Example geology dissertation topic 9:

An analysis of the effects of acid depositions on the lead lettering of marble headed cemetery gravestones of Manchester and surrounding areas to measure the geographic spread environmental degradation.

At the heart of the industrial revolution, Manchester played a pivotal role in the industrialisation of England. However, the city’s air quality suffered immeasurable damage as a consequence until the introduction of clean air legislation in the 1970s. This dissertation, looking at cemeteries over a thirty mile radius, hopes firstly to show how levels of acid depositionaffect lead lettering degradation on marble headstones near the industrial heart of Manchester, and thereafter to show how its effects within individual cemeteries may vary depending upon variables such as tree cover, lichen cover and the spatial orientation of individual stones.

Suggested initial topic reading:

• Inkpen, R. J. and Jackson, J. (2000). Contrasting weathering rates in coastal, urban andrural areas in southern Britain: Preliminary investigations using gravestones. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, 25, pp. 229-238.
• Meierding, T. C. (1993).Marble tombstone weathering and air pollution in NorthAmerica.Annals of the Association of American Geographers, 83(4), pp.568-588.
• Rahn, T. (1971).The weathering of tombstones and its relation to the topography of NewEngland.Journal of Geological Education, 19, pp. 112-118