Background

We can learn a great deal about the workings of environmental systems, the interactions between humans and these systems, and about humans themselves, from information stored in sedimentary/geological records. To make the most of these archives, and to build relevant interpretive frameworks, we must both interpret the proxy evidence (e.g. of former conditions) and estimate the time period the evidence dates from. While I have worked on both of these aspects of palaeoenvironmental research, my main focus in this areas has been on geochronology - estimating geological time - and specifically on the use and development of Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) dating. Basic information about the Oxford laboratory can be found here. OSL methods provide a versatile set of tools which are used in fields as varied as palaeoenvironments, archaeology, medical dosimetry and extra terrestrial exploration.  In collaboration with others, I have used OSL dating to study ancient climates and environments, and to study the evolution and behavior of ancient humans. The majority of my work in this area was on understanding the underlying physics and improving methodologies for dating applications using quartz-based methods. The subsections in 'Palaeo' provide further details on some example past projects, and details of some ongoing interests.

[The image above was taken in 2010 during a sampling trip in United Arab Emirates, investigating evidence of environmental change over the past ca. 40,000 years]