Dr Alison Halton

Professional biography

I am Project Officer in the Ar lab in the Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths and am reposonsible for the day to day operation and activity of the Argon-Argon and Noble Gas Research Laboratory and for managing the external work undertaken by the laboratory.

My research has been largely focused on the Ar/Ar dating of basalts, initally focusing on the Faroe Islands, where Paleocene-Eocene basalts are associated with the North Atlantic Large Igneous Province and the initial opening of the North Atlantic Ocean and more recently, basalts (and other volcanic rocks) from all over world. I am currently involved in a wide range of research on going in the lab, including insitu Ar/Ar studies on samples from various metamorphic terranes and noble gas research on young volcanic materials as well as in the development of new techniques and applications of the laser based Ar dating and noble gas research taking place at the Open University.

I am Radiation Protection Supervisor and Laser Protection Supervisor for work undertaken in the Gass and Wolfson Buildings on campus and for work using the portable XRF equipment and in 2019 completed a Nebosh General Certificate in Occupational Heath and Safety.

Research interests

PhD Student Supervision

Sander Hoogendoorn: Completed 2024

Simone Cogliati: Completed 2019

Eleni Wood: Completed 2019

Previous Research

• 2011 – 2013: Project Officer The Open University, Timing of volcanism and intrusive activity in and around the Faroe Islands
• PhD 2011, The Open University “PhD: Paleocene-Eocene Time-Stratigraphic Calibration in the North Atlantic Igneous Province with Focus on the Faroes-Shetland Basin Area”