Mark Hardiman

My research focuses on the investigation and reconstruction of past environments with particular emphasis on understanding abrupt climate change and Earth system response. I joined the University of Portsmouth as a Lecturer in 2013 and became a Senior Lecturer in 2015. As of 2025 I am the Associate Head (Academic) for the School of Environment and Life Sciences.

I have two main research specialisms both within the field of Quaternary Science:

1) Geochronology – The key focus of my research is to augment the tephrostratigraphic framework of southern Europe during the Last Glacial Period and to test the synchronicity (or phasing) of the rapid environmental shifts which occurred during this timeframe. I also have a interest in using tephrochronology to test pre-existing age-depth models. I have expertise in detection of cryptotephra layers in sediment sequences, geochemical analysis and correlation of volcanic glass and the use of Bayesian statistics in integrating chronological datasets.

2) Wildfire in the Quaternary – My research assesses wildfires potential role in, and response to, rapid geomorphic and environmental events via charcoal analysis in both complex sediment sequences and high resolution palaeoenvironmental records. I have expertise in quantification, extraction and identification of charcoal fragments (both via optical microscopy and SEM).