Stephan Toby

I am a PhD student in the sedimentology research group within the School of Environmental Sciences at the University of Liverpool. My research will focus on a fundamental aspect of stratigraphy: the presence of hierarchical organization and cyclicity at the full range of physical scales. Hierarchical cyclicity of this kind can be generated by autogenic process and allogenic processes. However, there is considerable ambiguity over what process dominates the stratigraphic record and under what conditions these processes dominate. The goal of my studentship is to elucidate the nature of clastic stratigraphic record, from the land-system to the marine-system. To do this, laboratory experiments and numerical experiments will be used to test a theoretical framework, which will then be applied to a field-scale sedimentary succession. 

Previous to this PhD, I completed a BSc and MSc in geology. The NERC DTP offers me a wide variety of opportunities to train both specific and transferable skills. This allows me to improve skills such as geophysical data analysis, computer modelling, sampling methods in the field and scientific communication. I will also help organizing a conference and spend a few months abroad for experiments.