Details of Award
NERC Reference : NE/M006093/1
Geophysical Skills Development for Environmental Scientists (2014)
Training Grant Award
- Lead Supervisor:
- Professor NJ Cassidy, Keele University, Faculty of Natural Sciences
- Grant held at:
- Keele University, Faculty of Natural Sciences
- Science Area:
- Atmospheric
- Earth
- Freshwater
- Marine
- Terrestrial
- Overall Classification:
- Earth
- ENRIs:
- Biodiversity
- Environmental Risks and Hazards
- Global Change
- Natural Resource Management
- Pollution and Waste
- Science Topics:
- Earth & environmental
- Assess/Remediate Contamination
- Geohazards
- Hydrological Processes
- Pollution
- Abstract:
- Near surface geophysical techniques are important research tools for the non-invasive assessment, characterisation, monitoring and mapping of sub-surface problems across the whole of the environmental and geosciences sector. Unfortunately, there is little postgraduate-level provision for bespoke, practical-based, multi-disciplinary training in these methods available to the UK research community. The "Geophysical Skills Development for Environmental Scientists" course is an advanced, 7-day residential skills development 'summer school' that equips postgraduate research (PGR) students and Early Career Researchers (ECR) with the essential knowledge, understanding, field skills and real-word appreciation of common near-surface geophysical monitoring/evaluation methods used by the research and industrial science community (both academic and commercial). Aimed at environmental/natural scientists with limited theoretical and practical experience of geophysics, it is specifically catering for PhD students (at all stages of their studies) who wish, or intend, to use these techniques in their research. It is also suitable for ECRs in the environmental sector who seek career development opportunities and real-world exposure to geophysical methods. The course is designed around a practical pollution problem, "the environmental risk assessment and relocation of a damaged, buried fuel pipeline", so that participants experience the complexities of geophysical data collection, analysis and interpretation under commercial conditions - a key skill for future research and/or commercial sector employment. The course has two interlinked components; * A 2-day Keele-based workshop where attendees learn the theory and practice of a range of near-surface geophysical instrumentation commonly used in environmental research (e.g., GPR, Electrical Resistivity Imaging, Microgravity, Electromagnetic and Magnetic techniques, etc). * A 5-day field-based programme of training and skills development in geophysical data collection, processing, management, interpretation, visualisation, modelling and reporting/presentation using the techniques and skills developed in the workshop sessions at Keele. Fieldwork will take place across the Gilpin valley, Cumbria, U.K. (near Grange-oversands). The course not only delivers technical training in geophysical methods but also provides a unique "commercial world" experience for the participants. Attendees form virtual 'companies' and compete for a contract to re-locate the pipeline. They use the geophysical survey skills developed collectively over the course to assess any likely contamination risk posed by the leaking pipe and propose a new route (based on the geological/environmental interpretation of their geophysical data). Each company is provided with a virtual budget to hire equipment and must plan their survey work on a rolling, daily basis. Collectively, participants learn how to plan, collect, evaluate and process large amounts of geophysical data, integrate it into GIS mapping software and use advanced visualisation & inversion/modelling software to analyse and interpret their results. At the end of the course, participants will have gained highly-valuable field-based geophysical survey skills (along with important team working and project management skills) and developed the confidence to incorporate these techniques into the their own PhD research programmes, grant applications and future projects. This will not only enhance the quality and breadth of NERC-based PGR/ECR skills but also improve the potential range, impact and diversity of outputs from NERCfunded environmental/geoscience research programmes. www.keele.ac.uk/envirogeophysics-training
- NERC Reference:
- NE/M006093/1
- Grant Stage:
- Completed
- Scheme:
- Doctoral Training
- Grant Status:
- Closed
- Programme:
- Advanced Training
This training grant award has a total value of £23,940
FDAB - Financial Details (Award breakdown by headings)
| Total - Other Costs |
|---|
| £23,940 |
If you need further help, please read the user guide.