Geological and geomorphological characterisation of West Cumbria

众所周知，坎布里亚西部地区在第四纪受到了不同冰期的影响。在上一次英国和爱尔兰冰盖(Biis)期间，该地区被大量冰流排干，受到快速流动的爱尔兰海冰流(ISIS)的影响，可能还受到来自湖区的局部冰推进的影响。尽管最近努力更好地描述了BIIS的最后进退阶段、冰川地层学和地貌特征，但对于坎布里亚西部的冰川演化和对这一沿海地区地质的理解仍存在争议。该博士学位的目的是扩大迄今在坎布里亚西部开展的工作，并将这种对地质和地貌的了解与对过程-沉积物/形态关系的正确知识、对以前气候和环境变化历史的理解以及冰川动力学纳入区域第四纪地质模型，以共同支持这一地区获得核许可的地点。该项目将确定评估方法，包括需要对历史侵入数据集和地球物理数据集进行质量控制，并确定该区域可能存在的浅层矿床类型和地貌的诊断标准，以支持后来的地质和地貌解释。将根据初始地貌区域地图进行地貌和剖面测井实地工作，确定地图所建议的对事件具有高度复杂性/高度重要性的潜在地区。这项工作将有助于进一步绘制区域地貌图，评估从区域钻孔记录和剖面记录中查明的沉积物组合，并确定适当的沉积物-地貌组合。这一理解将在地貌图上进行外推。这项工作的目的将是试图根据许可地点的地面模型将三维地质表面外推到更广泛的区域。该项目属于EPSRC能源研究领域，特别是核裂变主题，因为它涉及英国两家核设施许可证公司的长期演变：西坎布里亚郡的Low Level Waste Repository和Sellafield。该项目将进一步加强对西坎布里亚第四纪地质的现有研究。该项目还可能与EPSRC与气候变化有关的研究领域有关，因为它还将侧重于该地区与海平面变化影响有关的地貌。

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.