Professor Neil Loader

Professor, Geography

Telephone number

+44 (0) 1792 295546

Email address

Academic Office - 208
Second Floor
Wallace Building
Singleton Campus
Available For Postgraduate Supervision

About

I am a physical geographer with expertise in the development and application of stable isotope techniques for studying contemporary and palaeoenvironmental change. I specialise in the interrogation of natural archives (tree rings, peat, pollen etc.) to reconstruct climatic change beyond the period of instrumental observations and in the development of tree-ring isotope series for precision dating.

He leads the UK Oak Project, an inter-disciplinary research consortium dedicated to the scientific investigation of oak trees for precision dating, palaeoclimatology and an improved understanding of forest response to contemporary and future environmental change.

Areas Of Expertise

  • Stable isotope analysis of tree rings
  • Dendrochronology and dendroclimatology
  • Stable isotope dendrochronology
  • Environmental archaeology
  • Quaternary research
  • Technique development

Career Highlights

Teaching Interests
My teaching portfolio aims to inspire and engage students as they explore the physical environment, natural archives and proxies of past climate (peat, pollen, lake sediments, trees, historic records etc.) and environmental change through time. I actively promote experiential learning in physical geography, through fieldwork, laboratory practical classes, work experience placements and the dissertation modules. I teach physical geography courses from foundation- to Masters-level.
 
Recent collaboration with the Royal Meteorological Society (UK) has led to the development of a series of learning resources for schools on tree-rings, past weather and climate.
Research Award Highlights Collaborations