I have been working at BGS since January 2023. Prior to this, I was expanding on my fieldwork skills by working as an archaeologist in Yorkshire, after completing an MPhil in palaeontology and undergraduate degree in geology from the University of Manchester. Currently, I am involved in various projects within the BGS National Geology team as well as collaborating on other projects across BGS.
Since starting, I have conducted fieldwork in various parts of the UK, which has involved field mapping, macrofossil collection and logging of sections to inform biostratigraphical analysis. In the office, I work with borehole data to understand the stratigraphy and help solve geological problems in small- to regional-scale areas. This has also involved using scans of archive logs and logging of core stored in our collections.
I enjoy the fact I can follow the material from collection in the field, to analysis and interpretation in the office, to seeing the effect this has on our maps.
Laura, BGS Survey Geologist.
The main focus of my work at the moment involves working with biostratigraphical data from the Chalk Group, an important aquifer in southern and Eastern England. This has improved our understanding of the area’s chalk stratigraphy and provides physical evidence of stratigraphical levels in the field, which in turn improves our geological maps. I find this the most interesting aspect of my job as it enables me to have hands-on work with a range of specimens in both the field and the office, from samples collected during fieldwork to existing material BGS keeps in its collections. I enjoy the fact I can follow the material from collection in the field, to analysis and interpretation in the office, to seeing the effect this has on our maps.
Pay and benefits
All BGS staff enjoy a wide range of benefits in addition to their salary.