Naming of the RRS Sir David Attenborough

On Thursday 26th September Professor Christine Peirce attended the naming of the RRS Sir David Attenborough at the Cammell Laird shipyard in Birkenhead. Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cambridge, together with Prince William and Sir David himself, did the honours smashing a bottle of champaign against the ship's hull. Professor Peirce has been appointed to lead the at-sea fitness for science trials of the marine geology and geophysics instrumentation when the vessel makes it to sea next year.

(1 Oct 2019)

2019 Energy & Fuels Joint Award for Excellence in Publication

The Energy & Fuels Joint Award for Excellence in Publication recognizes a notable article that has been published in the American Chemical Society’s journal Energy & Fuels during the previous 5 years. 

(6 Sep 2019) » More about 2019 Energy & Fuels Joint Award for Excellence in Publication

Double Medal Success for our Volcanologists

At the 27^th General Assembly of the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics (IUGG) in Montreal this summer, two members of our department were awarded honours for their academic accomplishments in the Earth Sciences and in volcanology in particular.

(6 Sep 2019) » More about Double Medal Success for our Volcanologists

Fieldwork Bursary from the Yorkshire Geological Society

Thanks to winning a Fieldwork Bursary of £250 from the Yorkshire Geological Society, Durham Earth Sciences student Tegan Allen is able to undertake extended field-scale trials of a mine water clean-up technology at Cwmystwyth mine in mid-Wales

(16 Aug 2019) » More about Fieldwork Bursary from the Yorkshire Geological Society

Analyte Excite + 193nm Eximer Laser Ablation system (Teledyne Photon Machines)

The department has improved the capability of the geochemistry laboratories by the recent delivery of an Analyte Excite + 193nm Eximer Laser Ablation system (Teledyne Photon Machines). Coupled to our existing Thermo Scientific X-Series 11 ICP-MS this will enable the elemental analysis of solid samples of sizes of 20um and less allowing for great spatial resolution. The instrument will initially be used to develop methods tracking and quantifying magma oxidation state and equilibrium melt composition, using minerals such as amphibole and apatite. Other application areas include: Environmental and geological analysis, including, elemental concentrations isotope ratios and fluid inclusion and Paleo environment reconstruction.

(19 Jul 2019)

First for England as science course taught in prison

Education in prisons has a long history but science, other than distance learning, has been absent - in part because much science teaching traditionally relies on experimentation using technical equipment which is not available in prisons.

But now one of our academics has developed a science course that requires only a presentation, writing and reading materials.

(16 May 2019) » More about First for England as science course taught in prison