Dr Stephen Livingstone

Research Interests

My research interests are in reconstructing ice sheets and their dynamics from geological and geophysical evidence in both marine and terrestrial environments. These can be summarised as follows:

1. Reconstructing the Late Quaternary history and dynamics of the last British-Irish Ice Sheet
2. The identification and investigation of landform-sediment assemblages and physical processes at the bed of palaeo-ice streams and the controls governing their retreat
3. The prediction, identification and investigation of palaeo-subglacial lakes

Current research

I am a NERC Fellow working on a project to predict and investigate palaeo-subglacial lakes. The study will utilise GIS and numerical ice-sheet modelling to predict where subglacial lakes may have occurred under former ice sheets and then the identification and evaluation of these former lakes using sedimentological, stratigraphic and geomorphological techniques.

Key Publications

Journals

• Jamieson, S.S.R., Vieli, A., Livingstone, S.J., Ó Cofaigh, C., Stokes, C.R., Hillenbrand, C.-D. and Dowdeswell, J.A. (2012, in press). Ice-stream stability on a reverse bed slope. Nature Geoscience.
  doi:10.1038/ngeo1600
• Livingstone, S.J., Clark, C.D., Piotrowski, J.A., Bentley, M.J., Tranter, M.J. and Hodson, A. (2012). Theoretical framework and diagnostic criteria for the identification of palaeo-subglacial lakes. Quaternary Science Reviews, 53, 88-110.
  doi:10.1016/j.quascirev.2012.08.010
• Livingstone, S.J., Ó Cofaigh, C., Stokes, C.R., Hillenbrand, C.-D., Vieli, A. and Jamieson, S.S.R. (2012). Antarctic palaeo-ice streams. Earth-Science Reviews. Earth-Science Reviews, 111(1-2), 90–128.
  doi:10.1016/j.earscirev.2011.10.003
• Livingstone, S.J., Evans, D.J.A.,Ó Cofaigh, C., Davies, B.J., Merritt, J.W., Huddart, D., Mitchell, W.A., Roberts, D.H. and Yorke, L. (2012). Glaciodynamics of the central sector of the last British–Irish Ice Sheet in Northern England. Earth-Science Reviews, 111(1-2), 25-55.
  doi:10.1016/j.earscirev.2011.12.006
• Livingstone, S.J., Evans, D.J.A. and Ó Cofaigh, C. (2010). Re-advance of Scottish Ice into the Solway Lowlands (Cumbria, UK) during the Main Late Devensian deglaciation. Quaternary Science Reviews, 29(19-20), 2544-2570.
  doi:10.1016/j.quascirev.2010.04.007
• Livingstone, S.J., Ó Cofaigh, C., Evans, D.J.A. and Palmer, A. (2010). Sedimentary evidence for a major glacial oscillation and proglacial lake formation in the Solway Lowlands (Cumbria, UK) during Late Devensian deglaciation. Boreas, 39(3), 505-527.
  doi:10.1111/j.1502-3885.2010.00149.x
• Livingstone, S.J., Evans, D.J.A., Ó Cofaigh, C. and Hopkins, J. (2010). The Brampton Kame Belt and Pennine Escarpment meltwater channel system (Cumbria, UK): Morphology, Sedimentology and Formation. Proceedings of the Geologists Association, 121(4), 423-443.
  doi:10.1016/j.pgeola.2009.10.005
• Livingstone, S. J., Ó Cofaigh, C. and Evans, D. J. A. (2010). A major ice drainage pathway of the last British-Irish Ice Sheet: the Tyne Gap, northern England. Journal of Quaternary Science, 25(3), 354-370.
  doi:10.1002/jqs.1341
• Evans, D.J.A, Livingstone, S.J., Vieli, A. and Ó Cofaigh, C. (2009). The palaeoglaciology of the central sector of the British and Irish Ice Sheet: reconciling glacial geomorphology and preliminary ice sheet modelling. Quaternary Science Reviews, 28(7-8), 739-757.
  doi:10.1016/j.quascirev.2008.05.011
• Livingstone, S.J., Ó Cofaigh, C. and Evans, D.J.A. (2008). The glacial geomorphology of the central sector of the British-Irish Ice Sheet. Journal of Maps, v2008, 358-377.
  doi:10.4113/jom.2008.1032

Edited Books

• Livingstone, S.J., Evans, D.J.A. & Ó Cofaigh, C. (2010). Quaternary of the Solway Lowlands and Pennine Escarpment. QRA Field Guide.