Rhubarb@NOCS

Next week 20.2.12

2012-02-13T14:30:00.002Z

In preparation for an upcoming conference, Maike Sonnewald will present a Rhubarb talk next Monday, 20.2.12 at 4:30pm in the PG lounge.

Oceanic dominance of interannual subtropical North Atlantic heat content variability

Abstract:

Ocean heat content varies on a range of timescales, with significant impact on the local climate through interactions with the atmosphere. This variability can be driven either by oceanic or atmospheric heat transport for a local body of water. To diagnose the relative contributions and respective timescales, this study uses a box model forced with GCM output to investigate the heat content variability of the upper 800 m of the subtropical North Atlantic from 26oN to 36oN. The ocean and air-sea heat flux data needed to force the box model is taken from a 19 year (1985 to

2006) simulation performed with the 1/12o version of OCCAM. The box model heat content is compared to the corresponding heat content in OCCAM for verification. The main goal of the study is to identify to what extent the interannual to subannual ocean heat content variability is of atmospheric or oceanic origin. To this end, the box model was subject to a range of scenarios forced either with the full (detrended) ocean and air-sea fluxes, or their deseasoned counterparts. This revealed that in all cases, the seasonal variability was dominated by the subannual component of the air-sea flux, which produced a seasonal range of ~0.41oC. However, on longer timescales the interannual oceanic heat transport dominates, with changes of up to ~0.16oC.

The technique is subsequently appplied to observational data. For the ocean heat fluxes, we use data from the RAPID programme at 26oN, and at 36oN heat transport is inferred using a linear regression model from the oceanic low-frequency transport in OCCAM. The air-sea flux from OCCAM is used for the period 2004 to 2006 when the RAPID timeseries and the OCCAM simulation overlap, and a climatology is used for the air-sea flux from

2006 onwards. The results confirm that on longer (>2 years) timescales the ocean dominates the ocean heat content variability. This work illustrates that oceanic divergence significantly impacts the ocean heat content variability on timescales relevant for applications such as hurricane forecasts, and thus that understanding the underlying mechanisms is of great socioeconomic importance.

INTERANNUAL VARIABILITY IN GLOBAL PHYTOPLANKTON PHENOLOGY

2012-02-13T14:27:00.002Z

Harriet Cole will be presenting a practice talk for the ASLO conference this week.

INTERANNUAL VARIABILITY IN GLOBAL PHYTOPLANKTON PHENOLOGY

Harriet Cole, Stephanie Henson, Adrian Martin & Andrew Yool

Large areas of the world's oceans experience a significant seasonal cycle in phytoplankton biomass. The timing of the bloom affects ecosystem dynamics with implications for biogeochemical cycles and higher trophic levels. Phenological changes may additionally indicate climate change, as the physical processes that control timing alter in a warming world.

However, to understand future phenological changes we must first determine variability in timing and what drives it.

Here, phytoplankton phenology metrics such as bloom initiation and peak are calculated globally using satellite ocean colour data. The impact of gaps in the time-series is investigated using a global biogeochemical model that assimilates SeaWiFS data. We find that the missing data significantly alter estimations of bloom timing. This uncertainty is seen to vary spatially and between different methods of calculating the same metric.

We choose the most reliable metric based on this analysis to explore the relationships between interannual variability in phenology and underlying physical drivers, such as mixed layer depth and climate oscillation indices. Relating phenology to indicators of ocean variability offers new insights on the mechanisms that control bloom dynamics.

December 2011

2012-01-27T14:11:00.002Z

On MONDAY 5TH DECEMBER there will be an exciting opportunity to hear and comment on Sara, Craig and Maike's talks for Contemporary Topics.

We would all really like to hear as much of your constructive feedback as you can give, so we can get our talks all polished up!

The titles are;
Craig: "The role of topography in ocean circulation"
Maike: "Ocean model fidelity and resolution"
Sara: "Microbial control of the biogeochemical cycling of methane: can
bugs control the climate?"

On MONDAY 12TH OF DECEMBER Ben Timmermans will present a public talk recently given at the Art House Café....

Nuclear nightmare or media madness: As we bring our planet to its knees, what role could nuclear power have in its future, in light of events at Fukushima and current concerns?

The talk will review various aspects of nuclear power in the context of current energy demand, and the potential threat of climate change and associated carbon emission reduction targets.

November 2011

2012-01-27T14:08:00.002Z

On Monday 7th of November at 4.30PM come along to see Colette Couves present:

Porosity and Permeability Development within Unconventional Igneous Reservoirs

Venue: The PG lounge

Abstract:

Volcanic rocks are becoming increasingly recognized as viable petroleum reservoirs, with recent discoveries including the Miocene Minami-Nagaoka gas field in the Niigata basin, Japan, the Early Tertiary Padra oil field in India, and various Jurassic fields within the Austral basin of southern Argentina. Reservoir quality in these sequences is primarily controlled by porosity and permeability, which can be evaluated petrophysically through laboratory based measurements. Although porosities can commonly be relatively high in such rocks the permeabilities are often very low making it difficult to extract the hydrocarbons. The porosity/permeability characteristics can be modified by a number of secondary processes including fracturing due to tectonism and/or alteration due to metamorphism, meteoric or hydrothermal alteration.

X-Ray Computed Tomography is currently being evaluated as a potential tool to help more fully understand the controls on porosity-permeability development in a suite of variably altered Cretaceous volcanic rocks from South America. Basalts, andesites and rhyolites have been investigated to produce a qualitative visualization of the 3D pore structure, and a quantitative estimate of porosity. Integrating these high-resolution porosity maps with the results from more routine petrographical evaluation has permitted the evolution and nature of porosity development in these volcanic rocks to be better understood. Moreover, these porosity values can be compared with the results obtained from traditional petrophysical analysis so as to assess the potential industrial application of this new technique.

On MONDAY 28TH OF NOVEMBER come along to see Anna Sturrock present:

Finding Nemo: Using data storage tags to validate otolith chemistry as an indicator of plaice movements and connectivity

October 2011

2012-01-27T14:05:00.001Z

On Monday 3rd of October at 4.30PM come along to see Gemma and Becky present:

Fault structure, properties and activity of the Makran Accretionary Prism.

And…..

Analysis of multichannel streamer seismic reflection data from the Sumatran Subduction Zone

September 2011

2011-08-31T09:40:00.004Z

On Friday the 23rd of September....

Jeff and Cathy present a description of hydrothermal plume sampling and analysis at the East Scotia Ridge vent sites in the Southern Ocean

On Monday 5th of September....

Jessy Klar will present:

Title:
Dissolved aluminium distributions in the Atlantic Ocean: three study areas

Abstract: While it is well accepted that oceanic primary production (and therefore carbon drawdown) relies on the availability of Fe and other trace metals (such as Zn, Cd, etc) it is important to quantify the sources of these elements to the surface ocean. Aluminium (Al) has no known function within living cells but is a very useful tracer to estimate atmospheric dust deposition, one of the most important input mechanisms of Fe to surface waters of the open ocean.

Here we present dissolved aluminium (dAl) distributions in the open ocean from three different study areas within the Atlantic Ocean. In first place three cruises were conducted in 2010 in the Irminger Basin Iron Study (IBIS) in the High Latitude North Atlantic Ocean (HLNAO). Subsequently, high resolution dAl seawater samples have been collected during two GEOTRACES studies, one in the South Atlantic Ocean (GA10, 2010) and one in the Tropical Atlantic (GA06, 2011).

Dissolved aluminium in seawater was analysed onboard with a Flow Injection method using pre-concentration of Al onto Toyopearl resin (AF-Che-650M) and detection through lumogallion-Al fluorescence (Resing and Measures, 1994; Brown and Bruland, 2008).

The distributions of dAl in these three key areas of the Atlantic Ocean indicate significant differences of supply rates. The analysis of this data should improve our understanding about the ongoing global biogeochemical processes in the ocean.

July 2011

2011-08-31T09:34:00.001Z

On Friday 1st July....

Ben Russell will present:

Title:
Developing a rapid and efficient actinide and Sr-90 analysis facility for
contaminated land assessment.

and Jade Burraston will present:

Title:
Advancing low-level radionuclide analysis using HR sector field plasma
mass spectrometry.

June 2011

2011-08-31T09:27:00.001Z

On Friday 17th June....

Chris Stevenson will present:

Title:
The flows that left no trace: investigating channelised large-volume turbidity currents that bypassed sediment without eroding the seafloor

Abstract:

Submarine channels are the main conduits for sediment transport in the ocean, from continental shelf to abyssal plain. Individual flow events can transport >100 km³ of sediment and deposit across vast areas of seafloor; these flows are therefore responsible for some of the largest sediment accumulations on Earth. Seafloor gradient exerts a major control on the ability of sediment flows to erode/bypass and transport sediment. In particular, recent work off Northwest Africa has highlighted the influence of seafloor gradient on turbidity currents passing through deep-water channels (e.g. Wynn et al., in press). We build upon these recent studies by utilizing a spatially extensive core correlation framework across the Madeira Distributary Channel System, offshore Northwest Africa. These shallow channels (~20 m deep) extend for over 700 km and connect two large basins that form part of the extensive Moroccan Turbidite System. Over the last 400 ka this system has been host to some of the largest gravity flows ever recorded on Earth, with run out distances exceeding 2000 km and volumes >150 km³. Excellent core control, coupled with a robust geochemical and chronostratigraphic framework, enables individual flow events to be documented in both down-flow and across-flow directions.

May 2011

2011-05-04T13:44:00.003Z

On Monday 9th May....

Tommy Ryan-Keogh will present:

Title:
High Spatial Resolution Iron-Addition Incubation Experiments: Mapping Seasonal Iron Stress in the High Latitude North Atlantic

Abstract:

The Irminger and Iceland basins of the High Latitude North Atlantic (HLNA) are areas characterised by incomplete nitrate depletion in the summer and relatively low chlorophyll concentrations. The annual cycle of chlorophyll demonstrates a peak in the spring in proximity to shallow bathymetry, one of the possible major iron sources to the HLNA. It has been proposed therefore that a lack of iron sources to the HLNA may lead to the development of a High-Nitrate Low-Chlorophyll (HNLC) region in the late summer. Long-term (>24 h) and rapid (24 h) incubations, at a high spatial resolution, examined the response of the phytoplankton physiology to iron addition, enabling the detection of mesoscale variability in Fe limitation. The proxy ΔFv/Fm was calculated from the 24 h incubations, and is defined as the difference in the maximal photochemical efficiency of photosystem II (PSII) (Fv/Fm) between a nutrient addition treatment and the control treatment after 24 h of incubation. The greatest increases in ΔFv/Fm were found in the centre of the basins with less of a response over the Iceland shelf and Reykjanes ridge, which may be acting as a source of iron. These results confirm and map the extent of the development of an iron-limited HNLC ecosystem in the Irminger basin, with a seasonal development of iron and nitrate co-limitation in the Iceland basin. This is the first seasonal study of the HLNA and allows the definition of two contrasting 'biomes' within the HLNA based upon the differential responses to iron addition.

March 2011

2011-05-04T13:30:00.004Z

On Monday 28th of March......

Morelia Urlaub presented:

"Using Finite Element Modelling to Assess Submarine Slope Stability"

Abstract:
Submarine landslides are not only a hazard for the offshore oil and gas industry or telecommunication cables at continental shelves, slopes or deeper water, but also have the potential to trigger tsunamis. They are much larger than their counterparts on land and occur on extremely low slope angles (typically 1-2 degrees). Initiation mechanisms for these slides are vital for their prediction but are poorly understood, and in-situ investigations are restricted by a hundreds of meters thick water column. One idea is that rapid asymmetric deposition of sediment on the sea floor causes high rates of overpressure in a low permeability and low stiffness material as typical for marine sediments. We use transient, coupled Finite Element analysis to predict how the stress state of a submerged finite 2 degree slope that is subjected to slow continuous, asymmetric loading, changes over time as well as to assess the stability of the slope. The model is used to investigate the emergence of slope instability for different permeabilities, giving insights into the field conditions necessary for the development of submarine slope failure by overpressure alone.

On Monday 21th of March......

Anya Crocker presented:

"Palaeoceanography and Gas Hydrate Stability along the West Spitsbergen Continental Margin"

Dec 2010

2010-11-15T16:57:00.009Z

On Monday 13th December, Michele Paulatto will be presenting a talk titled:

"3D image of an active magma chamber beneath Montserrat, Lesser Antilles,
from first-arrival travel-time tomography"

Abstract:

Andesitic magma erupted at island arc strato-volcanoes is stored in the shallow crust prior to eruption. Constraining the size, location and characteristics of magma reservoirs is key to forecasting the likelihood and characteristics of future eruptions. The island of Montserrat, in the Lesser Antilles, has been the subject of an active-source seismic tomography experiment (the SEA-CALIPSO experiment) with the main aim of studying the magmatic system of the active Soufriere Hills Volcano (SHV). We present the results of the three-dimensional travel-time inversion of the dataset. We are able to image the main features of the volcanic system of the island including SHV and the two older and extinct volcanoes. The shallow structure is dominated by the presence of high-velocity cores beneath the three volcanic centres. Beneath SHV at depth between 5 and 8 km we observe a negative velocity anomaly (NVA) roughly 4 km across. Checkerboard tests show that a pattern with wavelength similar to the size of the anomaly is well resolved at up to 7 km depth therefore the lower limit of the low velocity region is not constrained by our data. We show that in this case the resolution limit is in part determined by the bandwidth of the illuminating seismic source, as well as the experiment geometry. Temperature estimates at the centre of the NVA calculated with respect to the average velocity structure of the island indicate that a significant region is at temperature above the solidus of andesite and thus require the presence of melt. To further constrain the nature of the NVA we compare the observed seismic velocities with those predicted by thermal and geochemical models of melt intrusions in the upper crust. The thermal models show that the observed NVA is compatible with the presence of a magma storage region of 20-40 cubic kilometers, formed by repeated emplacement of horizontal sills over thousands of years. This shallow magma storage region is likely to correspond to the source of andesitic magma in the shallow crust feeding the current eruption.

Nov 2010

2010-11-15T16:51:00.010Z

On Monday 29th November, Ben, Stephen and Tom will give Rhubarb Talks about projects past and present.

This is the second in a series of mini-talks given by 1st years about previous research they have been involved in and an insight into where they are going as their PhDs begin to take shape. It's a great opportunity to find out a little more about where people have come from and gain information about research that is being conducted in other departments.

This week we have:

Ben Russell:

Association of uranium with bituminous materials: a case study for mine site remediation

The geological occurrence of uranium with organic matter is well recognised in the subsurface, however it is unclear whether these associations hold true in surface and near-surface environments. This study focuses on the association of uranium with coal and bitumen in relation to mining pollution at two sites in the Banat district of South Western Romania. The aim was to elucidate the role that organic matter has in uranium uptake and transport, and evaluate the health risks to local populations.

Stephen Fawcett:

Mid-latitude glaciers on Mars: Volume estimates and flow observations

Recent studies have proposed the formation of late Amazonian water ice deposits on Mars at lower latitudes than are currently viable, through a process of seasonal ice migration from the poles. The ice is now buried in lobate debris aprons and lineated valley flows. Using high-resolution photos taken by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter of a lobate debris apron to create a Digital Elevation Model, it is possible to identify flow features, which support the theory of ice deposition. The topography of the flow can also be determined, enabling a model of the debris apron to be made, and the volume of the water ice to be estimated. This has implications for past climate change and the potential for future life on Mars.

Tom Chalk:

Tracing the Evolution of the Atlantic Thermocline and its Implications for Circulation throughout Rapid Climate Change

A multi-species analysis was undertaken on various coccolithophore and foraminifera Genera to reconstruct the thermocline structure in the Eastern Atlantic from the last glacial maximum to the present. It was found that well constrained biomarkers and their isotopic ratios provided good evidence for a shifting thermocline, indicative of global circulation change, from a surface perspective.

On Monday 22th November, Liz, Harriet and Helen will give Rhubarb Talks about projects past and present.

This is the first in a series of mini-talks given by 1st years about previous research they have been involved in and an insight into where they are going as their PhDs begin to take shape. It's a great opportunity to find out a little more about where people have come from and gain information about research that is being conducted in other departments.

This week we have:

Liz Sargent:

Assessing the species richness of the brown algal genus dictyota from the Caribbean Panama using a DNA barcoding approach.

Species distinctions are problematic in the brown algal genus Dictyota for two reasons; 1) there is difficulty in detecting cryptic diversity in morphologically convergent (but phylogenetically distinct) individuals, and 2) there is a poor understanding of the range of phenotypic plasticity intraspecifically. As part of a larger project to elucidate patterns of algal biodiversity for the Republic of Panama, this project focused on assessing diversity within the brown algal genus Dictyota using a DNA barcoding approach.

Harriet Cole:

Climate change and phytoplankton seasonality

Many studies have looked at the variability in the magnitude of the phytoplankton spring bloom but not many have focussed on the seasonality of the bloom. The physical ocean processes that control bloom timing are expected to alter with climate change. The results so far include global maps of the start date of the spring bloom and its interannual variability as well as addressing the problems with estimating phenological metrics from satellite ocean colour data. The timing of the spring bloom is an important concept when considering the timing of zooplankton/larvae spawning, length of growing season and the efficiency of the biological pump.

Helen Smith:

Ocean Acidification and Biological Carbon Pump Efficiency.

The biological carbon pump consists mainly of sinking aggregates containing organic carbon. The aim is to examine the mechanism of organic carbon export and ballasting using the Marine Snow Catcher and 234Th technique (possibly).

October 2010

2010-10-11T15:14:00.008Z

On Monday 25th October, Debbie Hembury will be talking about

some of the work she carried out at University of North Carolina, Wilmington, as part of the Gillings Graduate Exchange Programme.

Talk title: "Interactions of an active volcano with the hydrographic system on Montserrat, West Indies.... Plus some opportunities for postgrad research exchanges to North Carolina"

FIRST AND SECOND YEARS ARE PARTICULARLY ENCOURAGED TO ATTEND, AS DEADLINES FOR THESE EXCHANGE PROGRAMS FALL IN JANUARY.

On Monday 11th October, Maria Broadbridge & John Prytherch will be giving a talk about their experiences on theWoods Hole Exchange Program and will be ready to answer questions about the WHOI facilities, the people, social life and how to write successful applications.

July 2010

2010-07-01T08:56:00.005Z

We have THREE exciting talks planned this month!

On 5th July, Leigh Marsh will be giving a talk entitled: “Deep sea hydrothermal vents – a journey to the Southern Ocean” and showing a preview of new video footage of the vents!

Then on 12th July, Maria Broadbridge & John Prytherch will be giving a talk about their experiences on the Woods Hole Exchange Program and will be ready to answer questions about the WHOI facilities, the people, social life and how to write successful applications.

Then on 19th July, Amelie Meyer (CSIRO, previous NOCS student) will be giving a talk on her PhD work entitled "A mixing recipe or the origins of turbulence in the Southern Ocean"

May 2010

2010-05-14T20:03:00.002Z

On 24th May, Wanwiwa Tumnoi will be giving a talk entitled: The Ecology and Fishery of Tapes philippinarum (Adams and Reeve, 1850) in Southampton Water, UK.

Abstract:

The non-indigenous species Tapes philippinarum (Manila clam) was introduced in the Solent system and Southampton Water in 2005. They have been intensely harvested by the local fishers due to their high marketable value. Apart from Minimum Landing Size (MLS) legislation based on EU fishery regulations, other clam fishing management techniques have not been established because of knowledge insufficiency. The population status, reproductive cycle, size at maturity, and potential to sustain a population are the fundamental scientific information required for fishery management.

T. philippinarum in the area of Bird Pile, Southampton Water was studied between December 2008 and January 2010. The population structure revealed that the clams with 30-35 and 35-40 mm in shell length dominated the population, with 25.60% and 28.32% respectively. The proportion of clam smaller than 25 mm increased from August to December 2009 most likely because of spat settlement during this period. The signal of fishing impact was reflected by the low share (8.6%) of clam larger than 40 mm. The preliminary study of reproduction from December 2008 to June 2009 showed that sex ratio of male to female was 1:1.68. Gametogenesis of both males and females was synchronised. The spawning period began in May and continued through the summer, no reproductive activity was found in December. However, further investigation is required to confirm our present results. The smallest clam containing oocytes is 17.5 mm in shell length. The oocytes were found to be measurable from March to June. The size significantly increased with time and reached the largest in June (39.56 + 13.13 µm). Moreover, the mature female examined in June revealed that egg diameters rose according to the degree of size classes with an average of 24.6 + 13.18 µm (20-25 mm in shell length) to 47.98 + 13.38 µm (40-45 mm in shell length). Changes in haemocyte number and phagocytic activity corresponded to not only season but also spawning period. No particular pattern was found in phagocytic capacity. The monthly growth rates of T. philippinarum (shell dimensions and total wet weight) gradually rose between March and June, rapidly increased from June to September, and then slowed down after October. The final cumulative growth rates of length, height, width, and total weight were 8.23%, 10.08%, 15.04%, and 39.02% consecutively. The updated data of T. philippinarum observed in Southampton Water revealed that the conditions in the area are favourable for reproduction and growth of this commercially important species.

February 2010

2010-02-03T14:45:00.005Z

On Monday 22nd February we have an aphrodesiac-inspired talk by Lisa Kamphausen entitled:

"Overfishing, mass-liquefication, and issues with finding a mate – no wonder there aren’t any oysters left in the Solent"

and earlier in the month....

ROCK ON!

On Monday 8th February we have a geology-inspired double bill with

Steve Hollis giving a talk entitled
“Volcano plus orogeny equals money: mineral potential of County Tyrone, Northern Ireland”

and Alex Webber giving a talk entitled
“The behaviour of gold in the arc system and the formation of epithermal gold mineralisation”

January 2010

2010-02-03T14:39:00.004Z

A quiet start to the year ...

... until Monday 25th January, when we have the gorgeous Ally Jones giving an exciting talk entitled:

“Investigating the influence of environmental variables on the distribution of apex marine predators off southwest UK”

December 2009

2009-12-01T12:32:00.006Z

We have a great Christmas season planned...

Monday 7th December we have the wonderful Ibrahim Muhammed giving a talk about

'The effect of large-scale interannual variations in the Gulf of Guinea'

followed by the infamous Stuart Jarvis giving a "seminar bingo"/upgrade practise talk

'Does it x-ray?’

Then on Monday 14th December we have an OBE showcase!!! Names and titles TBC

November 2009

2009-12-01T12:28:00.006Z

On Monday 30th November we have the lovely Sally Close giving a talk entitled:

'Southern Ocean Variability from Seal-Mounted Sensors and Argo Floats'

October 2009

2009-09-29T00:22:00.004Z

After a long lazy summer we are back for Rhubarb with a vengeance!

on Monday 5th October

we have Anna Kaczmarska talking about

“Seasonal and interannual variability of the surface circulation in the Nordic Seas.”

then on Monday 19th October

we have our very own Maike Paul talking about

“The role of Zostera noltii in wave attenuation and coastal protection”

June 2009

2009-06-04T11:04:00.005Z

Monday 15th June

A lovely double bill...

Ellen Moon will give a talk about
"Copper(II) sorption to Bacillus subtilis and bacteriogenic ferrihydrite: Insights from XAS spectroscopy"

and Debbie Hembury will give a talk about
“Oxygen Uptake during Marine Diagenesis of Fresh Volcanic Material”

May 2009

2009-04-29T08:46:00.011Z

* TUESDAY * 26th May we have Mark Vardy talking to us about "Real-time 3D pre-stack imaging of decimetre resolution 3D seismic volumes"

Come and join us in the PG Lounge at 5pm!

* TUESDAY * 5th May we have a double bill with a fishy feel...

Validation and development of otolith microchemistry in free-ranging marine fish - Anna Lewis

The marine life of Atlantic salmon: evidence from the chemistry of scales - Kirsteen Mackenzie

And on Monday 18th May we have our in house geophysicist extraordinaire Mark Vardy speaking about...
Real-time 3D pre-stack imaging of decimetre resolution 3D seismic volumes

April 2009 Talks

2009-04-06T12:34:00.004Z

On TUESDAY 7th April we have the wondrous Stu Jarvis talking about

"High Resolution Analysis of Northern Patagonia Lake Sediments"

March 2009 Talks

2009-03-04T11:53:00.002Z

On 16th we have John Prytherch:
"Measurement and parameterisation of air-sea CO2 flux in high winds"

February 2009 Talks

2009-02-03T13:01:00.001Z

9th - TWO TALKS FOR THE PRICE OF ONE!

Firstly - Mike Cassidy:
"The eruptive evolution of volcanism on Montserrat, West Indies"

Secondly - Ellen Moon:
"Copper(II) Sorption to Bacteriogenic Ferrihydrite"

23rd - Chris Stevenson:
"Hyperpycnal turbidity currents and the deep-water massive sand enigma"

January 2009 Talks

2009-01-19T14:25:00.010Z

12th - it's none other than our very own Richard Marsh!
"Development of rapid techniques for tritium analysis"

19th - Klaus Getzlaff
"Variability in the South Indian Ocean gyre circulation derived from Argo floats"

December Talks

2007-12-10T16:10:00.000Z

We have packed a multitude of exciting Christmas lectures into December to insure everyone is well prepared for intellectual conversation with friends and family over the Turkey packed festive period...

Monday 3rd December

Becky Bell: Observations and modeling of long-term earthquake deformation in the Gulf of Corinth.

Monday 17th December

Sarah Murty: tbc

Chris Allen: The ecology of the intertidal Crab Dotilla intermedia from tsunami impacted beaches in Thailand - a chance for Chris to convince us all that there is much more to his project than sunbathing...

November Talks Update

2007-12-10T16:07:00.000Z

Monday 19th November

Richard Marsh: Development of a field portable tritium measurer - what is Rich's PhD all about? Come along and find out!

November Talks

2007-10-30T15:49:00.001Z

Remember remember The Rhubarb Talks in November...

For this month of fireworks, coats and gloves, we have several new and exciting talks lined up for you, with an additional incentive (as if you needed it) ... FREE BEER! (Courtesy of October's PG Pub Quiz winners!)

Monday 5th November
John Dinley: How to find an invertebrate spine. Learn how to do the impossible with polychaetes.
Dave Spofforth: My WHOI Exchange. Dave will be showing us his snaps of the beautiful setting at WHOI and tell us what he got up to over the summer while we all got rained on.

Monday 19th November
Thanos Gritzalis - tbc
Sarah Murty - tbc

October

2007-10-30T15:42:00.000Z

To start off the new academic year's Rhubarb Talks, we had two new speakers:

Monday 8th October
Raquel Arzola: Isis' Summer Outing

Raquel showed us snaps of her latest cruise aboard the new ship James Cook, where NOCS' new ROV, Isis, was used to explore mud volcanoes and submarine canyons off west Iberia.

Monday 22nd October
Kate Larkin: The British Council's Exchange Programme to Japan

At her talk, Kate described her experiences when she spent 2 months at JAMSTEC, the Japanese Centre for Earth and Ocean Science, including fish markets, tea ceremonies and foraminifera picking...

Recruiting new talks for autumn term 2007

2007-09-07T13:13:00.000Z

Going to a conference? Upgrading soon? Want to show off your photos from your recent cruise or fieldtrip?

Then do a Rhubarb Talk!

Several slots still available on Mondays 5th and 19th of November, and Monday 17th December.

Contact The Rhubarb Team: Raquel Arzola (rga@noc.soton.ac.uk), Rich Marsh (rm1202@noc.soton.ac.uk) or Bethan Jones (bmj@noc.soton.ac.uk).

2007-06-04T11:43:00.000Z

Hey Everyone,

The Rhubarb talks continue tonight at 5pm in The Ray Beverton Room. Today we have a talk from...

Suzanne MacLachlan - "Oxygen isotope studies from a Spitsbergen fjord"

Ian Salter - "tba"

Hope to see you all there!

This afternoon...

2007-05-21T12:15:00.000Z

Hey Everyone,

The Rhubarb talks continue tonight at 5pm in The Ray Beverton Room. Today we have a talk from

Maria Nielsdottir - "Iron limitation in high latitude North Atlantic -A study late Autumn"

If anyone else would like to practice a talk tonight there is still a space available

Hope to see you all there!

Late updates - 08/05/07

2007-05-10T09:16:00.000Z

Hi everyone,

this week on the rhubarb talks we had:

Abi Pattendon - "Antarctica"

and

Kirsteen MacKenzie - "Atlantic salmon and stable isotopes"

PhD research into the use of salmon scales as proxies for the marine life history of the Atlantic salmon. Using scales as relatively non-destructive means of obtaining information on movements, feeding, growth and health of the salmon's life at sea.

This afternoon....

2007-03-26T10:47:00.000Z

The Rhubarb talks continue this afternoon at 5pm in node room 064/03 (Note the change of room).

Rebecca Bell - "A tale of two earthquakes"

The Gulf of Corinth rift is one of the most active areas of continental deformation on Earth. We will discuss two of the most famous Gulf of Corinth earthquake sequences; the 373BC earthquakes which destroyed the city of Helike and caused destruction at the Temple of Apollo in Delphi, and the 1981 Alkyonides earthquakes which gave us the first insight into the active fault evolution of the rift.

and

Doug McNeall - "Climate prediction: nice, but is it science?"

We've got lots of lovely, expensive and flashy climate models, built primarily for understanding the processes of the Earth System. This talk will give a brief introduction to some of problems associated with using those models to predict the future.

See you there!!

Talks this afternoon

2007-03-12T08:36:00.000Z

Two more rhubarb talks this afternoon at 5pm in node room 044/11 (next to cafeteria)!

Nina Rothe - Systematics and Biogeography of Antarctic Deep-Sea gromiids

Charlie Bargeron- More pieces of the coastal carbon flux puzzle

"...Little did I know that after the installation, I would spend so much of my time trying to get the CO2 system going and then keeping it going! Sometimes it doesn't seem very continuous or autonomous!"

.....see you there!

Talks this afternoon

2007-02-26T09:54:00.000Z

Two more rhubarb talks this afternoon at 5pm in node room 044/11 (next to the cafeteria).

Monique Villatoro - Morphological evolution and sand transport - Chioggia Inlet, Venice Lagoon

Preliminary results of sand transport measurements in Chioggia inlet are interpreted in the light of long term geomorphologic changes.

Cédric Boulart - The Great Dodo Cruise

Prospecting for Hydrothermal Activity along the Central Indian Ridge onboard R/V Hakuho Maru (Dec 2006).

and if that isn't enough for you....

don't forget about the Staff-Student Pub Quiz this evening:

WHERE: Platform Tavern
WHEN: 18:00 to start c. 18:30

See you later!!

Later today....

2007-02-12T09:50:00.000Z

Tonight at 5pm in node room 044/11 (next to the cafeteria).

Dave Spofforth - Eocene climate in the Arctic

Mark Vardy - Finding objects in the dark

"Comprising 60 hydrophone groups which sample the reflected seismic wavefield at a horizontal accuracy of 25 x 25 cm, 3D Chirp provides the perfect base for shallow-water marine engineering. Here we present results where it has been used to identify unknown buried targets ranging from 0.3 m to 7.0 m in size."

...and in two weeks time (26th Feb);

Monique Villatoro - "Morphological evolution and sand transport in Chioogia inlet, Venice Lagoon"

Cedric Boulart - "The great DODO cruise"

Hope to see you all there!

Kirsty and Sarah

Careers service - PGR Workshops

2007-01-29T19:18:00.000Z

Paul mentioned the FESM Graduate School PGR Workshops at the end of todays talks. Here is the slide with all the details for those of you that are interested...

Further details are available on www.soton.ac.uk/careers or contact the School Administrator, on jmj[at]soton.ac.uk

Today's talks (Monday 29th Jan 2007)

2007-01-29T13:29:00.000Z

Hi everyone,
Welcome to the new rhubarb talks website, your no. 1 stop for rhubarb related information. From now on we'll be updating this site with details about upcoming talks and anything else we can be bothered to fill it with...

So remember to bookmark this site!! (we've even got fancy RRS feeds on the page, so you can get rhubarb headlines delivered to your web browser)

We've also got another couple of talks for you this afternoon....

5pm - 044/11 the Ray Beverton room.

Expect the unexpected - Paul Morris

and

Diving in Alvin - a short video - Sarah Bennett

Give it a try - you know you want to!!!

Sarah and Kirsty

p.s. drinks and nibbles provided

Upcoming Rhubarb talks!

2007-01-16T17:25:00.000Z

15th January 2007:
1) Sarah Murty - Finding and winning grant funding
2) Kirsty Edgar - Testing bipolar glaciation in the Eocene Ocean

29th January 2007:
1) Paul Morris - TBA
2) Sarah Bennett - Diving in Alvin (Video)

Previous rhubarb speakers....

2006-11-27T14:17:00.000Z

In an effort to try and archive all the previous rhubarb presentations, here's a list of those of you that have already given a talk.... If you find yourself not on the list drop us an email at .

The WUN Exchange: Research Opportunities in Other Countries (20/11/2006)
Phil Wallhead

One Step Closer to Insanity and a Complete Section of Oceanic Crust: Tales from the IODP Expedition 309 (20/11/2006)
Chris Smith-Duque

Calcium content of marine invertebrates (6/11/2006)
Sue-Ann

Confessions of a PhD student: A tale from the other side (6/11/2006)
Chris Rowan

Observational Oceanography (23/10/2006)
Dave Poulter

3 weeks of fieldwork in the Venice Lagoon (23/10/2006)
Alice Lefebvre

Our second home, being on a research cruise explained (9/10/2006)
Hugh Venebles

Monitoring the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (9/10/2006)
Jo Hopkins

Paleomagnetic analysis of Deep Western Boundary Current flux variations in the North Atlantic (21/9/2006)
Sallly Hunter

Structural evolution of the western Gulf of Corinth (21/9/2006)
Rebecca Bell

Lateral spreading within the Storegga Slide: Form, process and evolution (7/9/2006)
Aaron Micallef

AMMA 2006: Crossing the Atlantic (7/9/2006)
Chris Jeffery

3D-Chirp (24/7/06)
Mark Vardy

Following the Palaeoequator in the equatorial Pacific (24/7/2006)
Kirsty Edgar