Our new paper in #hydrologicalprocesses reports the first Ksat measurements from central Congo Basin peatlands, and explores the possibility of pan-tropical pedotransfer functions. A great team effort from the CongoPeat project. Open access and free to all! onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

Exciting 24-month Postdoc opportunity for a peatland palaeoecologist, working with Dr Jenna Sutherland at Leeds Beckett U. on the NERC-funded InSPIRE project. Investigating initiation of new peatlands in deglaciating parts of Alaska, including fieldwork vacancies.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/ce0984li_web...

20 years ago, almost to the day, I started my PhD in London, and with it my journey into science. Today I was appointed Professor of Biogeoscience by the UnIversity of Leeds. Feeling humble, grateful, exhausted, etc.

For over 15 years the McMaster Ecohydro Lab has awarded the #NobelPeatPrize to the authors of the best peatland or peat paper of the year. It’s that time of year again where we review papers and finalize a list of nominees. Do you have a fave paper for 2025 you would like us to consider?

Our new paper in QSR, led by Dr. Donna Hawthorne, explores the various successional pathways that the huge peat swamp forests of the central Congo Basin have taken during the late Quaternary. Open access link available until 21 Nov eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com?url=https%3A...

Somewhat belatedly, huge congratulations to all our graduates this summer, including Dr. Dan Colson! @danielcolson.bsky.social

Early results from our cutting-edge PIPES project at Queen's University Belfast featured on BBC Northern Ireland this morning. Toxic metals found in UK peatlands could pose health risk www.bbc.com/news/article...

Our new paper in ERL, led by Dr. Greta Dargie, shows peatlands of central Congo Basin are twice as old as previously believed. The oldest peat initiated at least 42,000 years ago and persisted through the Last Glacial Maximum dry phase. Open access and free to all iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1...

Holly and Andy using a Russian-pattern corer to take a deep peat sample from Lewis’s northern plateau.

Three intense days of coring across Lewis’s northern plateau with PhD student Holly Addis, ably assisted by Andy Evans (U. Manchester). Holly has collected a nice set of field measurements as well as a 4.35 m long core for palaeo-environmental analysis back in Leeds. Weather damp, spirits high.

On the way back to the Isle of Lewis for more fieldwork with PhD student Holly Addis. Incredible sunset coming into Stornoway harbour. Hopefully a good omen for a successful week of coring and exploring.

Great talk by @richard-fewster.bsky.social from QUB to the River Basins cluster here at Leeds Geography. Peatlands, carbon, climate and pollution. Thanks for visiting us Richard!

We are hiring! Vacancy for an ambitious Lecturer (Assistant Prof.) in the Ecology and Global Change research cluster here at Leeds Geography. Research and teaching in any area of ecology and global change. Full details, including contacts for queries, in link below jobs.leeds.ac.uk/Vacancy.aspx...

Our new paper in ERL, led by Owen Sutton & @peatofmind.bsky.social, considers how shallow peatlands could help us understand the response of deeper, more established peats and their huge soil C stocks to ongoing climate warming. Open access and free to all iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1...

Great turnout today for our module fair in the School of Geography. Module leaders were on hand to help undergrad students choose their courses for next academic year.

Day 4 on Lewis, and all good things must come to an end. We walked up to the peat plateau from Siabost on the west coast, before exploring some Hebridean history and culture. Crofters’ traditional black house at Arnol, stone circle at Callanish, and the famous Lewis chessmen at Lews Castle Museum.

Day 3 on Lewis. Making our way from Sgiogarstaigh on the rocky north coast up onto the peat plateau in the interior of the island. More peat, more potential field sites, and more glorious weather.

Thanks! 👏 At the end of another winter season of peatland restoration, here’s an opportunity to thank the #WalesPeatlandAction practitioners and contractors. They are our national land healers aiming for #HighNatureLowCarbon @natreswales.bsky.social @iucn-uk-peat.bsky.social

Day 2 from Lewis, this time around Borve in the north west. Stunning peatland landscapes, as far as the eye can see in every direction. Bonus points today for great weather. We are starting to get the lie of the land and making firm plans for “real” sampling later in the year.

Exploring the incredible peatlands of Lewis, day 1. A big loop from the “bridge to nowhere” in the north east, peat depths up to 4.7 m. Lots of hummocks, lots of peat. So much peat. Also saw a herd of deer who followed us for a while, and ruined stone shepherd sheilings (shelters).

16 hours of driving and ferries and we’ve made it from Leeds to the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides. Looking forward to a week scouting out field sites with PhD student Holly Addis and Dr Liam Taylor. Amazed at how far one can travel and still be in the UK

A rewarding field day on Friday, showing first year geography students around Ilkley Moor as part of the Dynamic Landscapes module. We covered geology, hillslope processes, natural flood management, ancient human occupation and modern land management. Field season 2025 is up and running!

Our new paper shows peat initiating since 1949 C.E. in a rapidly warming and deglaciating valley in Aotearoa/New Zealand. An amazing montane site, with implications for peatland dynamics at high elevations and latitudes under anthropogenic climate change. Open access here: doi.org/10.1029/2024...

Our new paper, out now in GRL and led by @richard-fewster.bsky.social, documents the ongoing formation of new peats since 1950 CE in the footprint of receding glaciers in Southern Alps, Aotearoa New Zealand. Open access and free to all agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/...

🌿 New Paper Alert: Newly Forming Peatlands in Aotearoa/New Zealand! 🌿 Our study shows peat has been accumulating in a recently deglaciated valley in the Southern Alps, Aotearoa/New Zealand, since ∼1949 C.E. As glaciers retreat & climates warm, new peatlands could emerge—key for carbon storage. 1/🧵

Some wonderful talks at the @royalsociety.org discussion meeting on African peatlands organised by @simonlewis.bsky.social Feeling inspired by the variety of topics people are working on in relation to these important and fragile environments

Huge congrats to PhD student @danielcolson.bsky.social who passed his viva (defence) today. Well done Dan! Thanks to the examiners, Angela Harris (Manchester) and Rich Grayson, and co-supervisors @geomorphmark.bsky.social and Duncan Quincey. A happy first post on Blue Sky 😁