Department of Biogeochemistry and Earth Science

Overview

Welcome!: Welcome to the web pages of the Department of Biogeochemistry and Earth Science at SAMS. We are a multidisciplinary department comprising of 15 staff and four postgraduate students including geologists, geochemists, biogeochemists, and radiochemists.

The group has experience in surveying, sampling, analysing and interpreting a huge variety of marine waters, sediments and depositional environments from oceanic deep-water basins to the continental shelf. We are also engaged in a diverse range of public outreach, educational activities and commercial work.

Dr John Howe

Head of Department

Research

Research

The department's research aims encompass the investigation of rates, patterns and frequencies of natural and man-made change in the marine environment at scales from longer term (100ka) to short term (annual, seasonal, diurnal and even tidal).

Our research areas include

Marine sediments and processes as archives of man-made or natural change (<1 - 100,000 y timescales) (Dr John Howe)
Role of biogenic trace gas production and associated microbial processes in the ocean and their flux to the atmosphere (Dr Angela Hatton and Dr Arlene Rowan)
Benthic sediment processes via emphasis on different respiration pathways, animal-sediment relationships (Dr Henrik Stahl and Professor Ronnie Glud) and metal dynamics (Dr Tracy Shimmield)
Development and application of microsensors in biogeochemistry (Dr Henrik Stahl and Professor Ronnie Glud)
In situ technologies to measure the biogeochemistry of benthic marine environments (Dr Henrik Stahl and Professor Ronnie Glud)
Influence of natural and human-induced contaminants in the marine environment (Dr Tracy Shimmield)
Development of techniques using the seamount-influenced sedimentary deposits for the palaeo-reconstruction of key aspects of fluid dynamics in the deep sea (Dr Robert Turnewitsch)
Use of naturally occurring radionuclides as 'tools' for quantifying certain biogeochemical processes and particulate-matter dynamics (Dr Robert Turnewitsch and Dr Tracy Shimmield)

Facilities

Biogeochemistry and Earth Science facilities

To deliver its ambitious scientific programmes the Department of Biogeochemistry and Earth Science is equipped with some excellent sampling, technical and analytical facilities. Please follow the links below for more in depth information:

Analytical Facilities: see 'biogeochemistry' and 'geology'
Smart Observation Technologies: see 'landers' and 'mapping'
Sediment sampling: The Institute owns a number of coring devices to sample a variety of sediment types. Our gravity corer can utilise a 6 m, 3 m, 1.5m or 1m barrel with a variable weight bomb of up to 500 kg. The spear corer enables up to 1.5 m of soft sediment to be recovered with the sediment-water interface intact and undisturbed. Also available are mega and multi-corers, Craib, Sholkovitch corers, Van Veen grabs, and box corers.

Department members: Abell, Dr Richard Jun 17, 2011; Brand, Tim Jan 21, 2013; Clark, Neil Apr 18, 2011; Crump, Philip Oct 07, 2011; Ditchfield, Dr Arlene Jan 21, 2013; More...

Department research: An Independent Evaluation of Deep-Sea Mine Tailings Placement in Papua New Guinea May 19, 2011; ECOMAR Jun 17, 2011; Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland Hydrographic Survey (INIS Hydro) Project Mar 18, 2012; Marine Environmental Mapping Programme (MAREMAP) Jul 18, 2012; Palaeoceanographic records of MOC activity (Oceans 2025 WP 1.5b) May 19, 2011; More...

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