Research Student Spotlight: Samuel Scott

Our monthly spotlight on the work and lives of the next generation of researchers passionate about the energy transition.

Life before Leeds

Prior to starting his Master's by Research, Sam completed his BSc in Geology at Keele University in 2024, where he conducted his independent mapping project, researching carbonates in the Isle of Man.

I fell in love with research during my BSc at Keele University, where courses enabled critical and independent thinking.

Time in Leeds

He commenced his Master's Research at the School of Earth and Environment in September 2024. His project is in characterising the Triassic Sherwood Sandstone Group for carbon capture and storage, supervised by Prof Nigel Mountney and Dr Adam McArthur and funded by the Geosolutions Leeds Bursary.

Sam chose to join us because

This field’s implications for the energy transition are very important to me personally, its impact for reducing greenhouse gas emissions motivates me, knowing I’ll be contributing towards the health of our planet.

During his Master's, Sam faced challenges, including issues with data collection and interpretations of various sedimentary environments. However, Sam highlights the support he has received from his supervisor: “Prof Nigel Mountney and Dr Adam McArthur were always there and willing to meet with me to help guide me through the process and better my understanding”.

Research with impact

Sam is passionate about the energy transition and his investigation of the Triassic Sherwood Sandstone Group (SSG) could contribute to correctly planning carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects. CCS projects aim to prevent emissions of CO2 gas into the atmosphere by injecting it underground. This technique can help combat the consequences of global warming, including permanent loss of ecosystems.

The SSG is an excellent candidate for CO2 storage; however, most of the succession remains uncharacterised, and the extent of reservoir quality is unknown. To better understand this, Sam went on fieldwork in North Cheshire to collect SSG data, including sedimentary logs, photogrammetry, and measurements of individual sedimentary bodies.

Sam aims to use collected data alongside secondary data from existing databases to produce three-dimensional heterogeneity models, which are crucial for the correct planning of CCS projects.

Future ambitions

Sam found that the Sherwood Sandstone Group is a very complex and heterogeneous system that contains many different depositional styles and geometries. Excitingly, his data showed potential footprints of extinct creatures, including Rhynchosaurs. 

I  hope to be able to get back out into the field an experience the awesome geology and maybe even find more footprints!

He also hopes to go on and publish his research in a leading journal of sedimentology, so that others may be able to understand the importance of characterising sedimentary sucessions for CCS projects.

Afterwards he’d like to commence a PhD project in carbon capture and be able to use the knowledge he has gained over his master’s project to contribute research towards the energy transition.

Studying in Leeds

Sam shares that the community within the School of Earth and Environment has made his stay in Leeds so much more enjoyable, with many opportunities to connect, learn and attend bi-weekly socials within the research cluster.

It’s truly an amazing research environment, surrounded by friendly colleagues always willing to help out.

He encourages students who enjoyed their dissertation research project to consider continuing their research at the School of Earth and Environment. 

If you enjoy using your own thoughts, critical thinking and ideas to solve a problem then research is for you.

Join us

Apply for one of our Master's by Research projects and our Master's by Research bursary.