic 7

IP-1723-0517

Dr C Little University of Leeds

Radiometric dating of the Fossil Hill methane seep community, offshore California

Academic Pilot

IP-1724-0517

Dr A Liu University of Cambridge

Calibrating the late Ediacaran record of early animal diversification

NERC Industry Research Fellowship NE/L011409/2

9

IP-1725-0517

Prof A W Mackay

University College London

Abrupt hydrological variability during the Holocene at the forest – steppe ecotone


7

IP-1726-0517

Dr R Madgwick

Cardiff University

The Christianisation of the Magyars: Exploring the Impact on Diet and Health

University Studentship 6

IP-1727-0517

Ass Prof S McGowan

University of Nottingham

How have hydrological impoundments and eutrophication changed organic matter cycling in shallow freshwater ecosystems of the Middle Yangtze Basin?

University Studentship VC Scholarship/ School of Geography

7

IP-1728-0517

Dr J Montgomery

Durham University

Transitions in Transylvania, Romania (3rd-12th Century AD)


IP-1729-0517

Dr Y Najman Lancaster University

Use of the sedimentary record in the Tarim Basin to document Pamir tectonics and aridification of Central Asia

NERC CASE Studentship ENV16548 (Envision DTP, CASED with BGS)

6

IP-1731-0517

Dr V Panizzo University of Nottingham

Biogeochemical cycling in a tropical, wetland lake: addressing missing links in the global Si cycle

University Fellowship Anne McLaren Fellowship CEG Post Doc

7

IP-1732-0517

Dr I Parkinson University of Bristol

Revisiting < 3800 Ma zircon to test the validity of stagnant lid as a tectonic regime within the Archean

NERC Studentship NERC DTP GELY.SN2016; BGS GA/15S/007

6

IP-1733-0517

Dr J Pike Cardiff University

Tracing icebergs around East Antarctica - an indication of past ice sheet dynamics?

NERC Academic NE/G004811/1 (2009-2012)

7

IP-1734-0517

Prof G Roberts

Birkbeck College, University of London

Determining uplift to investigate and establish the seismic hazard of active normal, thrust and subduction faults throughout southern Italy and Greece.

NERC Studentship 1492238 CIAF 9161/1015 & 9161/1016 (Graded 8)

8

IP-1735-0517

Prof L Robinson

University of Bristol

Stylasterid Corals: A new archive for the past ocean?

University Academic 8

IP-1736-0517

Dr S Schroeder

University of Manchester

Detrital zircon constraints on uplift and subsidence history of the Moroccan Atlantic margin in the Mesozoic

University Studentship 1492238 North Africa Research Group

R*

IP-1737-0517

Dr S Schroeder


Geochronology of rift basin fluid flow: Implications for basin evolution and petroleum systems (Namibe Basin, Angola)

NERC Studentship NERC Oil and Gas CDT 2014

6

IP-1738-0517

Prof M P Searle

University of Oxford

High precision petrochronology of the Tso Morari Ultra-High Pressure terrane

NERC Studentship DG01.01 NERC Academic D4T00030

8

IP-1739-0517

Dr A Stone University of Manchester

U-Th and 40Ar/39Ar Dating of Palaeolithic Landscapes at Wadi Dabsa, southwest Saudi Arabia.

University Post Doc BA/Leverhulme (Albert Reckitt Fund)

7

IP-1740-0517

Ass Prof G Swann


Reconstructing upwelling, nutrient supply, and the efficiency of the biological pump in the Bering Sea since the middle Pleistocene, using diatom silicon isotope records.

NERC Studentship NE/L002604/1 / IP-1674-1116

8

IP-1741-0517

Prof D Thomas


Provenance of late Quaternary loess along the middle and lower Danube River, Europe

NERC CASE Studentship NE/L002612/1 BGS CASE - NEE2152S BUFI

6

IP-1742-0517

Prof T Wagner Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh

Testing the link between orbital scale fluctuations in low latitude climate dynamics with mid to high latitude black shale deposition in the Late Jurassic European Seaway – The Kimmeridge Clay Formation


7

IP-1743-0517

Dr P Wynn Lancaster University

Speleothem records of centennial scale fluctuations in moisture delivery during the late Holocene.

Academic 7

IP-1744-0517

Ass Prof S Young


Towards understanding the origin of subsoil phosphate.

University Studentship No grade assigned

IP-1745-1117

Dr S Armitage

Royal Holloway University of London

Evaluating a new chronometer for dating late Quaternary marine sediments: Optically stimulated luminescence dating of Ocean Drilling Program sites 658 and 659.

Academic 7

IP-1746-1117

Prof J Barclay

University of East Anglia

Constraining the evolution of magmatism at Soufrière Hills Volcano, Montserrat through accessory mineral geochronology and isotope and trace element geochemistry.

ES MECD/PRXl6/00151 EU MSCA/749611 NE/P016014/1 NE/P015719/1 NE/J020052/1

8

IP-1747-1117

Prof G R Bigg University of Sheffield

The Late Quaternary NW Pacific: fluctuation in regional climate and ice extents as seen in marine cores


Pilot

IP-1748-1117

Dr A Bird University of Hull

Investigating the structural expression of passive margin sedimentary basin development in metamorphic basement

University Studentship R*

IP-1749-1117

dr M Blackwell

Rothamsted Research North

Using the stable oxygen isotope composition of phosphate to understand phosphorus variability and cycling in soils

Rothamsted Fellowship 5

Wyke, Okehampton

IP-1750-1117

Dr A Burton-Johnson

British Antarctic Survey

Relating tectonic deformation to synchronous magmatism, and its implications for the development of continental crust : the Lassiter Coast Intrusive Suite, Antarctica

NERC Institute Academic

3

IP-1753-1117

Dr D Fleirmann University of

Reading

Droughts and Societal Transformations in the Fertile Crescent during the Holocene Period

Academic 8

IP-1754-1117

Prof G Foster

University of Southampton

Understanding vital effects on palaeoclimate signals using modern planktic foraminifera in Bermuda

NERC Studentship NE/P019048/1 NERC Academic NE/L002531/1

9

IP-1756-1117

Dr D Gooddy British Geological Survey, Wallingford

Improving tools for tracing phosphate in the environment: Distinguishing natural from anthropogenic sources of phosphorus using d18OPO4


7

IP-1757-1117


Towards understanding phosphorus dynamics in tropical soils: a novel approach using soil d18OPO4


7

IP-1758-1117

Dr K Hendry University of Bristol

ICY-LAB: Isotope Cycling in the Labrador Sea

Academic ERC Starting Grant ICY-LAB (678371)

3

IP-1760-1117

Dr P Hopley Birkbeck College, University of London

An investigation of rapid climate change during past interglacials using UK Speleothems

British Cave Research Association

7

IP-1761-1117


Radiometric dating of the Fossil Hill methane seep community, offshore California

Academic 5

IP-1763-1117

Prof W D Maier

Cardiff University

Assimilation of Dolomite by Bushveld Magmas; Implications for the origin of Ni-Cu-PGE mineralization and the Precambrian Atmosphere


6

IP-1764-1117

Dr W McCarthy

University of St. Andrews

The Impact of Magma Supply Rate on Pluton Architecture

University Studentship University of St Andrews, School Grant

6

IP-1765-1117

Dr J Cloutier University of St. Andrews Midcontinent Rift System geochronology

First Quantum Minerals Ltd.

7

IP-1767-1117

Prof S McGowan


Assessing the impact of aquaculture in the Philippines using palaeolimnology

NERC Studentship ENVISION DTP NERC Academic NE/L002604/1

7

IP-1768-1117

Prof S Metcalfe University of

Nottingham

Climate and human agency in the settlement of the Mayab region (Mesoamerica)

University Studentship CONACYT Scholarship 440756

6

IP-1769-1117

Dr J Naden British Geological Survey, Keyworth

Epithermal paleosurface evolution in emergent volcanoes: implications for shallow submarine mineral deposit exploration and preservation


6

IP-1771-1117

Ass Prof U Nicholson

Heriot-Watt University

Sediment routing across a transform plate boundary: constraining plate reconstructions of southern Gondwana and opening of the South Atlantic Gateway

University Studentship Carnegie and Commonwealth Scholarships

5

IP-1772-1117

Prof N J G Pearce Aberywstwyth

University

Provenance and correlation of distal (crypto)tephra using small volume, high precision isotope techniques.

Academic 4

IP-1773-1117


Late Quaternary Antarctic ice sheet discharge: exploiting the sediment diatom silica archive


8

IP-1774-1117

Dr T Raub University of St Andrews

U-Pb Thermochronology of Ediacaran Global Geodynamics: Critical Palaeopoles of Laurentia

Academic R*

IP-1775-1117

Dr S Reynolds Bournemouth University

Using a multi-method analysis of springbok (Antidorcas) fossils to track 2million years of vegetation changes in southern Africa


IP-1776-1117

Dr S Reynolds Bournemouth University

Using fossil antelope teeth to reconstruct hominin habitats around the Omo-Turkana basin (northern Kenya/southern Ethiopia) between 3.5-1.6 Ma ago


IP-1778-1117

Ass Prof S Robinson


Constraining the evolution of the Indo-Burma Range through U-Pb dating of detrital zircons


IP-1779-1117

Prof H Rollinson

University of Derby

Origins of Earth's first continents; isotopic constraints from Zimbabwe.

Academic 7

IP-1783-1117

Prof D Schreve

Royal Holloway University of London

Hungry like a wolf: impacts of carnivore competition and environment on morphology and prey choice

Academic 6

IP-1784-1117

Dr S Schroeder


Detrital zircon constraints on uplift and subsidence history of the Moroccan Atlantic margin in the Mesozoic

University Studentship North Africa Research Group

6

IP-1785-1117

Dr D Smith University of Leicester

Magmatic evolution of a gold telluride district - Metaliferi Mountains, Romania

NERC Studentship NE/M010848/1 NE/L002493/1

7

IP-1786-1117

Ass Prof G Swann


Constraining biogeochemical cycling in the North Pacific Ocean and Bering Sea through the Mid Pleistocene Transition

Academic 7

IP-1787-1117

Dr P Wilby British Geological Survey, Keyworth

A Large Igneous Province (LIP) Trigger to the Ediacaran `Explosion'?


6

5.2 NIGFSC Applications supported expressed as % of α grade science

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 Pilot Total number of

Applications

0 4 9 21 13 0 0 3 50

0% 8% 18% 42% 26% 0% 0% 6% 100%

22 proposals were graded below the cut-off grade of 7 (grade 6 for proposals involving a PhD student) and therefore were not supported.

5.3 Distribution of supported grade projects by Science Areas

Atmospheric

Science

Earth

Science

Earth

Observation Marine Polar

Science based

Archaeology

Terrestrial &

Freshwater

Total No of

Applications

1.8 27.3 2.3 4.7 1.8 1.3 10.8 50

5.14% 54.59% 0.54% 10.27% 3.78% 10.27% 15.41% 100%

5.4 Distribution of supported grade projects related to Science Priority Areas

Biodiversity Climate

System

Earth System Science

Environment, Pollution &

Human Health

Natural Hazards

Sustainable

use of Natural Resources

Technologies Total No of

Applications

1.4 9.7 28.6 4.8 1.9 3.5 0.1 50

2.80% 19.40% 57.20% 9.60% 3.80% 7.00% 0.20% 100%

Annex 6: Publications

6.1 Journal Articles and Book Chapters 2017

ASHCHEPKOV, I. V. & ROBERTS, N. M. W. 2017. Deep seated magmas and their mantle roots: Introduction. Geoscience Frontiers 8(4), 617-19.

AYALA, G., WAINWRIGHT, J., WALKER, J., HODARA, R., LLOYD, J.M., LENG, M. & DOHERTY, C. 2017. Palaeoenvironmental reconstruction of the alluvial landscape of Neolithic Çatalhöyük, central southern Turkey: The implications for early agriculture and responses to environmental change. Journal of Archaeological Science, 87, 30-43.

BARRY, T. L., DAVIES, J. H., WOLSTENCROFT, M., MILLAR, I. L., ZHAO, Z., JIAN, P., SAFONOVA, I. & PRICE, M. 2017. Whole-mantle convection with tectonic plates preserves long-term global patterns of upper mantle geochemistry. Scientific Reports 7.

BENETTI, M., SVEINBJORNSDOTTIR, A. E., OLAFSDOTTIR, R., LENG, M. J., ARROWSMITH, C., DEBONDT, K., FRIPIAT, F. & ALOISI, G. 2017. Inter-comparison of salt effect correction for delta O-18 and delta H-2 measurements in seawater by CRDS and IRMS using the gas-H2O equilibration method. Marine Chemistry 194, 114-23.

BEVINS, R., N. ATKINSON, R. IXER and J. EVANS (2017). "U–Pb zircon age constraints for the Ordovician Fishguard Volcanic Group and further evidence for the provenance of the Stonehenge bluestones." Journal of the Geological Society 174(1): 14-17.

BOSCHETTI, C., J. HENDERSON & J. EVANS (2017). "Mosaic tesserae from Italy and the production of Mediterranean coloured glass (4th century BCE–4th century CE). Part II: Isotopic provenance." Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports 11: 647-657.

BRIENEN, R. J. W., GLOOR, E., CLERICI, S., NEWTON, R., ARPPE, L., BOOM, A., BOTTRELL, S., CALLAGHAN, M., HEATON, T., HELAMA, S., HELLE, G., LENG, M. J., MIELIKAINEN, K., OINONEN, M. & TIMONEN, M. 2017. Tree height strongly affects estimates of water-use efficiency responses to climate and CO2 using isotopes. Nature Communications 8, 288.

BROOM-FENDLEY, S., BRADY, A. E., HORSTWOOD, M. S. A., WOOLLEY, A. R., MTEGHA, J., WALL, F., DAWES, W. & GUNN, G. 2017. Geology, geochemistry and geochronology of the Songwe Hill carbonatite, Malawi. Journal of African Earth Sciences 134, 10-23.

CIBOROWSKI, T. J. R., MINIFIE, M. J., KERR, A. C., ERNST, R. E., BARAGAR, B. & MILLAR, I. L. 2017. A mantle plume origin for the Palaeoproterozoic Circum-Superior Large Igneous Province. Precambrian Research 294, 189-213.

DEAN, J.R., LENG, M.J. & MACKAY, A.W. 2017. Isotopic Signatures. Reference Module in Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences, Encyclopedia of the Anthropocene edited by DellaSala, D. Volume 1, 197-203.

DRAKE, H., HEIM, C., ROBERTS, N. M. W., ZACK, T., TILLBERG, M., BROMAN, C., IVARSSON, M., WHITEHOUSE, M. J. & ASTROM, M. E. 2017. Isotopic evidence for microbial production and consumption of methane in the upper continental crust throughout the Phanerozoic eon. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 470, 108-18.

DRAKE, S.M., BEARD, A.D., JONES, A.P., BROWN, D.J., FORTES, A.D., MILLAR, I.L., CARTER, A.A., BACA, J. & DOWNES, H. 2017. Discovery of a meteorite impactite layer at the base of the Palaeocene lavas, Isle of Skye, Scotland. Geology 46(2), 171-174.

EMMINGS, J. F., DAVIES, S. J., VANE, C. H., LENG, M. J., MOSS-HAYES, V., STEPHENSON, M. H. & JENKIN, G. R. T. 2017. Stream and slope weathering effects on organic-rich mudstone geochemistry and implications for hydrocarbon source rock assessment: A Bowland Shale case study. Chemical Geology 471, 74-91.

FIELDING, L.D., NAJMAN, Y., MILLAR, I.L., BUTTERWORTH, P. ANDO, S., PADOAN, M. BARFOD, D. & KNELLER, B. (2017). A detrital record of the Nile River and its catchment. Journal of the Geological Society, 174 (2). 301-317. 10.1144/jgs2016-075

GARDINER, NICHOLAS J., HAWKESWORTH, CHRIS J., ROBB, LAURENCE J., WHITEHOUSE, MARTIN J., ROBERTS, NICK M.W., KIRKLAND, CHRISTOPHER

L., EVANS, NOREEN J.. 2017 Contrasting granite metallogeny through the zircon record: a case study from Myanmar. Scientific Reports, 7 (1), 748. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-00832-2

GEORGE, T.S., GILES, C.D., MENEZES-BLACKBURN, D., CONDRON, L.M., GAMA-RODRIGUES, A.C., JAISI, D., LANG, F., NEAL, A.L., STUTTER, M.I., ALMEIDA, D.S., BOL, R., CABUGAO, K.G., CELI, L., COTNER, J.B., FENG, G., GOLL, D.S., HALLAMA, M., KRUEGER, J., PLASSARD, C., ROSLING, A., DARCH, T., FRASER, T., GIESLER, R., RICHARDSON, A.E., TAMBURINI, F., SHAND, C.A., LUMSDON, D.G., ZHANG, H., BLACKWELL, M.S.A., WEARING, C., MEZELI, M.M., ALMÅS, Å.R., AUDETTE, Y., BERTRAND, I., BEYHAUT, E., BOITT, G., BRADSHAW, N., BREARLEY, C.A., BRUULSEMA, T.W., CIAIS, P., COZZOLINO, V., DURAN, P.C., MORA, M.L., DE MENEZES, A.B., DODD, R.J., DUNFIELD, K., ENGL, C., FRAZÃO, J.J., GARLAND, G., GONZÁLEZ JIMÉNEZ, J.L., GRACA, J., GRANGER, S.J., HARRISON, A.F., HEUCK, C., HOU, E.Q., JOHNES, P.J., KAISER, K., KJAER, H.A., KLUMPP, E., LAMB, A.L., MACINTOSH, K.A., MACKAY, E.B., MCGRATH, J., MCINTYRE, C., MCLAREN, T., MÉSZÁROS, E., MISSONG, A., MOOSHAMMER, M., NEGRÓN, C.P., NELSON, L.A., PFAHLER, V., POBLETE-GRANT, P., RANDALL, M., SEGUEL, A., SETH, K., SMITH, A.C., SMITS, M.M., SOBARZO, J.A., SPOHN, M., TAWARAYA, K., TIBBETT, M., VORONEY, P., WALLANDER, H., WANG, L., WASAKI, J. & HAYGARTH, P.M. 2017.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1144/jgs2016-075


https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-00832-2

Organic phosphorus in the terrestrial environment: a perspective on the state of the art and future priorities. Plant and Soil, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-017-3391-x

GILMER, A.K., SPARKS, R.S.J., RUST, A.C., TAPSTER, S., WEBB, A.D. AND BARFOD, D.N., 2017. Geology of the Don Manuel igneous complex, central Chile: Implications for igneous processes in porphyry copper systems. GSA Bulletin, 129(7-8), pp.920-946.

GRANSKOG, M. A., ROSEL, A., DODD, P. A., DIVINE, D., GERLAND, S., MARTMA, T. & LENG, M. J. 2017. Snow contribution to first-year and second-year Arctic sea ice mass balance north of Svalbard. Journal of Geophysical Research-Oceans 122(3), 2539-49. HAUSMANN, N., COLONESES, A.C., DE LIMA PONZONI, A., HANCOCK, Y., MEREDITH-WILLIAMS, M., LENG, M.J. & BAILEY, G.N. 2017. Isotopic composition of Conomurex fasciatus shells as an environmental proxy for the Red Sea. Quaternary International, 427, 115-127.

HENNISSEN, J. A. I., HOUGH, E., VANE, C. H., LENG, M. J., KEMP, S. J. & STEPHENSON, M. H. 2017. The prospectivity of a potential shale gas play: An example from the southern Pennine Basin (central England, UK). Marine and Petroleum Geology 86, 1047-66.

HEMER, K.A., LAMB, A.L., CHENERY, C.A. & EVANS, J.A. 2017. A multi-isotope investigation of diet and subsistence amongst island and mainland populations from early medieval western Britain. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 162 (3). 423-440. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajpa.23127.

HOLLYMAN, P.R., LENG, M.J., CHENERY, S.R.N., LAPTIKHOVSKY, V.V. & RICHARDSON, C.A. 2017. Statoliths of the whelk Buccinum undatum: a novel age determination tool. Marine Ecology Progress Series, doi.org/10.3354/meps12119.

HOPKINSON, T. N., HARRIS, N. B. W., WARREN, C. J., SPENCER, C. J., ROBERTS, N. M. W., HORSTWOOD, M. S. A., PARRISH, R. R. & EIMF 2017. The identification and significance of pure sediment-derived granites. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 467, 57-63.

JOHNSON, A. L. A., VALENTINE, A., LENG, M. J., SLOANE, H. J., SCHONE, B. R. & BALSON, P. S. 2017. Isotopic temperatures from the Early and Mid-Pliocene of the US Middle Atlantic Coastal Plain, and their implications for the cause of regional marine climate change. Palaios 32(4), 250-69.

KORESHKOVA, M., DOWNES, H., MILLAR, I.L., LEVSKY, L., LARIONOV, A. & SERGEEV, S. 2017. Geochronology of Metamorphic Events in the Lower Crust beneath NW Russia: a Xenolith Hf Isotope Study. Journal of Petrology 58(8), 1567-90.

KRABBENDAM, M., BONSOR, H., HORSTWOOD, M. S. A. & RIVERS, T. 2017. Tracking the evolution of the Grenvillian foreland basin: Constraints from sedimentology and detrital zircon and rutile in the Sleat and Torridon groups, Scotland. Precambrian Research 295, 67-89.

LEIGHTON, A. D., HART, M. B., SMART, C. W., LENG, M. J. & HAMPTON, M. 2017. Timing recovery after the Cretaceous/Paleogene boundary: evidence from the Brazos River, Texas, USA. Journal of Foraminiferal Research 47(3), 229-38.

LENG, M.J. & LEWIS, J.P. 2017. Bulk C/N ratios and Carbon Isotopes in Estuarine Environments. In: Weckstrom, K. et al. 2017. Applications of Paleoenvironmental Techniques in Estuarine Studies. Developments in Palaeoenvironmental Research, volume 20, Springer.

LI, Y., SELBY, D., CONDON, D. & TAPSTER, S. 2017. Cyclic Magmatic-Hydrothermal Evolution in Porphyry Systems: High-Precision U-Pb and Re-Os Geochronology Constraints on the Tibetan Qulong Porphyry Cu-Mo Deposit. Economic Geology 112(6), 1419-40.

LOFTUS, E., SEALY, J., LENG, M. J. & LEE-THORP, J. A. 2017. A late Quaternary record of seasonal sea surface temperatures off southern Africa. Quaternary Science Reviews 171, 73-84.

LUSTY, P. A. J., LACINSKA, A. M., MILLAR, I. L., BARRIE, C. D. & BOYCE, A. J. 2017. Volcanological and environmental controls on the Snowdon mineralization, North Wales, UK: A failed volcanogenic massive sulfide system in the Avalon Zone of the British Caledonides. Ore Geology Reviews 89, 557-86.

MARCINIAK, A., EVANS, J., HENTON, E., PEARSON, J., LISOWSKI, M., BARTKOWIAK, M. & SOBKOWIAK-TABAKA, I. 2017. Animal husbandry in the Early and Middle Neolithic settlement at Kopydlowo in the Polish lowlands. A multi-isotope perspective. Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences 9(7), 1461-79.

MEREDITH, M. P., STAMMERJOHN, S. E., VENABLES, H. J., DUCKLOW, H. W., MARTINSON, D. G., IANNUZZI, R. A., LENG, M. J., VAN WESSEM, J. M., REIJMER, C. H. & BARRAND, N. E. 2017. Changing distributions of sea ice melt and meteoric water west of the Antarctic Peninsula. Deep-Sea Research Part Ii-Topical Studies in Oceanography 139, 40-57.

https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-017-3391-x

https://doi.org/10.1002/ajpa.23127

MEYER-JACOB, C., BINDLER, R., BIGLER, C., LENG, M. J., LOWICK, S. E. & VOGEL, H. 2017. Regional Holocene climate and landscape changes recorded in the large subarctic lake Tornetrask, N Fennoscandia. Palaeogeography Palaeoclimatology Palaeoecology 487, 1-14.

NAJMAN, Y., JENKS, D., GODIN, L., BOUDAGHER-FADEL, M., MILLAR, I.L., GARZANTI, E., HORSTWOOD, M. & BRACCIALI, L. 2017. The Tethyan Himalayan detrital record shows that India-Asia terminal collision occurred by 54 Ma in the Western Himalaya. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 459, 301-310. DOI: 10.1016/j.epsl.2016.11.036.

NEIL, S., MONTGOMERY, J., EVANS, J., COOK, G. T. & SCARRE, C. 2017. Land use and mobility during the Neolithic in Wales explored using isotope analysis of tooth enamel. American Journal of Physical Anthropology 164(2), 371-93.

NOLAN, L. S. P., ANGIOLINI, L., JADOUL, F., DELLA PORTA, G., DAVIES, S. J., BANKS, V. J., STEPHENSON, M. H. & LENG, M. J. 2017. Sedimentary context and palaeoecology of Gigantoproductus shell beds in the Mississippian Eyam Limestone Formation, Derbyshire carbonate platform, central England. Proceedings of the Yorkshire Geological Society 61, 239-57.

PANIZZO, V. N., SWANN, G. E. A., MACKAY, A. W., VOLOGINA, E., ALLEMAN, L., ANDRE, L., PASHLEY, V. H. & HORSTWOOD, M. S. A. 2017. Constraining modern-day silicon cycling in Lake Baikal. Global Biogeochemical Cycles 31(3), 556-74.

PARRY, L. A., BOGGIANI, P. C., CONDON, D. J., GARWOOD, R. J., LEME, J. D., MCILROY, D., BRASIER, M. D., TRINDADE, R., CAMPANHA, G. A. C., PACHECO, M., DINIZ, C. Q. C. & LIU, A. G. 2017. Ichnological evidence for meiofaunal bilaterians from the terminal Ediacaran and earliest Cambrian of Brazil. Nature Ecology & Evolution 1(10), 1455-64.

PROUTY, N. G., SAHY, D., RUPPEL, C. D., ROARK, E. B., CONDON, D., BROOKE, S., ROSS, S. W. & DEMOPOULOS, A. W. J. 2017. Insights into methane dynamics from analysis of authigenic carbonates and chemosynthetic mussels at newly-discovered Atlantic Margin seeps (vol 449, pg 332, 2016). Earth and Planetary Science Letters 475, 268-68.

RILEY, T.R., FLOWERDEW, M.J., PANKHURST, R.J., LEAT, P.T., MILLAR, I.L., FANNING, C.M. & WHITEHOUSE, M.J. (2017). A revised geochronology of Thurston Island, West Antarctica, and correlations along the proto-Pacific margin of Gondwana. Antarctic Science, 29(1), 47-60.

RILEY, T.R., FLOWERDEW, M.J., PANKHURST, R.J., CURTIS, M.L., MILLAR, I.L., FANNING, C.M. & WHITEHOUSE, M.J. 2017. Early Jurassic magmatism on the Antarctic Peninsula and potential correlation with the Subcordilleran plutonic belt of Patagonia. Journal of the Geological Society, 174 (2). 365-376. 10.1144/jgs2016-053

ROBERTS, N. M. W., RASBURY, E. T., PARRISH, R. R., SMITH, C. J., HORSTWOOD, M. S. A. & CONDON, D. J. 2017. A calcite reference material for LA-ICP-MS U-Pb geochronology. Geochemistry Geophysics Geosystems 18(7), 2807-14.

ROFFEY, S., K. TUCKER, K. FILIPEK-OGDEN, J. MONTGOMERY, J. CAMERON, T. O’CONNELL, J. EVANS, P. MARTER AND G. M. TAYLOR (2017). "Investigation of a Medieval Pilgrim Burial Excavated from the Leprosarium of St Mary Magdalen Winchester, UK." PLoS neglected tropical diseases 11(1): e0005186.

SAHY, D., CONDON, D. J., HILGEN, F. J. & KUIPER, K. F. 2017. Reducing Disparity in Radio-Isotopic and Astrochronology-Based Time Scales of the Late Eocene and Oligocene. Paleoceanography 32(10), 1018-35.

SAMSON, A. V. M., WRAPSON, L. J., CARTWRIGHT, C. R., SAHY, D., STACEY, R. J. & COOPER, J. 2017. Artists before Columbus: A multi-method characterization of the materials and practices of Caribbean cave art. Journal of Archaeological Science 88, 24-36.

SANTOS, M. M., LANA, C., SCHOLZ, R., BUICK, I., SCHMITZ, M. D., KAMO, S. L., GERDES, A., CORFU, F., TAPSTER, S., LANCASTER, P., STOREY, C. D., BASEI, M. A., TOHVER, E., ALKMIM, A., NALINI, H., KRAMBROCK, K., FANTINI, C. & WIEDENBECK, M. 2017. A New Appraisal of Sri Lankan BB Zircon as a Reference Material for LA-ICP-MS U-Pb Geochronology and Lu-Hf IsotopeTracing. Geostandards and Geoanalytical Research 41(3), 335-58.

SAUER, S., CREMIERE, A., KNIES, J., LEPLAND, A., SAHY, D., MARTMA, T., NOBLE, S. R., SCHONENBERGER, J., KLUG, M. & SCHUBERT, C. J. 2017. U-Th chronology and formation controls of methane-derived authigenic carbonates from the Hola trough seep area, northern Norway. Chemical Geology 470, 164-79.

SCHMIDT, M., FUCHS, M., HENDERSON, A.C.G., KOSSLER, A., LENG, M.J., MACKAY, A.W., SHEMANG, E. & RIEDEL, F. 2017. Paleolimnological features of a mega-lake phase in the Makgadikgadi Basin (Kalahari, Botswana) during Marine Isotope Stage 5 inferred from diatoms. Journal of Paleolimnology 58(3), 373-90.

SLAGSTAD, TROND; ROBERTS, NICK M.W.; KULAKOV, EVGENIY. 2017 Linking orogenesis across a supercontinent: the Grenvillian and Sveconorwegian margins on Rodinia. Gondwana Research, 44. 109-115. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gr.2016.12.007

SMITH, A.C., KENDRICK, C.P., MOSS–HAYES, V.L., VANE, C.H. & LENG, M.J. 2017. Carbon isotope alteration during the thermal maturation of non–flowering plant species representative of those found within the geological record. Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry, 31: 21–26.



https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gr.2016.12.007

SPENCER, C.J., ROBERTS, N.M.W. & SANTOSH, M., 2017. Growth, destruction, and preservation of Earth's continental crust. Earth-Science Reviews, 172, pp.87-106.

TOWERS, J., J. BOND, J. EVANS, I. MAINLAND AND J. MONTGOMERY (2017). "An isotopic investigation into the origins and husbandry of Mid-Late Bronze Age cattle from Grimes Graves, Norfolk." Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports 15: 59-72.

TYLER, J.J., SLOANE, H.J., RICKABY, R.E.M., COX, E.J. & LENG, M.J. 2017. Post-mortem oxygen isotope exchange within cultured diatom silica. Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry 31(20), 1749-60.

WAGNER, B., WILKE, T., FRANCKE, A., ALBRECHT, C., BAUMGARTEN, H., BERTINI, A., COMBOURIEU-NEBOUT, N., CVETKOSKA, A., D'ADDABBO, M., DONDERS, T.H., FOELLER, K., GIACCIO, B., GRAZHDANI, A., HAUFFE, T., HOLTVOETH, J., JOANNIN, S., JOVANOVSKA, E., JUST, J., KOULI, K., KOUTSODENDRIS, A., KRASTEL, S., LACEY, J. H., LEICHER, N., LENG, M.J., LEVKOV, Z., LINDHORST, K., MASI, A., MERCURI, A.M., NOMADE, S., NOWACZYK, N., PANAGIOTOPOULOS, K., PEYRON, O., REED, J.M., REGATTIERI, E., SADORI, L., SAGNOTTI, L., STELBRINK, B., SULPIZIO, R., TOFILOVSKA, S., TORRI, P., VOGEL, H., WAGNER, T., WAGNER-CREMER, F., WOLFF, G.A., WONIK, T., ZANCHETTA, G. & ZHANG, X.S. 2017. The environmental and evolutionary history of Lake Ohrid (FYROM/Albania): interim results from the SCOPSCO deep drilling project. Biogeosciences 14(8), 2033-54.

YANG, C., LI, X.H., ZHU, M.Y. & CONDON, D.J. 2017a. SIMS U-Pb zircon geochronological constraints on upper Ediacaran stratigraphic correlations, South China. Geological Magazine 154(6), 1202-16.

YANG, C., ZHU, M.Y., CONDON, D.J. & LI, X.H. 2017b. Geochronological constraints on stratigraphic correlation and oceanic oxygenation in Ediacaran-Cambrian transition in South China. Journal of Asian Earth Sciences 140, 75-81.

6.2 Journal Articles and Book Chapters January-April 2018

AGURAIUJA, Ü., CONSTANTINESCU, M., LAMB, A., & BONSALL, C. 2018. Bronze Age subsistence strategies in the southeastern Carpathian Bend area, Romania: results from stable isotope analyses. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 17. 510-519.

BAUER, A. M. & HORSTWOOD, M. S. A. 2018. Small-volume Lu-Hf and U-Pb isotope determination of complex zircons by solution and laser ablation MC-ICP-MS. Chemical Geology 476, 85-99.

BEGLANE, F, BAKER, K, CARDEN, R F, HOELZEL, A R, LAMB, A L, FHIONNGHAILE, R M, MILLER, H, SYKES, N. 2018. Ireland’s fallow deer: their historical, archaeological and biomolecular records. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy Vol. 118C, 1–25

BLÄTTLER, C.L., CLAIRE, M.W., PRAVE, A.R., KIRSIMÄE, K., HIGGINS, J.A., MEDVEDEV, P.V., ROMASHKIN, A.E., RYCHANCHIK, D.E., ZERKLE, A.L., PAISTE, K., KREITSMANN, T., MILLAR, I.L., HAYLES, J.A., BAO, H., TURCHYN, A.V., WARKE, M.R. & LEPLAND, A. 2018. Two-billion-year-old evaporites capture Earth’s great oxidation. Science 10.1126/science.aar2687.

DEAN, J. R., JONES, M. D., LENG, M. J., METCALFE, S. E., SLOANE, H. J., EASTWOOD, W. J. & ROBERTS, C. N. 2018. Seasonality of Holocene hydroclimate in the Eastern Mediterranean reconstructed using the oxygen isotope composition of carbonates and diatoms from Lake Nar, central Turkey. Holocene 28(2), 267-76.

DEJARDIN, R., KENDER, S., ALLEN, C. S., LENG, M. J., SWANN, G. E. A. & PECK, V. L. 2018. 5 "Live" (stained) benthic foraminiferal living depths, stable isotopes, and taxonomy offshore South Georgia, Southern Ocean: implications for calcification depths. Journal of Micropalaeontology 37(1), 25-71.

DRAKE, H., MATHURIN, F. A., ZACK, T., SCHAFER, T., ROBERTS, N. M. W., WHITEHOUSE, M., KARLSSON, A., BROMAN, C. & ASTROM, M. E. 2018. Incorporation of Metals into Calcite in a Deep Anoxic Granite Aquifer. Environmental Science & Technology 52(2), 493-502.

EVANS, J., PASHLEY, V., MADGWICK, R., NEIL, S. & CHENERY, C. 2018. Tracking natural and anthropogenic Pb exposure to its geological source. Scientific Reports 8.

EVANS, J. A., V. PASHLEY, C. A. CHENERY, L. LOE AND S. R. CHENERY, (2018). "Lead isotope analysis of tooth enamel from a Viking Age mass grave in southern Britain and the constraints it places on the origin on the individuals." Archaeometry

FIELDING, L.D., NAJMAN, Y., MILLAR, I.L., BUTTERWORTH, P., GARZANTI, E., VEZZOLI, G., BARFOD, D. & KNELLER, B. 2018. The initiation and evolution of the river Nile. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 489, 166-178.

FRASER, M., P. SJÖDIN, F. SÁNCHEZ-QUINTO, J. EVANS, G. SVEDJEMO AND K. KNUTSSON (2018). "The Stone Cist Conundrum: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Investigate Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age Population Demography on the Island of Gotland. ." Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports.

GOVIN, G., NAJMAN, Y., COPLEY, A., MILLAR, I.L., VAN DER BEEK, P. HUYGHE, P., GRUJIC, D. & DAVENPORT, J. 2018. Geology timing and mechanism of the rise of the Shillong plateau in the Himalayan foreland. Geology, 46(3), 279-282.

GRANGER, S.J, YANG, Y., PFAHLER, V., HODGSON, C., SMITH, A.C, LE COCQ, K., COLLINS, A.L., & HOWDEN, N.J K. 2018. The stable oxygen isotope ratio of phosphate derived from fresh cattle faeces. Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry. https://doi.org/10.1002/rcm.8092.

HERRINGTON, R.J., HOLLIS, S.P., COOPER, M.R., STOBBS, I., TAPSTER, S., RUSHTON, A., MCCONNELL, B. AND JEFFRIES, T., 2018. Age and geochemistry of the Charlestown Group, Ireland: implications for the Grampian orogeny, its mineral potential and the Ordovician timescale. Lithos. 302–303, 1-19 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lithos.2017.12.012

HUTCHISON, W., MATHER, T.A., PYLE, D.M., BOYCE, A.J., GLEESON, M.L.M., YIRGU, G., BLUNDY, J.D., FERGUSON, D.J., VYE-BROWN, C., MILLAR, I.L. AND FINCH, A.A. 2018. The evolution of magma during continental rifting: new constraints from the isotopic and trace element signatures of silicic magmas from Ethiopian volcanoes. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 489, 203-218.

LACEY, J.H., LENG, M.J., VANE, C.H., RADBOURNE, A.D., YANG, H., RYVES, D.B. 2018. Assessing human impact on Rostherne Mere, UK, using the geochemistry of organic matter. Anthropocene, 21, 52-65.

O'NEILL, C. & ROBERTS, N. M. W. 2018. Lid tectonics - Preface. Geoscience Frontiers 9(1), 1-2.

VN PANIZZO, S ROBERTS, GEORGE EA SWANN, SUZANNE MCGOWAN, ANSON W MACKAY, ELENA VOLOGINA, VANESSA PASHLEY, MATTHEW SA HORSTWOOD 2018. Spatial differences in dissolved silicon utilization in Lake Baikal, Siberia: Examining the impact of high diatom biomass events and eutrophication. Limnology and Oceanography

ROBERTS, N. M. W., YANG, Q. Y. & SANTOSH, M. 2018. Rapid oxygen diffusion during high temperature alteration of zircon. Scientific Reports 8.

SLAGSTAD, T., ROBERTS, N.M.W., COINT, N., HØY, I., SAUER, S., KIRKLAND, C.L., MARKER, M., RØHR, T.S., HENDERSON, I.H., STORMOEN, M.A. AND SKÅR, Ø., 2018. Magma-driven, high-grade metamorphism in the Sveconorwegian Province, southwest Norway, during the terminal stages of Fennoscandian Shield evolution. Geosphere, 14(2), pp.861-882.

STORÅ, J., M. FRASER, F. SANCHEZ-QUINTO, J. EVANS, A GÖTHERSTRÖM, P. WALLIN (2018). "New insights on cultural dualism and population structure in the Middle Neolithic Funnel Beaker culture on the island of Gotland." Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports 17: 325-334.

SUTTON, J.N., ANDRÉ, L., CARDINAL, D., CONLEY, D.J., DE SOUZA, G., DEAN, J., DODD, J., EHLERT, C., ELLWOOD, M.J., FRINGS, P.J., GRASSE, P., HENDRY, K., LENG, M.J., MICHALOPOULOS, P., PANIZZO, V.N. & SWANN, G.E.A. 2018. A review of the stable isotope bio-geochemistry of the global silicon cycle and its associated trace elements. Frontiers in Earth Science, doi:10.3389/feart.2017.00112.

WALL-PALMER, D., METCALFE, B., LENG, M.J., SLOANE, H.J., GANSSEN, G., VINAYACHANDRAN, P.N. & SMART, C.W. 2018. Vertical distribution and diurnal migration of atlantid heteropods. Marine Ecology Progress Series 587, 1-15.

XU, W.M., RUHL, M., JENKYNS, H.C., LENG, M.J., HUGGETT, J.M., MINISINI, D., ULLMANN, C.V., RIDING, J.B., WEIJERS, J.W.H., STORM, M.S., PERCIVAL, L.M.E., TOSCA, N.J., IDIZ, E.F., TEGELAAR, E.W. & HESSELBO, S.P. 2018. Evolution of the Toarcian (Early Jurassic) carbon-cycle and global climatic controls on local sedimentary processes (Cardigan Bay Basin, UK). Earth and Planetary Science Letters 484, 396-411.

https://doi.org/10.1002/rcm.8092

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/00244937/302/supp/C

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lithos.2017.12.012

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/lno.10792

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/lno.10792

6.3 PhD Theses awarded, Calendar Year 2017

NIGL-SIF:

Nolan, L. 2017. Equatorial sea surface temperature seasonality in the Mississippian (Carboniferous) derived from brachiopos shell calcite. PhD - University of Leicester.

Sargeant, C. 2017. The application of highly resolved tree–ring isotopes for reconstructing the ecohydrological interactions within riparian forests. PhD - University of St Andrews.

Bode, L. 2017. In search of a local Palaeoenvironmental Record: Combining Archaeobotany and stable carbon isotopes to investigate water stress at the Epipalaeolithic site of Kharaneh IV in the Azraq Basin, Jordan. PhD - University of Nottingham.

NIGL-GTF:

Neil, S. 2017. The application of strontium and oxygen isotope analysis to study land use and mobility patterns during the earlier Neolithic in England and Wales. PhD - University of Durham.

Govin, G. 2017. Tectonic-erosion interactions: insights from the paleo-drainage of the Brahmaputra River. PhD - Lancaster University.

Blayney, T. 2017. Cenozoic evolution of the Pamir Salient; timing, mechanisms and paleo-environmental impacts: constraints from the Aertashi section, western Tarim Basin. PhD - Lancaster University.

Scott, P. 2017. Geochemical records in travertine veins at the Green River CO2 seeps (Utah). PhD - University of Cambridge.

Annex 7: Targets & Milestones (Facility Reports)

Notes on the running of facilities, analytical output, and notable developmental work are listed below:

7.1 Stable Isotope Mass Spectrometry

The stable isotope mass spectrometry facility comprises:

VG Optima dual inlet mass spectrometer. This mass spectrometer is also connected to a Costech ECS4010 elemental analyser with VG triple cryogenic trap for organic 13C/12C and C/N analysis.

VG Optima dual inlet mass spectrometer with 20 port manifold for 13C/12C and 18O/16O analysis of CO2 produced off line from bulk carbonates.

GV Isoprime mass spectrometer with EuroPyrOH using continuous flow, for 2H/1H analysis of waters.

GV Isoprime dual inlet mass spectrometer with Multiprep, for 13C/12C and 18O/16O analysis of small carbonates – mark 1. GV Isoprime dual inlet mass spectrometer with Multiprep, for 13C/12C and 18O/16O analysis of small carbonates – mark 2.

Isoprime 100 dual inlet mass spectrometer with Multiprep (60 port) , Multitray (180 port), and extra collectors for clumped isotope analysis for 13C/12C and 18O/16O analysis of carbonates, 18O/16O analysis of waters, and multiply substituted oxygen isotopes.

Thermo Finnigan MAT 253 dual inlet mass spectrometer with manifold for off-line 18O/16O, 30Si/28Si, and 29Si/28Si analysis of biogenic silica.

Thermo Finnigan Delta+XL single inlet mass spectrometer linked under continuous flow to ThermoFinnigan TC/EA and Flash 1112 elemental analysers. The systems employ both oxidative combustion, and high temperature reductive pyrolysis to provide 13C/12C ratios of bulk organic matter, 15N/14N and 34S/32S ratios in a variety of both organic and inorganic materials, and 18O/16O ratios of sulphates, nitrates, and phosphates.

Thermo Finnigan IsoLink Elemental Analyser linked via continuous flow to a Delta V Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometer. The IsoLink combines both oxidative combustion, and high temperature reductive pyrolysis and utilises helium management to enable very high precion anaylsis on a variety of matrices for O/H and C/N/S. The technology allows triple analysis of CNS on small sample sizes at high precision.

Analytical output (1 April, 2017 to 31 March, 2018)

Type of analysis No. of analyses

Approx. % standards, blanks, tests, duplicates etc.

Micro-carbonate 13C/12C, 18O/16O 10000 30

Bulk carbonate 13C/12C, 18O/16O 700 20

Water 18O/16O 6750 40

Water D/H 5400 75 (in triplicate)

Silicate 18O/16O 1017 30

Silicate 30Si/28Si and 29Si/28Si N/A N/A

13C/12C + C/N (organic) 4550 25

15N/14N + 13C/12C (collagen, hair) 700 30

15N/14N (nitrates, ammonium, organic) 1600 30

18O/16O (nitrate, phosphate, sulphate,) 3900 60 (some analysis in triplicate)

34S/32S (sulphates, sulphides, organic) 400 30

The strength of the facility lies in its ability to analyse a wide variety of materials. This has been made possible by establishing and continuously developing a broad range of sample preparation facilities. However, much of our work continues to be centred on 13C/12C and 18O/16O analysis of carbonates, 18O/16O and D/H analysis of ice cores and contemporary waters, 13C/12C and C/N analysis of organics and 18O/16O, 30Si/28Si and 29Si/28Si analysis of biogenic silica, as well as analysing an array of solid, aqueous and gas samples for measurement of ammonium nitrate (for ammonium or nitrate 15N/14N), barium sulphate (for sulphate 34S/32S and 18O/16O), collagen (for bone 13C/12C and 15N/14N), hair keratin (34S/32S, 13C/12C and 15N/14N), silver nitrate (for nitrate 15N/14N and 18O/16O), silver phosphate (for phosphate 18O/16O), and silver sulphide (for whole rock or sulphide 34S/32S) for pollution and archaeological studies.

The facility has the benefit of skilled technical staff that keep the instrumentation running and provide the majority of the analytical output. Output continues to be high, although this year this has been affected by periods of downtime on the Flash EA 1112 and by the laboratory reorganisation necessary to make room for the ISOLink EA and Delta V. Long term skilled technical support is vital for the maintenance of the aging Optima mass spectrometry systems. The two Optimas are running almost continuously, and both have a number of problems related to age and heavy usage. However, there were no substantial losses of analysis time through equipment failure of these instruments.

A new Thermo Finnigan IsoLink Elemental Analyser linked via continuous flow to a Delta V Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometer combines both oxidative combustion, and high temperature reductive pyrolysis and utilises helium management to enable very high precion anaylsis on a variety of matrices for O/H and C/N/S. The technology allows triple analysis of CNS on small sample sizes at very high precision.

NIGL is now undertaking the analytical programme of water 2H/1H, 18O/16O and DIC 13C/12C supporting BGS hydrology at Wallingford.

Staffing of the facility is much the same with 2 senior scientists (1 band 3 and a part time band 5), 4 at band 6, and 1 band 7. Dr Jack Lacey completed his second year of the Isotope Apprenticeship at the end of August 2017. Due to his successful application as a full time Isotope Support Scientist Dr Lacey is now a permanent SIF team member (band 6).

We continue to expand our capabilities within the tracers science area, the strength lying in the ability to analyse a wide variety of materials: an array of solid and aqueous samples for measurement of ammonium nitrate (for ammonium or nitrate 15N/14N), barium sulphate (for sulphate 34S/32S and 18O/16O), silver nitrate (for nitrate 15N/14N and 18O/16O), organics (for C, N & S), silver phosphate (for phosphate 18O/16O), and silver sulphide (for whole rock or sulphide 34S/32S) for pollution studies. This array of analyses and the ability to method develop new areas, places it in a strong UK position in the field and has led to the quick growth of this area within NIGL. Over the last 2 years we have seen an increase in projects requiring technique development for tracer research and we have developed new analytical protocols for purification of samples prior to analysis. These have included the extraction of phosphate from waters and solids for processing to silver phosphate for 18O/16O analysis. AS has received training at Rothamsted Research to achieve this. Oxygen isotopes within phosphate is a significant growth area with a wide range of potential applications in soil and water studies including understanding provenance and flow paths of anthropogenic phosphates.

Our next major investment will be to develop research into the use of isotopes in understanding the interaction between groundwater, CO2 and CH4 in potential CCS/fracking lithologies. Establishing natural baselines as well as using isotopes to inform on origins and reactions of the gases. We have secured an agreement with Sercon to acquire a loan instrument to develop the on-line analysis of atmospheric concentration of 2H/1H and 13C/12C in natural CH4. This prototype instrumentation is due early in 2018/19 and will be the only automated system in the UK.

Grants that we continue to work on include:

NERC Standard Grant: Climate change in equatorial Africa: testing the 'megadrought' hypothesis and its implications for human evolution.

Newton Fund RCUK-Partnerships Grant: Assessing human impacts on the Red River system, Vietnam, to enable sustainable management. NERC Consortium Grant: Integrated understanding of the early Jurassic Earth system and Timescale (JET). Long Term Science funded by NERC: ORCHESTRA (Ocean Regulation of Climate through Heat and Carbon Sequestration and Transports).

NERC Standard Grant: A 500,000-year environmental record from Chew Bahir, south Ethiopia: testing hypotheses of climate-driven human evolution, innovation, and dispersal.

NERC Standard grant: Silicon isotope records of recent environmental change and anthropogenic pollution from Lake Baikal, Baikal.

NERC Consortium Grant: The Mid-Palaeozoic Biotic Crisis - Setting the Trajectory of Tetrapod Evolution.

AHRC grant: Building large communities: Multi isotope investigations of human mobility and diet in the earliest large villages.

AHRC grant: Cultural and scientific perceptions of human and chicken interactions.

AHRC Exeter: A place in time.

7.2 Plasma Ionisation and Thermal Ionisation Mass Spectrometry

The plasma and thermal ionisation mass spectrometry facilities undertake research in uranium-thorium-lead geochronology, environmental isotope tracer studies, and science-based archaeology, and share access to the following resources:

i. Plasma ionisation mass spectrometry laboratory, housing three laser ablation systems (two 193nm Excimer and one 193nm Nd:YAG from New Wave Research), two multicollector plasma-ionisation mass spectrometers (Nu Instruments Nu Plasma HR and Thermo Scientific Neptune Plus), and a single-collector sector-field mass spectrometer (Nu Instruments AttoM).

ii. Thermal ionisation mass spectrometry (TIMS) laboratory, housing two Thermo-Electron Triton mass spectrometers. A third TIMS instrument, the c. 1989 Finnigan MAT262 also resides in the TIMS lab. The MAT 262 is not in working condition, there are no plans to return it to active service as it is obsolete for our purposes, and we suggest offering it to interested parties as a source of spares as we have no use for it now.

iii. Clean chemical laboratory suite, comprising dedicated laboratories for: (1) U-Th-Pb geochronology; (2) Si, Sr, Nd, Pb, and Hf tracer isotope chemistry (also used for DU chemistry when required); (3) Sr and O-isotope chemistry for science-based archaeology; and (4) U-Series analysis.

iv. A separate laboratory for microwave dissolution and handling of high-pressure dissolution vessels for U-Th-Pb geochronology.

v. A microscopy lab with binocular and petrographic - differential interference contrast microscopes with networked digital camera system.

vi. A carbonate and phosphate sample preparation lab equipped with binocular microscopes and a New Wave Micromill.

vii. Rock crushing and mineral separation laboratories

The strength of the facility lies in the complimentary application of Plasma-Ionisation Mass Spectrometry (PIMS) and Thermal Ionisation Mass Spectrometry (TIMS), which together allow us to generate high precision isotope data for a wide range of geochronology and tracer studies. U-Th-Pb geochronology forms an important part of our work, using isotope dilution TIMS analysis for the highest precision applications and PIMS for rapid laser-ablation analysis at high spatial resolution. We undertake a wide range of isotope tracer analyses (87Sr/86Sr, 143Nd/144Nd, 176Hf/177Hf, common Pb, depleted uranium) in environmental, archaeological, and geological studies, using both plasma- and thermal-ionisation mass spectrometry as appropriate based on capability, i.e. sample through-put, using the technique with the highest ionization efficiency of the element of interest, etc.

Grants that we continue to work on include:

AHRC Standard Grant: Building large communities: Multi isotope investigations of human mobility and diet in the earliest large villages.

AHRC Large Grant: Cultural and scientific perceptions of human and chicken interactions.

AHRC Standard Grant: Exeter: A place in time. Exeter and Reading Universities (new)

BA/Leverhulme Mapping movement in a Bronze Age community through isotopic analysis of burned and unburned human bone.

NERC Standard Grant: Ecosystem resilience and recovery from the Permo-Triassic crisis

NERC Standard Grant: Perturbation of the Earth System at the Proterozoic-Phanerozoic transition and the resilience of the biosphere

NERC Consortium Grant: Integrated understanding of the early Jurassic Earth system and Timescale (JET).

NERC Consortia Grant: From arc magmas to ores (FAMOS): A mineral systems approachd

Plasma Ionisation Mass Spectrometry

The PIMS instruments are increasingly busy with the Neptune+ and Attom run at full capacity with increasing overspill (U-Pb, U isotopes, Pb isotopes) on the Nu Plasma HR. All 3 laser systems are back in use, reaching full capacity during some periods.

Key applications this year have been: LA U-Pb analysis of accessory minerals, fracture fill carbonates and speleothems, solution and LA U-series of carbonates, U isotopes on particles, Si isotopes of sea waters and Hf isotopes both by LA (zircon) and solution (whole rock) for crustal growth and evolution studies. These will continue to be the major foci of research for the coming year.

Each instrument has had its issues this year with each tackled as a priority, mostly by inhouse staff, to limit downtime and the impact on the programme. The Nu Plasma HR had the most serious downtime as torchbox problems showed the age of the instrument (12yrs) and were more enigmatic to track down. As a very early model (now 10yrs old), problems with the AttoM are becoming difficult to solve due to the lack of corporate memory amongst the factory engineers and the aged nature of the platform compared to the current model.

Thermal Ionisation Mass Spectrometry

The TIMS laboratory Triton mass spectrometers are very heavily used. Both are >10 years old and susceptible to some down time. Most of the problems are being solved in-house by NIGL staff. Triton 1 was installed in 2003 and is the workhorse instrument for Sr and Nd, particularly for science-based archaeology, and environmental and solid-earth geochemistry. Triton 2 dates from 2006 and is responsible for the entire load of high precision ID-TIMS U-Pb work.

Critical long-standing Triton 1 hardware faults were rectified by factory engineers, which included refurbishment of the most essential Faraday cups and amplifiers for Sr isotope measurements in static mode, and the SEM detector system. Less critical areas requiring upgrading will be addressed in the next few years so that the instrument can continue to operate at a high level.

Triton 2 continues to operate efficiently and reliably but completely at full capacity. Chemistry lab infrastructure problems continue to be a source of problems to maintaining optimal Pb blank levels. As mentioned in previous reports, these infrastructure issues need to be addressed so that NIGL can maintain its standing as a leader in this field and address the needs of the NERC project science that is core to our existence. It must also be again stressed, following from previous annual reports, that any increase in the U-Pb program will be contingent upon additional new mass spectrometry resources becoming available in addition to addressing issues above. Triton 2 access and staff resources are continuously at an absolute premium.

During 17/18 a partial vacuum failure resulted in damage to the T2 SEM and this resulted in significant down time and loss of ID-TIMS capacity. A replacement SEM was installed January 2018 and ongoing tests indicate U-Pb ID-TIMS is acceptable based upon comparison using internationally accepted standards.

As has been the case for several years now, high precision U-Pb chemical abrasion ID-TIMS chronology continues to be the most intensive activity in the TIMS laboratory, and a hallmark research focus of NIGL. Mass spectrometry capacity and staff are absolutely at saturation point after accounting for minor downtime through mass spectrometer component failure and essential laboratory maintenance. In addition to the significant contributions to high precision chronology (igneous geochemistry, geological timescale research) and standard mineral calibrations supporting LA-ICPMS research, Quaternary U-Pb carbonate geochronology projects continue to grow in relative importance regarding dedication of lab and staff resources. Projects included speleothem chronology, particularly for those near the crossover point of U-Th and U-Pb capability, fossil hominids, and vein filling carbonates. Development work for very high precision Pb-Pb dating of meteoritic materials (chondrules, CAI’s) is on-going.

Annex 8 Finance 2017-18

Annual spend v income for the NIGFSC-funded portion of NIGL (~60% capacity).

Income Category (£, 000s)

Baseline allocation from Services and Facilities (provided by Adele Gardner) 1288.66

Minor Capital approved by Facilities and Services Swindon (check final amount on SSC)

0.00

Capital income from NERC3 36.00



Total Income 1347.46

Indirect costs transferred to BGS 630

Minor capital approved annually, actual cost 54.29

Major capital expenditure 0.00

Salaries incl. SA and NI payments, S&F allocation (60% of NIGL capacity) 501.93

Laboratory recurrent including T&S, from S&F allocation 298.42

Total expenses 1484.64

Note 1:- These figures do not include additional commission/grants/administrative funding support that are outside of the funding envelope for NIGL, according to the revised funding algorithm as enshrined in the current Service Level Agreement.

Note 2:- effective budget cut to NIGL due to 1.25% cut in the NC funding.

Annex 9: Service Management

University employees (not/50% supported by S&F allocation) Prof Melanie J Leng, Professor Isotope Geosciences, University of Nottingham

Head of Environmental Change Research. Science Director of the NIGL Stable Isotope Facility (NIGL-SIF). Director of the Centre for Environmental Geochemistry (CEG), BGS-University of Nottingham.

Administrative support (not supported by S&F allocation) Mrs Béatrice I Bullock-von Moos,

Business Administrator to NIGL. Administrator to NIGFSC. Business Administrator to Centre Management Board to CEG.

Open-ended employees of NERC (British Geological Survey) supported in part by S&F allocation

Ms Carol Arrowsmith, Band 6, Isotope Scientist. Dr Nicola Atkinson, Band 7, Isotope Support Scientist. Dr Dan Condon, Band 3, Isotope Research Scientist.

Head of Chronology Research. Science Director of NIGL Geochronology & Tracers Facility (NIGL-GTF).

Prof Jane Evans, Band 4, Isotope Research Scientist. Head of Science-based Archaeology. Special Professor in Archaeological Sciences, University of Nottingham.

Dr Matt Horstwood, Band 4, Isotope Research Scientist. Plasma Ionisation Mass Spectrometry (PIMS) Facility Manager. Mr Chris Kendrick, Band 7, Isotope Support Scientist. Dr Jack Lacey, Band 7, Scientific and Technical Support Scientist (Jan 2016 – Aug 2017 / Isotope Apprentice). Dr Jack Lacey, Band 6, Isotope Research Scientist (Sep 2017 – permanent). Dr Angela Lamb, Band 5, Isotope Research Scientist.

Head of SIF Tracer Research. Honorary Research Fellow, University of Nottingham.

Dr Ian Millar, Band 4, Isotope Research Scientist. Radiogenic Isotope Facility Manager. Secretary to NERC Isotope Geosciences Facilities Steering Committee (Nov12 – May17)

Dr Stephen Noble, Band 4, Isotope Research Scientist. Ms Vanessa Pashley, Band 6, Isotope Scientist. Dr Nicholas Roberts, Band 6, Isotope Research Scientist. Dr Diana Sahy, Band 6, Isotope Research Scientist. Secretary to NERC Isotope Geosciences Facilities Steering Committee (Nov17 – present) Mrs Lauren Selby, Band 7, Isotope Support Scientist (Nov17 – permanent). Ms Hilary Sloane, Band 6, Isotope Scientist. Dr Andrew C Smith, Band 6, Isotope Research Scientist. Dr Simon Tapster, Band 5, Isotope Research Scientist. Ms Doris Wagner, Band 7, Isotope Support Scientist. Mr Adrian Wood, Band 8, Isotope Support Scientist. Other isotope staff based at NIGL Mrs Lauren Selby, BGS Staff, Band 7, Isotope Support Scientist (Aug17 – Oct17). Ms Kerry Johnson, BGS Staff, Band 7, Isotope Support Scientist (Aug16 – ongoing). Mr Dave Morgan, BGS Staff, Band 7, Isotope Support Scientist (Aug15 – ongoing). Affiliated University/BGS PhD Students based at NIGL (not supported by S&F allocation) Mr Lewis Banks, CENTA-CASE DTP, University of Leicester (Sep17 – -Mar21). Mr Joshua Bright, NERC-BGS MSc Student, University of Sussex (Jul17 – Jul18).

Mr Edward Bunker, PhD Student, University of Bristol (Oct 2016 – Oct 2019). Mr Liam Courtney-Davies, PhD, University of Adelaide, Australia (May17-Aug17) Mr Simon Dahlstrom, PhD Student, University of Bristol (Oct 2016 – Oct 2019). Ms Laura Deeprose, NERC-BUFI Student, Lancaster University (Oct 2014 – Oct 2017). Mr Rowan Dejardin, NERC-BUFI Student, University of Nottingham (Oct 2014 – Oct 2017). Ms Henrieka Detlef, NERC-BGS Student, Christian-Albrechts-University, Kiel, Germany (Nov 2016 – Mar 2018). Mr Matthew Druce, NERC-BUFI Student, Loughborough University (Oct 2015 - Oct 2018). Ms Kaja Fenn, NERC-BUFI Student, University of Oxford (Oct 2016 – Oct 2019). Mr Christopher Kneale, NERC-BUFI Student, Lancaster University (Oct 2016 – Oct 2019). Mr Thomas Lamont, NERC-BUFI Student, University of Oxford (Jul 2016 - Oct 2019). Ms Roisin Mooney, NERC-BGS MSc Student, University of Waikato, New Zealand (Mar17 – Mar18). Mr Kenneth Orr, NERC-BGS BSc Student, Unpaid Visitor, University of Leeds, Leeds (Dec 2017 – Feb 2018). Ms Becky Perkins NERC-BUFI Student, University of Bristol (Oct 2016 – Oct 2019). Dr Virginia Panizzo, Post Doctoral Research Fellow, University of Nottingham (Apr 2015 - Mar 2018). Ms Leanne Staddon, NERC-BUFI Student, University of Bristol (Oct 2016 – Oct 2019). Mr Hairuo Fu, NERC-BGS BSc Student, Unpaid Visitor, China University of Geosciences, Beijing, PR China (Dec 2017 – Feb 2018). BGS Honorary Research Associates (not supported by S&F allocation) Mrs Carolyn Chenery (06Jan18 – 05Jan19). Dr Tim Heaton (01Jun15 – 31May19). D Prof Julian Henderson (01Jan15 – 31Dec19) Dr Robert J Pankhurst (13Mar02 - 31Jan18). Dr Holly Miller (27Feb14-28Feb19) Dr Andrea Snelling (Mar18-Feb19)

Annex 10: OPMs not covered elsewhere 2017-18

School activities

NIGL continued to support secondary school work experience students. During 2017/2018, two pupils were hosted by the stable isotope facility for 1 week each.

Angela Lamb presented a talk entitled: ‘Isotope analysis of King Richard III: A diet fit for a King?’ to school children during science week at the Richard III centre, Leicester (13/03/18).

NIGL GTF staff carried out talks and activities (the Washing Line of Time) during Science Week.

Outreach

Angela Lamb gave a talk entitled: ‘Isotope analysis of King Richard III: A diet fit for a King?’ to Ruddington WI, Notts (11/10/17).

Melanie Leng gave a keynote at the Geochemistry Group progress meeting on “Diatoms, Isotopes, and Palaeoclimate” (5.4.17).

Melanie Leng gave two invited talks on the Stable Isoootpe Facility at UCL and Liverpool to a mixed audience of undergraduate students and academics (March 2017).

NIGL GTF staff carried out talks and activities (the Washing Line of Time) during the BGS Open Day.

Condon and Sahy undertook ‘real time’ engagement whilst part of a USGS led expedition to study methane seeps along the US Atlantic Margin, using live-streaming of ROV footage, Twitter, Facebook and direct email with UK schools https://soundwaves.usgs.gov/2017/05/outreach.html

Committee representation during 2017-18 Dr D J Condon

Stratigraphy Commission of the Geological Society of London (2010 to present).

NERC Isotope Geosciences Facilities Steering Committee (Ex-officio).

Co-opted Governor, Willow Brook School, Keyworth

Nominating Committee, GSA Geochronology Division

Prof J A Evans

Chartered Geologist, Scrutineer for the Geological Society of London (2010-present).

Dr M S A Horstwood

Member of the Editorial Board for Geostandards and Geoanalytical Research (2010-present).

Dr J H Lacey

Postgraduate representative on the Quaternary Research Association Executive Committee (2014-2016).

Treasurer of the Quaternary Research Association (2017-2021).

Dr A L Lamb

Editorial board for Nature Scientific Reports (2016-present).

Panel Member NERC Peer Review College (2017-2021).

Governor, Orston Primary School, Notts (2014-2018).

Prof M J Leng

Core Panel Member, NERC Peer Review College (2014-present).

Editorial Board for Journal of Paleolimnology (2015-present).

Editorial Board for Nature Scientific Reports (2017-present).

https://soundwaves.usgs.gov/2017/05/outreach.html

Editorial board for Quaternary Research (2017-present).

Editorial board for Quaternary Science Reviews (2004-present).

International Continental scientific Drilling Programme (ICDP) UK convenor (2012-present).

Member of the International Continental scientific Drilling Programme (ICDP) Executive Committee (2012-present).

Member of the International Continental scientific Drilling Program (ICDP)-International Ocean

Discovery Program (IOPD)/European Consortium for Ocean Research Drilling (ECORD) outreach task force (2014-present).

NERC Isotope Geosciences Facilities Steering Committee (Ex-officio).

Quaternary Research Association member (2013-present).

UK Arctic and Antarctic Partnership (UKAAP) Steering Committee (2017-2020).

Dr N Roberts

Member of the Editorial Board, Geoscience Frontiers (2013-present). Committee member, Metamorphic Studies Group (2014-2017). Secretary to the International Association of Gondwana Research (2014-present).

Member of the Editorial Board, Geology (2017-present).

Dr D C Sahy

Secretary to the NERC Isotope Geosciences Facilities Steering Committee (Nov17-present)

Dr A C Smith

Trustee of the British Cave Research Association (2017-present)

Page 3

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Annex 11: Projects supported 2017-18

Stage reached: N = not started; 1 = field work done; 2 = samples received; 3 = sample prep. completed; 4 = analytical work started; 5 = 50% analyses completed;

6 = analytical work completed; 7 = report completed; 8 = completed

Costs are calculated using 2017/18 time allocation reports and the 2017/18 TAR cost and include costs for capital depreciation and infrastructure.

Please note: This report does not include NIGL method development/innovation, public understanding of science, institute projects and training programme.

Project number

Short title Project leader University / Institute

NIGFSC number N 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 # Half days /

Staff Time

Cost £'s/k

University projects approved by NIGFSC

20648 Neolithic population in UK Dr J Montgomery

University of Durham

IP-1290-0512 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N 8.00 2.790

20658 Cu isotopes as redox tracers in ore forming systems

Dr I B Butler University of Edinburgh

IP-1308-0512 Y Y Y Y Y N N N N 0.00 0.000

20682 How high can you go? Dr J Montgomery

University of Durham

IP-1456-0514 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N 10.00 3.487

20696 Southern Libya humid phases

Dr M Rogerson

University of Hull

IP-1385-1113 Y Y Y Y Y Y N N N 70.00 24.411

20701 Climate variability over the circum-Caribbean region during the past 1200 years from oxygen-isotope analyses of lake sediments

Dr J A Holmes


IP-1394-1113 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N 4.00 1.395

20705 New horizons in Solar System chronology

Dr J Darling University of Portsmouth

IP-1408-1113 Y Y Y Y Y Y N N N 0.00 0.000

Page 3

4

20706 Developing high resolution Late Holocene and Late Pleistocene palaeoclimatic records for south west Turkey from speleothems

Prof J E Andrews


IP-1410-1113 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N 2.00 0.697

20718 Speleothem climate capture of Heinrich cooling throughout MIS 2-3


IP-1439-0514 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N 30.00 10.462

20729 Age of the Toarcian Oceanic Anoxic Event

Prof S Hesselbo

University of Exeter

IP-1466-0514 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N 32.00 11.159

20730 Mélange deposits of Anglesey and north-west Wales, UK

Dr D I Schofield

British Geological Survey - Keyworth

IP-1467-0514 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N 16.50 5.754

20739 Provenance and Technology of ceramic glazes in northern China and the Middle East (7th-13th Centuries AD)

Prof J Henderson


IP-1487-1114 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N 4.00 1.395

20742 Stable isotope tracing of methane sources in UK groundwater

Dr E R C Hornibrook


IP-1490-1114 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N 4.00 1.395

20746 New geochemical records from the South Atlantic and Spain

Dr K Littler University of Exeter

IP-1496-1114 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N 100.00 34.873

20748 Timing of exhumation of the Eastern Himalayan syntaxis


IP-1500-1114 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N 2.00 0.697

20749 Fractionation of phosphate oxygen isotopes during mineral dissolution

Dr K Olsson-Francis

Open University

IP-1501-1114 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N 6.00 2.092

Page 3

5

20751 Palaeodiets of British Late Pleistocene carnivores and their prey

Prof D Schreve

Royal Holloway, University of London

IP-1512-1114 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N 6.00 2.092

20755 Hunter-gatherers at Kharaneh IV, Azraq Basin, Jordan

Dr M D Jones


IP-1525-0515 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N 10.00 3.487

20760 Oxygen isotopic composition of phosphate in the Celtic Sea

Dr C Mahaffey

University of Liverpool

IP-1538-0515 Y Y Y Y Y Y N N N 6.00 2.092

20761 Seasonally resolved speleothem proxy records from an environmentally monitored cave in SW France

Prof D Mattey


IP-1540-0515 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N 4.00 1.395

20762 Nitrate beneath the surface in drylands


IP-1542-0515 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N 14.00 4.882

20765 Riparian forest water availability and water use through tree-ring oxygen and carbon isotopes

Dr M Singer University of St Andrews

IP-1548-0515 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N 80.00 27.899

20766 Intra-annual climate and salinity change on human subsistence trends in Danish prehistoric shell middens

Dr D Ryves Loughborough University

IP-1550-0515 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N 2.00 0.697

20767 Holocene speleothem from Fiji and the Cook Islands

Prof D Mattey


IP-1551-0515 Y Y Y Y Y Y N N N 4.00 1.395

20768 Architecture of Myanmar with U-Pb and Hf isotopes in zircon

Dr M P Searle


IP-1554-0515 Y Y Y Y Y Y N N N 4.00 1.395

Page 3

6

20771 Late Cenozoic palaeoceanographic evolution of the Japan Sea

Dr A Henderson

University of Newcastle

IP-1559-0515 Y Y Y Y Y Y N N N 200.00 69.747

20773 U-series dating of multiple microfacies phases within Quaternary calcretes

Dr K Adamson

Manchester Metropolitan University

IP-1561-1115 Y N N N N N N N N 2.00 0.697

20774 How is phosphorus availability regulated in soils?

Dr M Blackwell

Rothamsted Research North Wyke

IP-1564-1115 Y Y Y Y Y Y N N N 38.00 13.252

20775 Organic Geochemical Characteristics of Organic-rich Mudstone and Siltstone Successions

Prof S Davies University of Leicester

IP-1566-1115 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N 40.00 13.949

20777 Reconstructing tropical Pacific palaeohydrology during Marine Isotope Stage 3

Dr A Henderson


IP-1574-1115 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N 60.00 20.924

20778 Palaeoenvironmental change from the Late Triassic-Early Jurassic

Prof S Hesselbo

University of Exeter

IP-1575-1115 Y Y Y Y Y Y N N N 20.00 6.975

20779 Investigating climate change and carbon-cycling in the Late Cretaceous–Early Paleogene

Dr K Littler University of Exeter

IP-1581-1115 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N 60.00 20.924

20783 Short-term preservation pathways of sedimentary carbonates

Prof C Perry University of Exeter

IP-1587-1115 Y Y Y Y Y Y N N N 40.00 13.949

20784 Tracing 238U/235U fractionation from source to sink in natural weathering environments

Prof D Read Loughborough University

IP-1592-1115 Y N N N N N N N N 0.00 0.000

Page 3

7

20785 n(235U)/n(238U) Fukushima particles

Dr D Richards


IP-1593-1115 Y N N N N N N N N 0.00 0.000

20788 Constraining the age of ophiolite

Dr M P Searle


IP-1597-1115 Y Y Y Y Y Y N N N 86.00 29.991

20789 Shelled heteropods: morphology, molecular taxonomy and global distributions

Dr C Smart University of Plymouth

IP-1598-1115 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N 30.00 10.462

20790 Timing of submarine mega-landslides in the Nordic Seas

Prof P Talling University of Southampton

IP-1600-1115 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N 60.00 20.924

20791 Extracting the phosphate isotope record from speleothem carbonate


IP-1603-1115 Y Y Y Y Y Y N N N 26.00 9.067

20793 Testing and informing Snowball Earth models on the South China margin

Dr A R Prave University of St Andrews

IP-1606-1115 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N 29.00 10.113

20794 Establishing a chronology for early dinosaur evolution

Prof P M Barrett

Natural History Museum

IP-1607-1115 Y Y Y Y Y Y N N N 23.70 8.265

20795 Testing connections between pulsed magmatism in the North Atlantic Igneous Province

Dr M Cooper British Geological Survey - Keyworth

IP-1608-1115 Y Y Y Y Y Y N N N 22.00 7.672

20796 Mesozoic volcanism in Mongolia

Dr T Barry University of Leicester

IP-1610-0516 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N 20.40 7.114

20797 Bronze Age diet in the Romanian Sub Carpathians

Prof C Bonsall

University of Edinburgh

IP-1611-0516 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N 10.00 3.487

20798 Organic Matter in the Bowland Shale, Craven Basin, UK

Prof S Davies University of Leicester

IP-1614-0516 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N 30.00 10.462

Page 3

8

20799 Oxygen isotope systematics of deep-sea sponges from the North Atlantic

Dr K Hendry University of Bristol

IP-1619-0516 Y Y Y Y Y Y N N N 20.00 6.975

20800 The formation and evolution of the Arran Central Complex

Dr A C Kerr Cardiff University

IP-1621-0516 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N 30.40 10.601

20801 The legacy of cyclone Pam Prof P Langdon


IP-1622-0516 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N 10.00 3.487

20802 Beneath ultraslow-spreading mid-ocean ridges

Dr J C Lissenberg

Cardiff University

IP-1624-0516 Y Y N N N N N N N 0.00 0.000

20803 North America Monsoon variability in North Mexico over the last 20,000 years

Dr R D Pancost


IP-1630-0516 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N 20.00 6.975

20804 Reconstructing past movement of the South Pacific Convergence Zone

Prof D A Sear


IP-1637-0516 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N 10.00 3.487

20805 West Antarctic Ice Sheet retreat since the Last Glacial Maximum

Dr J Smith British Antarctic Survey

IP-1638-0516 Y Y Y Y Y Y N N N 10.00 3.487

20806 Crust-mantle exchange in orogenic lower crust

Dr C Warren Open University

IP-1641-0516 Y Y Y Y Y Y N N N 35.00 12.206

20807 Speleothem Climate Capture of Heinrich Cooling Throughout MIS3-4 (project phase 2)


IP-1642-0516 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N 10.00 3.487

20808 Field-based and analytical evidence from the Bushveld and Monchegorsk Complexes

Prof W D Maier

Cardiff University

IP-1644-0516 Y Y Y Y Y Y N N N 105.00 36.617

Page 3

9

20809 Arabian speleothem records of environmental change and Hominid dispersal

Prof D Fleitmann

University of Reading

IP-1646-0516 Y Y Y N N N N N N 4.00 1.395

20810 Indian summer Monsoon runoff to climate forcing

Dr P Anand Open University

IPâ€�1649â€�1116 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N 20.00 6.975

20811 Are cryptic Paleogene melts the 'smoking gun'

Dr T W Argles

Open University

IP-1650-1116 Y Y Y Y Y N N N N 2.00 0.697

20812 Optically stimulated luminescence dating

Dr S Armitage


IP-1651-1116 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N 32.00 11.159

20813 Agricultural Origins of Urban Civilization

Dr A Bogaard


IP-1656-1116 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N N 4.00 1.395

20814 Geological processes that build a major REE-deposit

Dr A Dijkstra University of Plymouth

IP-1659-1116 Y Y Y Y Y N N N N 11.50 4.010

20815 Phosphorous sources and cycling in a sub-tropical estuary

Prof D Gooddy

British Geological Survey - Wallingford

IP-1664-1116 Y N N N N N N N N 2.00 0.697

20816 Emerging oxygen isotope record of Cambrian seawater temperature

Dr T H P Harvey

University of Leicester

IP-1667-1116 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N 37.00 12.903

20817 Mid-Pleistocene transition in the Sea of Japan

Dr A Henderson


IP-1668-1116 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N N 20.00 6.975

20818 Early Medieval glass from the Venetian area

Prof J Henderson


IP-1669-1116 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N N 54.00 18.832

20820 Ecological impacts of late Holocene salinity change

Dr J A Holmes


IP-1671-1116 Y Y Y Y Y Y N N N 50.00 17.437

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20821 Timing, duration and duration of the early Toarcian OAE

Dr D Kemp University of Aberdeen

IP-1673-1116 Y Y Y Y Y N N N N 25.50 8.893

20822 Investigating sea ice and Bering Sea palaeoceanography

Dr S Kender University of Nottingham

IP-1674-1116 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N 80.00 27.899

20823 Marine molluscs for the west coast of South Africa

Prof J Lee-Thorpe


IP-1676-1116 Y Y Y Y Y Y N N N 20.00 6.975

20824 Palaeoproductivity and silica utilization in southern Siberia

Prof A W Mackay


IP-1678-1116 Y Y Y Y Y Y N N N 20.00 6.975

20825 Crustal evolution of the Early Archean Yilgarn Craton, Australia

Dr I Parkinson

Open University

IP-1684-1116 Y Y Y Y Y Y N N N 48.00 16.739

20826 Secular Changes in Arsenic Hazard in Circum-Himalayan Groundwaters

Prof D A Polya


IP-1686-1116 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N 28.00 9.765

20827 Major Perturbations to the Silurian Global Carbon Cycle

Dr D I Schofield

British Geological Survey - Edinburgh

IP-1691-1116 Y Y Y Y Y Y N N N 25.50 8.893

20828 Magma genesis, crustal pathways and fluid traps in the post-orogenic SW England

Dr R Shail University of Exeter

IP-1692-1116 Y Y Y Y Y Y N N N 26.00 9.067

20829 Dynamics of the Ediacaran Nama Group, Namibia

Prof R Wood University of Edinburgh

IP-1697-1116 Y Y Y Y Y N N N N 24.50 8.544

20830 Speleothem climate capture of Heinrich cooling during MIS 3 (project phase 3)


IP-1698-1116 Y Y Y Y Y Y N N N 80.00 27.899

Page 4

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20831 Towards understanding the origin of subsoil phosphate

Dr S Young University of Nottingham

IP-1700-1116 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N 82.00 28.596

20832 Indian Summer Monsoon Dr A Pallavi Open University

IP-1701-0517 Y Y Y Y Y Y N N N 50.00 17.437

20833 Deglaciating Virkisá river catchment, Iceland

Dr N E Barrand

University of Birmingham

IP-1704-0517 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N 60.00 20.924

20834 C4 plant expansion in Southern Asia

Dr J Bendle University of Birmingham

IP-1705-0517 Y Y Y Y Y Y N N N 20.00 6.975

20835 Phosphate oxygen record in characterising P

Dr J Boyle University of Liverpool

IP-1706-0517 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N 17.00 5.928

20836 Humid Period termination in southern Ethiopia

Dr J Dean University of Hull

IP-1711-0517 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N 90.00 31.386

20837 26Al in terrestrial building blocks

Dr T R Elliott University of Bristol

IP-1712-0517 Y N N N N N N N N 8.00 2.790

20838 Evolution of the Metallogenic Gardar Province, Southern Greenland

Prof A Finch University of St Andrews

IP-1714-0517 Y Y Y Y Y N N N N 18.00 6.277

20839 δ18OPO4 as a novel tracer of plant adaptation strategies

Dr S Granger Rothamsted Research North Wyke

IP-1715-0517 Y Y Y Y Y Y N N N 40.00 13.949

20840 Ecological impacts of late Holocene salinity change

Dr J A Holmes


IP-1717-0517 Y Y Y Y Y Y N N N 100.00 34.873

20841 U-Pb petrochronology of calcite-filled faults in the Cleveland Baisn

Dr J Imber University of Durham

IP-1719-0517 Y N N N N N N N N 22.00 7.672

20842 HARVEST Dr D J Quincey

University of Leeds

IP-1721-0517 Y Y Y Y Y Y N N N 45.00 15.693

Page 4

2

20843 Calcite cements in the Bighorn Basin, Wyoming, USA

Dr D Koehn University of Glasgow

IP-1722-0517 Y Y Y Y Y Y N N N 44.00 15.344

20844 Fossil Hill methane seep community, offshore California


IP-1723-0517 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N 0.00 0.000

20845 Late Ediacaran record of early animal diversification

Dr A Liu University of Bristol

IP-1724-0517 Y Y Y Y Y N N N N 39.50 13.775

20846 Variability during the Holocene at the forest – steppe ecotone

Prof A W Mackay


IP-1725-0517 Y Y Y Y Y Y N N N 20.00 6.975

20847 Magyars: Exploring the Impact on Diet and Health

Dr R Madgwick

Cardiff University

IP-1726-0517 Y Y Y Y Y N N N N 2.00 0.697

20848 Freshwater ecosystems of the Middle Yangtze Basin

Ass Prof S McGowan


IP-1727-0517 Y Y Y Y Y Y N N N 40.00 13.949

20849 Pamir tectonics and aridification of Central Asia


IP-1729-0517 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N 2.00 0.697

20850 Biogeochemical cycling in a tropical

Dr V Panizzo University of Nottingham

IP-1731-0517 Y Y Y Y Y N N N N 2.00 0.697

20851 Revisiting < 3800 Ma zircon to test the validity of stagnant lid

Dr I Parkinson


IP-1732-0517 Y Y Y Y Y N N N N 16.00 5.580

20852 Tracing icebergs around East Antarctica


IP-1733-0517 Y Y N N N N N N N 30.00 10.462

20853 Determining uplift to investigate - southern Italy and Greece

Prof G Roberts

Birkbeck College, University College London

IP-1734-0517 Y Y Y Y Y Y N N N 54.00 18.832

Page 4

3

20854 Stylasterid Corals: A new archive for the past ocean?

Dr L F Robinson


IP-1735-0517 Y Y Y Y Y Y N N N 10.00 3.487

20855 Basin evolution and petroleum systems (Namibe Basin, Angola)

Dr S Schroeder


IP-1737-0517 Y Y N N N N N N N 2.00 0.697

20856 Petrochronology of the Tso Morari Ultra-High Pressure terrane

Dr M P Searle


IP-1738-0517 Y N N N N N N N N 22.00 7.672

20857 Dating of Palaeolithic Landscapes at Wadi Dabsa, southwest Saudi Arabia


IP-1739-0517 Y Y Y Y Y Y N N N 48.00 16.739

20858 Biological pump in the Bering Sea since the middle Pleistocene

Dr G Swann University of Nottingham

IP-1740-0517 Y Y Y Y Y Y N N N 20.00 6.975

20859 Provenance of late Quaternary loess - Danube River, Europe

Prof D S G Thomas


IP-1741-0517 Y Y Y Y Y N N N N 58.50 20.401

20860 Black shale deposition in the Late Jurassic European Seaway – The Kimmeridge Clay Formation

Prof T Wagner

Heriot-Watt University

IP-1742-0517 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N 80.00 27.899

20861 Speleothem records of centennial scale fluctuations


IP-1743-0517 Y Y Y Y Y Y N N N 35.00 12.206

20862 Ocean Drilling Program sites 658 and 659

Dr S Armitage


IP-1745-1117 Y Y Y Y Y Y N N N 38.00 13.252

20863 Constraining the evolution of magmatism at Soufrière Hills Volcano, Montserrat

Prof J Barclay


IP-1746-1117 Y Y N N N N N N N 26.00 9.067

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4

20864 The Late Quaternary NW Pacific

Prof G R Bigg University of Sheffield

IP-1747-1117 Y Y Y Y Y N N N N 10.00 3.487

20865 Fertile Crescent during the Holocene Period

Prof D Fleitmann

University of Reading

IP-1753-1117 Y Y Y Y Y N N N N 30.00 10.462

20866 Palaeoclimate signals using modern planktic foraminifera in Bermuda

Prof G Foster University of Bristol

IP-1754-1117 Y Y Y Y Y Y N N N 10.00 3.487

20867 Improving tools for tracing phosphate in the environment

Prof D Gooddy

British Geological Survey - Wallingford

IP-1756-1117 Y Y N N N N N N N 2.00 0.697

20868 Understanding phosphorus dynamics in tropical soils

Dr S Granger Rothamsted Research North Wyke

IP-1757-1117 Y Y Y Y Y Y N N N 8.00 2.790

20869 Rapid climate change during past interglacials using UK Speleothems

Dr P Hopley University College London

IP-1760-1117 Y Y Y Y Y N N N N 10.00 3.487

20870 Implications for the origin of Ni-Cu-PGE mineralization and the Precambrian Atmosphere

Prof W D Maier

Cardiff University

IP-1763-1117 Y Y Y Y N N N N N 2.00 0.697

20871 The Impact of Magma Supply Rate on Pluton Architecture

Dr W McCarthy

University of St Andrews

IP-1764-1117 Y N N N N N N N N 2.00 0.697

20872 Midcontinent Rift System geochronology

Dr J Cloutier University of St Andrews

IP-1765-1117 Y Y Y Y Y N N N N 10.50 3.662

20873 Assessing the impact of aquaculture in the Philippines using palaeolimnology

Ass Prof S McGowan


IP-1767-1117 Y Y Y Y Y Y N N N 50.00 17.437

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5

20874 Climate and human agency in the settlement of the Mayab region (Mesoamerica)

Prof S Metcalfe


IP-1768-1117 Y Y Y Y Y N N N N 10.00 3.487

20875 Implications for shallow submarine mineral deposit exploration and preservation

Dr J Naden British Geological Survey - Keyworth

IP-1769-1117 Y Y N N N N N N N 5.25 1.831

20876 Late Quaternary Antarctic ice sheet discharge


IP-1773-1117 Y Y Y Y Y N N N N 20.00 6.975

20877 Constraining the evolution of the Indo-Burma Range

Ass Prof S Robinson


IP-1778-1117 Y Y Y Y Y N N N N 39.00 13.601

20878 Origins of Earth's first continents; isotopic constraints from Zimbabwe

Prof H Rollinson

University of Derby

IP-1779-1117 Y N N N N N N N N 1.00 0.349

20879 Uplift and subsidence history of the Moroccan Atlantic margin in the Mesozoic

Dr S Schroeder


IP-1784-1117 Y N N N N N N N N 2.00 0.697

20880 Magmatic evolution of a gold telluride district - Metaliferi Mountains, Romania

Dr D J Smith University of Leicester

IP-1785-1117 Y Y N N N N N N N 2.00 0.697

20881 Constraining biogeochemical cycling in the North Pacific Ocean and Bering Sea

Dr G Swann University of Nottingham

IP-1786-1117 Y Y Y N N N N N N 40.00 13.949

Annex 12: Visiting Scientists and Students 2017-18

Visiting Scientists and Students 2017-18 Facility

Atkinson, Helen Sercon Ltd, Crewe

Attenbourough, David (Sir) BBC, London

Austin, Ryan University of Lincoln (PhD Student)

Banks, Lewis University of Leicester (NERC CASE Student)

Bunker, Edward University of Bristol (PhD Student)

Barry, Tiffany (Dr) University of Leicester (NERC Fellowship)

Bertin, Camilla University of Nottingham (PhD Student)

Bidgood, Anna University of Oxford (PhD Student)

Bigg, Grant (Prof) University of Sheffield

Bird, Anna (Dr) University of Hull

Bode, Leslie University of Nottingham (PhD Student)

Borst, Anouk University of St Andrews (PhD Student)

Bosomworth, Matthew University of Reading (PhD Student)

Bourne, David ProVac Services, Crewe

Boyce, Adrian (Prof) Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre, East Kilbride

Briddon, Charlotte University of Nottingham (PhD Student)

Brodie, Christopher Thermo Fisher Scientific, Bremen, Germany

Bunker, Edward University of Bristol (PhD Student)

Cartier, Roisine Lund University, Lund, Sweden (PhD Student)

Choudhury, Sharmila Humble Bee Films, Bristol

Collard, Ed BBC News Producer and documentary film lecturer at Widecast UK, Nottingham

Courtany-Davies, Liam (Dr) University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia (International Post Doc)

Coyle, Samantha University of Nottingham (PhD Student)

Crossley, Laura University of Southampton (BUFI Student)

Cushtey, Fiona 360 Production, London

Davies, Andy Thermo Fisher Scientific, Loughborough

Davies, Sarah (Prof) University of Leicester

Davis, Clare (Dr) University of Liverpool (Post Doc)

Dean, Jonathan (Dr) University of Hull

Deeprose, Laura Lancaster University (BUFI Student)

Dejardin, Rowan University of Nottingham (BUFI Student)

Dobson, Samantha University of Nottingham (PhD Student)

Downes, Scott European Instruments, Oxford

Druce, Matthew University of Loughborough (NERC PhD Student)

Dunleavy, Stephen Humble Bee Films, Bristol

Eme, Vlad University of Leicester (BSc Student)

Emmings, Joseph University of Leicester (PhD Student)

Engels, Stephan (Dr) University of Nottingham (Post Doc)

Entwistle, Graham Isoprime, Cheadle

Evans, Adam Humble Bee Films, Bristol

Felder, Sonja University of Newcastle (BUFI Student)

Fenn, Kaja University of Oxford (NERC PhD Student)

Fleitmann, Dominik (Dr) University of Reading

Flower, Lucy (Dr) Royal Holloway, University of London

Granger, Steve (Dr) Rothamsted Research North Wyke, Oakhampton

Gregory, Tim University of Bristol (PhD Student)

Grindrod, Liz Public Health England, London

Hairuo, Fu China University of Geosciences, Beijing, PR China (International BSc Student)

Harding, Poppy University College London (PhD Student)

Hearing, Thomas University of Leicester (BUFI Student)

Himmler, Tobias (Dr) Geological Survey of Norway, Trondheim, Norway

Imber, Jonathan (Dr) University of Durham

Kerr, Katrina Open University, Milton Keynes (PhD Student)

Kneale, Chris Lancaster University (PhD Student)

Lamont, Thomas University of Oxford (PhD Student)

Ledger, Martha University College London (MSc Student)

Leito, José Electro Scientific Industries Europe (ESI Ltd), Cambridge

Livarda, Alexander (Dr) University of Nottingham

Mark, Darren (Prof) Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre, East Kilbride

Matthews, Adam University of Exeter (PhD Student)

McCarron, Ambrose University of Sheffield (PhD Student)

Meschis, Marco Birkbeck College, University of London (MSc Student)

Metcalfe, Sarah (Prof) University of Nottingham

Michalopoulos, Panagiotis (Dr) Aristotle University Of Thessaloniki, Greece

Miller, Holly (Dr) University of Nottingham

Minton, Paul University College London (PhD Student)

Montgomery, Janet (Dr) University of Durham

Moore, Fiona University of Nottingham (PhD Student)

Naing, Tin Tin University of Oxford (PhD Student)

Najman, Yani (Dr) Lancaster University

Nicholson, Sam (Dr) University of Reading

Noland, Leah University of Leicester (PhD Student)

O'Regan, Hanna (Dr) University of Nottingham

Orengo, Hector (Dr) University of Cambridge

Orr, Kenneth University of Leeds (BSc Student)

Panizzo, Virginia (Dr) University of Nottingham (Post Doc)

Pawson, Joe Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Horncastle (Work Experience)

Pearson, Jessica (Dr) University of Liverpool

Perkins, Rebecca University of Bristol (PhD Student)

Pfahler, Verena (Dr) Rothamsted Research, North Wyke

Phillipps, Stacy Open University, Milton Keynes (PhD Student)

Porter, Michael Isoprime Ltd, Stockport

Price, William Isoprime Ltd, Stockport

Read, David (Prof) University o Surrey, Guilford

Roberts, Gerald (Prof) Birkbeck College, University of London

Roberts, Lucy University College London (PhD Student)

Robertson, Jennifer Birkbeck College, University of London (MSc Student)

Rochelle, Haidee University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia (PhD Student)

Rogers, Bryony University of Durham (NERC PhD Student)

Rollinson, Hugh (Prof) University of Derby

Ross, Graham Humble Bee Films, Bristol

Samperiz, Ana University of Bristol (NERC PhD Student)

Scarrow, Jane (Dr) University of Granada, Granada, Spain

Schreve, Danielle (Dr) Royal Holloway, University of London

Setchfield, James The West Bridgford School, West Bridgford, Nottingham (Work Experience)

Shen, Jianxun University of St Andrews (PhD Student)

Smith, Peter Pro-Vac Ltd, Crewe

Smith, Robin Humble Bee Films, Bristol

Stadden, Leanne University of Bristol (PhD Student)

Stone, Abigail (Dr) University of Manchester

Sykes, Naomi (Dr) University of Nottingham

Swann, George (Dr) University of Nottingham

Takafumi, Hirata (Prof) University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan

Vermeesch, Pieter (Dr) University College London

Wainman, Laura Rushcliffe School, West Bridgford, Nottingham (Work Experience)

Warren, Clare (Dr) Open University, Milton Keynes (NERC Fellowship)

Whitehouse, Martin (Prof) Swedish Museum of Natural History

Williams, James Cardiff University (PhD Student)

Winstanley, Ian Thermo Fisher Scientific, Warrington

Wong, Elena Humble Bee Films, Bristol

Wood, Eleni Open University, Milton Keynes (NERC CASE Student)

Worne, Savannah University of Nottingham (PhD Student)

Wynn, Peter (Dr) Lancaster University

Young, Richard University of Bristol (PhD Student)

Young, Scott (Dr) University of Nottingham

Zhang, Shihong (Prof) China University of Geosciences , Beijing, RP China

Zeng, Linghan University of Nottingham (PhD Student)

Annex 13: Training

In this Annex we outline discrete training activities which have been carried out during 2017-18. These are in addition to the training delivered to specific early stage researchers (post-graduate and post-doctoral researchers) through NIGFSC approved projects.

1. Short Courses

1.1 Stable Isotope Short Course. A 3 day introduction to stable isotope geochemistry for 30 PhD and ECRs (in conjunction with ICSF at SUREC).

2. Online materials

2.1 Trans-DTP ‘training warehouse’ website. NIGF developing a UK wide network for the soft-coordination of isotope geochemistry training in the UK. This is largely a response to the development of the NERC DTPs in that mechanisms for trans-DTP delivery of advanced training for disciplines such as isotope geochemistry, geophysics etc. will be required. A portal website is established at http://www.geochemistrytraining.org/.

3. Isotope Apprentices

Currently there is one rolling (1-2 years) Stable Isotope Apprentice. The Stable Isotope Apprentice post is geared towards particular post holders, but involves learning off line and online techniques, wet chemical preparation techniques, mass spectrometry operation, trouble shooting and maintenance, as well as how a laboratory operates including H&S, management and dealing with infrastructure. Below are recent examples of how our training has directly enabled careers in geochemistry:

http://www.geochemistrytraining.org/

Dr Peter Wynn – Senior Lecturer with a strong leadership role in the stable isotope facility (Lancaster Environment Centre). Dr Angela Lamb – Stable isotope geochemist and tracer lead (Stable Isotope Facility, BGS). Dr George Swann and Dr Matthew Jones – both Associate Professors specialising in isotope geochemistry and palaeoclimatology (University of Nottingham). Dr Andy Henderson – lecturer using isotopes in climate and ecology research and NIGFSC member (Newcastle University). Dr Chris Brodie – Stable Isotope Ratio Advanced Mass Spectrometry specialist, Thermo Fisher Scientific. Dr Jonathan Tyler – lecturer using stable isotopes in a wide range of climate research (University of Adelaide). Dr Helen Cockerton – Met Office climate change/isotope modeller specialist. Dr Graham Wilson - senior lecturer in Physical Geography specialising in palaeoclimate research (University of Chester).

Some very recent examples of students going on to related post-doctoral positions:

Dr Cath Jex – Research Fellow in isotope hydrology and climate change (University of Sydney, Australia). Dr Hannah Bailey – PDRA and fluorination laboratory manager (Potsdam). Dr Armand Hernandez – Postdoctoral Fellow in palaeoclimate research (Lisbon). Dr Lyndsey Fox – Postdoctoral Researcher (Natural History Museum). Dr Keely Mills – palaeoclimate/palaeoenvironment specialist (BGS). Dr Carys Bennett – PRDA NERC Large Grant. Dr Holly Miller – AHRC Research Fellow in zooarchaeology and isotopes (University of Nottingham). Dr Jonathan Dean, Dr Andrew Smith and Dr Jack Lacey have all recently been trained within the Stable Isotope Apprenticeship scheme and Dean and Smith currently have post-doctoral roles within the Stable Isotope Facility.

Many of the former students listed above are now applying for their own students to use the SIF for their research (e.g. Wynn, Swann, Jones, Henderson, Tyler).

To date six IA training positions have been delivered by GTF, these are listed below along with details of their first destination and current position. John Cottle (Jan 2008-May 2009, tenure track faculty position at UCSB, now fully tenured), Nick Lloyd (Jul 2009-Dec 2009, Product developer, Thermo Scientific), Nick Roberts (Jul 2011-Jun 2012, transformed into GTF staff member), Andrew Smye (Aug 2011-Jul 2012, post-doctoral fellow at University of Texas, then NERC IRF at Oxford and now tenure track at Penn State University), Chris Spencer (Nov 2013-May 2015, 5 year fellowship at Curtin University) and Simon Tapster (Dec 2013 onwards, extended PDRA contract at BGS and now transformed into GTF staff member).

These destination data, clearly indicates that the IA programme has been successful in training the next generation of international isotope geoscientists. In addition to these six IA posts we have hosted a number of post-doctoral researchers that were supported on specific NERC or EU funded research grants and who received similar training to the IA post holders. From 2008 to present these include: Joe Hiess (Jun2010-May 2012, now specialist at IAEA), Adam Martin (Sep 2009-Sep 2012, now geologist at Geological Survey of New Zealand), Laura Bracciali (Sep 2009-Apr 2013, now at Stellenbosch University), Noah McLean (2012-2014, now tenure track faculty position at University of Kansas) and in addition to the facilities supported IA scheme, NIGL has been involved with a number of Marie Curie Initial Training Networks (ITNs), in particular GTSnext where NIGL was one of the key partners, hosted both an early stage researcher (Sahy, now transformed into GTF staff member) and an experienced researcher (Hiess), as well as delivering network wide training.

Currently, budget cuts have forced GTF to suspend the IA program and this resource is being used to support the ID-TIMS capability in the longer-term.

4. User survey

Our 2017 Stable Isotope user survey was sent out to the 50 researchers which used the facility during 2017. We had 28 responses: http://www.bgs.ac.uk/sciencefacilities/laboratories/geochemistry/sif/UserSurvey2017.html 100% consider the facility to be ‘world class’ or ‘state of the art’ and 95% consider training (within the Stable Isotope Facility) of students and early carreer researchers in isotope geochemistry to be excellent or very good.

http://www.bgs.ac.uk/sciencefacilities/laboratories/geochemistry/sif/UserSurvey2017.html

Annex 14: Method Development

In this appendix we outline the method development work that has been undertaken by both NIGL nodes. Method development work is undertaken in order to advance established methods and develop new capabilities for the improved support of the NERC user community.

Short title Brief Description of work done Resource allocated

Continued development of U-Th analyses of carbonate by laser ablation MC-ICP-MS.

Method set up on the Neptune+ MC-ICP-MS

Reference material characterisation

Ablation protocol tests.

3 weeks

Continued development of carbonate U-Pb by laser ablation

Further characterisation of in-house reference material

Publication of manuscript demonstrating applications and reference material

characterisation

2 weeks

EarlyTime Reference Materials Analysis of U-Pb isochron solution series for use as inter- and intra-laboratory reference

materials

Testing alternative silica gels for high ionization efficiency of meteorite Pb’s and

EarlyTime reference materials.

6 weeks

Seawater DIC carbon isotope measurements

Collection of seawater DIC to calibrate measurements across laboratories 1 week

Stable isotope analysis using new Isolink EA and Delta MS

Adjust the sensitivity of the new IsoLink EA and Delta mass spectrometer and optimising

the running conditions to very small samples

Test reproducibility of a range of standard materials at this level

2 weeks

C and H in methane

Initial mass spectrometer set up and development measurements 3 weeks

Phosphate O in the environment

Further develop clean up techniques for extracting phosphate from desert sands for

processing to silver phosphate for analysis

2 weeks

Phosphate O in global bedrock Global database of phosphate oxygen in bedrock 2 weeks

Annex 15: Infrastructure Issues

In this section we outline infrastructure issues which impact quality and capacity of the NIGL analytical work flow.

Infrastructure Issues (2017-2018)

Issue Impact on analytical programme Action taken

Flash EA down time Elemental analyser downtime impacted on ability to analyse nitrogen isotopes in particular.

Spare part sourced and repair completed

Clean lab suite degradation: All laminar flow hoods in the clean lab suite suffer repeated cracking of seals on major panels; rusting of laminar flow hood frame and fixtures is progressive and sheds abundant particles.

The U-Pb ID-TIMS laboratory was impacted the most, where the lowest background contamination levels (blank) are required. Routinely low blanks are essential for most current projects where the amounts of radiogenic Pb available for analyses is low (<1 pg) due to the young age of the samples, and/or the small sample size.

Increased blank levels due to infrastructure failings require an increased correction and the uncertainty associated with this correction can yield U-Pb date uncertainties to be so significant that the data are of little use.

Additional sealant was applied to main seals at the time of scheduled laboratory maintenance

BGS facilities informed of issues related to degrading laboratory infrastructure and potential future options discussed

Additional sealant and rust repair has carried on throughout the year, albeit in response to elevated exposure blanks

Increased checking of exposure blanks.

type of service provided: purpose€¦ · stable isotope facility: isotope analysis of waters,...

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