Geochemistry – (M.Phil.)

We welcome enquiries from prospective students who wish to undertake research in our areas of expertise, which are: applied and fundamental aspects of the geosciences, with a particular focus on conventional and alternative energy resources; environmental sustainability; climate change; and biosphere and geosphere interactions.

Specific MPhil supervision is available in the following areas:

Petroleum-related geological research includes: reservoir and source-rock geochemistry; the microbial deep biosphere of petroleum reservoirs; the origin, significance and maturation of molecular biomarker compounds in the sedimentary record; physico-chemical properties and behaviour of mudstone sequences; shale gas; the geological sequestration of CO2 ; palynofacies and organic facies of ancient and modern sediments (Dr G Abbott, Professor A Aplin, Professor I Head, Dr M Jones and Professor T Wagner).

Environment-related research includes: geomicrobiology; mineral science; molecular microbial ecology; molecular palaeontology; soil biogeochemistry; waste management; bioremediation of polluted soils and waters; biogeochemical cycling of elements through Earth history; climate change during past greenhouse conditions; processes of carbon cycling and export across the land–ocean transition (Dr G Abbott, Professor A Aplin, Dr N Gray, Professor I Head, Dr A Jarvis, Dr B Jones, Dr M Jones, Professor D Manning, Dr S Poulton, Dr H Talbot, Dr D Werner and Professor T Wagner).