Geography, Archaeology & Irish Studies

Fascinated by the sedimentary record and past information it can hold, my research focuses on the link between past climate and sediment composition. My broad research interests also include reconstructing palaeoenvironments and palaeogeography, from relatively recent late Pleistocene (ca. 100,000 years) loose sediments to older Carboniferous (320 million years old) sedimentary rocks.

Currently, I am investigating the Var drainage basin, north of Nice in southeast France, and its associated offshore sediment record in the Mediterranean Sea. Past glaciations impacted how sediment was generated and delivered, and I am testing techniques to assess this impact. These techniques include sand mineralogy focusing on heavy minerals, geochemistry, cosmogenic nuclides and optically stimulated luminescence.

In past projects, I have worked on mid-Carboniferous (320 million years old) sandstones from the west of Ireland to reconstruct sources, drainage and past geography.