PhD (Geology), BSc(Hons), FGS
Chair in Virtual Geosciences
- About
-
- Email Address
- john.howell@abdn.ac.uk
- Telephone Number
- +44 (0)1224 272606
- Office Address
School of Geosciences
Meston Building,
Kings College,
Aberdeen
AB24 3UE UK
- School/Department
- School of Geosciences
Biography
I am a geologist who focuses on the application of novel techniques for the aquisition of outcrop data.
Originally from Wales, I studied for my first degree at the University of Cardiff, followed by a PhD at the University of Birmingham. I then spent 10 years in the University of Liverpool as a researcher and junior faculty member working with the StratGroup. In 2002 I moved to Norway and lived in Bergen until 2012. During that time I worked in the Department of Earth Sciences and UniCIPR where I founded the Virtual Outcrop Geology Group. I was also one of the founders of Rocksource ASA an independent Norwegian E&P Company. I worked there as a member of the senior management team for 6 years.
Since 2012 I have been a Professor at the University of Aberdeen. Current research focuses on virtual geosciences, including the improved use of analogues for understanding the subsurface for the energy transition. In the past 30 years I have worked on outcrops from all over the World with special focus on the western USA. I have supervised 56 PhD students, published more than a 170 papers and edited 7 books. I am currently running and co-running 5 large JIPs including the fifth Phase of the SAFARI project. Over the past 20 years I have pioneered the use of virtual outcrops, collected using lidar and drones in the geosciences.
I am passionate about outreach in the geosciences. I was a co-host on "The Big Monster Dig", a TV series on geology and palaeontology for C4 and Discovery. I also have numerous other TV and radio credits as a scientific expert. I co-founded the Virtual Outcrops sharing site V3Geo which now hosts over 400 virtual models from around the World.
Qualifications
- BSc Geology1988 - Cardiff University
- PhD Geology1992 - University of BirminghamSedimentology of the Rotliegend of the UK Southern North Sea
External Memberships
Fellow of the Geological Society of London
International Association of Sedimentologists (IAS)
Society of Economic Petrologists and Mineralogists (SEPM)
American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)
Prizes and Awards
Perce Allen Award (highest award of BSRG, 2018)
ExxonMobil Young Researcher Award (2000)
Alaister Pilkinton Award for Excellence in Teaching (2000)
- Research
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Research Overview
Current research areas include:
- The development of digital field methods in the geosciences; especially terrestrial LiDAR, UAVs (drones) and photogrammetry
- The development and implementation of virtual fieldtrips
- The collection of analogue data for better subsurface models for reservoirs, repositories (CCS and H2) and aquifers.
- Large scale studies of modern depositional systems as a key to understanding the subsurface
- Reservoir modelling of geological outcrops.
- The geology of the Colorado Plateau, especially central and southern Utah.
- Clastic sedimentology and sequence stratigraphy
- The Triassic of the North Sea and Mid Norway.
Research Areas
Current Research
Safari Project - Major industry JIP in its 5th Phase. Running since 2007. Current phase includes 2 PhD students and 2 post-doc researchers supported by 9 companies and the Research Council of Norway. Theme of Phase 5 is Analogues and the Energy Transition.
Deep Water Reservoir Analogues - JIP with Wintershall and Universities of Leeds and Manchester. Four year project studying deep water systems from across the world. Two postdocs and 1 PhD
Triassic Reservoirs of the North Sea and Mid Norway. Two JIPs (UK and Norway) funded by 9 energy companies supporting 8 PhDs and 2 postdocs. Joint with Adrian Hartley
Modern and ancient aeolian analogues for the German Rotliegend, PhD funded by Wintershall
Aeolian reservoirs in southern Norway and their Utah analogues. PhD funded by AkerBP. Joint with Keele University
Distal Rotliegend reservoirs and their Utah analogues. PhD funded by Shell.
Transgressive shallow marine systems and bedrock unconformities on intra-basinal highs. PhD funded by research council of Norway.
Automated interpretation of virtual outcrops using machine learning. PhD SAFARI Phase 4
Global distribution of grainstones through the Phanerozoic. PhD SAFARI Phase 4, joint with Alex Brazier
Virtual Outcrop study of carbonate reservoir analogous for the Jurassic Hanifa. PhD, joint with Alex Brazier
Sedimentology of the Triassic in the Ula Field. Funded by AkerBP, joint with Adrian Hartley
Sedimentology of the Devonian of the Clare Field and analogue. Funded by BP, joint with Adrian Hartley
Development and application of Virtual Fieldtrips, joint with Jess Pugsley and colleagues in Bergen
Development of new tools for reservoir modelling (Geopard). Funded by Research Council of Norway. Joint with Norwegian Computing Center and University of Bergen.
Deep Reservoirs. Funded by Research Council of Norway. Joint with University of Bergen and University of Liverpool.
Knowledge Exchange
Developed and Manage V3Geo - A public repository for Virtual Outcrop data which hosts over 500 models www.V3Geo.com
Wrote and presented "Drone vs Volcano - Extreme 3D mapping" for Aberdeen University Youtube (375k views)
Onscreen Expert - 1000 Years of Scottish History for Channel 4
TEDx Aberdeen - Drone mapping volcanos
Onscreen Scientist and drone pilot - Worlds Deadliest Jobs. 1 x 1hr Discovery USA
Scientific consultant - The Burrowers for BBC 3 x 1hr for BBC
Presenter - Big Monster Dig 7 x 1hr Channel 4 and Discovery
Onscreen Expert - Dinosaur Detectives 1 x 1hr for Channel 4
Numerous TV and Radio appearances as expert
Numerous public science lectures
Collaborations
Current Collaborations
- Simon Buckley and Nicole Naumann, Bergen. Virtual Outcrops and databases
- David Hodgson and Aurelia Privat, Leeds. Deep water systems
- Steve Flint, Manchester. Deep water systems
- Atle Rotevatn and Christian Eide, University of Bergen, sedimentology and structural geology
- Ivar Midkandal and Alvar Braathen, University of Oslo, sedimentology
- Miguel Poyets-More, University of Barcelona, sedimentology
- Teaching
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- Publications
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Page 1 of 3 Results 1 to 50 of 149
Analysis of facies proportions as a tool to quantify reservoir heterogeneity
Marine and Petroleum Geology, vol. 170, 107093Contributions to Journals: ArticlesFacies models for rocky shorelines and their application to transgressed basement highs in the North Sea
Journal of the Geological Society , vol. 181, no. 5Contributions to Journals: ArticlesThe influence of salt tectonics on the distribution of the Triassic Skagerrak Formation in the Ula Field, Norwegian North Sea
Petroleum Geoscience, vol. 30, no. 2, petgeo2022-025Contributions to Journals: ArticlesA STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF GEOLOGICAL AND ENGINEERING PREDICTORS OF OILFIELD PERFORMANCE RESPONSE: A CASE STUDY OF OILFIELDS ON THE UK CONTINENTAL SHELF
Journal of Petroleum Geology, vol. 47, no. 2, pp. 173-190Contributions to Journals: ArticlesFacies analysis and sequence stratigraphy of shallow marine, coarse-grained siliciclastic deposits in the southern Utsira High: The Late Jurassic intra-Draupne Formation sandstones in the Johan Sverdrup Field (Norwegian North Sea)
Basin Research, vol. 36, no. 1, e12833Contributions to Journals: ArticlesSpatial and Temporal Distribution of Hydrocarbon Production on the UK Continental Shelf
Resource Geology, vol. 73, no. 1, e12323Contributions to Journals: ArticlesTransgressive rocky coasts in the geological record: Insights from Miocene granitic rocky shorelines and modern examples
Sedimentary Geology, vol. 446, 106344Contributions to Journals: ArticlesPredicting oil field performance using machine learning programming: a comparative case study from the UK continental shelf
Petroleum Geoscience, vol. 29, no. 1, petgeo2022-071Contributions to Journals: ArticlesQuantitative analysis of crevasse-splay systems from modern fluvial settings
Journal of Sedimentary Research, vol. 92, no. 9, pp. 751-774Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.2110/jsr.2020.067
- [ONLINE] View publication in Scopus
Virtual field trips utilizing virtual outcrop: construction, delivery and implications for the future
Geoscience Communication, vol. 5, no. 3, pp. 227-249Contributions to Journals: ArticlesTransport of mafic magma through the crust and sedimentary basins: Jameson Land, East Greenland
Journal of the Geological Society , vol. 179, no. 3, jgs2021-043Contributions to Journals: ArticlesVirtual outcrop-based analysis of channel and crevasse splay sandstone body architecture in the Middle Jurassic Ravenscar Group, Yorkshire, NE England
Journal of the Geological Society, vol. 179, no. 3, jgs2021-017Contributions to Journals: ArticlesVirtual Field Trips: Experience from a Global Pandemic and Beyond
Chapters in Books, Reports and Conference Proceedings: Conference Proceedings- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.2118/209560-ms
- [ONLINE] http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/209560-ms
Interpretation and mapping of geological features using mobile devices in outcrop geology: A case study of the Saltwick Formation, North Yorkshire, UK
3D Digital Geological Models: From Terrestrial Outcrops to Planetary Surfaces. Bistacchi, A., Massironi, M., Viseur, S. (eds.). Wiley, pp. 71-92, 22 pagesChapters in Books, Reports and Conference Proceedings: Chapters- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119313922.ch5
- [ONLINE] View publication in Scopus
Aeolian Sand Dune Sedimentary Architecture Is Key in Determining the “Slow-Gas Effect” during Gas Field Production Performance
SPE Journal, vol. 27, no. 2, pp. 1354-1366Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.2118/208617-PA
- [ONLINE] View publication in Scopus
V3Geo: A cloud-based repository for virtual 3D models in geoscience
Geoscience Communication, vol. 5, no. 1, pp. 67-82Contributions to Journals: ArticlesStratigraphic forward modelling of distributive fluvial systems based on the Huesca System, Ebro Basin, Northern Spain
Basin Research, vol. 33, no. 6, pp. 3137-3158Contributions to Journals: ArticlesCoarse-grained meandering distributive fluvial system of the Basal Cedar mountain formation, U.S.A.
Journal of Sedimentary Research, vol. 91, no. 11, pp. 1188-1205Contributions to Journals: ArticlesCool deltas: Sedimentological, geomorphological and geophysical characterization of ice-contact deltas and implications for their reservoir properties (Salpausselkä, Finland)
Sedimentology, vol. 68, no. 7, pp. 3057-3101Contributions to Journals: ArticlesGeology and Petroleum Prospectivity of the Sea of Hebrides Basin and Minch Basin, Offshore Northwest Scotland
Petroleum Geoscience, vol. 27, no. 4, petgeo2021-003Contributions to Journals: ArticlesCHARACTERIZING THE ARCHITECTURAL BASIS OF THE SLOW GAS EFFECT
Chapters in Books, Reports and Conference Proceedings: Conference Proceedings- [ONLINE] View publication in Scopus
Evolution of foreland basin fluvial systems in the mid-Cretaceous of Utah, USA (upper Cedar Mountain and Naturita formations)
Sedimentology, vol. 68, no. 5, pp. 2097-2124Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/sed.12845
- [OPEN ACCESS] http://aura.abdn.ac.uk/bitstream/2164/16824/1/Phillips_etal_Evolution_of_foreland_VOR.pdf
- [ONLINE] View publication in Scopus
Progradation of a mid-Cretaceous distributive fluvial system: The upper member of the Bima Formation, Northern Benue Trough, Nigeria
Sedimentology, vol. 68, no. 5, pp. 1861-1876Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/sed.12831
- [ONLINE] View publication in Scopus
Characterizing the nature and importance of lava-sediment interactions with the aid of field outcrop analogues
Journal of South American Earth Sciences, vol. 108, 103108Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsames.2020.103108
- [ONLINE] View publication in Scopus
Combining process-based models and multiple-point geostatistics for improved reservoir modelling
Petroleum Geoscience, vol. 27, no. 3, petgeo2020-012Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1144/petgeo2020-012
- [ONLINE] View publication in Scopus
砂岩侵入体及其油气地质意义
Shiyou Xuebao/Acta Petrolei Sinica, vol. 42, no. 3, pp. 378-398Contributions to Journals: Review articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.7623/syxb202103011
- [ONLINE] View publication in Scopus
- [ONLINE] http://www.syxb-cps.com.cn/EN/Y2021/V42/I3/378
Predicting river mouth location from delta front dip and clinoform dip in modern and ancient wave‐dominated deltas
Sedimentology, vol. 68, no. 2, pp. 713-736Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/sed.12800
- [OPEN ACCESS] http://aura.abdn.ac.uk/bitstream/2164/15663/1/Zimmer_etal_Sed_Predicting_river_VOR.pdf
- [ONLINE] View publication in Scopus
Beaches and Coasts
Encyclopedia of Geology: Volume 1-6, Second Edition. Alderton, D., Elias, S. A. (eds.). 2 edition. Elsevier, pp. 906-918, 13 pagesChapters in Books, Reports and Conference Proceedings: Chapters- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-102908-4.00181-8
- [ONLINE] View publication in Scopus
Stratigraphic controls on hydrocarbon recovery in clastic reservoirs of the norwegian continental shelf
Petroleum Geoscience, vol. 27, no. 2, petgeo2019-133Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1144/petgeo2019-133
- [ONLINE] View publication in Scopus
Impact of geological variables in controlling oil-reservoir performance: An insight from a machine-learning technique
SPE Reservoir Evaluation and Engineering, vol. 23, no. 4, pp. 1314-1327Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.2118/201196-PA
- [ONLINE] View publication in Scopus
Fault-controlled dolostone geometries in a transgressive–regressive sequence stratigraphic framework
Sedimentology, vol. 67, no. 6, pp. 3290-3316Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/sed.12739
- [ONLINE] View publication in Scopus
The 3D Facies Architecture and Petrophysical Properties of Hyaloclastite Delta Deposits: An Integrated Photogrammetry and Petrophysical Study from southern Iceland
Basin Research, vol. 32, no. 5, pp. 1081-1104Contributions to Journals: ArticlesPredictable patterns in stacking and distribution of channelized fluvial sand bodies linked to channel mobility and avulsion processes
Geology, vol. 48, no. 9, pp. 903-907Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1130/G47236.1
- [OPEN ACCESS] http://aura.abdn.ac.uk/bitstream/2164/15160/1/Sahoo_etal_Geol_Predictable_patterns_VOR.pdf
- [ONLINE] View publication in Scopus
Tidal estuarine deposits of the transgressive Naturita Formation (Dakota Sandstone): San Rafael Swell, Utah, U.S.A.
Journal of Sedimentary Research, vol. 90, no. 8, pp. 777-795Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.2110/JSR.2020.51
- [ONLINE] View publication in Scopus
Discussion of Yang et al. (2017, Acta Geologica Sinica 91:749–750) A new discovery of the Early Cretaceous supercritical hyperpycnal flow deposits on Lingshan Island, East China
Geological Journal, vol. 55, no. 7, pp. 5508-5513Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/gj.3755
- [ONLINE] View publication in Scopus
UK Rockall prospectivity: re-awakening exploration in a frontier basin
Petroleum Geoscience, vol. 26, no. 2, pp. 247-271Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1144/petgeo2019-098
The influence of stratigraphy and facies distribution on reservoir quality and production performance in the Triassic Skagerrak Formation of the UK and Norwegian Central North Sea
Geological Society Special Publications , vol. 494Contributions to Journals: ArticlesA conceptual model for glaciogenic reservoirs: from landsystems to reservoir architecture
Marine and Petroleum Geology, vol. 115, 104205Contributions to Journals: ArticlesDepositional conditioning of three dimensional training images: Improving the reproduction and representation of architectural elements in sand-dominated fluvial reservoir models
Marine and Petroleum Geology, vol. 113, 104156Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2019.104156
- [ONLINE] View publication in Scopus
Liquefaction structures induced by the M5.7 earthquake on May 28, 2018 in Songyuan, Jilin Province, NE China and research implication
Journal of Palaeogeography, vol. 9, 3Contributions to Journals: ArticlesInterpretation of mouth-bar and related lacustrine and fluvial sand bodies from the middle Green River Formation (Eocene), southern Uinta Basin, Utah
GSA Special PapersContributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1130/2019.2536(15)
- [OPEN ACCESS] http://aura.abdn.ac.uk/bitstream/2164/14539/2/GSA_Accepted_Manuscript.pdf
- [OPEN ACCESS] http://aura.abdn.ac.uk/bitstream/2164/14539/1/Binder1.pdf
Combining thermal imaging with photogrammetry of an active volcano using UAV: an example from Stromboli, Italy
Photogrammetric Record, vol. 34, no. 168, pp. 445-466Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/phor.12301
- [OPEN ACCESS] http://aura.abdn.ac.uk/bitstream/2164/15558/1/Wakeford_etal_Combining_thermal_AAM.pdf
- [ONLINE] View publication in Scopus
Depositional variability of an ancient distributive fluvial system: The upper member of the lower cretaceous Bima Formation, Northern Benue Trough, Nigeria
Journal of African Earth Sciences, vol. 159, 103600Contributions to Journals: ArticlesThe digital geoscience revolution - Where are we now?
Contributions to Conferences: Papers- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.3997/2214-4609.201903427
- [ONLINE] View publication in Scopus
Machine-learning algorithm for estimating oil-recovery factor using a combination of engineering and stratigraphic dependent parameters
Interpretation, vol. 7, no. 3, pp. SE151-SE159Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1190/INT-2018-0211.1
- [ONLINE] View publication in Scopus
Morphological evidence for marine ice stream shutdown, central Barents Sea
Marine Geology, vol. 414, pp. 64-76Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.margeo.2019.05.001
- [OPEN ACCESS] http://aura.abdn.ac.uk/bitstream/2164/12403/1/1_s2.0_S0025322719300544_main.pdf
- [ONLINE] View publication in Mendeley
- [ONLINE] View publication in Scopus
Automatic reservoir modelling: A sate of the art
Chapters in Books, Reports and Conference Proceedings: Conference Proceedings- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.3997/2214-4609.201901677
- [ONLINE] View publication in Scopus
Seismic geomorphology linked to sequence stratigraphy of an Eocene delta in the Outer Moray Firth, UKCS
Marine and Petroleum Geology, vol. 104, pp. 150-167Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2019.03.014
- [ONLINE] View publication in Scopus
- [ONLINE] View publication in Mendeley
Three-dimensional characterisation of sedimentary heterogeneity and its impact on subsurface flow behaviour through the braided-to-meandering fluvial deposits of the Castissent Formation (late Ypresian, Tremp-Graus Basin, Spain)
Marine and Petroleum Geology, vol. 103, pp. 661-680Contributions to Journals: ArticlesLinking the High-Resolution Architecture of Modern and Ancient Wave-Dominated Deltas: Processes, Products and Forcing Factors
Journal of Sedimentary Research, vol. 89, no. 2, pp. 168-185Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.2110/jsr.2019.7
- [OPEN ACCESS] http://aura.abdn.ac.uk/bitstream/2164/13728/1/Ainsworth_et_al_JSR_2018_069_REV2.pdf
- [ONLINE] View publication in Scopus