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Overview
Affiliations
AffiliationTelephone
Royal Society Dorothy Hodgkin Fellow in the Department of Geography+44 (0) 191 33 41855
Independent Research Fellow in the Department of Earth Sciences+44 (0) 191 33 41855

Biography

Research Overview

My research focusses on the dynamics of geophysical flows, their associated morphologies and the eventual deposits that are left in the rock record. I use field measurements, experiments, numerical models and the sedimentary record to test morphodynamic hypothesis from different perspectives. I am fascinated by the autonomous behaviour observed in these processes and the broad scope of beautiful patterns that they produce.

Currently, my research is mainly focused on direct observations of turbidity currents in settings varying from large submarine canyons to small delta front channels. These observations include the first deep ocean measurements of unprecedented Mississippi-River-size, week-long flows. These flows show a complete new flow structure, where a dense frontal parts of the flow outruns a dilute quasi-steady trailing body. Other datasets include ~100 individual smaller flows occurring in delta channels, which now allow us to constrain for the first time what it takes for a small flow to ignite into a fully develop turbidity current. More generally, I am trying expand on our observation capabilities by bringing in techniques that are new to this field, such as CHIRP systems to image dense basal layers on turbidity currents, electronic resistivity tomography to measure dense basal layer non-intrusively in the laboratory, acoustic inversion techniques to explore sediment concentration within deep-ocean turbidity currents and fully three-dimensional numerical modelling techniques to study the link between supercritical flows and their related bedforms.

In my future research I want to expand my research scope to other geophysical flows. This is currently being reflected in modelling work on sediment waves on submarine flanks of volcanoes to constrain submarine continuation of pyroclastic flows, and by linking sedimentological signatures to morphological seafloor features in a large glacially formed trough on the Antarctic shelf.

Supervises
  • Mr Jamie Hizzett
  • Ms Sophie Hage
  • Ms Zoë Roseby
  • Mr Florian Pohl
  • Ms Daniela Vendettuoli

Research interests

  • Morphodynamics of geophysical flows
  • Sedimentology
  • Turbidity currents
  • Sediment transport
  • Bedform

Esteem Indicators

  • 2018:

    Dorothy Hodgkin Fellow by the Royal Society

    : Dorothy Hodgkin Fellow by the Royal Society
  • 2018:

    Early-Career Scientist Award by the International Association of Sedimentologists

    : Early-Career Scientist Award by the International Association of Sedimentologists
  • 2018:

    Roland Goldring Award by the British Sedimentological Research Group

    : Roland Goldring Award by the British Sedimentological Research Group
  • 2016:

    Harold Reading Award for De Leeuw et al., 2016 by the British Sedimentological Research Group

    : Harold Reading Award for De Leeuw et al., 2016 by the British Sedimentological Research Group
  • 2006:

    Hydraulic Engineering MSc award by Duthc Society of Hydraulic Engineers

    : Hydraulic Engineering MSc award by Duthc Society of Hydraulic Engineers

Publications

Conference Paper

Journal Article

Supervision students