Dr Peter Wynn

Director of Natural Sciences, 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

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

R.I. Gabitov
Hosting an academic visitor

Indonesia-Deakin international partnership discussions
Participation in workshop, seminar, course

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

Xiaotao Peng
Hosting an academic visitor

Royal Geographical Society (External organisation)
Membership of committee

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

Birmingham Institute of Forest Research, University of Birmingham , Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK; School of Geography Earth and Environmental Science, University of Birmingham , Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK (External organisation)
Membership of committee

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

School
School Engagement

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

33rd International Geological congress
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience

Geochemical Journal (Journal)
Publication peer-review

Holocene (Journal)
Publication peer-review

Invited speaker to seminar series
Invited talk

Joseph Buchanan

Joseph Buchanan

MSc (research) student

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