The Tellus Conference - British Geological Survey · The improved mapping has prompted renewed...

The Tellus ConferenceGeoscience for decision makingOctober 17th & 18th 2007W5 science and discovery centre, Belfast

TellusAbstract.indd 1 8/10/07 08:20:36

The Tellus Conference Geoscience for decision making October 17th & 18th 2007 W5 science and discovery centre, Belfast


Contents

Welcome 1

Schedule 2

KeynotePresentations 5

OralPresentations 7

PosterPresentations 24

Workshops 26


Welcome �

Welcome

WelcometotheTellusProjectConferenceandtotheW5scienceanddiscoverycentre.W5,which

aimstodemonstratethewondersofthenaturalworldandthecontributionofsciencetosocietyandthe

economy,isafittingvenueinwhichtodiscusstheTellusProject.

Overthesetwodaysinitialresultsofoneofthemostfocusedgeoscientificmappingprojectsever

undertakeninEuropewillbepresented.Theprojecthasproducednewgeochemicalandgeophysical

informationthatextendsanddeepensourknowledgeofthegeology,soils,naturalresourcesand

environmentofNorthernIreland.Thisinformationcanhelpsupporttheexplorationanddevelopment

ofournaturalresources,caninformland-useplanningandcanprovideacountry-widebaselineof

environmentalgeochemistry.

TheBritishGeologicalSurvey(BGS),inpartnershipwiththeGeologicalSurveyofFinland,flewalow-

levelairbornegeophysicalsurveyoverNorthernIrelandin2005–6.Theresultsprovidenewinsightsinto

geology,particularlywherebedrockisobscuredbyglacialcoverandpeat.Delineationoffaults,dykes

andthemajorvolcaniccomplexeshasbeengreatlyimproved.Thesedatacontributesignificantlyto

mineralexplorationandthedefinitionofnaturalandanthropogenichazards.

Ontheground,GSNIandBGSteamscollectedsome31000soil,stream-sedimentandstream-

watersamplesforanalysis.Thegeochemicalresultsprovideanewandconsistentbaselinestandard

forsome60elementsandcompoundsacrossruralNorthernIrelandandalsointhemainmetropolitan

centres.Theextensiverangeofnewgeochemicalmapsofsoilsandstreamsprovidesastandard

againstwhichtomonitorchangeandameansofidentifyingdepletedorpotentiallytoxiclevelsofkey

elementsorcompounds.

Theimprovedmappinghaspromptedrenewedinterestinmineralprospecting,andnewlicenseshave

beenissuedasaresult.MorethanhalfofNorthernIrelandisnowundermineralprospectinglicenceor

licenceapplication.TheprojectalsorecognisestheimportantplaceofthequarryindustryinNorthern

Ireland—avitalsourceofaggregatesfortheUK—andGSNIarepleasedtohavecollaboratedwiththe

QuarryProductsAssociation(NI)andW5inmountinganewexhibitabouttheextractiveindustries.

Tellusdatarepresentamajorresourceforindustry,regulatoryauthoritiesandenvironmental

organizationsandprovidecontextual,baselinegeoscienceinformationformanagingdevelopment

sustainably.Theprojecthasstimulatedacademicresearchintoarangeofappliedgeological,

environmentalandland-useissuesanddatahavebeendisseminatedamongstresearchgroupsin

NorthernIreland,inGBandasfarafieldasUSAandCanada.

GSNIacknowledgetheencouragementandassistanceoftheBritishGeologicalSurvey,Geological

SurveyofIrelandandtheUnitedStatesGeologicalSurveyinthedevelopmentofaprojectdealingwith

theresourcesandenvironment.WealsoacknowledgethesupportoftheDepartmentofEnterprise,

TradeandInvestment,TheRuralDevelopmentProgrammeforBuildingSustainableProsperity,andthe

EnvironmentandHeritageService.

WewishyouausefultwodayshereattheTellusProjectConferenceandwelookforwardto

yourcontribution.

EurGeolGarthEarls

Director,GSNI


� Schedule

Wednesday �7th October �007

08�5–09�5 Registrationandcoffee(Level4)

09�5–�040 Opening (Lecture Theatre)

Welcome

EurGeol Garth Earls

TheNaturalEnvironmentResearchCouncilandnaturalresources

Prof. John Ludden

Earth-thePowerofthePlanet

Dr Iain Stewart

�040–��0 Coffeeandtea(Level4)

��0–�300 Session �: The Tellus surveys and results (Lecture Theatre)

Chair: Noel Cornick, Assistant Secretary, Department of Enterprise, Trade

and Investment

Anationalgeoscienceframeworkforthe21stcentury

Dr Mick Lee

TheTellusairbornegeophysicalsurveyandresults

Mike Young

TheTellusgeochemicalprogramme—surveyandresults

Dr Dermot Smyth

Sustainablemanagementofournaturalresources

EurGeol Garth Earls

�300–�400 Lunch(Level4)

�400–�530 Session �: Soils, the environment and health(Lecture Theatre)

Chair: Dr Peadar McArdle, Director, Geological Survey of Ireland

Soilsandtheirenvironmentalsignificance

Dr Crawford Jordan & Dr Barry Rawlins

Soilgeochemistryandimpactsonhumanhealth

Dr Andrew Tye

TheinfluenceofgeochemistryonanimalhealthinNorthernIreland

Helen Broadwith

ThegeochemistryofsoilsinGreaterBelfast

Dr Rory Doherty

�530–�600 Coffeeandtea(Level4)


Schedule 3

Wednesday �7th October �007

�600–�645 Break-out workshops

1.MineralsinNorthernIreland:implicationsoftheTellusresults

2.Soilsandwaters:impactsonhumanandanimalhealth

�645–�7�5 Discussion

�7�5–�830 Posterviewing(Level4)

The Tellus Conference Reception and Dinner

�830–�930 Reception and viewing of GSNI/QPA exhibit (Level �)

Duringthereceptionyouareinvitedtovisitthenewlyinaugurateddisplay,onLevel2,

aboutthequarryindustryanditsimportancetotheNorthernIrelandeconomy.This

displayhasbeenorganisedjointlybyGSNIandtheQuarryProductsAssociation

NorthernIreland.

�930–��00 Conference Dinner (Level � atrium)

TheguestofhonourwillbeProfessorSirKeithO’NionsFRS,DirectorGeneral,

ScienceandInnovationintheDepartmentforInnovation,UniversitiesandSkills.Sir

KeithwaspreviouslyChiefScientificAdviseratMODfromJanuary2000toJuly2004

andDirectorGeneral,ScienceandInnovationandChiefScientificAdviserinDTIfrom

2004onwards.

HeattendedtheUniversityofNottingham,gainedaPhDinEarthSciencesfromthe

UniversityofAlbertaandbecameaPostdoctoralFellowattheUniversityofOslo.

From1971to1975hewasDemonstratorandthenLecturerinGeochemistryat

theUniversityofOxford.HebecameProfessorofGeologyatColumbiaUniversityin

1975,RoyalSocietyResearchProfessoratCambridgefrom1979andHeadofEarth

SciencesatOxfordin1999.

KeithO’Nionshasenjoyedextensiveparticipationinabroadrangeofacademic

andtechnologicalcommittees.HebecameaFellowoftheAmericanGeophysical

Unionin1979,andaMemberoftheNorwegianAcademyofScienceandLettersin

1980.HeisaFellowoftheRoyalSociety(1983),HonoraryFellowofIndianAcademy

ofSciences(1998),FellowIndianNationalScienceAcademy(2001),HonoraryFellow

RoyalAcademyofEngineering(2005).HehasreceivedHonorarydoctoratesfroma

numberofUniversities.

Hehasbeenthechairman,oramember,ofanumberofResearchCouncil

committeesoverthelast25yearsandamemberoftheCouncilofScienceand

Technologyfrom1998–2000.HewasTrusteeandChairmanoftheNaturalHistory

Museumfrom1996to2005.HereceivedaKnighthoodforservicestoEarthSciences

inthe1999Queen’sBirthdayHonours.


4 Schedule

Thursday �8th October �007

08�5–0900 Coffeeandtea(Level4)

0900–�040 Session 3: Monitoring man-made influences (Lecture Theatre)

Chair: Dr Andrew McCormick, Permanent Secretary, Department of Health, Social

Services and Public Safety

Surfaceandgroundwaterquality—meetingnewstandards

Dr Silke Hartmann

Humanimpactsongroundandsurfacewaters

Dr Ulrich Ofterdinger

PilotenvironmentalairbornegeophysicalsurveysinIreland

Dr Eibhlín Doyle

Newmappingofnaturalandman-maderadioactivity

Cathy Scheib

Site-investigationandlandfillcharacterisationbyairbornegeophysics

Dr David Beamish

�040–��0 Coffeeandtea(Level4)

��0–��30 Session 4: Natural resources and sustainable development(Lecture Theatre)

Chair: Dr Denis Peach, Chief Scientist, British Geological Survey

Quarrying—amajorruralindustryinNorthernIreland

Andrew Bloodworth

Assessingouruntappedenergyresources

EurGeol Derek Reay

ThescopeforcarboncaptureandstorageinNorthernIreland

Michelle Bentham

InformationdeliveryandlicensingofGSNIandTellusdata

Mark Patton

��30–�345 Lunch(Level4)

�345–�430 Break-out workshops

3.Energyandgeology:newperspectivesforNorthernIreland

4.Geosciencemappingofurbanareasandcontaminatedsites

�430–�530 Discussionandclose


5

THENATURALENvIRONMENTRESEARCHCOUNCILANDNATURALRESOURCES

PROFJOHNLUDDEN,ExECUTIvEDIRECTORBRITISHGEOLOGICALSURvEy

BritishGeologicalSurvey,KingsleyDunhamCentre,Keyworth,Nottingham,NG125GG

[email protected]

JohnLuddenwasappointedExecutiveDirectorofBGSin2006.HegraduatedinEnvironmental

SciencesattheUniversityofLancasterandearnedadoctorateinIgneousPetrologyfromtheUniversity

ofManchester.In1976hemovedtotheUSAandCanadawhereheworkedattheLamontDoherty

EarthInstituteofColumbiaUniversityandwithWoodsHoleOceanographicInstitutionintheUSAand

wasProfessorofGeochemistryattheUniversitédeMontréalinCanada.HemovedtoFrancein1994

andservedasdirectoroftheCNRS-CRPGCentredeRecherchePétrographiquesetPetrographiques

andtheinFédérationdeRecherche«Eau-Sol-Terre»inNancy,France,wherehealsotaughtEarlyEarth

ProcessesattheFrenchNationalSchoolofGeology(ENSG-Nancy).

Hisfieldsofresearchincludecrustalevolution,maficmagmatismthroughtime,andearlyEarth

processes.HehasbeentheleadparticipantintheOceanDrillingProgrammeprojectsandwasthe

leaderofthePrecambriangeologypartoftheCanadianLithoprobeprojectwhichassociatedthe

NationalEnvironmentResearchCouncil,theGeologicalSurveyofCanadaandindustry.Heisauthor

ofabout150publishedarticlesinfieldsrangingfromgeochemicalmodelsofEarth’sevolutionto

high-resolutiongeophysicsappliedtominingregions.JohniscurrentlyPresidentoftheEuropean

GeosciencesUnionandtheInternationalassociationofGeochemistry(IAGC).


6 Keynote

KEyNOTEEARTH-THEPOWEROFTHEPLANET

DRIAINSTEWART

SchoolofEarth,OceanandEnvironmentalSciences,UniversityofPlymouth,Plymouth,PL48AA

[email protected]

IainStewartiswellknownasthepresenterofthepopularandsuccessfulBBCTvseries‘Journeysfrom

theCentreoftheEarth’and‘JourneysintotheRingofFire’.Hisnextseries,‘Earth:theBiography’willbe

screenedinNovember.

IainisSeniorLecturerinGeodynamics,SchoolofEarth,OceanandEnvironmentalSciencesinthe

DepartmentofGeologyattheUniversityofPlymouth.HegraduatedinGeologyandGeographyfrom

StrathclydeUniversityinGlasgowandreceivedhisPhDfromBristolUniversityforresearchonthe

geologyofearthquakesinGreeceandTurkey.AfterfinishinghisPhDin1990,Iainlecturedingeologyat

BrunelUniversityandin2002wasappointedHonoraryResearchFellowatGlasgowUniversity.

HismainresearchinterestsareinthebroadareaofEarthhazardsandnaturaldisasters,

particularlyintermsofidentifyingpastmajorearthquakes,tsunamisandvolcaniceruptionsinthe

Mediterraneanregion.


Session One. The Tellus surveys and results 7

ANATIONALGEOSCIENCEFRAMEWORKFORTHE21STCENTURy

Dr Mick Lee


[email protected]

The Tellus Project will underpin sustainable management of the environment, responsible economic

development and research into natural and human-induced processes in the shallow geosphere for the

next fifty years, and will place Northern Ireland at the forefront of integrated environmental science.

Provisionofanational‘framework’ofbaselinegeoscientificdataisoneoftheprimeresponsibilities

ofaGeologicalSurveyorganisation.Untilrecentlythiswasoftenlimitedtogeologicalmaps,low/

mediumresolutiongeophysicalsurveysandvariablegeochemicalcoverage.Digitalgeologicaldata

werealmostnon-existentandthegeophysical/geochemicalsurveyswereaimedatunderstandingthe

geologicalstructureandresourcepotentialataregionalratherthanlocalscale.Thislevelofinformation

wasdesignedtomeettheneedsofthemid/late20thcenturybutisnolongeradequatefortoday’s

challengesinrelationtoenvironmentalregulationsandissuessuchasaquifervulnerability,sustainable

landusemanagement,responsibleresourcedevelopmentandclimatechange.Usersacrossthe

spectrumofgovernment,environmentalagenciesandindustryneedaconsistent(three-dimensional)

geologicalframeworkandmuchmoredetailedinformationonthegeo-environmentalpropertiesof

thesurfaceandshallowsubsurface.Thisisamajorchallengerequiring:migrationfromanalogue/2D

todigital/3Dgeology;comprehensivecoverageofmulti-elementgeochemicaldata(soils,stream

sedimentsandstreamwaters);andanewgenerationofhigh-resolutionairbornegeophysicalsurveys

(magnetic,radiometricandelectro-magnetic).Themigrationtodigital/3Dgeologyisbeginningtogather

pacebutprovisionofcomprehensivegeochemicaldataandmodernairbornegeophysicalsurveysis

verypatchyinmanycountries.NorthernIrelandisanotableexception—DETI’svisioninfundingthe

Tellusgeochemicalandairbornegeophysicalsurveyshasprovidedtwokeycomponentsofthe‘next

generation’geoscienceframework.Thiswillunderpinsustainablemanagementoftheenvironment,

responsibleeconomicdevelopmentandresearchintonaturalandhuman-inducedprocessesinthe

shallowgeosphereforthenextfiftyyears,andwillplaceNorthernIrelandattheforefrontofintegrated

environmentalscience.

MickLeeisDirectorofGeologyandResourcesandamemberoftheBGSBoardandExecutive

Committee(since2000).HejoinedBGSasageophysicistin1972andhasworkedintheUKand

overseasonadiverserangeofprojectsincludingregionalgeophysicalsurveys,crustalmodelling,

geothermalexploration,nuclearwastedisposalandstructuralstudiesforhydrocarbonsexploration.Prior

tohiscurrentappointmenthewasmanageroftheBGSRegionalGeophysicsGroup(1991–2000).As

DirectorofGeologyandResources,DrLeeisresponsibleforsixmulti-disciplinarysurveyandresearch

programmestodefinethesurfaceandsub-surfacegeologyandgeo-environmentalcharacteristics

oftheUK(onshoreandoffshore)andprovideinformationtounderpinsustainabledevelopmentofthe

nation’smineralandhydrocarbonresources.TheworkprogrammealsoextendsintoEuropeandworld-

widethroughcollaborativeinternationalresearchprojectsandcommissionedcontracts.


8 Session One. The Tellus surveys and results

THETELLUSAIRBORNEGEOPHySICALSURvEyANDRESULTS

Mike Young

GeologicalSurveyofNorthernIreland,ColbyHouse,StranmillisCourt,Belfast,BT95BF

[email protected]

The Tellus airborne survey has generated high resolution imagery of the surface and subsurface that

will promote the exploration and development of mineral resources and provide key data for monitoring

the environment.

Thesurvey,flownin2005/6,wasthefirstregionalgeophysicalsurveyofNorthernIrelandsince1959and

wasflownbytheJointAirborne-geoscienceCapability(JAC),apartnershipofBGSandtheGeological

SurveyofFinland(GTK).Thesurveywasflown56mabovethegroundoverruralareasand244mover

villagesandurbanareas.Surveylineswerespaced200mapart.Thankstothiscloselyspacedsampling,

andtothegreatimprovementininstrumentalsensitivitysincetheprevioussurvey,veryhighresolution

imagesofthemagneticfield,electricalconductivityandterrestrialgammaradiationhavebeenproduced.

Thesethreemethodsaidgeologicalmappingbyprovidecomplementaryinformationondifferent

rockandsoiltypesandprovidenewinsightsintoNorthernIreland’sgeology,particularlywherebedrock

isobscuredbyglacialcoverandpeat.Delineationoffaults,dykesandthemajorvolcaniccomplexes

hasbeengreatlyimproved.ProminentmagneticanomaliesincludethoseoftheAntrimLavaGroup,

theswarmsofPalaeogenedykes,andthePalaeogeneintrusionsofsouthCo.Down.Theelectrical

conductivityimagereflectspetrologicaldifferencesbetweentheprincipalgeologicalformations,areas

ofincreasedsalinity,expressionsofmajorfaultzones,certainindustrialeffectsandsignaturesof

landfills.Theseelectricaldatacontributesignificantlytocharacterisingthenaturalandanthropogenic

propertiesofthenear-surface.variationsingamma-rayemissionscharacterisenear-surfacerocksand

soils.Prominentgamma-rayanomaliesincludethoseoftheintrusiverocksoftheMourneMountain

ComplexandpartsoftheancientmetamorphicrocksinCountiesTyroneandLondonderry.Thesedata

areimprovingthepredictionofradonriskandprovideabaselinerepresentationofcurrentterrestrial

radiationlevels.

MikeyounghasbeenmanageroftheTellusProjectatGSNIsince2004.Hegraduatedinphysicsfrom

BristolUniversityandingeophysicsfromImperialCollege.Inthe70sheworkedonmineralexploration

programmesinNorthandCentralAmerica,southernAfricaandIran,beforestartingthegeophysics

departmentoftheconsultingcompanyRobertResearchInternationalin1979.Overthenext12years

Mikepromotedanddirectedairborneandgroundgeophysicalexplorationandmappingprojectsin20

countries.From1991to2003hemanageddevelopmentprojectsinthewatersectorintheSultanateof

OmanandinSouthAmerica.Hisspecialinterestistheuseofgeophysicsinmineralandgroundwater

explorationanddevelopment,particularlyinaridenvironments.


Session One. The Tellus surveys and results 9

THETELLUSGEOCHEMICALPROGRAMME—SURvEyANDRESULTS

Dr DerMot SMYth


[email protected]

Following the Tellus surveys, Northern Ireland is more comprehensively surveyed with geochemical

methods than any region of Europe. The surveys have revealed important anomalies associated with

precious metal mineralisation and defined areas with depleted or elevated levels of key trace elements.

TheTellusProjectconductedthreegeochemicalsurveysoverthelandsurfaceofNorthernIreland

between2004and2006:

Ruralsoils:sampledat20and50cmdepthsonaregulargridatonesiteper2km2.

Urbansoils:sampledat20and50cmdepthsonaregulargridatfoursitesperkm2.

Streamssedimentsandwaters:sampledfrom1stand2ndorderstreamsatanaverageofonesite

per2km2.

Some31,000soilandstreamsampleswerecollectedfrom12,900sites,includingthosesampled

in1994–1996byBGS.Sampleswereanalysedfor60elementsandinorganiccompounds.25%ofthe

urbansampleswereanalysedforarangeofsemi-volatileorganiccarbons.

Resultsofenvironmentalinterestincludemapsofthedistributionofnickel,chromiumandother

metalsinsoils.ThemapsshownaturallyelevatedconcentrationsoftheseelementsovertheAntrimLava

Group.Thedistributionofessentialtraceelementssuchaszincandseleniumidentifiesareaswheresoils

arerelativelydepletedforagriculturalpurposes.Elevatedanthropogeniclevelsofsomeelements,notably

tinandleadareassociatedwithurbancentres.

Prominentanomaliesofpreciousandbasemetalswererecorded,notonlythoseassociatedwith

theknownareasofmesothermalquartzveingoldinCo.TyroneandCo.Armagh,butelsewherein

Co.DownandCo.Antrim.Elevatedvaluesforplatinumgroupelementswererecorded,notablyin

streamsedimentsandsoilsovertheAntrimLavaGroup.Elevatedconcentrationsofbasemetalsalso

occurinsoilsandstreamsontheAntrimLavaGroup.Highnickelvaluesarealsoassociatedwithdykes

inCo.FermanaghandamajordykeswarminCo.Down.

DermotSmythhasaB.Sc.(Hons)degreeinGeologyfromQueen’sUniversity,Belfast,aMScin

PetroleumGeologyfromUniversityCollegeDublinandaPhDinexplorationandenvironmental

geochemistry,alsofromQueen’s.PriortojoiningGSNIin2004hewasemployedbyBHP-Billitonin

prospectingforplatinumgroupelements,andasaconsultanttolocalgovernmentandtheinsurance

industryinNorthernIreland.Hisresearchinterestsincludeexplorationandenvironmentalgeochemistry

andcontaminatedlandinvestigationusinggeochemistryandbiogeochemistry;orthomagmaticPGE-Cu-

Nideposits;andlodegoldmineralization.

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�0 Session One. The Tellus surveys and results

SUSTAINABLEMANAGEMENTOFOURNATURALRESOURCES

eurgeoL garth earLS


[email protected]

Mineral extraction is essential to maintain living standards. Exploration and sustainable development of

resources, and associated environmental monitoring, require modern, multi-parameter geoscience data.

Tellus provides this baseline data for Northern Ireland.

Thecommonperceptionisthatextractiveindustriesrepresentachallengetotheenvironmentbothas

sourcesofpollutionandaseyesoresonthelandscape.Theparadoxisthatveryfewpeoplewanttolive

nexttoamineorquarryyettheyacceptmanyofthelifebenefitsthatextractiveindustryprovides.

Predictionsofworldpopulationgrowthsuggesta50%increasetoninebillionby2050.Ifdemand

fromdevelopingcountriescontinuestoincreasethenoneforecastsuggeststhat,inthenext50years,

weneedtoextractfivetimestheamountofmetalthathasbeenminedtodate.Recyclinghasapartto

playbutitcannotmeetrisingdemand.Consequentlywehavenooptionbuttocontinuemining.

Giventhisscenarioweneedtorethinkourattitudetotheextractiveindustries.Minesandquarries

arenowplannedwithclosureinmindandessentiallyrepresenttransitionallanduses.Longer-termviews

needtobetakenregardingournaturalresourceindustries—whatpresentlymayberegardedasscar

onthelandscapein50yearscouldrepresentasiteofamenityvaluetoourchildren.

Theconceptofsustainabledevelopmentofmineralsgoespasttheparadoxoffiniteresourcesand

leavessocialandindustrialskillsthatcanbedevelopedinbothnewandtraditionalmarkets.

TheTellusdataprovidespartofanenvironmentalbaselineagainstwhichtomeasurechange,while

allowingtheopportunityfornewresourcestobedefined.Itisonlythroughknowingwhatmightbeunder

ourfeetthatwecanplansustainablyandresponsiblyforthefuture.

BeforebecomingDirectorofGSNIin2002,Garthworkedintheexplorationandminingindustryfor

23years.HewaspartoftheteamthatdiscoveredgoldinNorthernIrelandinthe1980sandhasalso

workedintheCononishgoldmineinScotland.HethenbecameapartnerintheCSAGroup,oneof

Europe’sleadinggeologicalconsultancies,whereheworkedonaglobalbasisforcompaniessearching

forgoldandbasemetals.HehastaughtProfessionalPracticeingeologycoursestouniversitiesandin

recentyearshehasdevelopedprojectsrelatingtolandscapetourismandthepublicunderstandingof

science.GarthistheChairoftheGeosciencesCommitteeoftheRoyalIrishAcademy.


Session Two. Soils, the environment and health ��

SOILSANDTHEIRENvIRONMENTALSIGNIFICANCE

Dr crawforD JorDan1 anD Dr BarrY rawLinS2

1.Agri-FoodandBiosciencesInstitute,18aNewforgeLane,Belfast,BT95Px

[email protected]

2.BritishGeologicalSurvey,KingsleyDunhamCentre,Keyworth,NottinghamNG125GG

[email protected]

Northern Ireland’s soils vary widely in composition. Tellus data help to define these variations and identify

zones deficient or replete in nutrients. Tellus surveys have mapped soil organic carbon, thus contributing

to a statutory requirement to audit variations in soil carbon.

ThispresentationwilldescribethedistributionofsoiltypesinNorthernIreland,theirphysical(including

hydrological)andchemicalcharacteristicsandtheirenvironmentalsignificance.Inparticular,changesin

soilpH,phosphorus(P)andorganiccarbon(SOC)overthe10-yearperiod1995–2005willbediscussed.

Therehavebeentworecent,comprehensivesurveysofsoilsinNorthernIrelandwhichfulfildifferent

objectives.ThefirstfullsurveyofNorthernIrelandsoilswascarriedoutbystafffromtheDepartment

ofAgricultureandRuralDevelopment(DARD)overtheperiod1988–1997.Duringthissurvey,soilswere

systematicallysampled,described,analysedandclassifiedintosoilseries,afterwhichsoilmapsat

1:50,000scalewerecreatedinbothpaperanddigitalformats.Thesurveyidentified308distinctively

differentsoilseriesdevelopedfrom97soilparentmaterials.

ThelaterTellussurveyfocusedongeochemicalproperties,butalsoincludedthemeasurement

ofSOC.Regionalgovernmentshaveastatutoryrequirementtoestimateaccuratelythesizeandany

changeinSOCstocks.BycombiningtheTellussoilsurveydatawiththosefromtheairborneradiometric

surveytheuncertaintyintheestimationofSOCcontentcanbesignificantlyreduced.Quantitative

relationshipswillbedemonstratedbetween:i)themajorandsometraceelementgeochemical

parameters,andii)theradiometricsurveyelements(K,ThandU)andparentmaterialsacrosstheregion.

CrawfordJordanhasbeenaProjectLeaderinDARD’sScienceServicesince1981and,subsequently,

intheAgri-FoodandBiosciencesInstitute(AFBI),anon-departmentalgovernmentbodysponsoredby

DARD.HisresearchinterestsrevolvearoundtheimpactofagricultureontheenvironmentandhowGIS

techniquescanbeusedtoaidthequantificationandmappingofnutrientlossesfromlandtowaterand

toidentifyareasatriskfrompollutionincludingheavymetals,nitrateandphosphorus.Heisresponsible

forallAFBIsoilmonitoringactivitiesandhisteamhavecarriedoutanumberofcountrywidesoilsurveys

inrecentyears,thelatestinJanuary–March2005.

BarryRawlinsmanagesthesoilpropertiesandprocessesprojectatBGS.Hisresearchinterests

include:thefactorswhichcontrolthedistributionofpotentiallyharmfulelementsinthesoilandwider

environment;theuseofairborneradiometricsurveydatatomapsoilproperties;theprocesseswhich

influencethepropertiesandfateofblackcarbonorchar–apotentiallong-termsinkforsoilcarbon;the

useoflargesoilarchives;anddatabasesinforensicinvestigationsandforensicgeology.


�� Session Two. Soils, the environment and health

SOILGEOCHEMISTRyANDIMPACTSONHUMANHEALTH

Dr anDrew tYe


[email protected]

Some soils related to certain parent materials or those that have been contaminated through

anthropogenic activity, have properties that could be detrimental to human health. The Tellus project has

demonstrated the importance of high resolution baseline soil geochemistry maps in recognising where

potential impacts on human health may occur.

Thepresentationwillbrieflyreviewthemajorhumanhealthimpactsassociatedwithsoilgeochemistry.

Soils,viafood,providehumanswithmuchoftheiressentialmineralnutrition.However,somesoils

relatedtocertainparentmaterialsorthosethathavebeencontaminatedthroughanthropogenicactivity,

havepropertiesthatcouldbedetrimentaltohumanhealth.Exposuretothesepropertiesoveralifetime

couldbecontributoryinthenumberandtypesofillnessesfoundinthegeneralpopulationasaverage

lifeexpectancyincreases.Itcouldalsobeafactorintheincreasingnumberofallergysufferers.Hence

moreresearchisneededintothepossiblecontributionthatsoilpropertiesmayhaveonhumanhealth.

Themajorpathwaysfromthesoiltothehumanreceptorinclude(a)particleingestion,(b)soilgasesand

radioactivityand(c)soilchemistryincludingtheuptakeofelementsbyplantsandthefilteringofwater.

ExamplesfromboththeG-BASEgeochemicalsurveyofmainlandUKandtheTellusprojectwillbeused

todemonstratetheimportanceofhighresolutionbaselinesoilgeochemistrymapsinrecognisingwhere

potentialimpactsonhumanhealthmayoccur.Inaddition,PhysiologicallyBasedExtractiontechniques

(PBET)willbeexaminedtoassesstheirsuitabilityinexaminingthebio-accessibilityofelementssuchas

NithatareenrichedinsoilsderivedfrombasaltrocksinNorthernIreland.

AndrewTyewasawardedhisPhDinsoilfertilityandplantnutritionattheUniversityofWolverhampton

in1996.HewasaPostDoctoralResearchFellowattheUniversityofNottinghamfrom1997to2003.

Thefirst4yearswerespentdevelopingisotopicdilutiontechniquesforevaluatingthelabilepoolof

metalsincontaminatedsoils,developingempiricalmodelsoffreeionactivityofheavymetalsinsoilpore

watersandtheirsubsequentup-takebyplants.LaterheworkedonSpitsbergenusingstableisotope

techniquestoexaminenitrogenbiogeochemistryontundraecosystems.AndrewmovedtoBGSin

December2003.Hiscurrentresearchinterestsincludeweatheringstudiesandsoil/regolithformation,

theuseof3Dmodelsofthenearsurfaceenvironmentinprocessorientatedresearchaswellasthe

mobilityofheavymetalsincontaminatedpeatsoilsinperi-urbanenvironments.


Session Two. Soils, the environment and health �3

THEINFLUENCEOFGEOCHEMISTRyONANIMALHEALTHINNORTHERNIRELAND

heLen BroaDwith

Agri-FoodandBiosciencesInstitute,veterinaryServicesDivision,StoneyRoad,Stormont,

Belfast,BT43SD

[email protected]

The Tellus geochemistry maps provide a valuable database for farmers, animal nutritionists and

veterinary practitioners on potential mineral deficiencies or toxicities in soils.

Traceelementsandmineralsplayanimportantpartinanimalhealthandnutritionincludingfunctioning

ascomponentsofenzymesorco-factorsinbiochemicalreactions.Poorhealth,clinicaldiseaseordeath

mayoccurifmineralsandtraceelementsarepresentineitherinsufficientorexcessamountsinthediet.

Traceelementsandmineralsmayalsointeractwitheachotherincomplexbiochemicalreactions.For

example,highlevelsofmolybdenuminthedietcanresultininsufficientcopperbeingavailabletoan

animal,whichmaythenshowsignsofcopperdeficiency.

Thelevelofmineralsandtraceelementsinthesoilwilldeterminethelevelspresentinthepasture

orcropsgrowninthatarea.MostcattleandsheepinNorthernIrelandarefarmedonpastureand

grassformsthebasisoftheirdiet.Withoutsupplementationtheleveloftraceelementsintheanimalis

determinedbytheamountofgrasstheyingest.

ThemapsproducedbytheTellusprojectprovideavaluableresourcewhichdeterminesthetotal

amountofmineralpresentinthesoil.Interpretationofthesemaps,inconjunctionwithlocalknowledge

ofmineraldeficienciesandtoxicitiesinaparticulararea,mayprovideavaluabledatabaseforfarmers,

animalnutritionistsandveterinarypractitioners.Animportantdevelopmentwouldbetoassess

bioavailabilityofcertaincompoundsaswellastotallevelsinthesoil.

HelenBroadwithgraduatedasaveterinarysurgeonfromtheUniversityofGlasgow.Sheworkedin

LancashireasamixedpracticevetbeforemovingtoNorthernIreland.In2004shetookupapostas

aveterinaryResearchOfficerintheDiseaseSurveillanceandInvestigationBranchoftheveterinary

SciencesDivision,Agri-FoodandBiosciencesInstitute.InthisroleHelenprovidesaclinicalpathology

servicetopractisingveterinarysurgeonsinNorthernIrelandaswellasprovidinginformationanddatafor

diseasesurveillancewhichisusedbyDARD.


�4 Session Two. Soils, the environment and health

THEGEOCHEMISTRyOFSOILSINGREATERBELFAST

Dr rorY DohertY

Queen’sUniversityBelfast,EnvironmentalEngineeringResearchCentre,SchoolofPlanning,

Architecture&CivilEngineering,DavidKeirBuilding,StranmillisRoad,Belfast,BT95AG

[email protected]

The Tellus project has produced the first Belfast-wide survey of inorganic and organic chemical

constituents in the soil. High levels of nickel and chromium in soils arise from naturally high levels in local

rocks but Belfast suffers less from pollution of other heavy metals than other industrial cities of the UK.

Sporadic elevated levels of certain organic contaminants in soils are ascribed to combustion of domestic

and vehicle fuel.

TheTellusProjectmadetwobaselinesoilsamplingsurveysacrosstheGreaterBelfastarea.Sampling

densitiesandcoveragearegreaterthanotherrecentsoilsurveysinUKcities.Inorganic(metals)

andorganic(hydrocarbon)samplingstrategiesgiveaninsightintotheeffectofgeologicalfeatures

andhumanactivitiesonsoilquality.TheorganicsamplingstrategyanalysedforPersistentOrganic

Pollutants(POPs)thatincludePolyaromaticHydrocarbons(PAHs),PolychlorinatedBiphenyls(PCBs)

PhenolsandPhthalates.PreliminaryanalysisofPAHdatainBelfastsoilsindicatesthatthedistribution

hasnotbeenfrompointsources(suchasanindividualindustrydirectlypollutingthesoil).Theuseof

environmentalforensictechniqueswhichcompareratiosofindividualPAHswouldsuggestthatthey

originatefromcombustionsources(domesticfuels).TheTellusgeochemicalbaselineprovidesavehicle

forthefulfilmentofEUSoilThematicStrategy,placingNorthernIrelandintheforefrontofurbansoils

managementinEurope.

RoryDohertyjoinedtheSchoolofPlanningArchitectureandCivilEngineeringatQUBasalecturer

inEnvironmentalEngineeringin2005.Hisintroductiontocontaminatedlandwasasanengineeron

bioremediationprojectsusinghisMScinBiogeochemistryfromUniversityofNewcastleuponTyne.

HecompletedhisPhDin2002modellinggroundwatercontaminationatagasworkssite.Hewas

alsotechnicalmanagerforacontaminatedlandremediationcompanyandduringthistimewasan

industrialboardmemberoftheQUESTORCentreatQUB.Roryalsoworkedasaresearchfellowat

theEnvironmentalEngineeringResearchCentreontheawardwinningSEREBARandPortadownPRB

groundwaterremediationprojects.


Session Three. Monitoring man-made influences �5

SURFACEANDGROUNDWATERQUALITy—MEETINGNEWSTANDARDS

Dr SiLke hartMann


[email protected]

Tellus data will contribute to Northern Ireland’s compliance with new EU directives on the management of

water resources and to our understanding of the links between surface water and groundwater.

TheECWaterFrameworkDirective(WFD)andGroundwater‘daughter’Directivedemandafundamental

reappraisalofhowweassess,manageandprotectthewaterenvironment.Akeyobjectiveisto

encourageaholisticapproach,whichrecognisesthecontinuumbetweengroundwater,surfacewaters

anddependentecosystems.

Amoresystematicapproachisnowbeingtakeninconsideringthepressure-pathway-receptor

concept,whichrequiresbetterdefinitionoftheeffectsofsuperficialandbedrockgeologyon

themovementofwaterandpollutants.GeophysicaldatacollectedbyTellusallowsanimproved

understandingofthepathwaybetweensurfaceland-useandgroundwaterwithinunderlyingaquifers.

Tellusresultsandimageryimprovethemappinganddefinitionofgeologicalfeaturessuchasfaultsand

dykeintrusionsthatinfluencegroundwaterflowpatterns.

TheintentoftheWFDisthatallwaterbodiesshouldattain‘goodstatus’by2015.Indefininggood

statusinaconsistentmanner,newwaterquality‘standards’ortargetsarebeingadoptedandexisting

standardsreviewed.Inconsideringwhatstandardsshouldbeset,wheremonitoringofwatersshould

takeplaceandhowdatashouldbeinterpreted,anunderstandingofthenaturalbaselinechemistryis

required.Tellusstreamwaterdatahelpdefinethenaturalbackgroundchemistryandassistinidentifying

suitablelocationsformonitoring.

SilkeHartmanntookacombinedPrimary-Masters-DegreeingeophysicsatLeipzigUniversityin

Germany.Shecarriedoutherfinal12-monthprojectinNamibiawiththeDepartmentofWaterAffairs.

SilkeholdsaPhDinhydrogeologyfromtheUniversityofLeeds,whereshestudiedgroundwaterflow

andtransportprocessesoftheconfinedchalkaquiferinEastyorkshire.SincejoiningGSNIin2005Silke

hasworkedonvariousprojectsfortheEnvironmentandHeritageService,includingtheestablishment

oftheWaterFrameworkDirectivegroundwatermonitoringnetworkforNorthernIreland.Sherecently

completedapilot1:50,000groundwatervulnerabilitymapandisalsoinvolvedintheassessmentof

contaminatedlandandtheeffectsoflandfills.


�6 Session Three. Monitoring man-made influences

HUMANIMPACTSONGROUNDANDSURFACEWATERS

Dr uLrich ofterDinger

Queen’sUniversityBelfast,EnvironmentalEngineeringResearchCentre,SchoolofPlanning,

Architecture&CivilEngineering,DavidKeirBuilding,StranmillisRoad,Belfast,BT95AG

[email protected]

Tellus data provide a valuable resource in the assessment of the impacts of different types of land-use

and help define the extent of diffuse and point-source contaminants on the ground surface which

may contaminate groundwater. Tellus data also yield additional data for the assessment of wetland

characteristics, such as thickness of peat cover.

Theassessmentofanthropogenicimpactsontheenvironmentissubjecttoaseriesofcurrentand

forthcomingEUframeworkdirectivesconcerningthemanagementandprotectionofwaters,soils,

wastesandecology.Theserequireacomprehensiveassessmentofqualitativeandquantitativeimpacts

ontheenvironmentandtheimplementationofscientificallybasedmanagementprogrammesinorderto

preserveenvironmentalqualitystatus.

ThecomplementarydatasetscollectedwithintheTellusProgrammeprovideavaluableresourcein

theassessmentoftheimpactsofdifferenttypesoflanduseongroundwaterandsurfacewatersandwill

helptargetresearchactivities.Airbornegeophysicaldataaswellassoilgeochemistrymaybeemployed

toassessthenatureofpotentialdiffuseandpointsourceimpactsontheenvironment.Pedologicaldata

collectedduringtheTellusProjectprovidesadatabaseofbackgroundcompoundconcentrationsin

soilonwhichtheimprintofanthropogenicimpactsmaybeidentified.Withregardtotheassessment

ofrelevantreceptors,Tellusdatamayfurthermoreyieldadditionaldatafortheassessmentofwetland

characteristics,suchasthicknessofpeatcover.

ThecomprehensivedatasetsprovidedthroughtheTellusProgrammewillformanintegralpartin

assessingthegoverningprocessesforenvironmentalimpactinNorthernIrelandandasuccessful

templateforanall-islandapproachasenvisagedoriginallyintheRESIInitiative,supplementing

establishedandforthcomingmonitoringprogrammes.

UlrichOfterdingerjoinedtheEnvironmentalEngineeringGroupatQueen’sUniversityBelfastas

Lecturerin2005.Previously,asSeniorHydrogeologist,UlrichworkedwithURSIrelandLtd.,Dublin

onaseriesofenvironmentalprojectsforaninternationalclientbase.PriortoworkingwithURS,Ulrich

workedongroundwaterhydraulicsinfracturedbedrock,numericalmodellingandcontaminatedland

remedialtechnologiesduringhisresearchatETH,SwitzerlandandatQueen’sUniversity.Aqualified

Hydrogeologist(Dr.sci.nat)withafirstdegreeinGeology,hismainareasofexpertiseincludecatchment

hydrogeology,isotopehydrology,quantitativeriskassessment,remedialdesignandsupervision,

hydraulictestingandnumericalmodelling.Hehasparticularinterestinenvironmentalliabilitylegislation

andhisexperiencealsoincludesGIS,geophysicalinvestigationsandsiteinvestigationoforganicand

inorganiccontaminationatavarietyofindustrialsites.



PILOTENvIRONMENTALAIRBORNEGEOPHySICALSURvEySINIRELAND

Dr eiBhLín DoYLe

GeologicalSurveyofIrelandBeggarsBush,HaddingtonRoad,Dublin4

[email protected]

The Geological Survey of Ireland made three successful pilot airborne geophysical surveys in 2006 to

test the application of this method as a tool for environmental management. GSI hopes to extend these

surveys over the whole of the Republic of Ireland.

InJune2006,theGeologicalSurveyofIreland(GSI)commissionedpilothighresolutionairborne

geophysicalsurveysoverthreeselectedareasinIreland:

PartofCavan-Monaghan-Leitrim,

Castleislandarea,

Silverminesarea.

Thethreeareasposeddifferentchallengesandthedifferentcomplementarygeophysicalsystems

onboardassistedinimprovingourunderstandingoftheissuesineachofthethreeareas.Thehigh

resolutiondatarevealnumerousfeaturesofinterestanddemonstratethediverseusefulnessofsucha

datasetforIreland.

DetailedstructuralgeologicalinformationprovidedbythesurveyinCavan-Monaghan-Leitrim

supportsexistingworkbyGSIonagroundwaterprotectionscheme.Thissurveyextendedthecoverage

oftheTellusairbornesurveyintotheRepublicofIreland.TheCastleislandareahasrecordedelevated

radonlevelsinbuildingsandwassurveyedtoprovidemoredetailonthebedrockgeologyandtoidentify

geologicalunitsandorstructuresthatmayhavepotentialforradon.Analysisofthedataisbeingcarried

outinconjunctionwiththeRadiologicalProtectionInstituteofIreland.TheSilverminesareaisaformer

basemetalminingareaandwassurveyedtosupportongoingrehabilitationprogrammes.

TheGSIcontractedtheJointAirborne-geoscienceCapability(JAC)tomakethesurvey,with

theaircraftandsystemsusedbytheTellussurveyandwithsimilarspecifications.Theworkwas

accompaniedbyasubstantialpublicrelationscampaignmanagedbyAurumExplorationLtd.

EibhlínhasaBScingeologyfromUCD,anMScingeologyfromAcadiaUniversityinCanadaanda

PhDingeologyalsofromUCD.Eibhlínhasworkedinthemineralsindustryinbothexplorationand

development.ShewasthegeologistresponsibleforthediscoveryoftheGalmoyorebodywhileat

ConroyPetroleumandNaturalResourcesin1986.ShebecameexplorationmanagerforBHPinIreland

in1995.EibhlínjoinedtheGeologicalSurveyofIrelandin1999wheresheworkedintheMinerals

ProgrammeonIndustrialMineralsProjects.ShewasinvolvedinthesuccessfulIrishNationalSeabed

Survey.In2006shewaspromotedtoPrincipalGeologistfortheMarineGeologyandGeophysics

ProgrammeandlaterassumedresponsibilityfortheMineralsandGroundwaterProgrammesaswellas

becomingmanagerforairbornesurveys.

•

•

•


�8 Session Three. Monitoring man-made influences

NEWMAPPINGOFNATURALANDMAN-MADERADIOACTIvITy

cathY ScheiB


[email protected]

The Tellus airborne survey has resulted in the most detailed map of terrestrial radioactivity of any region

in the UK. These data aid geological and soil mapping, improve our estimation of in-house radon risk,

and define the extent of caesium deposition remaining from the 1986 Chernobyl accident.

Airbornegamma-rayspectrometry,flownaspartoftheTellusgeophysicalsurveyofNorthernIreland,

provideddetailedinformationonnaturalandman-maderadioactivityrelatingto:bedrockandsuperficial

geology;soilandlandscape;humanactivitysuchaswastesassociatedwithpowergeneration,

mineralextractionandlandfills;andthedistributionof137Csfromatmosphericweaponstestsandthe

Chernobylaccident.

Thenaturalradioactivityfrompotassium,thoriumanduraniumreflectmajorsolidgeological

subdivisionsandtheeffectsofoverlyingsuperficialdepositsandsoil.Lownaturalradioactivitylevels

resultingfrompeatcoverareveryclear,asarehigherzoneswhereglacialtillsarederivedfromareasof

relativelyradioactivegeology.

PatternsseenintheTellusdatafor137Csareconsistentwithwetdepositioncausedbybandsofrain

interceptingtheChernobylplume.Comparisonofthe137Csdatawithaland-useclassificationshowed

thatsaltmarshareas,forests,naturalgrassland,pasturesandsimilarclassesexhibitedhigheraverage137CsvaluesalthoughthevaluesfallwithintheexpectedrangefortheUK.

Theseradiometricdatahavebeenusedforgeologicalandsoilmapping,explorationforuraniumand

gold,radonpotentialmapping,environmentalstudiesandforestablishingaterrestrialradiationbaseline

forcomparisonwithfuturemeasurements.

CathyScheibholdsajointhonoursprimarydegreeingeologyandenvironmentalchemistryfrom

theUniversityofGlasgow.Followingthisshecompletedaresearchmasters(MSc)focusingonradio-

nuclidesintheurbanenvironmentattheScottishUniversitiesEnvironmentalResearchCentre(SUERC).

Hermajorresearchfocusisenvironmentalradioactivityandshehasworkedinthisareaduringthe

pastsixyearswithBGS,bothintheUKandoverseas.Airborne,ground-basedandlaboratorygamma

spectrometrydataacquisition,processingandinterpretationremainhermainareasofinterestaswellas

radonpotentialmapping.SheprovidestrainingforWorldBankandEuropeanfundedprojectsinthese

areasandhaspresentedtointernationalaudiencesonthegeologicalaspectsofradonriskmapping.



SITE-INvESTIGATIONANDLANDFILLCHARACTERISATIONByAIRBORNEGEOPHySICS

Dr DaviD BeaMiSh


[email protected]

Analysis of selected results suggests that Tellus airborne methods can in some cases detect the

geophysical signatures of landfill sites. These may be due to the contents of the landfill or to polluted

water draining underground from the site.

TheTellusairbornegeophysicalsurveywasdesignedtoprovidenationalscalecoverageofNorthern

Irelandusingalineseparationintervalof200m.Themagneticandelectromagnetic(EM)conductivity

models,inparticular,providesomespectacularnewinformationongeologicalformationsandtheir

attributesatbothregionalandlocalscales.Inaddition,withinthedatasets,amultitudeoflocalised

responses(anomalies)areobserved.Manyofthesearenon-geologicalandrelatetotheimpactsof

humanactivityontheenvironment.UsingtheTellusEMdataastheprimarydatalead,themannerin

whichsite-scaleinvestigationsmaybecarriedoutisconsidered.Thepitfalls—includingthesampling

interval,variationsinflyingheightandtheimpactofnoise—mustallbemanagedcorrectly,especially

whenwemovefromobservationaldatatodetailedsubsurfacemodels.Aseriesofsite-investigation

scalestudies(typicallynomorethan3x3kminextent)areconsidered.Thestudiesrelatetoavariety

oflocalisedsourcesofmaterialconcentrationsthatincluderefusetips,sewageworks,industrialsites,

quarriesandlandfills.Suchstudiesandthegainedunderstandingareanecessaryprerequisiteto

makingwiderpracticaluseofthedata.IntheUKandwidercontext,theTellusgeophysicalresults

representanewformofhighresolutionandextensiveassessmentofthenear-surface.Theconductivity

models,inparticular,presentuswithanewtypeofinformationonrock/fluidpropertiesandtheir

environmentalsignificance.

Dr.DavidBeamish(BA,PhD)hasbeenwiththeBritishGeologicalSurveyforsome30years.Hisfirst13

yearswerespentworkinginGeomagnetism,largelyundertakingsolid-earthgeophysicalinvestigations

anddevelopingthemagnetotelluricmethod.ThiswasfollowedbyamovetotheKeyworthofficeto

specialiseinthedevelopmentandapplicationofavarietyofelectromagneticgeophysicalmethodsto

BGSprogrammesofworkintheUKandoverseas.Hehascontributedover100externalpapersto

journalsandover125internalreports.HeiscurrentlyHeadofAirborneGeophysicsandcoordinatesthe

JointAirborne-geoscienceCapabilitythatacquiredtheTellusdata.


�0 Session Four. Natural resources and sustainable development

QUARRyING—AMAJORRURALINDUSTRyINNORTHERNIRELAND

anDrew BLooDworth


[email protected]

Northern Ireland is an important source of aggregates for the whole of UK and contributes significantly to

the economy of Northern Ireland. Airborne geophysical mapping of the surface and near-surface helps

to define the extent of deposits and maps new potential sources. Geochemical surveys provide baseline

data for environmental impact assessments.

In2005,theNorthernIrelandquarryproductsindustryproducedalmost26milliontonnesofaggregate

from160quarries.Thisrepresentedover11%oftotalUKaggregateproduction.Productsfrom

theindustryinNorthernIrelandarewortharound£700millionperannum,literallyunderpinninga

constructionsectorwhichconstitutesabout12%oftheprovince’sGDP.NorthernIrelandisalsoamajor

exporterofpremiumqualitycrushedrockaggregate—materialwhichmostlygoestoprovideskid-

resistantroadsurfacingonroadsinEngland.AselsewhereintheUK,theindustryisanimportantjob

providerinruralareaswhereotheremploymentopportunitiesmaybescarce.

Throughtheirroleinconstruction,primaryaggregatessuchascrushedrockandsandandgravel,

togetherwithsecondarymaterialsrecycledfromdemolitionwasteandroadmaintenance,arevitalin

sustainingtheeconomicdevelopmentofNorthernIreland.Althoughbothactiveandformerquarry

sitesmakeaconsiderablepositivecontributiontolocalbiodiversity,negativeenvironmentalimpactsare

inevitable,particularlythoseresultingfromroadtransportofbulkmaterials.

Aspartofanintegratedrangeofinitiativestoimprovethesustainabilityoftheaggregatessector,

Tellusdatahavethepotentialtoassistindustryandregulatorsenhancetheeconomicbenefitand

minimisethenegativeenvironmentalimpactofaggregateproductionandtransport.

TellusEMdatacanpotentiallybeusedforrapidreconnaissanceofconcealedsandandgravel

bodieswithinglacialdepositsintheeastoftheprovince,althoughthiswillrequireinvestmentin

geologicalcontrolandprocessing.Tellusgeochemicaldatawillprovideexcellentbaselineinformation

forenvironmentimpactassessmentsassociatedwithproposedquarrydevelopmentandrestoration,as

wellasthatwhichmayberequiredtofulfiltherequirementsofEuropeanlegislationsuchastheMine

WasteDirective.

AndrewBloodworthisHeadofScienceforMineralsinBGSandisresponsibleforabout35staffworking

onavarietyofprojectsrelatedtothesustainabledevelopmentofmetallicandnon-metalliceconomic

mineralsintheUKandoverseas.Hisowninterestsareinthegeologyofindustrialandconstruction

materials,aswellasinspatialplanningandregulatoryissuesassociatedwithmineralsextraction.In

additiontohisconsiderableexperienceoftheUKmineralssector,hehasalsoworkedinanumberof

countriesacrossthedevelopingworldandwasformerlytheMiningAdvisortotheUKDepartmentfor

InternationalDevelopment.


Session Four. Natural resources and sustainable development ��

ASSESSINGOURUNTAPPEDENERGyRESOURCES

eurgeoL Derek reaY


[email protected]

The improved geological mapping resulting from the Tellus surveys contributes to the search for

hydrocarbon and geothermal energy resources.

NorthernIrelandreliesonimportedgasandoiltomeetmostoftheenergyneedsofitseconomyand,

despitetheincreasinguseofrenewableenergy,thissituationisunlikelytochangesignificantlyinthenear

future.Thesearchforindigenousoilandgashasthepotentialtoyieldvaluablereservesthatwouldboth

boosttheeconomyandhelptomaintainthesecurityofNorthernIreland’senergysupplies.

Gashasbeendiscovered,butnotyetincommercialquantities,inCarboniferousrocksinCounties

Fermanagh,CavanandLeitrim.ThesedimentarybasinsconcealedbeneaththeAntrimPlateaumayalso

containaccumulationsofoilandgas,butthethickcoverbasaltlavaobscurestheunderlyinggeological

structure.Thehigh-resolutionTellusaeromagneticdatacanprovidenewinsightsintothegeological

structureanddevelopmenthistoryoftheprospectivesedimentarybasins.Structuraltrendsandfaults

mappedatsurfacecanberecognisedontheTellusdataandextendedintoareaswheresurface

outcropsarepoor.Depth-to-basementestimatesmayalsobederivedfromtheaeromagneticdata,and

thenintegratedwithwell,seismicandgravityinformationtoproduceimprovedgeologicalmodels.

Geothermalenergystoredinrocksdeepbelowthelandsurfacecouldprovideasignificantlow-

carbonsustainableresourceforthegenerationofelectricityandheat.Tellusradiometricdataidentifies

near-surfacerockswithrelativelyhighradiogenicheatproduction.Similarrocks,buriedatdepthsof3to

5kilometres,mayprovidegeothermalheatenergysuitableforpowergeneration.

DerekReayhasover25yearsexperiencewiththeBritishGeologicalSurvey.Hisearlycareerwasspent

inEdinburghwhereheworkedontheregionalgeophysicalandgeologicalsurveysoftheUKContinental

Shelf,beforeproducinghydrocarbonprospectivityevaluationsfortheDepartmentofEnergy.Since

movingtotheGeologicalSurveyofNorthernIrelandDerekhasbeenactiveingeologicalmapping,

andintroducedITanddatabasesystemsintotheoffice.Heprovidestechnicaladviceonpetroleum

licensingandexplorationtotheDepartmentofEnterprise,TradeandInvestment,andhasinterestsinthe

developmentofgeothermalenergy.


�� Session Four. Natural resources and sustainable development

THESCOPEFORCARBONCAPTUREANDSTORAGEINNORTHERNIRELAND

MicheLLe BenthaM


[email protected]

Sites in Northern Ireland may be appropriate for the long-term storage of carbon dioxide. High quality

lithological and structural information provided by GSNI and Tellus will be vital to their assessment.

Risinggreenhousegasemissionscreateapotentiallyhugethreattotheenvironment,humanpopulations

andglobaleconomies.Amajorgreenhousegasiscarbondioxide,whichcontributesapproximatelytwo-

thirdsoftheworldsgreenhousegasesemittedbyhumanactivities.Asaresultofgovernmentalpolicy,

commitmentshavebeenmadetoreduceCO2emissionsby60%by2050.

IntheUK,thepowergenerationsectoraccountsforapproximatelyone-thirdoftotalCO2emissions.

ThisCO2couldpotentiallybecapturedatthepowerplant,transportedbypipeline,injectedintothe

subsurfaceandstoredinasuitablegeologicalstoragesite.Thisisknownascarboncaptureand

storage(CCS).

AstoragesitemayberequiredtostoretheCO2fortensorhundredsofthousandsofyearsandit

needstobechosenverycarefullyonthebasisofitsgeologicalcharacteristics.Themaincriteriaarea

reservoirrockwithgoodporosityandpermeability,coupledwithacaprock(seal)topreventtheCO2

fromescaping.Thesiteshouldbeasufficientdeep(usually800mbelowthegroundsurface)forthe

CO2tobeinitsdense(supercritical)phasesothatitoccupieslessvolume.Thesitemustalsobelarge

enoughtostoretherequiredvolumesofCO2.Theseparameterscanbefoundinseveralgeological

settings:

Oilandgasfields

Salineaquifers

Coalseams

Naturalandman-madecaverns

InNorthernIrelandthereareseveralsedimentarybasinsthatmayexhibitthenecessarycriteria

forgeologicalstorageofCO2,includingtheLarne,Rathlin,LoughNeagh,NorthChanneland

PortpatrickBasins.

MichelleBenthamgraduatedfromLeedsUniversity(BSc,EarthSciences)andRoyalHolloway(MSc,

BasinEvolutionandDynamics).SincejoiningBGSin2000shehasbeenworkingonthegeological

storageofcarbondioxide,focusingonsiteselectionandstoragecapacityestimates.ShewasBGS

projectmanageroftheGreenEnergyfromcoalandGeoCapacityproject.Sheisaresearcheron

severalEUandUKfundedprojectsandfortheUKcarbonandcaptureconsortium.Sheiscurrently

involvedinundertakinganassessmentofthepotentialtostoreCO2inthegeologicalformationsofallof

Irelandaspartofthe‘Assessmentoftheall-IslandpotentialforgeologicalstorageofCarbonDioxidein

Ireland’project.

•

•

•

•


Session Four. Natural resources and sustainable development �3

INFORMATIONDELIvERyANDLICENSINGOFGSNIANDTELLUSDATA

Mark Patton


[email protected]

The Geological Survey of Northern Ireland holds a wealth of information relevant to any organisation

concerned with the surface or subsurface of Northern Ireland, its resources, rocks, soils and drainage

systems. These data are readily available to all and include digital geology, information on mine workings,

borehole and hydrogeological results, mineral and hydrocarbon exploration data, and various datasets

from the Tellus Project.

Tellusdatacanbeprovidedaswholecountrycoverageorassubsetsforspecificareas.Geochemical

analysesofindividualsamplingsitesofsoils,streamsedimentsandstreamwatersareavailableas

ASCIItextorExcelspreadsheet.1:250000scaleprintedmapsareavailableforcommonelementsand

compounds.AirbornedataareavailableinGeosoftgridordatabaseformats,orasASCIItextlinedata.

1:250000scaleprintedmapsoftheairborneresultsandseveralcommondata-transformationsare

alsoavailable.

Thecurrentdeliverymechanismsareviaopticaldiskore-mailforsmallerdatasets.Hardcopydata

areprovidedwhereappropriate.Selecteddatasetswillbeavailableonlineinthefuture.

GSNIdata,includingTellusdata,areavailableunderastandardlicencearrangementmodelledon

theBGSlicensingscheme.NominalfeesarechargedtocommercialusersofTellusdata,whicharea

smallfractionofthedataacquisitionandprocessingcosts.Dataaremadeavailablefreeofchargeto

academicresearcherspursuingprojectswhichaccordwiththegoalsoftheTellusProject.

MarkPattongraduatedfromtheUniversityofLiverpool(BSc(Hons),Geology)andtheUniversity

ofBirmingham(MSc,AppliedGeophysics).Hespentfouryearsworkinginoilfieldservicesasa

datamanagerformultinationalexplorationandproductioncompaniesbeforemovingintosoftware

developmentandsupport.HeworkedinthisrolesupportingthesystemsusedbytheNorthernIreland

PlanningServicebeforejoiningGSNIin2004asdatamanagerfortheTellusProject.


�4 Poster Presentations

Tellus data

RegionalinterpretationofTellus

geophysicalimagery

Mike Young

ProminentfeaturesofTellusgeochemicaldata

Dermot Smyth

Natural resources

MetallicmineralpotentialofNorthern

Ireland:newinsightsfromprospectivity

analysisusingTellusdata.

Gus Gunn

Geothermalresourceprospectivity

inNorthernIreland

Adrian Walker

Tellusinformationinareaswith

hydrocarbonpotential

Adrian Walker

Quaternaryinvestigations,includingsand

&gravel,usingtheTellusEMdata.

Dave Beamish

Environment, agriculture and health

Airborneradiometricsurveydataanda

DTMasco-variatesforregionalscale

mappingoforganiccarbon

Barry Rawlins

Geochemicalconsiderationsinplanning

theuseofsewagesludgeinagriculture

Crawford Jordan

PilotstudyoftheapplicationofTellus

airborneradiometricandsoilgeochemical

dataforradonmapping

Don Appleton

High-resolution 137Cs data over Northern Ireland:

understanding 137Cs deposition

Cathy Scheib

Iodineandiodinedeficiency

disorderinNorthernIreland

Chris Johnson

Nutrientsinstreamwaters

Louise Ander

Fluorideinstreamwaters

Louise Ander

IsotopeandgeochemicalanalysisofTellus

watersappliedtomeasuringnutrientcycling

Hannah Corcoran

LandfillinvestigationsusingtheTellusEMdata

David Beamish

Potentialformappingthevariationofpeat

thicknesswithairbornegamma-rayspectrometry

Chris van Dam

Historicalchronologiesofsedimentation

andheavymetalcontaminationin

StrangfordLough,NorthernIreland

James Strong and Matthew Service

POSTERPRESENTATIONS

LOCATION:LEvEL4


Poster Presentations �5

Regional geological mapping

and interpretation

StructureandzonationoflateCaledonianNewry

IgneousComplex:geophysicalupdatefromTellus

Mark Cooper and Ian Meighan

Comparison of the stream sediment geochemistry

of the Down-Longford Terrain with the Southern

Uplands of Scotland

Neil Breward and Phil Stone

Cenozoicpull-apartbasinsintheBritishIsles

Martyn Quinn

Apreliminaryassessmentoftheuseofnatural

radioactivitydatafromtheTellusairbornesurvey

Dave Jones

RadioactivitythroughtheAges:

theMourneMountains

Alastair Ruffell

Geostatistics

Geostatisticsappliedtodataintegrationof

multi-sourcegeophysicalandgeochemical

datafromtheTellusProject

Jenny McKinley

Computingaveragevariogramsfrom

imagerytoguidesoilsampling

Ruth Kerry

MonteCarloanalysisofsoilcharacteristicsand

samplingtheoryparametersforoptimisation

ofenvironmentalsamplingprograms

David Hiroz

Education

Geoscienceeducationand

outreach—theTelluscontribution

Marie Cowan

Characterisation of poorly producing

aquifers — the Griffiths Geoscience Award

Ulrich Ofterdinger

Collaborative research between Queen’s University

and the Tellus Project

Jenny McKinley


�6

NOTES


GeologicalSurveyof

NorthernIreland

ColbyHouse

Stranmilliscourt

Belfast

BT95BF

[T]02890388462

[F]02890388461

[email protected]

www.bgs.ac.uk/gsni/

tellus/index.html


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