Christine S. Lane
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chslane.bsky.social
Christine S. Lane
@chslane.bsky.social
950 followers 700 following 170 posts
Geography Prof of tephra at Uni Cambridge. Thinks & teaches about Quaternary environments, volcanic ash and field/lab skills. She/her. 🧪🌍🌋⚒️
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chslane.bsky.social
📣 Studying tephra in archaeology?
Then submit an abstract to our #tephratastic session at the European Association for Archaeologists #EAAs in Athens this summer. 🌋🏛️ Session #203 “Advances in Tephrochronology for Archaeological Research”.
👉5th Feb deadline👈
More info: bit.ly/3LCcuyy
Session abstract: Tephrochronology is one of the most effective tools for building precise and independent chronological frameworks that link archaeological, palaeoenvironmental, and geological archives. By relating tephra layers to eruptive events, it establishes isochrons – time-synchronous surfaces that enable stratigraphic sequences to be correlated across regions with exceptional precision. In recent years, the study of cryptotephra – fine-grained (<125 μm) volcanic glass shards preserved in sediments far from their source – has profoundly expanded the potential of this approach. The identification and geochemical fingerprinting of these invisible ash layers now allow long-distance correlations, extending the applicability of tephrochronology to regions and contexts once considered beyond its reach. This session focuses on how the integration of tephra studies into archaeological research is transforming our ability to correlate, date, and interpret the complex relationships between human activity, archaeological cultures, landscape evolution, and volcanic events across space and time. By bringing together examples from different regions and periods—from prehistoric to historical contexts—the session will highlight the diversity of applications and the growing analytical precision that characterise this rapidly evolving field. We welcome contributions demonstrating how both visible tephra and cryptotephra layers have been used to refine archaeological chronologies, synchronise cultural and environmental sequences, or strengthen the chronological control of multiproxy datasets. Methodological and case-study papers are equally encouraged, especially those integrating tephrochronology with geoarchaeological and palaeoenvironmental methods such as micromorphology, sedimentology, and palaeoecological analyses. Research from regions traditionally considered “tephra-poor”, where cryptotephra discoveries are revealing new temporal anchors, is particularly welcome.
January 12, 2026 at 8:25 PM
chslane.bsky.social
#Tephratastic PhD alert!!
Study the record of volcanism hidden in the sediments of Lake Ohrid with the brilliant @pgalbert.bsky.social…and even better, you’d live on the Welsh coastline 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🌊☀️
Bad news: deadline is Monday 12th Jan!! 🧑‍💻

More info: bit.ly/4pu3FVu
A screenshot of the title of a PhD project: “New insights into the timing and scale of past Mediterranean volcanism and climate change from Lake Ohrid (Macedonia/Albania) Swansea University Crocus DLA”
January 9, 2026 at 11:05 AM
chslane.bsky.social
Couldn’t be happier to see Phil Barker win the QRA Croll Medal today. He ended his thanks with some wise words: “Collaboration is better than competition to advance Quaternary Science”.
Thanks Phil for all the wisdom and guidance you’ve shared with so many 👏👏
#QRA2026ADM
A man in smart casual navy clothes shakes hands with a women in white and green, standing on a stage in front of a lit projector screen. They both smile. You can just see the edge of a little black box that contains a medal.
January 6, 2026 at 6:32 PM
chslane.bsky.social
Enjoyed every word of Dr @abistone.bsky.social ‘s Wiley Lecture today at Day 1 of #QRA2026ADM in Brighton. On a cold winter’s day she took us to the warmth of the Namib to search for ancient hominin landscapes.
January 5, 2026 at 9:30 PM
chslane.bsky.social
My end of year brain cannot find a caption for this image that I took when I’d borrowed these awesome 3D printed pollen grains from Matthew @conservepalaeolab.bsky.social, but it’s begging for a joke about modeling and scale in Quaternary Science.
Your suggestions?
Quaternary science themed models: 3 hand made ceramic tephra shards, a small plastic mammoth and two big jars full with bright yellow 3D printed models of pollen grains. The jars tower over the mammoth in the foreground and the tephra is about 1/4 the size of the grains.
December 15, 2025 at 8:32 PM
chslane.bsky.social
Does anyone else feel they are just too disorganised for their jobs? Why does sorting field kit and printing handouts fill so much time? 🤯 Maybe it’s just that point in term 🤷‍♀️
November 26, 2025 at 3:28 PM
chslane.bsky.social
Celebrations in the PhD office as another fantastic @camunigeography.bsky.social student comes out of their viva smiling. Congratulations Ciara Greaves!!
(and 10/10 for the tree ring cake🤩)
A (chocolate) cake decorated to look like a section through a tree, with mint leaves around the edge for decoration.
November 19, 2025 at 5:47 PM
chslane.bsky.social
Two weeks until our 2/12 PhD funding deadline! If you’re interested in a cryptotephra research project and joining @camtephra.bsky.social there’s still time drop me an email to discuss your ideas.
Dept funding info: www.geog.cam.ac.uk/postgraduate...
NERC DLA: nercdtp.esc.cam.ac.uk/StaffDirecto...
A grey, unoccupied lab with sink, centrifuge and shelves A hand holding a tally counter with 294 showing, next to the stage of a microscope. There is a slide on the microscope A row of labelled centrifuge tubes, with white caps, in a test tube rack. A few platy fragments of glass viewed under high powered optical microscopy.
November 14, 2025 at 1:10 PM
chslane.bsky.social
Fun finds in our sediment labs today. @camunigeography.bsky.social
Two people in lab coats in the foreground looking at a microscope screen with an image of a gastropod on it.
November 12, 2025 at 10:43 PM
chslane.bsky.social
Signs of a good day in the field with the Quaternary students from
@camunigeography.bsky.social
🌍
Two pairs of hands, palm up, brown with mud. One has a tap measure hanging on their wrist. The ground below is covered in autumn leaf litter and walking boots can be seen.
November 6, 2025 at 4:38 PM
chslane.bsky.social
This week with our 2nd year @camunigeography.bsky.social students we’ve been learning about varve lake sediments and what they’ve revealed about abrupt climate change. It’s been fun! Here is a peek at some diatomaceous varves in the Lake Chala cores from Kenya/Tanzania. Enjoy…
The surface of a split sediment core, with a cm scale along each edge. You can see about 8 cm of the core. The surface shows fine mm-scale to cm-scale laminations, which for the most are alternating light-dark couplets. There is a cocktail stick marking a ~1 cm grey layer, which is a volcanic ash deposit.
October 31, 2025 at 6:17 PM
chslane.bsky.social
Anyone else have happy feet today? 🍂
October 17, 2025 at 8:52 AM
chslane.bsky.social
Thank goodness for the @camunigeography.bsky.social first-year trip to Breckland. The best place to escape my avalanching inbox at this point in the term. Heading back happily tomorrow for round three…
🌍
An open lowland heath landscape with clumps of heather growing amongst hummocky grassland. There are a few nearby trees (including some tall Scott’s pines), a swathe of dried bracken, and forests in the distance. Sun has broken through the clouds. A few scattered backpacks can be seen in the foreground.
October 16, 2025 at 6:23 PM
chslane.bsky.social
Spent #fieldworkfriday in sunny Dartmoor extracting an exquisite peat sequence 😻
View from a grassy verge of an expansive peat bog. 50 cm of peat extracted into a drainpipe The dream team. Dan and Lauren enjoying the Dartmoor scenery. Granite boulders and smooth topped hills.
September 26, 2025 at 2:33 PM
chslane.bsky.social
Joined the first #Cambridge @kidicalmass.bsky.social this morning and those still-a-little-wobbly yellow legs were grinning all the way around. Thanks to the organisers and the patient folks who let us take up the sunny streets for a bit. #kidsonbikes #kidicalmass
@camcycle.bsky.social
September 21, 2025 at 2:45 PM
chslane.bsky.social
Yum! We’ve had 1000s of apples this year and have barely kept up. They’re earlies though, so nearly done. My go-to is @palaeostefan.bsky.social ‘s family (Dutch) appel taart recipe. Turned one out just 5 mins ago!
An unprofessional-looking (“rustic”) lattice-work cake in a round plastic tub.
September 20, 2025 at 4:39 PM
chslane.bsky.social
I often feel lucky with a 12 min cycle through Cambridge to work @camunigeography.bsky.social 🚲 🌍🚲
But I’ve just been in Aber and realise this seafront walk is the only commute I’d trade in for 🌊🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿
If you have an uplifting route to work, will you share it?
#beachlife #beattheratrace #Aberystwyth
September 19, 2025 at 3:59 PM
chslane.bsky.social
Here we were!
A group of ~30 people of various ages stood in front of an elegant blue building draped with flowers. They’re holding a banner with the logo and name of the “Integrating ice core, marine and terrestrial records” network on it.
September 17, 2025 at 6:10 PM
chslane.bsky.social
We’ve had two days of science in beautiful Cluj as the “Integrating ice core, marine & terrestrial environments” network met for an open meeting. Photos of past/present @camtephra.bsky.social members presenting their work and the birthday flowers they embarrassed me with. @jinheum.bsky.social
September 11, 2025 at 5:37 AM
chslane.bsky.social
[5/5] For any of the above, and more at @camunigeography.bsky.social , you’ll find details about how to approach supervisors and apply at www.geog.cam.ac.uk/postgraduate/
A stylised white and green image of a 4 story brick building, lots of sash windows and the word “Geography” overlaid
September 3, 2025 at 8:14 PM
chslane.bsky.social
[1/5] PhD recruitment season @camunigeography.bsky.social soon kicks off! If you’re interested in applying for a PhD in #tephra for palaeoclimate / archaeology / volcanology, consider applying to study in the Cambridge Tephra Lab @camtephra.bsky.social
🌋🌍☀️ Here we were at Mt Etna one year ago!
Six people in outdoor clothing stood posing in a row in a volcanic landscape. A peak (Mt Etna) can be seen in the background
September 3, 2025 at 8:14 PM
chslane.bsky.social
Visiting a friend from my @oxfordtephra.bsky.social days and here’s the cup my morning coffee came in! #tephratastic
August 31, 2025 at 4:31 PM
chslane.bsky.social
Serious holiday club envy this week. I’d like a few days around Wandlebury’s hill fort making dens and climbing trees please. Still, the drop-off strolls have been a nice way to bracket the days.
A sandstone Manor House with a clock on top, foregrounded by a meadow of dry freshly cut hay and a pond. Trees and blue sky reflected in the water. Dappled light through old trees in the hollow of a well worn ring fort.
August 8, 2025 at 10:30 AM
chslane.bsky.social
Our catmint earning its keep. I’m enjoying visits from our neighbourhood cats #caturday
July 5, 2025 at 8:15 AM
chslane.bsky.social
Last Tues we were celebrating @jinheum.bsky.social’s PhD viva 🥳
Many thanks to examiners @harrietallengeog.bsky.social @simon-blockley.bsky.social for your wisdom & support.
Jinheum also had a paper out [https://doi.org/10.1002/jqs.3730] & starts a postdoc in 2 weeks.
Congratulations Jinheum!
Three adults in a colourful restaurant smiling for the camera in a row. They look proud and relaxed.
June 24, 2025 at 8:13 AM