Dr Alison Monaghan

Alison Monaghan’s Biography

• 2023 – ongoing : Head of Geothermal, British Geological Survey
• 2016 – 2023: Science Lead, UK Geoenergy Observatory, Glasgow
• 1997 – ongoing : Geologist and from 2017 Principal Geologist, British Geological Survey
•  1997 : PhD University of Edinburgh
•  1994 : MA (Hons) University of Cambridge, Geological Sciences

Research interests

• UK geothermal datasets, resources and sustainability
• Mine water geothermal energy and underground thermal storage science, regulation, resources, environmental impacts
• Basin analysis, 3D geological modelling & uncertainty for geoenergy resources
• The crowded subsurface and geoenergy; multiple sources of anthropogenic change, characterisation, monitoring, impact, regulation
• Carboniferous geochronology, stratigraphy and tectonics
• Urban and coalfield geology

Current projects and collaborations

• UK Geoenergy Observatories in Scotland: Glasgow; Science Lead – Leading the science delivery of the Glasgow Observatory from inception, programme of environmental baseline monitoring and open data delivery
• Collaborating with IEA geothermal, BEIS and the Coal Authority on the Mine Water Energy Symposium 2022 and IEA mine water energy expert group
• Collaborating on the Geothermal Energy from Mines and Solar-Geothermal Heat (GEMS) project with Durham University, funded by EPSRC/NERC Decarbonisation of Heating and Cooling 2 grant
• Lead, Carboniferous chapter, new 5^th edition of ‘The Geology of Scotland’ book.

Publications

• Monaghan, A; Spence, M. 2023 Decarbonising heat via the subsurface. Geoscientist.
• Monaghan, A A, Bateson, L, Boyce, A J, Burnside, N M, Chambers, R, de Rezende, J R, Dunnet, E, Everett, P A, Gilfillan, S M V, Jibrin, M S, Johnson, G, Luckett, R, MacAllister, D J, MacDonald, A M, Moreau, J W, Newsome, L, Novellino, A, Palumbo-Roe, B, Pereira, R, Smith, D, Spence, M J, Starcher, V, Taylor-Curran, H, Vane, C H, Wagner, T and Walls, D B. 2022. Time Zero for Net Zero: A Coal Mine Baseline for Decarbonising Heat. Earth Science, Systems and Society.
• Monaghan, Alison A, Starcher, V, Barron, H F, Shorter, K, Walker-Verkuil, K, Elsome, J, Kearsey, T, Arkley, S, Hannis, S and Callaghan, E. 2021. Drilling into mines for heat: geological synthesis of the UK Geoenergy Observatory in Glasgow and implications for mine water heat resources. Quarterly Journal of Engineering Geology and Hydrogeology.
• Monaghan, A A, Underhill, J R, Marshall, J E A and Hewett, A J. 2018. Paleozoic plays of NW Europe: an introduction. Geological Society , London, Special Publications, 471.
• Monaghan, A A. 2017. Unconventional energy resources in a crowded subsurface: Reducing uncertainty and developing a separation zone concept for resource estimation and deep 3D subsurface planning using legacy mining data. Science of the Total Environment, vol 601-602, 45-56.
• Monaghan, A A, Arsenikos, S, Quinn, M F, Johnson, K R, Vincent, C J, Vane, C H, Kim, A W, Uguna, C N, Hannis, S D, Gent, C M A, Millward, D, Kearsey, T I and Williamson, J P. 2017. Carboniferous petroleum systems around the Mid North Sea High. Journal of Marine and Petroleum Geology, 88C, 282-302
• Monaghan, A A. 2014. The Carboniferous shales of the Midland Valley of Scotland: geology and resource estimation. British Geological Survey for Department of Energy and Climate Change, London, UK.
• Monaghan, A A, Browne, M A E and Barfod, D N. 2014. An improved chronology for the Arthur’s Seat volcano and Carboniferous magmatism of the Midland Valley of Scotland. Scottish Journal of Geology, 50, 165-172
• Monaghan, A A, Ford, J, Milodowski, A, McInroy, D, Pharaoh, T, Rushton, J, Browne, M, Cooper, A, Hulbert, A and Napier, B. 2012. New insights from 3D geological models at analogue CO₂ storage sites in Lincolnshire and eastern Scotland, UK. Proceedings of the Yorkshire Geological Society, 59 (1). 53-76.
• Underhill, J R, Monaghan, A A and Browne, M A E. 2008. Controls on Structural Styles, Basin Development and Petroleum Prospectivity in the Midland Valley of Scotland. Journal of Marine and Petroleum Geology, 25, 1000–1022.
• Merritt, J E, Monaghan, A A, Entwisle, D C, Hughes, A G, Campbell, S D G and Browne, M A E. 2007. 3D attributed models for addressing environmental and engineering geoscience problems in areas of urban regeneration: a case study in Glasgow, UK. First Break, 25, 79–84
• Monaghan, A A and Parrish, R R. 2006. Geochronology of Carboniferous – Permian volcanism in the Midland Valley of Scotland: implications for regional tectono-magmatic evolution and the numerical timescale. Journal of the Geological Society of London, 163, 15–28.

Published outputs

• NERC Open Research Archive — Dr Alison Monaghan

Skills

• Project leadership for industry, Government and academic partners
• Mine water geothermal energy subsurface planning, characterisation, monitoring
• Basin analysis, 3D modelling, monitoring in geoenergy, urban geology, coalfields
• Central Scotland & North Sea Carboniferous stratigraphy and geochronology

Professional associations

• Fellow of The Geological Society, London and Edinburgh Geological Society.
• 2002 : Chartered Geologist
• 2021 : MBE for services to geology
• 2022: Coke Medal of The Geological Society, London