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Department of Geography
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Available Research Projects

The Research Masters MA/MSc (MRes) is open to any student with a Bachelors degree (2:1 or first-class degree) in a science or social science subject. The MRes is suitable for students with a science, engineering, social science or an arts background. A list of available research projects is provided below.

You can also approach staff with your research ideas; your supervisor will support you to develop and refine your ideas. See Find a Supervisor for information about our staff and their research interests.

 

Mapping and Interpretation of Fluvial Archives

Project Supervisor: David Bridgland
map of a fluvial archive

A Postglacial Sea-Level Database for Alaska

Project Supervisor: Dr Simon Engelhart
Alaska Field Trip

Reconstructing relative sea level change along the coast of East Antarctica

Project Supervisors: Dr David Small and Prof Mike Bentley
A photo of Windmill Island

The co-evolution of landscape form and hydrological connectivity

Project Supervisors: Sim Reaney & Fiona Clubb
Dramatic landscape view of a lake and rolling hills

Communicating Flood Risk

project supervisors: Dr Jessica Lehman & Dr Sim Reaney
Flood risk

Reconstructing long-term impacts of climate change on Arctic reindeer herds

Lead Supervisor: Dr Helen Mackay
A snowmobile going across Arctic landscape

Diffuse pollution, land cover change and marine impacts

Project Supervisor: Sim Reaney
An Oil Rig in the Ocean

FinTech, Global Development and State Building

Project Supervisor: Prof Paul Langley
Fintech icon on an abstract financial background

Evidence for postglacial faulting in lake sediments from South Greenland

Lead supervisor(s): Dr Sarah Woodroffe
oastal lake in South Greenland that may contain evidence of an earthquake and tsunami in its sediments.

Terrestrial response to freshwater forcing around Greenland

Lead supervisor(s): Dr Sarah Woodroffe and Dr Paola Moffa-Sanchez
a lake in Greenland

Impacts of freshwater forcing on North Atlantic Circulation: Insights from the past

Lead supervisor: Dr Paola Moffa-Sanchez
North Atlantic freshwater

Quantitative reconstruction of Atlantic Water variability around the Greenland Ice Sheet

Lead supervisors: Dr Jerry Lloyd and Dr Paola Moffa-Sanchez
A boat in water with greenland in the distance

Debris flow erosion and sediment transport in the Cairngorms, Scottish Highlands

Lead supervisors: Dr. Fiona Clubb and Dr. Elizabeth Dingle
Debris flows supplying sediment to the River Feshie, Caingorms, Scotland

Crevasse evolution on glaciers observed from high-resolution DEMs

Lead supervisors: Dr Tom Chudley and Prof Chris Stokes
Aerial image showing crevasse extent

Unravelling the sources of sediment and contaminant accumulation in proglacial environments

Lead supervisor: Dr. Caroline Clason
Image of a proglacial landscape

Scales of morphological change in a gravel-bed river

Lead supervisor: Prof. Rebecca Hodge
Images of gravel bed rivers at different scales

Constraining the landscape evolution and past ice sheet behaviour of northeast Greenland

Lead supervisors: Dr Guy Paxman and Prof Dave Roberts
A digital elevation model of NE Greenland

Identifying fine-scale fractures on Antarctic ice shelves using remote sensing

Lead supervisors: Prof. Chris Stokes and Dr. Tom Chudley
Image showing Ice-shelf fracture in Antarctica

Machine learning approaches to automatically detect boulder distribution and transport in mountain rivers

Lead supervisors: Dr. Elizabeth Dingle and Dr. Patrice Carbonneau
Photograph of a mountain river by Dr. E. Dingle

 

 

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Research Masters

Our Research Masters provides an opportunity to develop your research expertise and advanced skills. Pursue your own top or collaborate on a project designed by a supervisor in our world-leading research environment.

Research Masters
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How to apply

Find out how to apply for a research degree at Durham, including information about writing a research proposal and the Postgraduate Applicant Portal.

How to apply
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Postgraduate Theses

We are always delighted to celebrate with our postgraduate students in their successes. Here we present recently published Masters and Doctoral theses produced by Durham Geography students.

Postgraduate Theses
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Research and Impact

We are a large department of human and physical geographers conducting world-leading research that addresses pressing social and environmental challenges.

Explore our research
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Social Sciences International Brochure

The stories presented in our International Brochure demonstrate sustained and positive engagement with international partners, particularly around work with social justice in society and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Our 8 departments have funded research projects on every continent.

Find out more in our International Brochure Postgraduate International Students

Contact Us

Founded in 1928, the Department of Geography at Durham University is one of the leading centres of geographical research and education in the world.

Department of Geography

Postgraduate Study
Durham University
Lower Mountjoy
South Road, Durham
DH1 3LE, UK
Tel: +44 (0)191 33418000

 

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