Geological and geomorphological characterisation of West Cumbria

It is known that the western Cumbria region was affected by different glacial phases in the Quaternary. During the last British and Irish Ice Sheet (BIIS) the area was drained by numerous ice streams, it was affected by the passage of the fast-flowing Irish Sea Ice Stream (ISIS) and possibly by localised ice advances from the Lake District. Despite recent efforts to better depict the last BIIS phases of advance/retreat, its glacial stratigraphy and geomorphological signature, there is still debate on the glacial evolution of western Cumbria and the understanding of the geology of this coastal region.

The aim of this PhD is to expand the work so far undertaken along the west Cumbrian and to integrate this geological and geomorphological understanding with the correct knowledge of process-sediment/form relationships, understanding of former climate and environmental change history, and glacial dynamics into a regional Quaternary geological model to collectively support nuclear licensed sites in this area.

This project will define assessment approaches, including need for quality control of historical intrusive and geophysics datasets and define diagnostic criteria for superficial deposit types and geomorphology that may be present in the region to support latter geological and geomorphological interpretations. Geomorphological and section logging fieldwork will take place based on initial geomorphological regional map identifying potential areas of complexity/high significance to events suggested by the map.

Work will enable the further development of the regional geomorphological map with assessment of sediment assemblages identified from regional borehole records and section logging and identify appropriate sediment-landform assemblages. This understanding will be extrapolated across the geomorphological map. The aim of this work will be to attempt to extrapolate three-dimensional geological surfaces from the ground models of the licensed sites into the wider area.

This project falls within the EPSRC Energy research area, and specifically within the Nuclear Fission theme, as it relates to the long term evolution of two of the UK's nuclear Site Licence Companies: the Low Level Waste Repository and Sellafield, in West Cumbria. The project will further existing research into the Quaternary geology of West Cumbria. The project is also likely to have relevance to the EPSRC research areas pertaining to climate change, as it will also focus on the geomorphology of the area with respect to effects of sea-level change.