Helen Caughey
Doctoral Fellow
E-mail: helen.m.caughey@gmail.com
Phone: 01 708 6731
Address: Postgraduate Lab, 2nd Floor, Iontas Building, NUI Maynooth, Co. Kildare

Biography:

My academic career began in 2003 at the National University of Ireland, Maynooth where I completed a 3 year BA Honours degree in Media Studies and Geography graduating in 2006. I was awarded a First Class Honours degree and received the McLuhan Prize for the highest final year mark in the Media Theory component of my degree. In 2008, I completed a HDip in GIS and Applied Remote Sensing at NUI Maynooth graduating with a First and at the top of my class. Following the completion of my HDip, I began my PhD research in January 2009 based jointly between the Department of Geography and the National Centre for Geocomputation at NUI Maynooth. My research focuses on the reconstruction of the Quaternary Galtrim Moraine region of Ireland using geophysical and remote sensing techniques. I have a keen interest in teaching and learning and hold a PCTL (Professional Certificate in Teaching and Learning) awarded by NUI Maynooth. I am currently a geography tutor within the Geography department and have previous worked as a demonstrator also.

Research interests:

Geophysics, Remote Sensing, GIS, Paleoenvironments, Environmental Modelling, Quaternary Geology, Glaciation , Marine Geophysics .

Thesis (working) title:

An investigation of the Quaternary Galtrim Moraine and associated glacial landforms using remote sensing and geophysical techniques.

Description of PhD research:

The Quaternary evolutionary history of Ireland is still poorly understood in detail due largely to the lack of exposures which are generally limited to a few scattered gravel pits. The main study area for my research topic is based around the Galtrim Moraine, County Meath. This moraine represents an important depositional complex of the late Quaternary. The moraines in County Meath formed at the margins of the ice sheets, aligned mainly NE-SW, they marked the location of a temporarily stabilised ice margin. The moraine and esker systems associated with the Galtrim Moraine have really only been investigated from a glacial geomorphological point of view and only very limited geophysical investigations have been carried out on this esker and moraine complex. The reconstruction of the glacial evolution in this region and the subsequent deglacial processes are greatly constrained because of the lack of three-dimensional morphology for this area and furthermore because sedimentalogical studies have not been conducted in this area due to lack of exposure. However, more and more of the eskers and moraines in this area are now being exposed due to the extensive quarrying taking place in and around these areas in Co. Meath and Co. Kildare. Due to this fact it seems even more pertinent that these investigations be carried out now as much of this quaternary landscape is being removed and in certain areas little remains of the glacial history. These landscapes are important as the study of them can provide details about paleoenvironmental and climatic conditions which can be used to predict modern behaviour and cycles. It is widely accepted that previously glaciated regions can act as a proxy for trying to understand and process the events taking place under and within modern ice masses in the likes of Greenland and Antarctica.

Supervisors:

Dr. Paul Gibson

Scholarships:

John and Pat Hume Scholarship, 2009 - 2012
StratAG (Strategic Research in Advanced Geotechnologies) Grant

Presentations:

"Introduction to my PhD." Department of Geography Lunchtime Seminar Series; NUI Maynooth, 27th April 2009.

"An Investigation of the Quaternary Galtrim Moraine; an Introduction." Irish (Geography) Postgraduate Training Consortium; UCC Cork, 14th May 2009.

"An investigation of the Quaternary Galtrim moraine and associated glacial landforms using remote sensing and geophysical techniques." Irish Earth Observation Symposium; Geological Survey of Ireland, 12th November 2009.

An investigation of the Quaternary Galtrim moraine and associated glacial landforms using remote sensing and geophysical techniques. National Centre for Geocomputation Internal Seminar Series; NUI Maynooth, 17th December 2009.

"Developing a statistical methodology to improve classification and mapping of seabed type from deep water Multi-Beam Echo Sounder (MBES) data." 18th Annual GIS Research UK Conference (GISRUK), , University College London, 15th April 2010.

Poster presentations:

Caughey, H. (2009) Recreating an Icy Past: Modelling the Quaternary Galtrim Moraine. Poster session presented at: 5th ESA Earth Observation Summer School on Earth System Monitoring & Modelling, 2nd - 13th August 2010, European Space Agency Centre for Earth Observation, Frascati, Italy. (http://earth.eo.esa.int/eosummerschool/envschool_2010/posters.html#Helen...)

Harris, P., Caughey, H., Ahmed, K.I., Hung, P., Monteys, X., Demšar, U., McLoone, S., O'Toole, R., and Fotheringham, A.S. (2009) Large-scale geo-acoustic characterisation of multi-beam echosounder backscatter and bathymetry data in Irish deep waters. Poster session presented at: 3rd Annual Irish Earth Observation Symposium, 12 - 13th November 2009, Geological Survey of Ireland, Dublin.

Publications:

Caughey, H., Ahmed, K.I., Harris, P., Hung, P., Demšar, U., McLoone, S., Fotheringham, A.S., Monteys, X. and O'Toole, R. (2010). Developing a Statistical Methodology to Improve Classification and Mapping of Seabed Type from Deep Water Multi-Beam Echo Sounder (MBES) Data, Proceedings of the GIS Research UK 18th Annual Conference, University College London.

Ahmed, K.I., Caughey, H., Hung, H., Harris, P., Demšar, U., McLoone, S., Fotheringham, A.S., Monteys, X. and O'Toole, R., (2010) Classification and Mapping of Seabed Type from Deep Water Multi-Beam Echosounder (MBES) Data, Proceedings of GIScience 2010, Switzerland.

Teaching:

1st Year Geography Tutor, NUI Maynooth, 2009 - 2010
2nd Year Geography Demonstrator, NUI Maynooth, 2009-2010

Summer Schools:

5th ESA Earth Observation Summer School on Earth System Monitoring and Modelling, 2-13th August 2010, ESA-ESRIN, Frascati (Rome), Italy.

Membership of professional bodies:

EAGE, European Association of Geoscientists and Engineers.
IQUA, Irish Quaternary Association.
GSI, Geographical Society of Ireland.

Achievements:

Graduate Studies Office "Three Minute Gong Competition"; 1st Place - Faculty of Social Sciences, June 2010.

Presidents Award for Writing, "Creativity and Innovation in Research"; 1st Place - Faculty of Social Sciences, May 2009.