Holly Unwin is a Survey Geologist at the British Geological Survey. She specialises in the geology of the UK, with a focus on geological fieldwork and mapping, and the communication and visualisation of geological data to meet the needs of a wide range of stakeholders. Holly has particular interests in the igneous rocks of the UK and Iceland, urban geology, and geosystem services.
Holly has a background in volcanology and completed a PhD on silicic volcanic systems at Lancaster University, in collaboration with BGS. Her research integrates fieldwork, rock physics, and microstructural analysis to improve understanding of the processes recorded in ancient volcanic conduits.
Holly Unwin’s biography
- 2023 to present: Survey geologist, British Geological Survey
- 2018 to 2023: PhD in Volcanology, Lancaster University and British Geological Survey
- 2014 to 2018: MEarthSci Earth Sciences, University College, University of Oxford
Research interests
- Geology of the UK
- Evolution of silicic volcanic eruptions
- Urban geology and geosystem services
- Remote sensing for geological mapping
- Artificial Ground
Projects
- Newcastle-Gateshead Urban Project – produce new 3D geological understanding of the bedrock and Quaternary deposits beneath Newcastle-Gateshead, create new map of artificial deposits
ORCID: 0000-0001-6396-7014
Key papers
- White, A, Boyd, J, Wilkinson, P, Unwin, H E, Wookey, J, Kendall, J M, Binley, A, and Chambers, J. 2024. Assessing the effect of offline topography on electrical resistivity measurements: insights from flood embankments. Geophysical Journal International, 239(2), pp 1117–1132.
- Rojas, F, Browning, J, Tuffen, H, Cembrano, J, Espinosa-Leal, J, Unwin, H E, Mitchell, T M, Hofer-Apostolidis, K, and Meredith, P G. 2024. Textural evidence of fragmentation and densification processes in a fossilised shallow conduit on the flank of Nevados de Chillán Volcanic Complex. Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, 447, p.108028.
- Foster, A, Wadsworth, F B, Tuffen, H, Unwin, H E, and Humphreys, M C. 2024. Evidence for the formation of silicic lava by pyroclast sintering. Nature Communications, 15(1), p.5347.
- Unwin, H E. Fracking Magma: A Field and Experimental Investigation of Hydrofracturing in Volcanic Systems. PhD thesis. Lancaster University (United Kingdom).
- Unwin, H E, Tuffen, H, Wadsworth, F B, Phillips, E R, James, M R, Foster, A, Kolzenburg, S, Castro, J M, and Porritt, L A. 2023. The exposed Mule Creek vent deposits record the structure of a volcanic conduit during a hybrid explosive–effusive eruption. Bulletin of Volcanology, 85(5), p.28.
- Farquharson, J I, Tuffen, H, Wadsworth, F B, Castro, J M, Unwin, H, and Schipper, C I. 2022. In-conduit capture of sub-micron volcanic ash particles via turbophoresis and sintering. Nature Communications, 13(1), p.4713.
- Unwin, H E, Tuffen, H, Phillips, E, Wadsworth, F B, and James, M R. 2021. Pressure-driven opening and filling of a Volcanic hydrofracture recorded by tuffisite at Húsafell, Iceland: a potential seismic source. Frontiers in Earth Science, 9, p.668058.
- Wadsworth, F B, Witcher, T, Vossen, C E, Hess, K U, Unwin, H E, Scheu, B, Castro, J M, and Dingwell, D B. 2018. Combined effusive-explosive silicic volcanism straddles the multiphase viscous-to-brittle transition. Nature communications, 9(1), p.4696.
Published outputs
- Geological mapping
- Fieldwork planning, including in remote environments (team coordination, health and safety, risk assessment, and emergency planning)
- Use of GIS software: ArcGIS Pro and QGIS
- Python for data analysis and visualisation
- Combining datasets to build robust geological interpretations
- Volcanology
- Microstructural analysis
- Geophysical log interpretation
- Trained first aider