Dr Peter Wynn

Reader

Research 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

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

Academic host to PhD student from China University of Geosciences
Types of External academic engagement - Hosting an academic visitor

School
School Engagement

Holocene (Journal)
Publication peer-review

Geochemical Journal (Journal)
Publication peer-review

33rd International Geological congress
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience

Invited speaker to seminar series
Invited talk

  • Centre for Global Eco-innovation
  • Environmental and Biogeochemistry
  • Understanding a changing planet