Helena Stewart / Network Member

University of Stirling, UK

I am a PhD student at the University of Stirling. My work involves measuring the abundance and frequency of dust sized particles in Scottish peat as an indicator of North Atlantic storminess over the Holocene and relating this to changes in the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO).  My aim is to relate dusty periods to periods of storminess and a positive NAO and relate non-dusty periods to calmer periods and a negative NAO.  I am also looking at the likelihood that the dust is of Icelandic origin by using Radiogenic Isotope Analysis and I use tephrochronology as an indicator of volcanic eruption deposition in Scotland and as a dating technique.