Supervisors: Edwin Baynes (LU), Mark Kincey (NU), Martin Colling (Tyne Rivers Trust), Jeff Warburton (Durham University)
Contact email: e.baynes@lboro.ac.uk
Location: Loughborough
Project Rational: Contamination of river systems by pollution from abandoned metal mines is a pressing national issue, with in excess of 1,500 km of England’s rivers affected. Abandoned metal mines are the single most important source of highly contaminated surface legacy sediments in the UK, which can negatively impact on river system dynamics, water quality and ecosystem health owing to ecotoxicity of contaminated sediments. These mines are typically located in steep, upland, catchments that are at risk of severe geomorphic change during localised flash floods (e.g., Baynes et al. 2023), where localised erosion of contaminated sediments from mine source locations and downstream floodplain sediment stores can potentially mobilise pollutants throughout the river catchments (Kincey et al., 2018).
The predicted future increase in storm frequency and intensity will result in increased rates of contaminated sediment mobilisation and transfer. However, impacts on spatio-temporal contaminant (re)mobilisation through this change in flood regimes has not been adequately quantified. The aim of this PhD is to explore the geomorphological processes of metal contaminant (re)mobilization during floods from upland river catchments across the north of England. The outcomes of the PhD will inform targeted management approaches that aim to mitigate the legacy of metal mining in affected river catchments.
Methodology: The PhD will take a nested scale approach, involving high resolution analysis of selected key field locations, followed by upscaling of the results to consider the implications for the whole of Northern England. Key abandoned mines and downstream floodplain source locations will be selected in collaboration with the Tyne Rivers Trust to ensure the PhD findings can be directly used to inform key management strategies and real-world adaptive responses. Following site selection, the PhD will combine novel targeted geomorphic monitoring (e.g., repeat topographic surveys using terrestrial laser scanning and drones) of selected abandoned mines and downstream floodplain source locations to produce a quantitative, sediment budget-based model of contaminated sediment flux during individual flood events. Contaminated sediments in the field will be identified and measured using in-situ pXRF surveys.
The field monitoring will be combined with detailed topographic and catchment connectivity analyses, and hydraulic modelling using Digital Elevation Models and aerial/satellite imagery to identify the catchment controls that enable contaminated sediment mobilisation and transfer during flood events. This novel process-based understanding will then be upscaled across Northern England using existing abandoned mine databases and freely available catchment and topographic data, providing valuable information regarding future regional-scale flood management and response strategies.
Background Reading:
• Baynes E.R.C., Kincey M.E., Warburton J. (2023) Extreme Flood Sediment Production and Export Controlled by Reach-Scale Morphology Geophysical Research Letters, 50 (10), e2023GL103042.
• Kincey, M. E., Warburton, J., & Brewer, P. (2018). Contaminated sediment flux from eroding abandoned historical metal mines: Spatial and temporal variability in geomorphological drivers. Geomorphology, 319, 199–215
• Macklin, M.G., et al. (2023) Impacts of metal mining on river systems: a global assessment. Science 381, 1345-1350
FLOOD-CDT
This PhD is being advertised as part of the Centre for Doctoral Training for Resilient Flood Futures (FLOOD-CDT). Further details about FLOOD-CDT can be seen here https://flood-cdt.ac.uk. Please note, that your application will be assessed upon: (1) Motivation and Career Aspirations; (2) Potential & Intellectual Excellence; (3) Suitability for specific project and (4) Fit to FLOOD-CDT. So please familiarise yourselves with FLOOD-CDT before applying. During the application process candidates will need to upload:
• a 1 page statement of your research interests in flooding and FLOOD-CDT and your rationale for your choice of project;
• a curriculum vitae giving details of your academic record and stating your research interests;
• name two current academic referees together with an institutional email addresses; on submission of your online application your referees will be automatically emailed requesting they send a reference to us directly by email;
• academic transcripts and degree certificates (translated if not in English) - if you have completed both a BSc & an MSc, we require both; and
• a IELTS/TOEFL certificate, if applicable.
Please upload all documents in PDF format. You are encouraged to contact potential supervisors by email to discuss project-specific aspects of the proposed prior to submitting your application. If you have any general questions please contact floodcdt@soton.ac.uk.
Apply
To apply for this project, please apply through the Loughborough University application portal (available on this link: https://www.lboro.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/research-degrees/phd-opportun...) and quote reference number FCDT-25-LU2
