View Research Directory

Dr Stuart Jones, BSc Aberystwth (1994); PhD Reading (1997)

Contact Dr Stuart Jones (email at stuart.jones@durham.ac.uk)

Biography

Stuart Jones is a clastic sedimentologist that specialises  in continental sedimentology, diagenesis and reservoir quality prediction. Stuart's research has focused on fluvial sedimentology and evolution within a variety of tectonic basin settings and under the influence of a variety of climatic regimes. This is undertaken through the joint application of subsurface and outcrop sedimentological data for improved model development and reducing subsurface risk and uncertainty. Recent research on how overpressure and early diagenetic cements can maintain high porosities in reservoir sandstones is guiding better reservoir predictions for High-Pressure High-Temperature (HPHT) systems. Stuart is deputy leader of the GeoPOP research consortium, a multi-disciplinary research group investigating overpressure in sedimentary basins and funded by the hydrocarbon industry (www.geopop.org.uk).

2013 - Present Senior Lecturer in Sedimentology, Durham University

2000 - 2013 Lecturer in Sedimentology, Durham University

2004 - Present Visiting Professor in Clastic Sedimentology, University of Payme Noor, Iran

1998 - 2000 Royal Society Teaching Fellow, School of Ocean and Earth Science, University of Southampton

1996 - 1998 Senior Sedimentologist, Baker Atlas Geosciences, International INC.

Career Research Highlights

Committee and Society Service

1. 2002-2005 Secretary of the British Sedimentological Research Group, Geological Society of London
2. 2002-2005 Representative for British Sedimentological Research Group on the Science panel for Geological Society of London
3. 2008 - Present Member of Geological Society of London, Awards Committee

Conferences and workshops

1. 2002 11th Workshop of the ILP task force, Europrobe: Tectonic basins and sedimentary dynamics. Oliana Spain. Co-convenor
2.  2004 Controls on rift sedimentation: Permo-Triassic central Spain. Oil company workshop
3. 2004 William Smith meeting, Geological Society London. Earth’s Dynamic Surface: catastrophe and continuity in landscape evolution. Co-convenor
4. 2005 Climatic and tectonic controls on piggyback basin sediments: Spanish Pyrenees. Oil company workshop
5. 2005 British Sedimentological Annual General Meeting, Durham University. Convenor
6. 2007 Alluvial Fans 2007, Bamff, Canada. Co-convenor
7. 2007 Alluvial systems and controls on reservoir quality. Oil company field workshop - ConocoPhillips
8. 2008 Alluvial systems and controls on reservoir quality. Oil company field workshop - BG
9. 2008 Syntectonic fluvial and alluvial systems in a Permo-Triassic rift basin, central Spain. Oil company field workshop - Talisman Energy
10. 2009 Syntectonic fluvial and alluvial systems in a Permo-Triassic rift basin, central Spain. Oil company field workshop - RWE Dea
11. 2010 Syntectonic fluvial and alluvial systems in a Permo-Triassic rift basin, central Spain. Oil company field workshop - Talisman Energy, OMV & DONG
12. 2010 Syntectonic fluvial and alluvial systems in a Permo-Triassic rift basin, central Spain. Oil company field workshop - ConocoPhillips, BG & ENI
13. 2011 Syntectonic fluvial and alluvial systems in a Permo-Triassic rift basin, central Spain. Oil company field workshop - EnQuest
14. 2011 ESTA Annual Conference, Durham University. Convenor

Editorial Roles

2012-Present  Editorial Board of the Journal of the Geological Society as a Subject Editor in Sedimentology

2005-Present Editorial Board, Journal of Iberian Geology, Spain

Invited Keynotes

2005 EGU Response times in landscape evolution. Vienna

Prizes & Awards

1. 2004 Excellence in Teaching Award, Durham University
2. 2004 PhD Student, Thomas Sinclair awarded academia and industry prize by the Geological Society of London
3. 2005 Nuffield Foundation best science report through science bursary scheme
4. 2006 Chartered Geologist status, Geological Society of London
5. 2006 PhD Student, Thomas Sinclair awarded academia and industry prize by the Geological Society of London
6. 2006 SETPOINT NORTH EAST Science Ambassador of the Year
7. 2006 Excellence in Teaching Award, Durham University
8. 2007: Bringing Science to Life. Meeting with Prime Minister

Research Groups

Department of Earth Sciences

• Climate and Environmental Change
• Geoenergy, Resources and Waste

Research Interests

• Quantitative fluvial sedimentology
• Sediment supply to basins and clastic depositional environments of rift, strike-slip and foreland basins

Selected Publications

Books: edited

• Gallagher, K, Jones S J & Wainwright J (2008). Landscape Evolution: Denudation, Climate and Tectonics over Different Time and Space Scales. Geological Society London, Special Publications 296.
• Jones, S J & Frostick, L E (2002). Sediment Flux to Basins: Causes, Controls and Consequences. Geological Society London, Special Publications 191.

Journal papers: academic

• Goulty, N.R., Ramdhan, A.M. & Jones, S.J. (2012). Chemical compaction of mudrocks in the presence of overpressure. Petroleum Geoscience 18(4): 471-479.
• Nguyen, B.T.T, Jones, S.J., Goulty, N.R, Middleton, A.J, Grant, N, Ferguson, A & Bowen, L. (2012). The role of fluid pressure and diagenetic cements for porosoity preservation in Triassic fluvial reservoirs of the Central Graben, North Sea. AAPG Bulletin
• Allen, M A, Kheirkhah, M, Mohammad H. Emami, M.H & Jones, S.J (2011). Right-lateral shear across Iran and kinematic change in the Arabia–Eurasia collision zone. Geophysical Journal International 184(2): 555-574.
• Waters, J V, Jones, S J & Armstrong, H A (2010). Climatic controls on late Pleistocene alluvial fans, Cyprus. Geomorphology 115(3-4): 228-251.
• Jones, S J & Frostick, L.E. (2008). Inferring bedload transport from stratigraphic successions: examples from Cenozoic and Pleistocene rivers, south central Pyrenees, Spain. Geological Society, London, Special Publications 296(1): 129-145.
• Jones, S.J (2004). Tectonic controls on drainage evolution and development of terminal alluvial fans, southern Pyrenees, Spain. Terra Nova 16(3): 121-127.
• Frostick, L.E & Jones, S.J (2002). Impact of periodicity on sediment flux in alluvial systems; grain to basin scale. Sediment Flux to Basins: Causes, Controls and Consequences 191: 81-95.
• Jones, S.J & Frostick, L.E. (2002). Transverse Rivers Draining the Spanish Pyrenees: Large Scale Patterns of Sediment Erosion and Deposition. Sediment flux to basins: causes, controls and consequences 191: 171-186.
• Jones, S.J, Frostick, L.E & Astin, T.R (2001). Braided stream and flood plain architecture: the Rio Vero Formation, Spanish Pyrenees. Sedimentary Geology 139(3-4): 229-260.

Show all publications

Media Contacts

Available for media contact about:

• Industry: Chemicals, plastics, oil & gas: oil and gas economics and employment
• Landscape & buildings: landscape evolution and development
• The Earth: Rocks & natural forces: rivers
• The Earth: Rocks & natural forces: flooding
• The Earth: Rocks & natural forces: oil exploration
• The Earth: Rocks & natural forces: geology of Spain and Israel
• The Earth: Rocks & natural forces: rocks - ``sedimentary''
• The Earth: Rocks & natural forces: minerals
• The Earth: Rocks & natural forces: coastal erosion

Grants Awarded

• 2008: evolution of fluvial systems, central iberian basi (£75000.00 from BG International Limited)
• 2007: ENI, Libya. PI. Reappraisal of the architecture of the Nubian Sandstone, Libya
• 2007: NERC-Case Open Competition Studentship with BP, Deformation and sedimentation of the Absheron Suite, Azerbaijan
• 2007: NERC-Case Open Competition Studentship with Total, Understanding Proterozoic petroleum systems
• 2007: Royal Society Travel Grant for Alluvial Fans 2007
• 2005: Repsol, Libya. PI. Ichnofacies of the Hawaz Formation, Murzaq basin, Libya
• 2005: Royal Society Travel Grant for EGU, Vienna
• 2003: NERC-Case Open Competition Studentship with BP, Overpressure of the Delaware basin, USA

Supervises

• Mr Christopher Saville
• Mr Aaron Howie
• Mr Ibrahim Elkanouni