About

Lecturer in Geography.

Research interests

Late Quaternary and Holocene Landscape development in Mediterranean dry lands. Of particular interest is the role of humankind in the landscape, and the application of geoarchaeology, geomorphology and soils for unravelling evidence of human activity.

Recent publications

• Pope, R. J. J. (2000) The application of mineral magnetic and extractable iron (Fed) analysis for differentiating and relatively dating fan surfaces in central Greece. Geomorphology 32, 57-67
• Pope, R. J. J. and Millington, A.C. (2000) Unravelling the patterns of alluvial fan development using mineral magnetic analysis: Examples from the Sparta Basin, Lakonia, southern Greece. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms 25, 601-615
• Pope, R. J. J. and Millington, A.C. (2002) The role of alluvial fans in mountainous and lowland drainage systems: Examples from the Sparta Basin, Lakonia, southern Greece. Zeitschrift für Geomorphologie N.F. 46 (1), 109-136
• Pope, R. J. J., Wilkinson, K. and Millington, A.C. (2003) Human and climatic impact on Late Quaternary deposition in the Sparta Basin piedmont: evidence from an investigation of alluvial fan systems. International Journal of Geoarchaeology 18, 685-724
• Wilkinson, K.N. and Pope, R.J.J. (2003) Late Quaternary Alluvial Processes of the Evrotas Valley, Southern Greece and Their Impact on the Archaeological Record. In A. Howard, M.G. Macklin and D. Passmore Eds. Alluvial Archaeology in Europe, (pp. ) Lisse: A. A. Balkema, 187-201
• Papadoulakis, V. and Pope, R. J. J. Interactions between alluvial fan systems and axial drainage systems: evidence from sedimentary analysis. Bulletin of the Geological Society of Greece
• Pope, R. J. J., Wilkinson, K. Reconciling the roles of climate and tectonics in Late Quaternary fan development on the Spartan piedmont: new evidence from field mapping, soil analysis and thermoluminesence dating. Journal of the Geological Society of London
• Pope, R. J. J., Wilkinson, and Millington, A.C.. The influence of depositional style upon the morphology and development of late Quaternary piedmont fan systems, Sparta Basin, (southern Greece). For inclusion in Geografiska Annaler: Physical Geography Series

Professional interests

Specialisms in Soil and Mediterranean Geomorphology.

Additional interests and activities

1. Unravelling the impact of Meso- and Neolithic communities on the Moncayon landscape, Aragon
This collaborative project involving colleagues from Durham, Newcastle and King Alfred's College, aims to establish how prehistoric communities modified the landscape. Research has been conducted at a number of key sites since 2002, involving analysis of archaeological evidence, palaeosols, river deposits and gully systems. A high-resolution chronological framework is currently being established using OSL and AMS 14C dating using funding from the AHRB. 

2. Human impacts upon axial drainage systems in the Sparta Basin, southern Greece
This project involving King Alfred's College and the Yperesia Eggeion Beltioseon (land reclamation Service of Greece) has been looking at human-induced changes in the Evrotas River. Detailed mapping, analysis of fluvial sediments and dating suggests that human activity has resulted in a significant change in the river system, characterised by a switch from a fine-grained to increasingly avulsing, coarse-grained system. The British School at Athens, and Research and Development Funds from the University of Sunderland and King Alfred's College, Winchester, has provided funding.

3. Mega fan systems as sensitive recorders of long-term deposition: evidence from the Sfakian piedmont, southern Crete
An application has been submitted to the NERC to fund a collaborative project involving Derby, Sheffield, Hull, St. Andrews and University of Heraklion (Crete), which aims to establish whether mega fan systems record major (environmental) changes in climatically sensitive drainage basins of Crete. This project aims to combine remotely sensed data with detailed field mapping, analysis of fan sediments and palaeosols, archaeological data and OSL dating. The first season commences in August 2004.