University of St Andrews
 
 

School of Geography & Geosciences
Department of Earth Sciences

Department of
Earth Sciences

 
portrait image
tel: +44 01334 463997
fax: +44 01334 463949
email: crb@st-andrews.ac.uk
room: 425

Dr Richard Bates

Senior Lecturer in Earth Sciences


 

I graduated with a B.Sc. (hons) in Geology from the University of Edinburgh in 1986. As a result of (one of the many crashes) in the oil industry I went on from there to do a PdD in applied geophysics at the School of Ocean Sciences, University of Wales, Bangor. After completing the PhD (a study into the seismic anisotropy of unconsolidated marine sediments) I went to the US to work in the applied geophysics field for a number of consulting companies. My first position was with Blackhawk Geosciences where I really learned what high resolution geophysics was all about as it was applied to a whole range of problems from environmental to mining to ground water. Later, working for larger geophysical companies and the DoE I became involved with multicomponent seismic and naturally fractured hydrocarbon reservoirs. Since returning to the UK and joining St Andrews my focus of interest has returned to high resolution geophysics and the application to a range of issues from climate change studies to palaeo-environmental reconstruction. I have built up a significant capacity for marine survey including multibeam sonar, sub-bottom and magnetic used mainly for benthic habitat mapping and maritime archaeological investigations and a similar capacity for terrestrial survey for archaeology and environmental mapping.

C. Richard Bates

Supervisor for
  • Lawrence, Mark John

    Earth Sciences

    Supervisor 100%

    6/01/99 → 31/05/07

Research overview

Application of high resolution geophysical survey techniques for near surface investigations and the use of geophysics in a multi-disciplinary team approach to environmental problem solving. Specific focus on the fields of near surface, high resolution terrestrial geophysics (groundwater investigations, contamination mapping, structural investigations, climate change impact, palaeo-climate reconstructions, archaeological appraisal) and marine, high resolution survey (ecosystem evaluation, resource mapping, sediment dynamics, palaeo-landscape reconstruction).  Development of multi-sensor equipment for environmental investigations with an emphasis on climate impact studies such as marine benthic mapping and glacier retreat in the maritime Arctic.  Recent archaeological research investigations include the use of multi-sensor techniques at iconic sites such Stonehenge and the World Heritage sites in Orkney.   Commercialization of applied geophysics for marine investigation of Special Areas of Conservation and offshore marine resource development both internationally and on the UK Continental Shelf.

Industrial relevance

High-resolution geophysics, archaeological site survey, environmental site characterisation, environmental impact assessment, mining geophysics, petroleum exploration, hydrographic survey, marine habitat mapping, marine archaeological survey

Teaching activity

Applied Geophysics at sub-honours and honours level with application to environmental investigation, hydrogeological appraisal, engineering studies and resource development.  Petroleum Geosciences taught as industry style, CPD short courses. Environmental studies including Environmental Impact Assessment, fate of contaminants in the sub-surface, managing the impacts of climate change.  An emphasis is placed throughout on bringing industry best practice to the student learning experience through the use of case-histories, practical classes based on applied problems for industry, government and society and through joint teaching with industry experts. 

Academic/Professional Qualification

BSc (Hons), Geology, University of Edinburgh
PhD, Applied Geophysics, University Wales, Bangor
Chartered Geologist

  • Earth Sciences

    School of Geography and

    Geosciences

    Irvine Building

    St Andrews

    KY16 9AL

    United Kingdom

    Phone: +44 (0)1334 463997

  • Scottish Oceans Institute

    http://soi.st-andrews.ac.uk/

  • St Andrews Sustainability Institute

    http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/sasi/home/

  • School of Geography and Geosciences

    1/08/96 to 31/03/11

    School of Geography and

    Geosciences

    Irvine Building

    St Andrews

    KY16 9AL

    United Kingdom

    Phone: +44 (0)1334 463997

 

Recent Publications

Wilson, R & Bates, CR 2012, ' Lake sonar surveys and the search for sub-fossil wood ', Dendrochronologia , vol 30, no. 1, pp. 61-65.
Marshall, MH, Lamb, HF, Huws, D, Davies, SJ , Bates, CR , Bloemendal, J, Boyle, J, Leng, MJ, Umer, M & Bryant, C 2011, ' Late Pleistocene and Holocene drought events at Lake Tana, the source of the Blue Nile ', Global and Planetary Change , vol 78, no. 3-4, pp. 147-161.
Bates, CR , Lawrence, M, Dean, M & Robertson, P 2011, ' Geophysical Methods for Wreck-Site Monitoring: the Rapid Archaeological Site Surveying and Evaluation (RASSE) programme ', International Journal of Nautical Archaeology , vol 40, no. 2, pp. 404-416.
Tappin, DR, Pearse, B, Fitch, S, Dove, D, Geary, B, Hill, J, Chambers, C , Bates, CR , Pinnion, C, Green, M, Gallyot, J, Georgiou, L, Brutto, D, Marzialetti, S, Hopla, E, Ramsay, E & Fielding, H 2011 , The Humber Regional Environmental Characterisation: British Geological Survey Open Report OR/10/54, British Geological Survey.
Harper, SJM , Bates, CR , Guzman, HM & Mair, JM 2010, ' Acoustic mapping of fish aggregation areas to improve fisheries management in Las Perlas Archipelago, Pacific Panama ', Ocean and Coastal Management , vol 53, no. 10, pp. 615-623.
Baltzer, A , Bates, CR , Mokeddem, Z, Clet-Pellerin, M, Walter-Simonnet, A, Bonnot-Courtois, C & Austin, W 2010, ' Using seismic facies and pollen analyses to evaluate climatically driven change in a Scottish sea loch (fjord) over the last 20 ka ', in J Howe, W Austin, M Forwick & M Paetzel (eds) , Fjord Systems and Archives Geological Society Special Publication, vol. 344, Geological Society, pp. 355-369.
Bates, CR & Jarvis, J 2010 , Quantification of Physical Changes in the Coastal Landscape of the South Ford, Outer Hebrides, Aberdeen Institute for Coastal Science and Management.
Dobson, NC, Tolson, H, Lavery, B , Bates, CR , Tempera, F & Pearce, J 2010, ' The HMS Sussex Shipwreck Project (Site E-82): Preliminary Report ', in G Stemm & S Kingsley (eds) , Oceans Odyssey Oxbow Books, Oxford, pp. 159-190.
Bates, CR , Bates, M, Dix, J & Henstock, T 2009 , Transition Zone Mapping for Marine-Terrestrial Archaeological Continuity (Contiguous Palaeo-Landscape Reconstruction), vol. MALSF Project No. 4632, English Heritage.
Bates, M , Bates, CR , Gibbard, P, Keen, D, Parfitt, S, Peglar, S, Schwenninger, J, Wenban-Smith, F & Whittaker, J 2009, ' West Street, Selsey ', in R Briant, M Bates, R Hosfield & F Wenban-Smith (eds) , he Quaternary of the Solent Basin and West Sussex Raised Beaches: Field guide Quaternary Research Association, London.
Bates, M , Bates, CR , Bates, S, Jones, S, Schenninger, J, Walker, M & Whittaker, J 2009, ' Cold stage deposits of the West Sussex Coastal Plain: the evidence from Warblington, Hampshire ', in R Briant, M Bates, R Hosfield & F Wenban-Smith (eds) , The Quaternary of the Solent Basin and West Sussex Raised Beaches: Field Guide Quaternary Research Association, London, pp. 60-72.
Moore, CG , Bates, CR , Mair, JM, Saunders, GR, Harries, DB & Lyndon, AR 2009, ' Mapping serpulid worm reefs (Polychaeta: Serpulidae) for conservation management ', Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems , vol 19, no. 2, pp. 226-236.
Phillips, D & Bates, CR 2008, ' Geophysics and climate research: High resolution 2-D seismic surveys recorded at Lake Tana, Ethiopia - The source of the Blue Nile: SEG Technical Program Expanded Abstracts ', pp. 1328-1331.
Lynn, H, Simon, M & Bates, CR 2008, ' Fractures, azimuthal P-P, and shear-wave anisothropy ', The Leading Edge , vol 27, no. 5, pp. 696.
Bates, CR 2008, ' MAPPING DOGGERLAND: THE MESOLITHIC LANDSCAPES OF THE SOUTHERN NORTH SEA ', ARCHAEOLOGICAL PROSPECTION , vol 15, no. 3, pp. 239-240.
Bates, CR , Dean, M, Lawrence, M, Robertson, P, Tempera, F, Laird, S, Atallah, L & Rowland, C 2007 , Innovative approaches to Rapid Archaeological Site Surveying and Evaluation (RASSE), Unknown Publisher.
Mokeddem, Z, Baltzer, A, Clet-Pellerin, M, Walter-Simonnet, AV , Bates, CR , Balut, Y & Bonnot-Courtois, C 2007, ' Climatic fluctuations recorded in the sediment fillings of Loch Sunart (northwestern Scotland) since 20,000 BP. ', Comptes Rendus Geoscience , vol 339, no. 2, pp. 150-160.
Lamb, H , Bates, CR , Coombes, P, Marshall, M, Umer, M, Davies, S & Dejen, E 2007, ' Late Pleistocene desiccation of Lake Tana, the source of the Blue Nile ', Quaternary Science Reviews , vol 26, no. 3-4, pp. 287-299.
Bates, MR , Bates, CR & Whittaker, JE 2007, ' Mixed method approaches to the investigation and mapping of buried quaternary deposits: examples from southern England ', ARCHAEOLOGICAL PROSPECTION , vol 14, no. 2, pp. 104-129.
Bates, CR , Lamb, HF & Umer, M 2007, ' High-resolution seismic investigation of Lake Tana, northern Ethiopia ', NEAR SURFACE GEOPHYSICS , vol 5, pp. 243-250.
Dept. of Earth Sciences
Irving Building
University of St Andrews
St Andrews
KY16 9AL, Scotland UK
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