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Becky Briant

Positions held:
  • Professor of Quaternary Science, School of Social Sciences
  • Royal Society Industry Fellow 2024-2026, partnering with Jacobs; School of Social Sciences
Email
  • Overview

    Overview

    Biography

    Professor Becky Briant joined ÌÇÐÄlogoÈë¿Ú in December 2008. Since arriving, she has started the MSc in Climate Change, served as Programme Director for multiple MSc and BSc programmes, as Research Director and REF UoA lead for Geography and as Assistant Dean for Research in the School of Social Sciences, History and Philosophy.

    Ìý

    She is currently Co-Director of the ÌÇÐÄlogoÈë¿Ú Research Centre for Environment and Sustainability, encouraging and establishing interdisciplinary research projects and building partnerships with external partners through knowledge exchange activities.

    Ìý

    Prior to joining ÌÇÐÄlogoÈë¿Ú, Becky held Lectureships at Queen Mary, University of London and King's College, London and a postdoctoral position at the University of Wales Trinity St David in Lampeter.

    Highlights

    • Royal Society Industry Fellow 2024-2026:ÌýQuaternary geology for the low-carbon transition

    • Briant, R.M., Bates, M.R., Robertson, J., Schwenninger, J-L., Whittaker, J.E., 2024. Indicative meanings of geological sea-level indicators in the Solent region and Sussex coast (south coast of England) and implications for uplift rates. Journal of the Geological Society of London. jgs2023-120. Available from: https://www.lyellcollection.org/doi/pdf/10.1144/jgs2023-120.

    • Briant, R.M., Briant, R.M., Jotheri, J., Al-Ameri, I., Ahmed, A., Bateman, M.D., Engels, S., Garzanti, E., Nymark, A., Reynolds, T.E., 2024. Disentangling late quaternary fluvial and climatic drivers of palaeohydrological change in the Najaf Sea basin, Western Iraq. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, 1–17. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.5779.

    Office hours

    Office hours are 4-5 pm online. Call me on Teams whilst logged in as a ÌÇÐÄlogoÈë¿Ú student.

    Web profiles

    Administrative responsibilities

    • Co-Director, ÌÇÐÄlogoÈë¿Ú Research Centre for Environment and Sustainability

    Professional memberships

    • Quaternary Research Association

    • British Society for Geomorphology

    • Royal Geographical Society

    ORCID

  • Research

    Research

    Research interests

    • Quaternary fluvial systems
    • Landscape evolution - field and modelling data
    • Landscape development in the Middle East
    • Geochronology
    • Application of Quaternary understanding to ground engineering

    Research overview

    I am an expert in Quaternary palaeoenvironments, with particular interests in sediment dating methods (OSL, radiocarbon), fluvial sequences and integrating geological data with numerical modelling.

    Since 2020, I have been collaborating with academics, industry, geoarchaeologists and Government bodies such as the British Geological Survey to build collaborations and common ways of working. From 2024, during my Royal Society Industry Fellowship I have been working on four different research projects with Jacobs colleagues, as well as offering advice on multiple other projects.Ìý

    Since 2017, I have been working with Iraqi colleagues (Dr Ismael Al-Ameri from the University of Baghdad; Dr Jaafar Jotheri from the University of Al Qasidiyah) to investigate the Holocene history of both the Arabian Gulf (Al Ameri and Briant, 2019) and, more recently, the Najaf Sea (Briant et al., 2024).

    Research Centres and Institutes

    Research projects

    Bahr Al-Najaf: Assessing Palaeolithic potential in Southern Iraq.

    Quaternary Geology supporting the low-carbon transition.

    Quaternary Engineering Research Group

  • Supervision and teaching

    Supervision and teaching

    Supervision

    I welcome enquiries from prospective PhD students interested in projects relating to my research interests.

    Specific funded projects can be found listed on theÌýTREES DLA website:Ìý

    Teaching

    I am currently on a reduced teaching load and in 2026/26 am acting as Programme Director for the BSc Environment and Sustainability in addition to the modules listed below.

    Teaching modules

    • Dynamic Environments
    • Urban Sustainability
    • Environmental Science for Environmental Management
    • Environmental Processes
  • Publications

    Publications

    Article

    • Briant, Rebecca M. and Fish, P. and Greeves, S. and Hadlow, N. and Hill, T. and Hunt, S. and Penkman, K. and White, T. and Whittaker, J. (2026) . Journal of the Geological Society 183 (5), ISSN 0016-7649.
    • Briant, Rebecca M. and Ascough, P. and Brock, F. and Smith, D. (2025) . Environmental Archaeology ISSN 1461-4103.
    • Langford, Harry and Bateman, M. and Briant, Rebecca M. and Horne, D. and Knudsen, K.L. and Penkman, K. and Wheeler, L. and Whittaker, J. (2025) . Journal of Quaternary Science ISSN 0267-8179.
    • Langford, Harry and Bateman, M. and Briant, Rebecca M. and Horne, D. (2025) . Journal of Quaternary Science ISSN 0267-8179.
    • Briant, Rebecca M. and Jotheri, J. and Al-Ameri, Ismael and Ahmad, A. and Bateman, M. and Engels, Stefan and Garzanti, E. and Nymark, A. and Reynolds, Tim (2024) . Earth Surface Processes and Landforms ISSN 0197-9337.
    • Briant, Rebecca M. and Bates, M.R. and Robertson, J. and Schwenninger, J.-L. and Whittaker, J.E. (2024) . Journal of the Geological Society ISSN 0016-7649.
    • Briant, Rebecca M. and Whiteman, C. and Haggart, B.A. and Bridgland, D.R. and Egberts, E. and Grant, M.J. and Hatch, M. and Knowles, P.G. and Schreve, D. and Toms, P.S. and Wenban-Smith, F. and White, M. (2024) . Proceedings of the Geologists' Association ISSN 0016-7878.
    • Briant, Rebecca M. and Whiteman, C. and Haggart, B.A. (2024) . Proceedings of the Geologists' Association ISSN 0016-7878.
    • Briant, Rebecca M. and Haggart, B.A. and Schreve, D. and Whiteman, C.A. (2022) . Proceedings of the Geologists Association ISSN 0016-7878.
    • Al Ameri, I.D.S. and Briant, Rebecca M. and Engels, Stefan (2019) . Weather 74 (12), pp. 416-426. ISSN 1477-8696.
    • Meschis, Marco and Roberts, Gerald P. and Robertson, Jenni and Briant, Rebecca M. (2018) . Tectonics 37 (5), pp. 1231-1255. ISSN 0278-7407.
    • Briant, Rebecca M. and Brock, F. and DeMarchi, B. and Langford, H.E. and Penkman, K.E.H. and Schreve, D.C. and Schwenninger, J.-L. and Taylor, S. (2018) . Quaternary Geochronology 43, pp. 40-49. ISSN 18711014.
    • Briant, Rebecca M. and Bates, M.R. and Boreham, S. and Cameron, N.G. and Coope, G.R. and Field, M.H. and Hatch, B.M. and Holmes, J.A. and Keen, D.H. and Kilfeather, A.A. and Penkman, K.E.H. and Simons, R.M.J. and Schwenninger, J.-L. and Wenban-Smith, F.F. and Whitehouse, N.J. and Whittaker, J.E. (2018) . Proceedings of the Geologists Association ISSN 0016-7878.
    • Briant, Rebecca M. and Cohen, K. and Cordier, S. and Demoulin, A. and Macklin, M. and Mather, A. and Rixhon, G. and Veldkamp, A. and Wainwright, J. and Whittaker, A. and Wittmann-Oelze, H. (2018) . Earth Surface Processes and Landforms 43 (4), pp. 2964-6980. ISSN 0197-9337.
    • Briant, Rebecca M. and Wainwright, J. and Maddy, D. (2018) . Geomorphology 323, pp. 106-122. ISSN 0169-555X.
    • Al Ameri, Ismael and Briant, Rebecca M. (2018) . Journal of African Earth Sciences 152, pp. 1-9. ISSN 1464-343X.
    • Rixhon, G. and Briant, Rebecca M. and Cordier, S. and Duval, M. and Jones, A. and Scholz, D. (2017) . Quaternary Science Reviews 166, pp. 91-113. ISSN 0277-3791.
    • Hatch, M. and Davis, R.J. and Lewis, S.G. and Ashton, N. and Lukas, S. and Briant, Rebecca M. (2017) . Proceedings of the Geologists' Association 128 (2), pp. 198-221. ISSN 0016-7878.
    • Chauhan, P. and Bridgland, D. and Moncel, M.-H. and Antoine, P. and Bahain, J.-J. and Briant, Rebecca M. and Cunha, P. and Locht, J.-L. and Martins, A. and Schreve, D. and Shaw, A. and Voinchet, P. and Westaway, R. and White, M. and White, T. and Limondin-Lozouet, N. and Despriée, J. (2017) . Quaternary Science Reviews 166, pp. 114-149. ISSN 0277-3791.
    • Cordier, S. and Briant, Rebecca M. and Bridgland, D. and Herget, J. and Maddy, D. and Mather, A. and Vandenberghe, J. (2017) . Quaternary Science Reviews 166, pp. 1-9. ISSN 0277-3791.
    • Langford, Harold and Boreham, S. and Briant, Rebecca M. and Coope, G.R. and Horne, D. and Penkman, K.E.H. and Schreve, D. and Whitehouse, N. and Whittaker, J. (2017) . Journal of the Geological Society 174 (6), pp. 988-1003. ISSN 0016-7649.
    • Mann, Sarah and Briant, Rebecca M. and Gibin, Maurizio (2014) . Local Environment 19 (8), pp. 837-867. ISSN 1354-9839.
    • Langford, Harry and Boreham, S. and Briant, Rebecca M. and Coope, G.R. and Horne, D.J. and Schreve, D.C. and Whittaker, J.E. and Whitehouse, N.J. (2014) . Quaternary International 341, pp. 6-26. ISSN 1040-6182.
    • Roberts, Gerald P. and Meschis, M. and Houghton, S. and Underwood, Charlie J. and Briant, Rebecca M. (2013) . Quaternary Science Reviews 78, pp. 169-187. ISSN 0277-3791.
    • Briant, Rebecca M. and Kilfeather, A.A. and Parfitt, S. and Penkman, K.E.H. and Preece, R.C. and Roe, H.M. and Schwenninger, J.L. and Wenban-Smith, F.F. and Whittaker, J.E. (2012) . Proceedings of the Geologists' Association 123 (1), pp. 87-108. ISSN 0016-7878.
    • Briant, Rebecca M. and Bates, M.R. and Marshall, G.D. and Schwenninger, J.L. and Wenban-Smith, F.F. (2012) . Proceedings of the Geologists' Association 123 (3), pp. 438-449. ISSN 0016-7878.
    • Roe, H.M. and Penkman, K.E.H. and Preece, R.C. and Briant, Rebecca M. and Wenban-Smith, F.F. (2011) . Proceedings of the Geologists' Association 122 (3), pp. 397-418. ISSN 0016-7878.
    • Bates, M.R. and Briant, Rebecca M. and Rhodes, E.J. and Schwenninger, J.L. and Whittaker, J.E. (2010) . Proceedings of the Geologists' Association 121 (4), pp. 369-392. ISSN 0016-7878.
    • Briant, Rebecca M. and Bateman, M.D. (2009) . Journal of Quaternary Science 24 (8), pp. 916-927. ISSN 0267-8179.
    • Briant, Rebecca M. and Gibbard, P.L. and Boreham, S. and Coope, G.R. and Preece, R.C. (2008) . Geological Society, London, Special Publication 296 (1), pp. 79-104. ISSN 0305-8719.
    • Bates, M.R. and Bates, C.R. and Briant, Rebecca M. (2007) . Journal of Archaeological Science 34 (9), pp. 1537-1551. ISSN 0305-4403.
    • Gao, C. and Boreham, S. and Gibbard, P.L. and Preece, R.C. and Briant, Rebecca M. (2007) . Sedimentary Geology 202 (1-2), pp. 193-210. ISSN 0037-0738.
    • Langford, H.E. and Bateman, M.D. and Penkman, K.E.H. and Boreham, S. and Briant, Rebecca M. and Coope, G.R. and Keen, D.H. (2007) . Proceedings of the Geologists' Association 118 (3), pp. 238-300. ISSN 0016-7878.
    • Briant, Rebecca M. and Bates, M.R. and Schwenninger, J.-L. and Wenban-Smith, F.F. (2006) . Journal of Quaternary Science 21 (5), pp. 507-523. ISSN 0267-8179.
    • Briant, Rebecca M. and Bates, M.R. and Boreham, S. and Wenban-Smith, F.F. and Whittaker, J. (2006) . Quaternary Newsletter 108, pp. 43-51. ISSN 0143-2826.
    • Briant, Rebecca M. and Bateman, M.D. and Coope, G.R. and Gibbard, P.L. (2005) . Sedimentology 52 (6), pp. 1397-1424. ISSN 0037-0746.
    • Briant, Rebecca M. and Coope, G.R. and Preece, R.C. and Gibbard, P.L. (2004) . Quaternaire 15, pp. 5-15. ISSN 1142-2904.
    • Briant, Rebecca M. and Coope, G.R. and Preece, R.C. and Keen, D.H. and Boreham, S. and Griffiths, H.I. and Seddon, M.B. and Gibbard, P.L. (2004) . Journal of Quaternary Science 19 (5), pp. 479-495. ISSN 0267-8179.
    • Van Huissteden, J. and Gibbard, P.L. and Briant, Rebecca M. (2001) . Quaternary International 79 (1), pp. 75-88. ISSN 1040-6182.
    • Briant, Rebecca M. and Rose, J. and Branch, N.P. and Lee, J.A. (1999) . Bulletin of the Geological Society of Norfolk 49, pp. 15-47. ISSN 0143-9286.

    Book

    • Briant, Rebecca M. and Bates, M.R. and Hosfield, R.T. and Wenban-Smith, F.F., eds. (2009) . QRA Field guides. pp. 21-41. London, UK: Quaternary Research Association. ISBN 9780907780793.
    • Langford, Harry and Briant, Rebecca M., eds. (2004) . Quaternary Research Association. ISBN 9780907780649.

    Book section

    • Bates, M.R. and Briant, Rebecca M. (2009) . In: Briant, Rebecca M. and Bates, M.R. and Hosfield, R.T. and Wenban-Smith, F.F. (eds.) The Quaternary of The Solent Basin and West Sussex Raised Beaches. QRA Field guides. London, UK: Quaternary Research Association. pp. 21-41. ISBN 9780907780793.
    • Briant, Rebecca M. and Wenban-Smith, F.F. and Schwenninger, J.L. (2009) . In: Briant, Rebecca M. and Bates, M.R. and Hosfield, R.T. and Wenban-Smith, F.F. (eds.) The Quaternary of The Solent Basin and West Sussex Raised Beaches. QRA Field guides. London, UK: Quaternary Research Association. pp. 161-170. ISBN 9780907780793.
    • Briant, Rebecca M. and Bates, M.R. and Boreham, S. and Cameron, N.G. and Coupe, G.R. (2009) . In: Briant, Rebecca M. and Bates, M.R. and Hosfield, R.T. and Wenban-Smith, F.F. (eds.) The Quaternary of The Solent Basin and West Sussex Raised Beaches. QRA Field guides. London, UK: Quaternary Research Association. pp. 171-188. ISBN 9780907780793.
    • Briant, Rebecca M. and Schwenninger, J.L. (2009) . In: Briant, Rebecca M. and Bates, M.R. and Hosfield, R.T. and Wenban-Smith, F.F. (eds.) The Quaternary of The Solent Basin and West Sussex Raised Beaches. QRA Field guides. London, UK: Quaternary Research Association. pp. 189-188. ISBN 9780907780793.
    • Langford, Harry and Briant, Rebecca M. (2004) . In: Langford, Harry and Briant, Rebecca M. (eds.) Nene Valley: Field Guide. Quaternary Research Association. pp. 22-35. ISBN 9780907780649.
    • Briant, Rebecca M. and Coope, G.R. and Bateman, M.D. (2004) . In: Langford, Harry and Briant, Rebecca M. (eds.) Nene Valley: Field Guide. Quaternary Research Association. pp. 130-144. ISBN 9780907780649.
    • Briant, Rebecca M. and Coope, G.R. and Bateman, M.D. and Griffiths, H.I. (2004) . In: Langford, Harry and Briant, Rebecca M. (eds.) Nene Valley: Field Guide. Quaternary Research Association. pp. 116-129. ISBN 9780907780649.

    Editorial

    • Briant, Rebecca M. and Bridgland, D. and Cordier, S. and Rixhon, G. and Van Balen, R. (2019) . Quaternary Research 91 (2), pp. 453-456. Cambridge Journals. ISSN 0033-5894.

    Monograph

    • Bates, M.R. and Wenban-Smith, F. and Briant, Rebecca M. and Bates, C.R. (2007) . Archaeology Data Service.

    Other

    • Briant, Rebecca and Rose, J. (2026) . Rebecca Briant.
  • Business and community

    Business and community

    Services

    • Consultancies and expert advice

      I can provide Pleistocene geological and geoarchaeological expertise for site-based investigations, both at desk-study stage and on site. I also provide soft sediment (non-glacial) thin-section analysis and mollusc and plant macrofossil identification and interpretation.