School of Geographical and Earth Sciences

Dr Brian Bell

Brian Bell
  • Lecturer (School of Geographical and Earth Sciences)
  • Adviser of Studies (Science and Engineering College Academic & Student Administration)

telephone: 01413306898
email: Brian.Bell@glasgow.ac.uk


The natural laboratory for the Earth Sciences is in the field, where you find rocks. This is where most of my research starts. Much of my research has involved the Palaeogene lava fields on the North Atlantic Igneous Province, for example, in NW Scotland, the Faroe Islands and Greenland. Here, I am attempting to understand the complex interplay between volcanism, sedimentation and tectonism. At present, more money is spent exploring the volcanic prone NE Atlantic Margin for oil and gas than anywhere else in the UK.

My main research interests are: 1.The evolution of continental flood lava sequences and their temporal and spatial relationships with rift basins; 2. Mechanisms of emplacement of minor intrusions and subvolcanic central complexes; 3. The thermal influence of minor intrusions on host strata.

Current research

  • Tephra provenance in the North Atlantic Igneous province;
  • Thermal influence of sills on oil reservoir sandstones;
  • The early evolution of the Mull Lava Field, NW Scotland;
  • Volcaniclastic sedimentation in continental flood lava fields;
  • Emplacement mechanisms of minor intrusions;
  • The interplay of lavas, hyaloclastites and basin dynamics.
Jump to: 2009 | 2007 | 2006 | 2002
Number of items: 8.

2009

Jolley, D., Bell, B. , Williamson, I., and Prince, I. (2009) Syn-eruption vegetation dynamics, paleosurfaces and structural controls on lava field vegetation: An example from the Palaeogene Staffa Formation, Mull Lava Field, Scotland. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology, 153 (1-2). pp. 19-33. ISSN 0034-6667 (doi:10.1016/j.revpalbo.2008.06.003)

Brown, D.J., Holohan, E.P., and Bell, B.R. (2009) Sedimentary and volcano-tectonic processes in the British paleocene igneous province: a review. Geological Magazine, 146 (3). pp. 326-352. ISSN 0016-7568 (doi:10.1017/S0016756809006232)

2007

Brown, D.J., and Bell, B.R. (2007) Debris flow deposits within the palaeogene lava fields of NW Scotland: evidence for mass wasting of the volcanic landscape during emplacement of the Ardnamurchan Central Complex. Bulletin of Volcanology, 69 (8). pp. 847-868. ISSN 0258-8900 (doi:10.1007/s00445-007-0114-9)

Brown, D.J., and Bell, B.R. (2007) How do you grade peperites? Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, 159 (4). pp. 409-420. ISSN 0377-0273 (doi:10.1016/j.jvolgeores.2006.08.008)

2006

Brown, D.J., Bell, B.R. , and McLeod, G.W. (2006) A re-interpretation of the 'Centre 3 screens' of Ardnamurchan, NW Scotland. Scottish Journal of Geology, 42 (1). pp. 83-85. ISSN 0036-9276 (doi:10.1144/​sjg42010083)

Brown, D.J., and Bell, B.R. (2006) Intrusion-induced uplift and mass wasting of the Palaeogene volcanic landscape of Ardnamurchan, NW Scotland. Journal of the Geological Society, 163 (1). pp. 29-36. ISSN 0016-7649 (doi:10.1144/0016-764905-016)

2002

Bell, B (2002) Genesis and age of the Erlend Volcano, NE Atlantic Margin. Geological Society Special Publication, 197 (1). pp. 95-109. ISSN 0305-8719

Davies, R, Bell, BR , Cartwright, JA, and Shoulders, S (2002) Three-dimensional seismic imaging of Paleogene dike-fed submarine volcanoes from the northeast Atlantic margin. Geology, 30 . pp. 223-226.

This list was generated on Sat May 26 11:32:05 2012 BST.

James Westland (PhD candidate)

  • Level 1: Igneous geology, economic geology, Earth history;
  • Level 2: Igneous geology, geochemistry;
  • Junior Honours: Igneous geology, map interpretation, field skills, economic geology;
  • Senior Honours: Map interpretation, economic geology.