Marine Geosciences

The challenge of understanding how the ocean works as an integrated system requires studies of the behaviour of sediments in the water column and on the seabed. Interdisciplinary work on sedimentary processes in the shelf seas represents one of our main research thrusts of the Marine Geosciences division. It not only provides a stimulating area for observational and theoretical academic research, but is also well matched with the practical needs of marine management.

The Marine Geoscience division specialises in the following areas:

• Geophysical studies and the assessment of the potential of geophysical measurements for the measurement of geotechnical properties of marine sediments
• Sediment transport studies
• Assessments of seabed properties and stability
• General geological survey
• The use of micropalaeontology (principally foraminifera, Ostracoda), palynology (pollen/spores and dinoflagellate cysts), macropalaeontology (Mollusca), AMS 14C dating, aminostratigraphy and stable isotope geochemistry to elucidate marine processes over geological timescales

Examples of research projects include:

• SEACAMS, a £25 million 5 year WEFO funded initiative designed to integrate academic expertise into the commercial marine sector in Wales.
• COHBED, NERC project looking at the role of cohesive sediments in the nearshore marine environment.
• Gulf of Mexico Sea Floor Stability and Gas Hydrates Monitoring Station Project
• Very High Resolution Marine 3D Seismic Method for Detailed Site Investigation (VHR3D)
• Processes of vertical exchange in shelf seas
• Sand transport in oscillatory flows in the sheet flow regime (SANTOSS)
• Sequencing ocean-ice-climate interaction in the NE Atlantic
• Environmental evolution of the Congo Basin and adjacent ocean over the past 30,000 years