Biostratigraphic and geochemical investigation of Jurassic source rocks of the UK and Norwegian North Sea, Earth Sciences –PhD

Jurassic strata of the UK and Norwegian continental shelf are commonly composed of thick units of organic-rich mudstones that form critical source rocks for the North Sea and other areas. Whilst the Upper Jurassic strata are known to be some of the best source rocks on Earth, Lower Jurassic potential has yet to be fully understood. For example, both Lower and Upper Jurassic strata make up extensive tracts of potential oil shales in the Weald Basin which has received particular interest in recent years (Andrews et al. 2014). Lower Jurassic source rock quality will be addressed with cored material presenting a unique record. The Lower Jurassic is also of immense palaeoclimatic interest, with multiple carbon isotope excursions during the Sinemurian, Pliensbachian and Toarcian in the oceans and on land that signify global carbon cycle perturbations. This project seeks to carry out a biostratigraphic (foraminifera) and palaeoenvironmental (carbon isotopes, total organic carbon and organic carbon pyrolysis) analysis of new and legacy cores. Analyses will be carried out on key boreholes from onshore UK and the Norwegian shelf, for which some palynological biostratigraphy is already available. These new data will be tied to existing detailed UK outcrop/borehole studies, and provide a basis for a new supra-regional synthesis of stratigraphic and source rock potential and palaeoclimatic reconstruction for the Lower Jurassic. This study will be part of the international JET (Jurassic Earth System and Timescale) project.

Reference: Andrews, I.J. 2014. The Jurassic shales of the Weald Basin: geology and shale oil and shale gas resource estimation. British Geological Survey for Department of Energy and Climate Change, London, UK.

The studentship will cover a stipend at the minimum UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) rate, currently £14,777 per annum, research costs and tuition fees at the UK/EU rate. Applicants who are classed as International for tuition fee purposes are not eligible for funding.