Following a tender process, the Geological Survey of Northern Ireland was pleased to award ten contracts for environmental and natural resources research on Tellus and Tellus Border data on 4th April 2013. The projects spanned a wide range of topics relevant to the objectives of the Tellus projects in Ireland and Northern Ireland, including soil, wetlands, groundwater, agriculture, ecology and mineral resources. Research funds for projects of c.6 month duration were awarded to organisations in the private and academic sectors. Links to project posters and final reports, where currently available, are given below.
Tellus investigation of wetland ecology and geochemistry. Principal investigators Dr Ray Flynn, Queen’s University Belfast and Dr Valerie McCarthy, Dundalk Institute of Technology.
Poster Final report
A preliminary prospectivity map for the Tellus Border region. Principal investigator Dr Sarah Coulter, Omagh Minerals.
Poster Final report
Groundwater and land resources in Tellus Border coastal zones. Principal investigators Dr Eve Daly and Yvonne O’Connell, NUI Galway.
Poster Final report
Twig epiphyte communities as indicators of environmental quality in the border region of Ireland. Principal investigator Howard Fox.
Poster Final report
Critical Metal potential of the Mourne Mountains: the geological source of Rare Earth Elements, Nb, Ta, W and U anomalies - insights from Tellus data. Principal investigator Dr Katherine Moore, University of Exeter.
Poster
Determination of stream sediment background concentrations in mineralised catchments impacted by mining using Tellus data from Northern Ireland. Principal investigator Dr Barbara Palumbo Roe, British Geological Survey.
Poster
Refining the Human Health Risk Assessment Process from Soil Contaminant Exposure: Trace Element Bioaccessibility and Normal Background Concentrations in NI/Irish Soils. Principal investigator Dr Ulrich Ofterdinger, Queen’s University Belfast.
Poster
A geochemical approach to unravelling ice sheet history using both Tellus and Tellus Border soil geochemical data. Principal investigator Dr Paul Dunlop, Innovation Ulster Ltd.
Poster
Poster Peer-reviewed paper
Discriminating diffuse anthropogenic input of selected contaminants to soil in the Tellus Border area. Principal investigator Dr Mark Cave, British Geological Survey.
Poster Final report
Postdoctoral research projects
The Tellus border project includes three postdoctoral research projects, in conjunction with project partners Queens University Belfast and Dundalk Institute of Technology.
Ecohydrological characterisation of wetlands in the border region (Dundalk Institute of Technology).
Poster Final report
Monitoring Groundwater Contaminant Plumes using Airborne Geophysical Data (Queen's University Belfast);
Poster Final report
Soil Carbon and Peat Depth Assessment using Airborne Geophysical Data (Queen's University Belfast).
Poster Final report
Commissioned research reports
Fault Analysis Group, UCD (2013) Quantitative analysis of Cenozoic structures from the Tellus Border dataset. UCD report.
Lass-Evans, S. (2013) Mining Impact on Stream Sediment Quality in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. British Geological Survey Commissioned Report