Inaugural Lecture: Prof Stuart Gilfillan
About this Event
Join the School of GeoSciences for the latest installment of our inaugural lecture series, featuring Stuart Gilfillan, Professor in Geochemistry.
These public lectures showcase the work of our newly appointed professors, offering an engaging look at their research journeys and its impact on their field and society.
- Date: Thursday, 26th November 2026
- Time: 6:00 pm (Welcome begins at 6:00 pm; Reception follows until 8:00 pm)
- Location: Alder Lecture Theatre, Nucleus Building, King's Buildings, University of Edinburgh
- Admission: Free and open to all (registration required)
About the Lecture
Talk Title
Burying carbon: How we can lock CO₂ underground to combat climate change
Abstract
Carbon dioxide (CO₂) is the main driver of climate change, but our world still depends heavily on fossil fuels and the industries that produce it. One way to reduce those emissions is carbon capture and storage (CCS): capturing CO₂ and injecting it deep underground into suitable rocks, where it can be trapped over geological timescales. But how can we be confident it will stay put, and how can we monitor what happens to it underground? This lecture explores how natural CO₂ reservoirs, which have stored CO₂ in the subsurface for millions of years and chemical “fingerprints” in rocks and fluids can reveal how CO₂ moves, how securely it is trapped, and how it can react with minerals to form new solid carbonate rock.
Bio
Stuart Gilfillan is a Professor of Geochemistry in the School of GeoSciences, at University of Edinburgh. He was educated in Earth Science at the University of Glasgow (BSc) and Geology at the University of Manchester (PhD), and has over 20 years of post-PhD experience of innovative geochemical research in identifying CO2 origins and monitoring the geological storage of CO2. This research has developed a means of fingerprinting CO2 in order to track its movement and means of storage in subsurface reservoirs, as part of efforts to develop carbon capture and storage technologies. More recently, he has applied his expertise to the emerging GeoEnergy sector through novel monitoring of unconventional gas extraction, CO2 contamination in, and connectivity of, hydrocarbon fields and in-situ mineral storage of CO2. He has a keen interest in all areas of utilising the subsurface for energy production or storage and is currently the Programme Director for the GeoEnergy MSc course at Edinburgh, which he co-developed.
Programme
- 6.00-6:10pm Welcome and Opening remarks
- 6.10-7.00pm Inaugural Lecture and Q&A Session
- 7.00-8.00pm Drinks Reception
Where is it happening?
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
USD 0.00
