Laura Hepburn: My research
Hello to all of you that are joining us for the latest run of the ‘Exploring our Oceans’ MOOC. I am currently just finishing a PhD in Geochemistry at the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton, during which I have taken part in the exciting ChEsSO project (http://www.noc.soton.ac.uk/chess/science/chesso.html) that has been successfully exploring the Southern Ocean for new hydrothermal vent sites over the last few years. You’ll be hearing much more about deep-sea exploration in Week 5 of the MOOC, so stay tuned to hear all about our ocean adventures and the equipment and technology that we use to explore the deepest ocean depths.
If you are not familiar with the term ‘hydrothermal vent’ take a look at Abbie’s excellent research blog post where she describes what a hydrothermal vent is, how it forms, and why it is so important that we study the bizarre animals that live on and around these awesome structures.
My PhD is focussed on the metal-rich sediments that we find underneath the hydrothermal vents themselves. Have a look at this image of a vent discovered during one of the first ChEsSO cruises:
Can you see the black ‘smoke’ billowing out of the top? This ‘smoke’ is in fact hot water (up to 400°C in temperature) that is full of metal! The black colour comes from lots of tiny particles of metal sulfides that fall out of the plume of black smoke onto the seabed beneath. Over time these particles accumulate and form large metal-rich deposits, full of iron, lead, zinc, copper, and precious metals like silver and gold. One of the reasons why we study hydrothermal vent sediments and other deposits is to evaluate whether or not the metal ore is worth mining from these systems – you will be hearing much more about deep-sea mining in week 6. My research uses Sulfur isotopes to work out where the sediment material has come from and whether there are any signs of biological activity within the sediments themselves. I’ll be talking about Sulfur isotopes and deep-sea sediments in much more detail over the following weeks, so be sure to follow all of the MOOC mentors if you want to hear more about our individual research projects.
I have always had an interest in Oceanography. I know that I am very fortunate in this respect as it means that I have had a very clear career path since A-levels. I studied Maths, Chemistry, and Biology to A-level and Physics to AS-level, which enabled me to study for a 4-year Master of Oceanography degree at the university of Southampton. Following my degree, I worked as a Geochemistry technician at the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton (NOCS), which equipped me with the laboratory skills that I have needed to complete my PhD at NOCS. I really enjoy my job and know that I am very fortunate to be doing something that I love, especially since it gives me the opportunity to interact with lots of different people from lots of different backgrounds. I am excited to be a part of this MOOC and look forward to hearing from you all!