SSP
Stratigraphy, Sedimentology and Palaeontology

Alena Ebinghaus

After graduating at the University of Bonn in 2010, Alena Ebinghaus took up a PhD project at the University of Aberdeen, examining inter-lava sedimentation and plant ecosystem development in the Columbia River Flood Basalt Province, Washington State. Following her graduation in 2014, Alena joined the University of Aberdeen as a post-doctoral researcher. In her current research, Alena focuses on the understanding of continental environments during past rapid climate warming, such as the Early Danian Dan-C2 event and the Palaeocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum. Since 2017, Alena has served as the Early Career Scientist (ECS) representative of the SSP division.

County Clare, Ireland: A World-Class Geological Locality

January 31, 2020
County Clare, Ireland: A World-Class Geological Locality
Lower deltaic cyles (Tullig and Kilkee) of the upper Clare Basin sediments visible in the Cliffs of Moher (photo courtesy: Emma Morris).

By John Counts and Emma Morris. Europe has a wide variety of interesting sites for geologists, including areas with scientifically interesting formations, amazing scenery, and classic outcrops, many of which are recognized for their international geological significance and are designated as UNESCO Global Geoparks. Rarely, however, do all of these factors come together in such a spectacular way as ...[Read More]

Use of Ultraviolet Light in Plattenkalk Research

December 16, 2019

By Jack Wilkin. One of the techniques used to examine fossils in the laboratory is photography with the aid of UV light. Ultraviolet light causes minerals in the fossils to fluoresce creating a clearer contrast between the fossil and the surrounding matrix. Ultraviolet photography is a cost-effective laboratory technique that can be readily applied to a wide range of strata types and taxonomic gro ...[Read More]

Palynological applications to sedimentology – a BSRG workshop

March 7, 2019
Palynological applications to sedimentology – a BSRG workshop

The 2019 BSRG workshop ‘Palynological Applications to Sedimentology’ was held at the University of Aberdeen from the 17th-19th February. The trip was led by palynology experts Dr. Adam McArthur (University of Leeds), Dr. Alena Ebinghaus (University of Aberdeen) and Dr. Manuel Vieira (Shell), organised by Dan Tek from the University of Leeds, and sponsored by the International Association of Sedime ...[Read More]

Mining the Carboniferous in the Ruhr area (Germany)

December 11, 2018
Mining the Carboniferous in the Ruhr area (Germany)
Deltaic clastic-rich deposits of the Namurian B, which are found to be rich in large Carboniferous flying insects, such as Homoioptera vorhallensis (maximum length of 70 cm) (location: Hagen, Germany).

During the upper Carboniferous period (Namurian, Westfalian and Stephanian)  large areas of central western Germany were covered by coastal swamp forests dominated by Lepidodendron und Sigillaria. Periodic marine and fluvial transgressions caused the swamps being regularly buried by siliciclastic material, resulting in up to 5500 m thick successions of alternating organic-rich and clastic-rich sed ...[Read More]