Mapping Recipients in 2022
Congratulations go to
Jeffrey Shield : Best Map and Thesis in Planetary Project
Lovella Mojet De Koe: Best Map and Thesis Project
2019-2022 mapping awards:
Kevin Davidson is our 2021 Spring Mapping Recipient: Marsquakes!
Congratulations for this super research in spite of Covid challenges!
My Planetary Science project investigated geological activity on Mars. In a 2012 paper, Birkbeck academics Gerald Roberts and Joyce Vetterlein used high-resolution images of boulder movements on the surface of Mars to predict that a region of valleys known as Cerberus Fossae experienced seismic activity. Using geophysical data from the current NASA InSight mission, I detected seismic waves from marsquakes and determined their point of origin to be precisely the region identified by Gerald and Joyce.
For me, the highpoint came when I plotted my first map after analysing the data and saw just how neatly my results tied in with the earlier paper! It was incredibly satisfying to independently confirm the earlier hypothesis using a type of data that had never been available before.
The project's biggest challenge was working on 'live' mission data from NASA, as I didn't have any external validation of my methods or results. The InSight mission team did not publish their first results until after I had completed my thesis - fortunately, my results agreed with those of the NASA scientists!
I was incredibly fortunate to have not been unduly affected by Covid. I was well into writing up my results when the pandemic started, and Dr James Hammond, my project supervisor, was quick to make the shift to online meetings once Covid restrictions came into place. My topic and personal situation meant that I have been able to carry on my research with minimal disruption throughout the pandemic. I realise that this puts me in a rare and privileged position that many of my fellow students do not share, hence my wish to donate the prize money back to the Fund.
Since graduating, I have returned to Birkbeck as a PhD student, where I am continuing to explore new seismology methods, although this time back on Earth! My current research looks at how we can apply seismology to monitor environmental changes in the near subsurface and how those changes can impact geohazards (flooding or landslides) and ecologically sensitive regions such as peatlands, all of which are essential concerns where I live in rural Scotland. I hope to begin fieldwork this summer. Some of the sites I want to investigate are very remote, so I have also made a matching donation to my local Galloway Mountain Rescue team.
I have attached a fieldwork photo as requested - I don't have any directly related to my Mars project though! In the photo above, I am taking microgravity measurements as part of an archaeological geophysical survey in the grounds of Marble Hill House, Twickenham
For me, the highpoint came when I plotted my first map after analysing the data and saw just how neatly my results tied in with the earlier paper! It was incredibly satisfying to independently confirm the earlier hypothesis using a type of data that had never been available before.
The project's biggest challenge was working on 'live' mission data from NASA, as I didn't have any external validation of my methods or results. The InSight mission team did not publish their first results until after I had completed my thesis - fortunately, my results agreed with those of the NASA scientists!
I was incredibly fortunate to have not been unduly affected by Covid. I was well into writing up my results when the pandemic started, and Dr James Hammond, my project supervisor, was quick to make the shift to online meetings once Covid restrictions came into place. My topic and personal situation meant that I have been able to carry on my research with minimal disruption throughout the pandemic. I realise that this puts me in a rare and privileged position that many of my fellow students do not share, hence my wish to donate the prize money back to the Fund.
Since graduating, I have returned to Birkbeck as a PhD student, where I am continuing to explore new seismology methods, although this time back on Earth! My current research looks at how we can apply seismology to monitor environmental changes in the near subsurface and how those changes can impact geohazards (flooding or landslides) and ecologically sensitive regions such as peatlands, all of which are essential concerns where I live in rural Scotland. I hope to begin fieldwork this summer. Some of the sites I want to investigate are very remote, so I have also made a matching donation to my local Galloway Mountain Rescue team.
I have attached a fieldwork photo as requested - I don't have any directly related to my Mars project though! In the photo above, I am taking microgravity measurements as part of an archaeological geophysical survey in the grounds of Marble Hill House, Twickenham
______________________________________________________
Congratulations to Summer 2019 Grant Recipients
Jo White: Caves in South Africa
and
Mike Mickson: Fieldwork and drone images in Dominica
In September 2019 Jo White was a member of a small team headed by Dr. Philip Hopley. The aim of this trip is to collect speleothem samples and deploy climate loggers in the caves. She has recently had experience doing similar work in the Yorkshire Dales. For the past three years she has collected and analysed climate data (CO2, temperature drip rates and water samples for isotopic analyses) from two cave sites, the data of which will be a large part of her undergraduate thesis. The aim of this new project is to collect current climate data from the caves to provide background to the paleoclimate records being reconstructed from stalagmite samples from the same caves. Very limited research has been conducted in this part of the world.
Michael Mickson returned safely but exhausted from his research in Dominica. He achieved many of his goals, using the drone to image regions of rivers which had been flooded during Hurricane Maria. Mike brought back a collection of drone images which he has processed into orthophotographs, and is now writing his report on what the images show. One of the major discoveries is the occurrence of giant boulders in various places on Dominica which must be the results of massive floods.
Congratulations!
To the 2018 Graduate Mapping Prize Recipients!
Maria Mlynarska: Best Map and Thesis
Rebeca Barcenilla Garcia: Best Planetary Project
The prizes were awarded at the
Earth and Planetary Sciences
Graduation Ceremonies at
Birkbeck University of London
To the 2018 Graduate Mapping Prize Recipients!
Maria Mlynarska: Best Map and Thesis
Rebeca Barcenilla Garcia: Best Planetary Project
The prizes were awarded at the
Earth and Planetary Sciences
Graduation Ceremonies at
Birkbeck University of London
Summer 2018 Grant Recipients
Tyrone Stafford: Volcanic Monitoring in Teneriffe
and
Dawid Rybak: Geological and Neanderthal Research
Tyrone Stafford: Volcanic Monitoring in Teneriffe
Following selection for an internship through GeoTenerife, I was able to support researchers at Involcan (Instituto Volcanológico de Canarias) and ITER (Instituto Tecnológico y de Energías Renovables) on Tenerife for 4 weeks through both field and laboratory-based work. Having undertaken modules in Magmatic Processes and Further Structural Geology this year, this experience has greatly supported and enriched my knowledge and interest in these areas. I have also gained invaluable experience of collaborating with scientists on a project where I have been involved in all stages of the research cycle, from primary data collection in the field to generation of final results for presentation to the scientific community. My contribution is to be acknowledged next year when data is published, and I have been invited to attend the 2019 European Geosciences Union conference to defend the work.
In recent years, there have been signs of increasing volcanic and seismic unrest within the Teide complex; several geochemical tracers at the surface, such as carbon dioxide and helium, aid in understanding both temporal and spacial variations in subsurface magma degassing, which is coupled with active faulting and deep-seated changes in magma, hydrology and the interaction between these. I formed part of the team sampling effusive gases in the summit crater of Mount Teide to complement data-sets from the flanks and rift zones in the wider reaches of the island.
Gas sampling within the relatively small crater took place 1-2 days each week across 38 points. At 3718m above sea-level for up to 6 hours at a time, coupled with the final 200m hike up the cone with monitoring equipment, this was a challenging environment to work in but offered outstanding views of the geology of the island. A suite of measurements was collected at each point including soil temperatures, gas sampling at depth and surface sampling of carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulphide flux using a portable chambered non-dispersive infrared (NDIR) analyser. Gas samples were also collected for further analysis and temperatures of fumaroles in the northern sector of the crater also logged.
Within the laboratory, samples were processed using various methods and training was received to use equipment independently and accurately, calibrate it within the sensitivity parameters required, use of specialist software for data presentation and statistical modelling and interpretation of results. Micro-chromatography (microGC) equipment was used for estimating concentrations of gases such as hydrogen, nitrogen, methane and water; sequential Gaussian simulation was then applied to estimate total discharge for each gas from the crater, together with an assessment of the uncertainly level, allowing temporal changes to be observed. Similar methods were applied to temperature measurements to estimate spacial variations over the entire crater. Quadrupole Mass Spectrometry (QMS) was similarly utilised in the analysis of helium concentration. Finally, Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (IRMS) was performed on gas samples to analyse carbon isotope ratios. Statistical modelling was applied to this data to constrain contributions from atmospheric, biogenic and deeper magmatic sources to the overall carbon dioxide discharge. Mapping software was then used to generate plots which form part of the wider data presentation to government bodies and as a tool for decisions regarding alert systems and hazard management processes, especially important given Teide’s listing as a Decade Volcano.
Alongside the data gathering and analysis, there were many opportunities to understand the complex and varied geology of the islands. Field trips were provided with geologists to gain an insight into the geological history surrounding the building and various collapse events on Tenerife. The unusual suites and succession of basaltic and alkaline lavas and ejecta material that dominate the landscape were also explored, including a decent into one of the many lava tubes that lie within the subsurface. Lectures from seismologists and petrologists were also given around the recent seismic swarms and cutting-edge research into magmatic crystal records in time and space being causatively linked with volcanic unrest.
Following selection for an internship through GeoTenerife, I was able to support researchers at Involcan (Instituto Volcanológico de Canarias) and ITER (Instituto Tecnológico y de Energías Renovables) on Tenerife for 4 weeks through both field and laboratory-based work. Having undertaken modules in Magmatic Processes and Further Structural Geology this year, this experience has greatly supported and enriched my knowledge and interest in these areas. I have also gained invaluable experience of collaborating with scientists on a project where I have been involved in all stages of the research cycle, from primary data collection in the field to generation of final results for presentation to the scientific community. My contribution is to be acknowledged next year when data is published, and I have been invited to attend the 2019 European Geosciences Union conference to defend the work.
In recent years, there have been signs of increasing volcanic and seismic unrest within the Teide complex; several geochemical tracers at the surface, such as carbon dioxide and helium, aid in understanding both temporal and spacial variations in subsurface magma degassing, which is coupled with active faulting and deep-seated changes in magma, hydrology and the interaction between these. I formed part of the team sampling effusive gases in the summit crater of Mount Teide to complement data-sets from the flanks and rift zones in the wider reaches of the island.
Gas sampling within the relatively small crater took place 1-2 days each week across 38 points. At 3718m above sea-level for up to 6 hours at a time, coupled with the final 200m hike up the cone with monitoring equipment, this was a challenging environment to work in but offered outstanding views of the geology of the island. A suite of measurements was collected at each point including soil temperatures, gas sampling at depth and surface sampling of carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulphide flux using a portable chambered non-dispersive infrared (NDIR) analyser. Gas samples were also collected for further analysis and temperatures of fumaroles in the northern sector of the crater also logged.
Within the laboratory, samples were processed using various methods and training was received to use equipment independently and accurately, calibrate it within the sensitivity parameters required, use of specialist software for data presentation and statistical modelling and interpretation of results. Micro-chromatography (microGC) equipment was used for estimating concentrations of gases such as hydrogen, nitrogen, methane and water; sequential Gaussian simulation was then applied to estimate total discharge for each gas from the crater, together with an assessment of the uncertainly level, allowing temporal changes to be observed. Similar methods were applied to temperature measurements to estimate spacial variations over the entire crater. Quadrupole Mass Spectrometry (QMS) was similarly utilised in the analysis of helium concentration. Finally, Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (IRMS) was performed on gas samples to analyse carbon isotope ratios. Statistical modelling was applied to this data to constrain contributions from atmospheric, biogenic and deeper magmatic sources to the overall carbon dioxide discharge. Mapping software was then used to generate plots which form part of the wider data presentation to government bodies and as a tool for decisions regarding alert systems and hazard management processes, especially important given Teide’s listing as a Decade Volcano.
Alongside the data gathering and analysis, there were many opportunities to understand the complex and varied geology of the islands. Field trips were provided with geologists to gain an insight into the geological history surrounding the building and various collapse events on Tenerife. The unusual suites and succession of basaltic and alkaline lavas and ejecta material that dominate the landscape were also explored, including a decent into one of the many lava tubes that lie within the subsurface. Lectures from seismologists and petrologists were also given around the recent seismic swarms and cutting-edge research into magmatic crystal records in time and space being causatively linked with volcanic unrest.
Dawid Rybak
Geological and Neanderthal Research
On the 18th of June I’m starting my journey to Sclayn, Belgium where the cave Scladina is located. My 8-week experience will involve working on a special scientific interest site which has been open for over 30 years now, where recovery of over 20,000 Neanderthal artefacts has been made; from flint tools to the most important mandible of “the chid of Sclyan” (dated at 80,000-88,000 BC). I’m proud to say I have been chosen to be a part of the specialised team this year, collaborating and working with students and academics from 5 different universities; Liverpool john moors, University of Liverpool, University of Liege, University of Vancouver and University of Ghent. I will be surrounded by people from different cultures and disciplines; from anthropology to, archaeology and field Geology. The experience gained will be very beneficial to my development as a scientist. Not only will I learn about the pre-history of our own species, but also how science in the field is conducted and how such operation is sustained through ongoing discoveries, academic research and financial backing. Furthermore, I will be developing myself in my own field, gaining different analytical perspectives and working within a multilingual team. These attributes will enable me to enhance employment qualities and enable me to start networking within my career. During my time there I will be excavating a 1m2 section of sediment along a 2m vertical profile. With a close eye to detail I will be recording positions of any finds on an x, y, z coordinate system specifying the orientation of these artefacts within its sedimentary layer. Any changes and distinction within sedimentary layers will also be recorded, with its 3-dimensional shape across my square. Other duties within the cave will be sieving, where small finds which were missed within the profile will be found, and micro fauna will also be extracted for dating purposes. Laboratory experience will also be gained, with curing and treating will be done to preserve the artefacts. Identification numbers with sedimentary layers and units will be documented. Photogrammetry will be taught to us, using digital art software, camera and turn table, and images will be taken of artefacts which then will be used to make a 3D computer model. Helping PhD students in collecting data for their research is also another aspect of the work which I am really looking forward to getting involved in. I am very appreciative of being able to part take in this project, and that is why I will try my hardest to be a great ambassador for my university whilst there, in doing so I will attempt to establish a relationship between my university and Scladina so that other students from Birkbeck can experience what I experienced. I want to thank everyone who has contributed and enabled me to go and further myself.
Neill Marshall: Spring 2017
I am participating in a combined UCL/Birkbeck/Texas Arlington/Pontificia Universidad Católica De Chile (PUC) collaborative project funded by the Chilean funding council FONDECYT. The project plans to address the tectono-magmatic significance of the WNW and ENE striking fault long-lived basement structures in order to understand the role of transverse structures in crustal strain partitioning as well as compartmentalization and channelling of hydrothermal and magmatic fluid flow.
My interest focuses on the structural controls on magmatism in this volcanic region and data collected in this deployment will support my final year thesis. I will use seismic data from this deployment to locate and relocate earthquakes and image the subsurface. These images will help determine the fluid flow along the faults and regions of partial melt accumulation in the volcanic complex.
The seismometers we deploy in March 2017 will record seismic activity for twenty-two months and will be serviced roughly every six months. I plan to return to Chile in January 2018 to service the seismometers and work with geologists and geophysicists to further investigate the region’s volcanism and tectonics.
My interest focuses on the structural controls on magmatism in this volcanic region and data collected in this deployment will support my final year thesis. I will use seismic data from this deployment to locate and relocate earthquakes and image the subsurface. These images will help determine the fluid flow along the faults and regions of partial melt accumulation in the volcanic complex.
The seismometers we deploy in March 2017 will record seismic activity for twenty-two months and will be serviced roughly every six months. I plan to return to Chile in January 2018 to service the seismometers and work with geologists and geophysicists to further investigate the region’s volcanism and tectonics.
Melanie Ray: Winter, 2016
The scholarship has been awarded to Melanie Ray - a geology BSc student from London - to fund a research project in the Pacific Ocean in the area of Ritter Island Volcano, and active island arc volcano in Papua New Guinea.
I am joining an international research team on the German Research Vessel Sonne in Yokohama. We will be travelling for 7 weeks in total on a cruise dedicated to investigating the submarine deposits from the 1888 sector collapse of Ritter Island Volcano, an active island arc volcano in Papua New Guinea. An improved understanding of this catastrophic, tsunamigenic collapse event will enable us to better understand and predict the hazard posed by sector collapse on island volcanoes.
We will be carrying out a seismic survey of the distal collapse deposits from the 1888 event. An unmanned submarine will be deployed to take footage of the new cone that is growing in the collapse scar and the proximal 1888 collapse deposits, as well as, to collect samples from the seabed for analysis. We will collect photographic data of the subaerial edifice, both from the ship and by drone, and generate a 3D model of it - the first such model of the island. Finally, we will attempt to take cores from the landslide mass. I will analyse the samples we collect and process the photographic data. These samples will be compared to the 15 samples from the subaerial edifice that I have already analysed. The Geomar team, who are leading the trip, will analyse the seismic data. A team at Birmingham University will analyse the footage from the unmanned submersible.
The seismic data, put in context of the results of the analysis of historical records done as part of my MPhil research project, will help us to improve models that are used to predict tsunami run-ups from volcano collapse and landslides entering large bodies of water. New data about the morphology of the cone that is growing inside the collapse scar will provide information on the continued growth of the volcano. Data from the cores will help answer fundamental questions on how the collapse deposits moved and sedimented under water. Finally, petrological analysis of the samples gathered will aid our understanding of processes in a volcano prior to large-scale collapses.
I am joining an international research team on the German Research Vessel Sonne in Yokohama. We will be travelling for 7 weeks in total on a cruise dedicated to investigating the submarine deposits from the 1888 sector collapse of Ritter Island Volcano, an active island arc volcano in Papua New Guinea. An improved understanding of this catastrophic, tsunamigenic collapse event will enable us to better understand and predict the hazard posed by sector collapse on island volcanoes.
We will be carrying out a seismic survey of the distal collapse deposits from the 1888 event. An unmanned submarine will be deployed to take footage of the new cone that is growing in the collapse scar and the proximal 1888 collapse deposits, as well as, to collect samples from the seabed for analysis. We will collect photographic data of the subaerial edifice, both from the ship and by drone, and generate a 3D model of it - the first such model of the island. Finally, we will attempt to take cores from the landslide mass. I will analyse the samples we collect and process the photographic data. These samples will be compared to the 15 samples from the subaerial edifice that I have already analysed. The Geomar team, who are leading the trip, will analyse the seismic data. A team at Birmingham University will analyse the footage from the unmanned submersible.
The seismic data, put in context of the results of the analysis of historical records done as part of my MPhil research project, will help us to improve models that are used to predict tsunami run-ups from volcano collapse and landslides entering large bodies of water. New data about the morphology of the cone that is growing inside the collapse scar will provide information on the continued growth of the volcano. Data from the cores will help answer fundamental questions on how the collapse deposits moved and sedimented under water. Finally, petrological analysis of the samples gathered will aid our understanding of processes in a volcano prior to large-scale collapses.
Jeroen Kuethe: Spring, 2016
The scholarship has been awarded to Jeroen Kuethe - a geology BSc student from London - to fund a research project in the Dalmatian mountains of the little sovereign state of Montenegro, which literally means "black mountain".
Part of Yugoslavia since 1918, it gained its independence during a referendum held on 21 May 2006, but its natural beauty has remained in the shadow of the more popular Croatia and Greece. Yet, the mountains of Montenegro include some of the most rugged terrain in Europe, averaging more than 2,000 metres in elevation. One of the country's notable peaks is Bobotov Kuk in the Durmitor mountains, (cover) which reaches a height of 2,522 metres (8,274 ft). Owing to the hyperhumid climate on their western sides, the Montenegrin mountain ranges were among the most ice-eroded parts of the Balkan Peninsula during the last glacial period. More notably Montenegro is the Tara River Canyon, which with 1300m (4300ft) makes the second deepest river canyon in the world.
The area where the mapping will take place is in the Orjen Mountain Range close to Herceg Novi and The Bay of Kotor. This area was greatly affected by severe thrusting during the violent Alpine Compressional Orogeny in the late Secondary and early Teriary eras. There are numerous thrust faults exposing the Mesozoic sequences, limestone karsts and clear evidence of later Glaciation.
Borne in the Netherlands, I have studied Natural Sciences in both America and Australia and always have been fascinated with the great outdoors. My particular focus of interest is the interrelationship between the 5 Natural disciplines; Geology, Oceanography, Botany, Zoology and Meteorology, as every landscape is effectively the result of those 5 disciplines acting together. I have done extensive field-research in Latin America, New Zealand, Australia and Papua New Guinea, focusing on the study of co-evolution as a product of these disciplines with a particular focus on the Botanical genus Passiflora.
Geology for me, is the ultimate platform on which the other disciplines co-exist. Global Tectonics and Structural processes have the power to form new land as well as to destroy it. The forces required to move the plates and create mountains are phenomenal and far beyond anyone’s comprehension; an understanding I reached during my journey through the Andean Mountains of Ecuador in 2008. Studying the processes of Geology and gaining a broader knowledge on the topic has given me a very wide perspective of how nature operates, how it is we see the landscape we observe and often take for granted. But more importantly, it also unveiled its weaknesses and vulnerabilities. Gaining a wider perspective and more knowledge will help us better appreciate and protect the nature and landscape we treasure, so it will remain accessible for future generations.
Part of Yugoslavia since 1918, it gained its independence during a referendum held on 21 May 2006, but its natural beauty has remained in the shadow of the more popular Croatia and Greece. Yet, the mountains of Montenegro include some of the most rugged terrain in Europe, averaging more than 2,000 metres in elevation. One of the country's notable peaks is Bobotov Kuk in the Durmitor mountains, (cover) which reaches a height of 2,522 metres (8,274 ft). Owing to the hyperhumid climate on their western sides, the Montenegrin mountain ranges were among the most ice-eroded parts of the Balkan Peninsula during the last glacial period. More notably Montenegro is the Tara River Canyon, which with 1300m (4300ft) makes the second deepest river canyon in the world.
The area where the mapping will take place is in the Orjen Mountain Range close to Herceg Novi and The Bay of Kotor. This area was greatly affected by severe thrusting during the violent Alpine Compressional Orogeny in the late Secondary and early Teriary eras. There are numerous thrust faults exposing the Mesozoic sequences, limestone karsts and clear evidence of later Glaciation.
Borne in the Netherlands, I have studied Natural Sciences in both America and Australia and always have been fascinated with the great outdoors. My particular focus of interest is the interrelationship between the 5 Natural disciplines; Geology, Oceanography, Botany, Zoology and Meteorology, as every landscape is effectively the result of those 5 disciplines acting together. I have done extensive field-research in Latin America, New Zealand, Australia and Papua New Guinea, focusing on the study of co-evolution as a product of these disciplines with a particular focus on the Botanical genus Passiflora.
Geology for me, is the ultimate platform on which the other disciplines co-exist. Global Tectonics and Structural processes have the power to form new land as well as to destroy it. The forces required to move the plates and create mountains are phenomenal and far beyond anyone’s comprehension; an understanding I reached during my journey through the Andean Mountains of Ecuador in 2008. Studying the processes of Geology and gaining a broader knowledge on the topic has given me a very wide perspective of how nature operates, how it is we see the landscape we observe and often take for granted. But more importantly, it also unveiled its weaknesses and vulnerabilities. Gaining a wider perspective and more knowledge will help us better appreciate and protect the nature and landscape we treasure, so it will remain accessible for future generations.
Simon Williams 2015
The scholarship has been awarded to Simon Williams - a geology BSc student from London - to fund a research project in the Sierra de las Nieves mountain range in Andalusia, Spain. This thesis involves mapping a region in excess of fifteen square kilometers and investigating the nature of the 'Ronda Peridotite'; an expanse of rock which originated at extreme depth, in the Earth's mantle, but has ultimately found its way to the surface by processes still debated by science.
Besides forming the dissertation element to Simon's degree course and coalescing the skills he has developed at Birkbeck, this project is intended to provide the foundations for a future PhD research project into 'terrestrial enhanced weathering' - a proposed technique of using geology to slow down the rate of climate change by reducing atmospheric carbon dioxide levels. Of all of the CO2 that ever gets removed from the air, just one third of that is due to biological factors (such as photosynthesis of plants and algae); the remaining two thirds are consumed by a chemical reaction that occurs when some rocks (particularly the peridotite rock examined in Simon's current project) dissolve under rain. The aim of terrestrial enhanced weathering is to give nature a hand and increase the rate of this chemical reaction by breaking up the rock to increase its surface area, then spreading it onto farmers' fields in the tropics - with a secondary benefit that it acts as an effective soil fertiliser which will increase crop yields in economically less developed nations.
There is hope that this proposed process (in conjunction with behavioural changes in sources of energy and food production) could play a part in preventing a catastrophic change in global temperature and therefore averting the greatest existential threat that humankind has ever faced.
Besides forming the dissertation element to Simon's degree course and coalescing the skills he has developed at Birkbeck, this project is intended to provide the foundations for a future PhD research project into 'terrestrial enhanced weathering' - a proposed technique of using geology to slow down the rate of climate change by reducing atmospheric carbon dioxide levels. Of all of the CO2 that ever gets removed from the air, just one third of that is due to biological factors (such as photosynthesis of plants and algae); the remaining two thirds are consumed by a chemical reaction that occurs when some rocks (particularly the peridotite rock examined in Simon's current project) dissolve under rain. The aim of terrestrial enhanced weathering is to give nature a hand and increase the rate of this chemical reaction by breaking up the rock to increase its surface area, then spreading it onto farmers' fields in the tropics - with a secondary benefit that it acts as an effective soil fertiliser which will increase crop yields in economically less developed nations.
There is hope that this proposed process (in conjunction with behavioural changes in sources of energy and food production) could play a part in preventing a catastrophic change in global temperature and therefore averting the greatest existential threat that humankind has ever faced.