Specific responsibility: Providing analytical support to Earth Systems. Analysis of geological materials with XRD, XRF, SEM, and other microscopy techniques.

Research interests: Igneous petrology, volcanology, the geology of Scotland’s volcanic districts.

Bob studied for an MEarthSci in Geology at the University of Edinburgh. His dissertation and Masters thesis focused on the Palaeogene volcanic rocks of southeast Mull. He went on to do a PhD at Cardiff University on the volcanic geology of central Arran, re-examining the formation and evolution of a large but poorly-understood caldera system on the island. During his PhD he taught on undergraduate field courses in Arran and Pembrokeshire, and provided field geology assistance in Tenerife and the northwest Highlands of Scotland. 

From Cardiff, Bob moved to Arran to work on setting up the Arran Geopark. This involved producing information boards for new visitor centres and geological sites of interest around the island, and leading regular events for the public. 

Bob started at NMS in 2019, where he provides analytical support to the Earth Systems team, and is involved in the analysis of geological materials from across the Museum’s collections. With an interest in petrographic microscopy of geological thin sections, he has expanded the microscopic imaging capabilities of the lab, and combines traditional techniques with scanning electron microscopy and x-ray analyses (XRD for mineral identification, SEM-EDS and XRF for elemental analysis).