Chris Rolfe BSc

Senior Chief Research Technician [Laboratory and Field Equipment Services Manager]

Geologist providing laboratory and field support to the department with interests in Quaternary Geology, Geomorphology, Hydrogeology and Coastal studies.

Management and supervision of the Geography Science Laboratories.
Budgetary control for equipment and consumables.
Assisting with the implementation of research programmes.
Giving guidance, advice and training to undergraduate and graduate students on the laboratory and field techniques and use of apparatus.
Providing assistance with all aspects of fieldwork for both teaching and research.
Setting up, operating and maintaining analytical instruments.
Running procedures for extractions and analyses of samples.
Providing laboratory and field support in particular to the Quaternary Palaeoenvironments Group (QPG), which is part of Cambridge Quaternary.
Responsible for the loan of departmental field equipment as part of the Fieldwork Equipment Service, operated primarily through the Geography Science Laboratories.
Member of the Laboratories & Fieldwork Resources Committee
Member of the Safety and Security Committee

Biography

Career

2011 - present: Senior Chief Research Technician [Laboratory and Field Equipment Services Manager], Geography Science Laboratories
2001 - 2011: Senior Research Technician, Physical Geography Laboratories
1999 - 2001: Environmental Technician

Qualifications

BSc (Hons) Applied Environmental Geology 2:1
Certificate in Management (Institute of Leadership & Management)

Research

Pleistocene sediments along the north Devon coast
The Pleistocene history of Devon, UK
The Pleistocene stratigraphy and palaeoenvironments of SW England
Periglacial, glacial and paraglacial geomorphology
Late Pleistocene history of the last British-Irish Ice Sheet

Publications

Selected publications and presentations

Rolfe, C.J., Boreham S., and Brown, A.G. 2012. Palaeo-drainage of Lynton and Valley of Rocks, Devon. (Poster Presentation).
Rolfe, C.J., Hughes, P.D., Fenton, C.R., Schnabel, C., Xu, S., and Brown, A.G. 2012. Paired ¹⁰Be and ²⁶Al exposure ages from Lundy: new evidence for the extent and timing of Devensian glaciation in the southern British Isles. In press.
Gibbard, P.L., West, R.G., Boreham, S., and Rolfe, C.J. 2011. Late Middle Pleistocene glaciofluvial sedimentation in western Norfolk, England. Boreas. In press.
Gibbard, P.L., West, R.G., Boreham, S., and Rolfe, C.J. 2011. Late Middle Pleistocene ice-marginal sedimentation in East Anglia, England. Boreas. In press.
Rolfe, C.J., Hughes, P.D., Fenton, C.R., Xu, S., and Brown, A.G. 2011. First cosmogenic ¹⁰Be and ²⁶Al results from Lundy, SW England: new evidence for the extent and timing of Devensian glaciation. 49th Ussher Society (Geoscience in South West England) Annual Conference, Bideford, Devon. (Oral Presentation).
Rolfe, C.J., Hughes, P.D., Fenton, C.R., Xu, S., and Brown, A.G. 2011. Extent and Timing of Devensian Glaciation in SW British Isles: Cosmogenic ¹⁰Be and ²⁶Al Results from Lundy. 49th Ussher Society (Geoscience in South West England) Annual Conference, Bideford, Devon. (Poster Presentation).
Boreham, S., Conneller, C., Milner, N., Taylor, B., Needham, A., Boreham, J. and Rolfe, C. J. 2010. Geochemical Indicators of Preservation Status and Site Deterioration at Star Carr. Journal of Archaeological Science - article in press.
Rolfe, C.J., 2009. Pleistocene geology of Lundy, South-West England. Quaternary Newsletter 118, 42-45.
Boreham, S., Rolfe, C.J., 2009. Holocene, Weichselian Late-glacial and earlier Pleistocene deposits of the upper Cam valley at the Hinxton Genome Campus, Cambridgeshire, UK. Netherlands Journal of Geosciences. 88-2, pp117-125.
Rolfe, C.J., 2009. Pleistocene sediments along the north coast of the SW Peninsula: A Re-examination. School of Geography, University of Southampton. (Oral Presentation).
Gibbard, P.L., Pasanen, West, R.G., Lunkka, J., Boreham, S., Cohen, K.M., and Rolfe, C.J. 2009. Late Middle Pleistocene glaciation in Eastern England. Boreas. 38, 504-528.
Gibbard, P.L., West, R.G., Pasanen, A., Wymer, J.J., Boreham, S., Cohen, K.M., and Rolfe, C.J. 2008. Pleistocene geology of the Palaeolithic sequence at Redhill, Thetford, Norfolk, England. Proceedings of the Geologists' Association. Volume 119, Number 2, 2008, pp. 175-192(18)
Rolfe, C.J., Brown, A.G., Toms, P.S., Boreham, S. and Scrivener, R. 2008. A New Study of Pleistocene Sediments along the North Devon Coast. 46th Ussher Society (Geoscience in South West England) Annual Conference, St. Ives, Cornwall. (Oral Presentation).
Langford, H. E., Bateman, M. D., Boreham, S., Coope, G. R., Fletcher, W., Green, C. P., Keen, D. H., Mighall, T., Rolfe, C.J. & Schreve, D. C. (2004) Funtham's Lane East. In: Langford, H. E. & Briant, R. M. (Eds.) (2004) Nene Valley Field Guide, Quaternary Research Association.
Langford, Boreham, S., Merry, J., Rolfe, C.J. & Schreve, D. C. (2004). Channels C & D at Bradley Fen. In: Langford, H. E. & Briant, R. M. (Eds.) (2004) Nene Valley Field Guide, Quaternary Research Association.

Media involvement

The recent geological history of Cudmore Grove, Mersea Island, Essex. Countryfile, BBC1 TV, Sunday 13th March 2011.
The vegetational history of the famous Hockham Mere site. Countryfile, BBC1 TV, Sunday 23 September 2007
Ray Mears' Wild Food. BBC. Broadcast in January 2007

External activities

Member, Quaternary Research Association (QRA)
Member, British Society for Geomorphology (BSG)
Member, Ussher Society (Geoscience in South West England)
Member, The Devonshire Association
Member, Exmoor Society
Member, Lundy Field Society
Member, Cambridge Philosophical Society
Environmental Consultant
Geological Consultant