MRes- The Cenozoic evolution of the Midland Valley (Scotland): implications for geothermal energy.
Topic: The Midland Valley (MV) is a Carboniferous sedimentary basin that occupies the central belt of Scotland. The resources it contains, including coal, limestone, gas and oil, have played a fundamental role in the Scottish industrial revolution and economic development; recently, the MV has been explored as a possible site for deep mine geothermal energy and as a H storage repository; to establish its suitability, however, requires a thorough understanding of the geological history of the basin. This project will focus on Cenozoic history of the basin, using a combination of apatite fission track and (U-Th)/He thermochronometers to quantify the amount of rock that has been eroded and the evolution of the geothermal gradient in the area.
