Dr Catherine Russell

@seddyrocks.bsky.social

1369 Followers 1102 Following

Fulbright Scholar, Anthropocene Sedimentologist, Founder of Anthropocene Sediment Network, I study rivers on Earth and Mars, the environment, and plastic & other pollutants.

Figure 6. from Russell 2025. Photographs demonstrating anthropogenic sedimentological deposits in a range of environments. The names of each deposit are: A – Combined Anthroglomerate, B – Structureless Organoplastic, C – Baffled Silicimetallic, D – Structureless Organoplastic, E – Stratified Anthroglomerate, and F – Uni-directional Siliciplastic.
Multi-panel scientific diagram illustrating the evolution and internal structure of a point-bar deposit in the False River meander bend. Panel (a) shows a heterogeneity prediction map with flow direction, channel plugs, apex migration, and sample locations marked. Panel (b) shows deposits formed during different growth stages, colour-coded to indicate processes such as extension, expansion, downstream accretion, and rotation. Panels (c–e) depict nine sequential phases of meander evolution, showing changing channel shapes, sediment heterogeneity patterns, and growth types. A legend identifies heterogeneity types, growth processes, erosion zones, and decreasing sand proportion.
A projected screen with the words “applied anthropocene sedimentology” as a title slide. The text is black on white in a green and gold box, there is a green banner along the top of the slide and the logo for the Anthropocene sediment network in the bottom right corner. There is a model skeleton standing to the left positioned as if presenting the lecture
View from an airplane window showing the wing against a backdrop of white cloud. On the clouds below, the faint shadow of the plane is surrounded by a circular rainbow-like halo (a “glory”), visible through the frosted ice crystals on the window.
Aerial photograph of Woodhead Reservoir in the Peak District, England. The image shows a dark blue body of water with sinuous river channels feeding in. The pale sediment band around the edge, and the length of the fluvial plain, indicates that the reservoir level is lower than normal. The surrounding terrain is patchwork fields and moorland.
Catherine and her husband in front of a Lauda plane. The day is sunny and the plane is white with red capital text saying LAUDA and red design. Picture is at Manchester Airport
View across a calm reservoir to a rocky outcrop and green hillside, with patchwork fields and scattered trees. In the foreground, a small stony island with bird deterrent wires and nets on it.
A grid of concrete grass pavers in a car park near a reservoir. The pavers form a regular pattern, with tufts of grass growing between the concrete cells. The surface appears both structured and semi-natural, showing signs of wear from foot or vehicle traffic.
A schematic diagram illustrating the existing zonation of the fluvial system (A)–(C), and the proposed implications of this zonation for the occurrence and pathways of plastic fragmentation and the long-term storage of secondary microplastics (D)–(F).
A grain shape chart that provides the basis for objective assessment of texture and roundness of a grain. The top row is density of texture and the intensity of the texture in cross-section showing very high, high, moderate, low, none. The bottom row is for roundness from very angular, angular, subangular, surrounded, rounded, to very rounded. Each grain can be described objectively through these texture and roundness analysis. Figure is Figure 6 in Russell et al., 2025
Me dressed in a home made costume as “calamity drain”. I have sewn beads and other trash to the sleeves and trim of a jacket and covered it in trash. My hat has holes cut in it so it looks like a drain, with beads and other trash coming through.
A screenshot of the accessibility panel with the option “require alt text before posting” selected
A demonstration of the importance of using Absolute Density over just polymer type. The bottles contain varying amounts of air, water, and sand, and so behave differently in the environment.
Shredded remains of what is suspected to have been an orange inflatable pumpkin Halloween decoration, in the tree tops.
Textured pavement with sediment deposited in and around it.
Me and my partner in a canal lock with construction work behind us.
Dr Catherine Russell holding a framed certificate for the Roland Goldring Award