Fred Worrall
@fredworrall.bsky.social
640 followers 600 following 31 posts

Prof of Environmental Chemistry, Dept of Earth Sciences, University of Durham, UK.

Environmental science 66%
Geography 17%
Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

fredworrall.bsky.social
What will be the impact of decarbonisation and the adoption of hydrogen power on water demand? New study by us and colleagues from Durham Engineering link.springer.com/article/10.1... @durhamearthsci.bsky.social

fredworrall.bsky.social
We have grown a squash outside in the north east of England - he is called Pascal. Pascal is a magic squash plant as we have never ever planted any squash plants.

fredworrall.bsky.social
Never been in to The Royal Institution before. @durhamearthsci.bsky.social

fredworrall.bsky.social
For a peat to form you don't just need wet conditions you also need stagnant conditions
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Our new study follows the thermodynamic profiles to show how fens and bogs significantly differ in when they become closed. @durhamearthsci.bsky.social

fredworrall.bsky.social
When we say sphagnum carpet I am not sure that you are supposed to be able to pick it up and fold it. This year's Sphagnum pioneers at Hatfield form a mat that dries out and detaches in ephemeral ponds. @durhamearthsci.bsky.social

fredworrall.bsky.social
The World Peatland project team at Leicester Science Park having just finished our today workshop @durhamearthsci.bsky.social

fredworrall.bsky.social
Happy birthday England, 1098 years young today.

fredworrall.bsky.social
Great to be back on nerd camp #grc #catchment GRC catchment science conference @durhamearthsci.bsky.social

fredworrall.bsky.social
Thanks to Michel Bechtold @michelbechtold.bsky.social for including our data from Hatfield Moors in this study to trial satellite methods for monitoring peat water tables @durhamearthsci.bsky.social

fredworrall.bsky.social
I have discovered that at egu #EGU20×5 you can have your evening beers out on the balcony

fredworrall.bsky.social
Proper EGU #egu2025. Vegan schnitzel, vegan beer and coding

Reposted by Fred Worrall

geologytalk.bsky.social
Last min packing chaos for #EGU25 as one of the artists in residence!

It’s my first ever time at #EGU (throwing myself in at the deep end)… please come say hi and talk to me 🤗
helenczerski.bsky.social
Spring reminder, as people start to think about gardening: NEVER buy compost with peat it in (inexplicably still on sale). If it does not say "peat free" in big letters, do not buy it. Peat is incredibly valuable in peat bogs, for rare biodiversity and as a carbon store. Don't put it on your garden!

fredworrall.bsky.social
Teaching soil science I have never liked the possible acronyms for the factors controlling soil formation and so I invented my own - the claret carrot - could not find find a claret coloured carrot or a carrot toasting with claret. @durhamearthsci.bsky.social

fredworrall.bsky.social
Peatland restoration not keeping up - our new method for mapping peat health
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... British peats have seen revegetation (increased albedo), but not as fast as we should expect given controls and climate change. @durhamearthsci.bsky.social @ordnancesurvey.bsky.social

fredworrall.bsky.social
Doing fieldwork on bogs of the Pennines you expect to get wet and cold, but you don't expect to become a cat rescuer. Found abandoned on the Pennine Way - we named her Marsden - now with RSPCA vet. @durhamearthsci.bsky.social

fredworrall.bsky.social
Thank you to Andrea Kelly from Broads Authority for making it possible for us to go peat coring in the Broads today. @durhamearthsci.bsky.social

fredworrall.bsky.social
Flooded, frozen-over stream - let me just check the field site risk assessment - nope, no mention of flooded frozen streams on that form and so must be safe to wade in.

fredworrall.bsky.social
I had planned for snow and ice but not for the thaw. Under there is reported to be the earthly remains of a raised bog @durhamearthsci.bsky.social

Reposted by Fred Worrall

coastalcarbon.bsky.social
📣New Competition Funded @iapetusdtp.bsky.social PhD Opportunity

Deadline: 3rd of January 2025

The project will be co-supervised by myself, @fredworrall.bsky.social and Jessica Elise (Natural England).

Project Outline: tinyurl.com/7nvsmc53

How to apply: iapetus2.ac.uk/how-to-apply/

fredworrall.bsky.social
So what does change down a peat profile? Only consistent change across 13 locations was change in degree of unsaturation - formation of double bonds
bsssjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/... Peat soils move from biomass composition to lignin-like composition @durhamearthsci.bsky.social

fredworrall.bsky.social
How do peats form? Compaction, degradation leading to higher water tables and greater bulk density - right? No bsssjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/... 22 cores and never saw bulk density increase with depth: density profiles reflect contemporary conditions @durhamearthsci.bsky.social

fredworrall.bsky.social
Thank you to AGU convention centre #agu2024 for providing washrooms specifically for Englishmen, i.e. those of us wearing a tie and carrying a cricket bat

fredworrall.bsky.social
H13V 04, come to hear about Bayesian network analysis of rivers. Room 150A at 1440. #Agu2024

fredworrall.bsky.social
Always a privilege to be here #agu2024 and excited for when this gets full tomorrow and I can wander through science to my nerdy content @durhamearthsci.bsky.social