MRes Quaternary Environmental Change

Introduction

Understanding Quaternary environmental change is central to Earth System Science, increasingly informing political debate on major environmental issues. Developing a detailed picture of global climate variability over the last two million years is crucial to predicting the nature of future climate change. The Quaternary palaeoenvironmental record can yield important clues, not only about past climates, but also the way in which we have interacted with the environment since our earliest ancestors evolved. Quaternary research makes a major contribution to understanding the complex interrelationships between people, climate and environment, providing a long term perspective to contemporary environmental management problems.

Why do an MRes in Quaternary Environmental Change?

The distinctive feature of the MRes in Quaternary Environmental Change course is the greater emphasis on independent research than traditional MSc schemes. Two thirds of the course is spent developing and undertaking an in-depth study on a specific topic. This is underpinned by training in relevant analytical and technical skills during the first semester, with continuing support from the individual supervisor and the research group. The topic is chosen early in the course, in close consultation with staff and will be closely allied to current research.

Why at Aberystwyth?

The Institute of Geography and Earth Sciences (IGES) at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth, is one of the largest such departments in the UK - with over 35 full time teaching staff. Quaternary environmental change is a key focus of physical geography and earth science research across IGES, forming a cross-cutting theme across our three research groups. The Quaternary Environmental Change Research Group is recognised worldwide for its research in a number of fields, including luminescence geochronology (Prof. Geoff Duller, Dr. Helen Roberts, Prof. Ann Wintle); tephrochronology (Dr. Nick Pearce); palaeolimnology and palaeoecology, especially in Africa and central America (Dr Sarah Davies, Dr Henry Lamb) and geoarchaeology (Dr John Grattan). In the Centre for Glaciology, research focuses on Antarctic glacial history and the geomorphic record of past glacial activity, particularly in Northwest Europe and Patagonia (Prof. Mike Hambrey, Prof. Neil Glasser). Within the River Basin Dynamics and Hydrology Research Group, current interests lie in teasing apart human, tectonic and climatic influences on Late Pleistocene and Holocene alluvial records (Prof. Mark. Macklin), evolution of dryland river systems (Dr Stephen Tooth) and records of past contamination in floodplain environments (Dr Paul Brewer).

Our Facilities

At Aberystwyth, we have world-class facilities for investigating Quaternary environmental change. An extensive range of field sampling devices is available, including various sediment corers (Livingstone, Russian, mini-Kullenberg, percussion), boats and rafts, water chemistry samplers and probes and ground penetrating radar equipment. The Aberystwyth Luminescence Research Laboratory is one of the world's leading centres for luminescence geochronology with five automated OSL and TL readers, including two that are equipped with state-of-the-art laser systems for measurement of single mineral grains, and a full suite of alpha, beta and gamma counters. We have dedicated laboratory facilities for the chemical preparation of palaeoecological and isotope samples, along with a suite of Nikon, Zeiss and Olympus microscopes and imaging facilities. Major and trace element analysis of water and sediment samples can be undertaken using Atomic Absorption Spectrometry, a state of the art laser ICP-MS and a DIONEX ion chromatograph. A recent addition to our facilities is the Itrax XRF core scanner, one of only three in the UK, which allows non-destructive, high-resolution elemental analysis of sediment cores, along with digital imaging and x-radiography.

Semester 1

• Advanced Research Skills (20 credits)
• Research Techniques in Quaternary Science (30 credits)
• Current Issues in Quaternary Research (10 credits)

Comprising 60 credits out of a total of 180, Part 1 of the MRes is undertaken during the first semester. Advanced Research Skills provides essential training in generic research methods, such as scientific writing and data analysis.
Research Techniques in Quaternary Science focuses on obtaining practical experience of a range of analytical techniques that can be used to interrogate the Quaternary Record. An introduction to field sampling techniques and geochronology form the compulsory elements of this module. Students select from a range of analytical techniques for the remainder, depending on their research interests and proposed dissertation topic. These will normally include techniques such as diatom analysis, pollen analysis, interpretation of Quaternary sediments, geochemistry, luminescence dating and tephrochronology.

Semester 2

• Dissertation Planning: Quaternary Environmental Change (10 credits: Semesters 1&2)
• Research Dissertation in Quaternary Environmental Change (110 credits: Semesters 2 & 3)

Part 2, focusing on the independent research project forms two-thirds of the course assessment. Students are introduced to this element immediately, through the Dissertation Planning module. During the first semester, students choose their projects and are allocated a supervisor. Group and one-to-one sessions are used to provide support towards producing a project outline. Semesters 2 and 3 are devoted entirely to dissertation research. The dissertation planning module continues in Semester 2, where the focus is on undertaking a pilot study and reporting on preliminary findings, thus providing staff and peer feedback at an intermediate stage. Additional individual training is provided in specific techniques to aid students in undertaking their projects successfully. Depending on the topic, dissertations may involve extended periods of fieldwork or may be largely laboratory based. Support from supervisors, technical staff and other members of the research group, is available throughout.

Semester 3

Completion of dissertation started in semester two.

Potential dissertation topics

Dissertation topics are discussed with students from the beginning of semester 1 through the dissertation planning module. A range of potential topics is included below. This list is not exhaustive and students are welcome to put forward their own ideas. Students are encouraged, but not required, to indicate their general research interests at the application stage and are also invited to contact individual supervisors below about specific projects which may be of interest to them.

• Late-glacial and Holocene palaeoecology of South Georgia, sub-Antarctic (Dr Sarah Davies)
• Identification and analysis of volcanic ash layers in central Mexican lakes using high resolution X-ray fluorescence and Laser Ablation ICP-MS (Dr Sarah Davies, Dr Nick Pearce)
• Late Quaternary drowning of Dogger Bank - determining a chronology for flooding of the southern North Sea Basin (Prof. Geoff Duller, Dr Helen Roberts, Dr Ingrid Ward - English Heritage)
• Mapping radionuclides in cemented sands from archaeological sites to determine dose rate variability relevant to luminescence dating (Prof. Geoff Duller, Dr Henry Lamb, Dr Sarah Davies).
• Mapping / remote sensing of former ice sheet beds (Dr Neil Glasser)
• The First Factories: the environmental legacy 7,000 year old metal factories in Jordan (Dr John Grattan)
• Volcanic activity and climate change during the last 1,000 years (Dr John Grattan)
• Quaternary glaciation of the Rhinog Mountains, Wales (Prof Mike Hambrey and Dr Neil Glasser)
• Quaternary glaciation of the Cambrian Mountains, Wales (Prof Mike Hambrey and Dr Neil Glasser)
• Laminated crater-lake sediments: analysis and counting with XRF scanning and optical imagery (Dr Henry Lamb)
• Pollen evidence for Neolithic farming in western Britain (Dr Henry Lamb)
• Holocene human-river interactions in Wales and eastern Ireland (Prof. Mark Macklin)
• Holocene evolution of tidally-influenced rivers of the Irish Sea basin (Prof. Mark Macklin)
• Recent Holocene dune activity on the Welsh coast (Dr Helen Roberts and Prof. Geoff Duller)
• Comparative OSL and TL dating of central Australian fluvial sediments (Dr Stephen Tooth and Prof. Geoff Duller)
• Reconstructing late Holocene palaeoenvironmental changes recorded in a South African floodplain wetland (Dr Stephen Tooth)