Dr Peter Wynn
ReaderResearch Interests
Natural environmental isotopes are used as an advanced method for tracing the dynamics of solutes and nutrients within earth systems. Within glaciated environments, natural isotopes of 15N/14N, 18O/16O, 34S/32S and 13C/12C have been used to fingerprint sources and sinks of nutrients within High Arctic and Icelandic glaciers. Fluorescence of compounds within snow and ice is currently being used as a method for establishing the organic component of the glacial ecosystem. Within karst environments, sulphur isotopes are currently being used to identify causes of variations in the sulphur content of stalagmites over time. Identification of how sulphur is cycled through the overlying ecosystem and karst environment allows transfer functions between climate and speleothems to be quantified. Compound specific analysis of organic matter contained within speleothem calcite is currently being investigated as a biomarker of past anthropogenic activity.
Current research includes funding from NERC to address archives of sulphur contained within trees (‘Interrogating trees as archives of environmental Sulphur variability’). In collaboration with the University of Swansea and the University of Birmingham, we aim to produce a high resolution record of changes in sulphur concentration and isotopic composition and link these to speleothem records from the same region. P. Wynn is also co-investigator on NERC grant ‘The Svalbard Exemplar for Neoproterozoic glaciation’, led by the University of Birmingham. This project uses the geochemical composition of glacial lake carbonates from NE Svalbard to infer palaeo atmospheric conditions during the Cryogenian glaciations of the Neoproterozoic.
www.gees.bham.ac.uk/research/clusters/geosystems/gains2010who.shtml
Current Teaching
3rd Year: 15 credit module - Glacial systems
3rd Year: 15 credit module – Landscape development in Northern Spain (field course)
2nd Year: 15 credit module – Earth Surface Processes
2nd Year: 15 credit module – Glacier-landscape interactions in Iceland (field course)
2nd Year: 30 credit module – Concepts in Geography
Austrian Science Fund. The subglacial speleothem archive. International Collaborator
01/08/2023 → 01/08/2025
Research
Plan Nacional, Ministerio de ciencia e innovacion. Understanding past, present and future environmental scenarios in the southern Iberian peninsula. Overseas collaborator
01/08/2023 → 01/08/2025
Research
METALLICA: MEltwater release of heavy meTALs from gLacIer to ocean in a Changing Arctic
01/07/2023 → 30/06/2026
Research
Establishing a new palaeothermometer from the speleothem archive of phosphate oxygen isotopes
01/01/2023 → 30/06/2024
Research
The microbiology of Pooles cavern, UK
18/03/2021 → 18/03/2022
Research
Groundwater nitrogen capture in the stalagmite record
01/11/2019 → 01/11/2022
Research
Controls on Soil Carbon Export revealed by Novel Tracers on multiple timescales
01/10/2013 → 30/09/2016
Other
Quantifying the methane flux from beneath an Icelandic glacier
30/09/2013 → 30/09/2016
Research
Lead on LEC-SME linkage to Isoprime (Isotope ratio mass spectrometry manufacturers), incl. Centre for Global Eco-innovation funding
30/09/2012 → 30/09/2016
Research
An informatics based approach to monitoring glacier movement
01/01/2012 → …
Research
High resolution isotope analysis of Iberian speleothem deposits
01/09/2010 → 30/03/2014
Research
The Svalbard Exemplar of neoproterozoic glaciation
01/04/2010 → 30/04/2014
Research
The origin of sulphur isotopic variations in coral
01/04/2008 → 01/04/2009
Research
Compound specific organic matter and the speleothem record
01/10/2007 → 01/10/2008
Research
University of York: Sulphur in the speleothem record
Invited talk
National Society for Natural Sciences (External organisation)
Membership of committee
Nitrate retention and subsidy in oligotrophic mountain stream-lake networks
Oral presentation
Indonesia-Deakin international partnership discussions
Participation in workshop, seminar, course
R.I. Gabitov
Hosting an academic visitor
Manchester University: Sulphur in the speleothem record
Invited talk
The N8 Research Partnership (External organisation)
Membership of committee
PhD thesis: University of Leeds. External examiner.
Examination
The Royal Geographical Society (External organisation)
Membership of committee
Xiaotao Peng
Hosting an academic visitor
UKRI - NERC (External organisation)
Membership of committee
SISAL Tier 3 Working Group Member (External organisation)
Membership of committee
Lancaster - Waikato international partnership
Participation in workshop, seminar, course
Public lecture. A historical and geographical context of Burton in Lonsdale, Craven.
Public Lecture/ Debate/Seminar
MSc by Research: Western Norway University of Applied Sciences. External examiner.
Examination
SUERC: Glacial methane dynamics
Invited talk
Keynote presentation: Nutrient dynamics in the speleothem record
Invited talk
Using speleothem SO4 isotopes to elucidate S cycling in a fire prone region.
Oral presentation
Biogeochemistry of a degrading ice-wedge polygon in the High Arctic.
Oral presentation
Manchester Metropolitan University: Sulphur in the speleothem record
Invited talk
NERC Isotope Geosciences Laboratory (External organisation)
Membership of committee
PhD thesis: Royal Holloway University of London. External examiner.
Examination
Keynote presentation: Stable Isotope Mass spectrometer User Group
Invited talk
British Geological Survey Visiting Research Associate (External organisation)
Membership of committee
Goldschmidt Conference
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience
Hosting visiting scientist
Types of External academic engagement - Hosting an academic visitor
Edinburgh Ion Microprobe Facility (External organisation)
Membership of committee
the European Geosciences Union General Assembly
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience
International cave monitoring wor
Participation in workshop, seminar, course
Earth and Planetary Science Letters (Journal)
Publication peer-review
The Karst Record (VI) June 2011
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience
Stable Isotope Mass Spectrometer U
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience
University of Durham
Visiting an external academic institution
North West Regional Studies Group
Visiting an external academic institution
Journal of Glaciology (Journal)
Publication peer-review
National Science Foundation (External organisation)
Membership of committee
Journal of Hydrology (Journal)
Publication peer-review
Chemical Geology (Journal)
Publication peer-review
Lancaster Environment Centre (Organisational unit)
Membership of committee
Academic host to PhD student from China University of Geosciences
Types of External academic engagement - Hosting an academic visitor
School
School Engagement
33rd International Geological congress
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience
Holocene (Journal)
Publication peer-review
Geochemical Journal (Journal)
Publication peer-review
Invited speaker to seminar series
Invited talk
Sustainable Catchments
- Centre for Global Eco-innovation
- Environmental and Biogeochemistry
- Understanding a changing planet