ABOUT MEI am Teaching Fellow at St John's College and a Research Associate and Tutor at the School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford. My research interests lie within understanding the dynamics of dryland systems, including environmental change, landscape dynamics and groundwater resources. I work within the Landscape Dynamics research cluster, the Oxford Water Futures Programme and the Oxford Luminescence Dating Laboratory. I am interested in these processes and dyanmics over a range of timescales and address two broad themes:
CURRENT RESEARCH PROJECTS1) Chemical Tracers as novel archives A) Rainfall in the desert sand  And thanks also to the British Society for Geomorphology, who have awarded me a small Reseach Grant, which completed funding for the first phase of fieldwork and laboratory analysis. The second phase of fieldwork starts in April, 2013, and will investigate whether geomorphological setting controls variations in the records preserved. Thanks to the Quaternary Research Association for funding towards this second phase. B) Palaeomoisture records in the Namib Desert I will be sampling dune profiles in the Namib with the aim of providing a moisture proxy using the chloride mass balance approach. This will be invaluable to answering questions about long term hydrological and environmental dynamics in the southern African subcontinent. 2) Quaternary environmental dynamics using geoproxies A) Casting new light on Quaternary environmental change in the Namib Desert. The application of optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) in the Namib Desert is casting new light on the nature and dynamics of late Quaternary environments in the region. See my paper in press in the Journal of Arid Environments, and chapter in The CHANGING DESERTS - Integrating people and their environments book. Have a look at the coverage on BBC Earth News, and
Oxford Uni news on the Oxford Deserts conference featuring pictures from my fieldwork in the
Namib Desert. B) Dating generations of dunes The Namib Dese  TEACHINGPrelims (first year) Physical Geography (Earth System Processes)
Prelims Geographical Techniques
Prelims Geographical Controversies.
Final Honours School Geographical Research Methods
I am also a tutor for the Quaternary Period and Dryland Environments special subjects for Final Honours School at the School of Geography and the Environment. | CURRENT NEWS Stone (2013) Age and dynamics of the Namib Sand Sea: a review of chronological evidence and possible landscape development models in the Journal of African Earth Sciences (2) More/extended Rain in the Desert Sand With funding from the Quaternary Research Association, and St John's College, I will return to the field in April, 2013 to collect samples from the Kalahari. These will improve the spatial picture/ reconstruction of groundwater recharge rates (from rainfall infilitrating through the Kalahari sediments). Watch this space for updates.. RECENT PUBLICATIONS4 most recent here, view publications page for more (and for copies of these publications please email me) Stone, A. E. C. (2013) Age and dynamics of the Namib Sand Sea: A review of chronological evidence and possible landscape development models. Journal of African Earth Sciences 82, 70-87. Stone, A. E. C. Edmunds, W. M. (2012) Sand, salt and water in the Stampriet Basin,Namibia: Calculating unsaturated zone (Kalahari dune-field) recharge using thechloride mass balance approach.Water SA 38(3), 367-377 Stone, A. E. C. and Bailey, R. M. (2012). The effect of single grain luminescence charateristics on single aliquot equivalent dose estimates. Quaternary Geochronology 11, 68-78. Stone, A. E. C., and Thomas, D. S. G. (2012) Casting new light on late Quaternary environmental and palaeohydrological change in the Namib Desert: A review of the application of optically stimulated luminescence in the region. Journal of Arid Environments (in press, corrected proofs) PUBLIC OUTREACH I prepared a FACT SHEET for visitors to the Kalahari Anib Lodge, Namibia (to whom we are very grateful for granting us permission to sample dunes). Dr Chris Brown, chairman of the Gondwana Collection environmental committee has developed this into a large tourist infomation board. LINKSInteresting links...  My colleauge Matt was contacted by these speed-seekers, who want to understand more about the composition of the pan surface in South Africa they plan to tear across with a hybrid rocket and Eurofighter-Typhoon jet engine! ZOOM...  Gobabeb - 50 years persistent research and fascination A wonderful place in the desert, hosting both SAAG and SAASQUA conferences in 2012. As part of the celebrations (and to honour Mary Seely's 70th Birthday) I have paper in JofAE. Useful Quaternary Science datasources can be found be obtained and downloaded from:
OTHER STUFF I enjoy playing sports taking photos and listening to new music, including local bands Stornaway and Little Fish,  and further flung artists, such as Mark Bethune.PHOTO OF THE MONTH Snowy St John's garden |
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