Being a company born out of Cardiff University, the directors have maintained strong ties with research establishments, and have an active policy of recruiting graduates from geoscience degrees. In 2008 TerraDat received an award for long term academic partnership with Cardiff University through their innovation network.
Part of our company ethos is to maintain our position at the forefront of geophysical science through applied research in areas of topical interest. This currently includes:
1. Industrial partner / sponsor: PhD research on geophysical monitoring and investigation of landslides in the South Wales coalfield (Cardiff University).
2. Industrial partner: Monitoring changes in beach morphology using terrestrial laser scanning on the S. Wales Heritage Coast (University of Glamorgan)
3. Assessment of shaped accelerometer arrays for monitoring earth embankment settlement (University of East London)
Selected Publications
Integrated seismic investigations across the Mersey Estuary, Halton District, UK. Lenham, J.W., McDonald, R., Miller, S., and Reynolds, J.M. Quarterly Journal of Engineering Geology & Hydrogeology, 38, 2005.
Gas monitoring in urban boreholes, Cardiff, 1995-2002. Harris, C. & Turner, M. Urban Geology of Wales, 2, 2005.
The terrestrial shallow seismic reflection technique applied to the characterization and assessment of shallow sedimentary environments. Brabham, P.J., Thomas, J. & McDonald, R.J. Quarterly Journal of Engineering Geology & Hydrogeology, 38, 2005.
Morphology of ash aggregates from wet pyroclastic surges of the 1982 eruption of El Chichón Volcano, Mexico. Scolamacchia T., Macías J. L. , Sheridan, M. F. & Hughes, S. R., Bulletin of Volcanology, 68, 2005.
Analysis of magnetic gradient data from a contaminated site in South Wales. Russill, N. & Pringle, J. Proceedings of Environmental and Industrial Geophysics Group, Geophysics and Brownfield Sites, Feb 2005.
New geophysical methods of investigating the nature and distribution of mountain permafrost with special reference to radiometry techniques. Vonder Muhll, D., Hauck, C., Gubler, H., McDonald, R. & Russill, N. Permafrost and Periglacial Processes 12, 2001.
An integrated geophysical study to map mountain permafrost. Hauck, C., Vonder Muhll, D., Russill, N. & Isaksen, K. A case study from Norway. Proceedings of the 6thEEGS conference, 2000.
Late Holocene Peléan-style eruption at Tacaná volcano, Mexico and Guatemala: Past, present and future hazards. Macias, J. L., Espindola, J. M., Garcia-Palomo, A., Scott, K. M., Hughes, S.R., Mora, J. C. Bulletin of the Geological Society of America, 112, 2000.
Sedimentary facies from ground-penetrating radar surveys of the modern, upper Burdekin river of north Queensland, Australia: Consequences of extreme discharge fluctuations. Fielding C.R., Alexander J. & McDonald R.J. Spec. Publs int. Ass. Sediment, vol. 28, 1999.
The use of shallow seismic techniques to characterize sub-surface Quaternary deposits: the example of Porth Neigwl, Gwynedd, N.Wales. Brabham P.J., McDonald R.J. & McCarroll, D. Quaternary Journal of Engineering Geology, 32, 1999.
New data on a paleoseismic studies of South Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia. Kurbatov,A. V., Bian, L., Bursik, M. I., Hughes, S. R., Kirianov, Yu, V., Churikov, V.A. EOS Transactions, 80, F927, 1999.
Experimental modeling of bedforms found in pyroclastic surge deposits. Hughes, S. R. & Bursik, M. I. EOS Transactions, 80, F1122, 1999.
The use of thermomagnetic parameters to identify tephra. Zubov, A. G., Yu, V., Hughes S. R. EOS Transactions, 80, F1190, 1999.
A Geophysical investigation of saline intrusion and geological structure beneath areas of tidal coastal wetland at Langstone Harbour, Hampshire, UK.: McDonald, R.J., Russill, N.R.W., Miliorizos, M & Thomas, J.W.: Groundwater Pollution, Aquifer Recharge and Vulnerability, Ed. N.S.Robins: Geology Society Special Publication No. 130, 1998.
The potential of on-shore multichannel high-resolution shallow seismic techniques when applied to coastal site investigation: Brabham, P.J. & McDonald, R.J.: Modern geophysics in Engineering Geology: Eds. McCann, Eddleston, Fenning & Reeves: Geological Society Engineering Geology Special Publication No. 12, 1997
Application of geophysical techniques to the investigation of hazardous and radioactive waste sites: McDonald, R.J., Miliorizos, M., Booth, P.M. & Russill, N.R.W.: Proceedings of the European Eng. Geology Conf.. University of Newcastle, UK, 10 – 13 September, 1997.
Automated gravity terrain corrections using satellite stereo-pairs: Davies, R., O’Neill, M. & McDonald, R.J.: Proceedings of the Engineering and Environmental Geophysics Society – European Symposium, Aarhus University, Denmark, 1997.
Application of seismic methods to ground engineering problems: McDonald, R.J.: Ground Engineering, Vol. 29, May, 1996.
Hydrodynamic and Sedimentation in the Burry Inlet, Observations from the present and recent past: Thomas, J. W., Cramp, A. & Brabham P.J.: Burry Inlet and Loughor Estuary Symposium – State of the Estuary Report Part 2, March 1995.
On-shore geophysical survey methods applied to coastal and waterway site investigation. Brabham, P.J. & McDonald, R.J.: 30th annual conference of the Engineering Group of the Geological Society. University of Liege, Belgium, 12 -15 September, 1994.
Imaging a buried river channel in an intertidal area of South Wales using high resolution seismic techniques: Brabham, P.J. & McDonald, R.J.: Quarterly Journal of Engineering Geology, November 1992.
Locating contaminant flow paths and areas of unstable ground within a coastal landfill using geophysics: McDonald, R. J. & Russill, N.R.W.: The Engineering Geology of Waste Disposal, Annual Meeting of South Wales Ground Engineering Group (ICE), Cardiff, July 1993
Combined seismic reflection and refraction methods in coastal engineering site investigations: McDonald, R.J., Brabham, P.J. & Brooks, M.: Proceedings of the symposium on the application of Geophysics to Engin. and Env. Problems 1992. Society of Engineering & mineral Exploration Geophysicists, Golden, CO. USA. 26th April 1992, Oakbrook, Illinois.