Staff Profile

Background

Dr. Geoff Abbott has about four decades of research experience applying molecular geochemical, biogeochemical and analytical pyrolysis techniques to address major questions related to the Earth’s environment including the analysis, quantification and fate of microplastics in the marine environment as well as terrestrial soils. His research combines detailed laboratory experiments on organic geochemical processes with studies of the carbon cycle in ancient and modern environments (specifically Arctic marine sediments, northern peatlands and soils). Dr. Abbott has identified molecular components of the earliest plant fossils and is a pioneer of the mechanistic understanding of thermal biomarker transformations.

Memberships

European Association of Organic Geochemists (EAOG);

Founding member of British Organic Geochemical Society (BOGS).

Editorships

2002 - 2023 Associate Editor for the journal Organic Geochemistry;

2008 - 2023 Associate Editor for the journal Marine and Petroleum Geology.

Grant Panel Membership

2014 - 2018 The Royal Society Research Grants Committee.

Research Interests

Dr. Geoff Abbott's major interests are in the areas of organic geochemistry, analytical pyrolysis and biogeochemistry with particular emphasis in these areas:

Carbon cycling and storage in northern peatlands, microplastics, soils, Arctic marine sediments, ancient sediments and waters.

The molecular characterisation of microplastics (referred to as technofossils in the Anthropocene). Molecular analysis and identification of the earliest land plants as well as the development and application of biomarker proxies to reconstruct past environmental and climate change when the first terrestrial plants appeared on our planet (Ordovician-Silurian-Devonian).

The fate of biomarkers (steranes, diasteranes, hopanes, aromatic steroids) in sedimentary rocks, kerogens, asphaltenes and coals.

The structure and function of asphaltenes using ultrasound spectroscopy and biomarker geochemistry.

Esteem indicators

• invited speaker at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP25), Cryosphere Pavilion, IFEMA, Madrid, Spain, 6 December 2019.
• UK-Russia Arctic Science Connections Wednesday 3 June 13:30-15:30, via Zoom Exploring future collaboration on permafrost thaw in Siberia (UK-Russia Arctic Bursaries, preliminary meeting in Newcastle)
• Invited speaker at The Brazilian Critical Zone Symposium, University of São Paulo, Brazil, 15-17 April 2019. https://www.bczs.com.br/speakers
• Speaker at 21st World Congress of Soil Science, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 12-17 August 2018.Plenary speaker at 29th British Organic Geochemical Society Conference, University of Bristol 12-13 July 2018.
• Invited Keynote Speaker at 56th BSRG Annual Conference 16-19 December 2017.
• Best Poster Award to PhD student Aleksandra Svalova 28th International Meeting on Organic Geochemistry, Florence, Italy 17-22 September 2017.
• Best Poster Award in Session on "Management effects on SOM and ecosystem services" Caio Fernandes Zani, Geoffrey Abbott, Julia Cooper, James Taylor, Elisa Lopez-Capel at 6th International Symposium on Soil Organic Matter. Rothamsted Research • Harpenden (United Kingdom) 3–7 September 2017.
• Invited Speaker at Royal Society discussion meeting on "The Rhynie Chert - our earliest terrestrial ecosystem revisited", London, UK, 6-7 March 2017 Click on https://royalsociety.org/science-events-and-lectures/2017/03/rhynie-chert/
• Invited Speaker at Creative Workshop - McCord Centre for Landscape, Newcastle, UK, 27th May 2016.
• Speaker at 21st International Symposium on Analytical & Applied Pyrolysis, Nancy, France, 9-12 May 2016.
• Invited Speaker at Liverpool John Moores University Natural Sciences seminar series seminar series 1st April 2015.
• Speaker at 20th International Symposium on Analytical & Applied Pyrolysis, Birmingham, UK, 19-23 May 2014.
• Invited Speaker at Northumbria University Geography and Environmental Sciences seminar series 13th November 2013.
• Invited Speaker at the John Ray Society seminar series, University of Cambridge March 7th 2013.
• Plenary Speaker at 19th International Symposium on Analytical and Applied Pyrolysis, Linz, Austria, 21-25 May 2012.
• Invited Speaker at the University of Amsterdam, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED) seminar series, September 17th 2010.
• Co-convenor of session on "Exploring Biomolecules in Terrestrial Carbon Sinks": Goldschmidt 2010 Conference, Knoxville, USA, June 13 - 18 2010.
• Member Committee of the 15th International Humic Substances Society Meeting (IHSS15) Tenerife, Spain 27 June - 2 July 2010.
• Member of Scientific Committee and Session Chair for 18th International Symposium on Analytical and Applied Pyrolysis (PYR08), Canary Islands, Spain 18-23 May 2008.
• Invited Speaker at Trinity College Dublin, Department of Geology seminar series February 20th 2009.
• Invited Speaker at 18th International Symposium on Analytical and Applied Pyrolysis (PYR08), Canary Islands, Spain 18-23 May 2008.
• Speaker at 17th International Symposium on Analytical and Applied Pyrolysis (Pyrolysis 2006) conference in Budapest, Hungary 21-26 May 2006.
• Session Chair (the Analytical Pyrolysis of Soil and Natural Organic Matter session) at the 17th International Symposium on Analytical and Applied Pyrolysis (Pyrolysis 2006) conference in Budapest, Hungary 21-26 May 2006.
• Speaker at the Society of Organic Petrology (19th meeting) with the Canadian Society for Coal and Organic Petrology CSCOP-TSOP 2002, Banff, Canada 31 August - 4 September 2002.
• Speaker at 223rd American Chemical Society, Orlando, USA 7-11 April 2002. Speaker at the 10th Goldschmidt Conference, Oxford, UK 3-8 September 2000.
• Keynote Speaker at the 2nd Symposium on Biological Chirality (under the auspices of the European Peptide Society)Szeged, Hungary 27-31 August 2000.
• Convenor of an international meeting on ‘biomass pyrolysis’ held in Norway 26-27 November1998. Reviewer for many international funding agencies including the NSF.
• External Examiner for Chemistry and associated programmes at the University of Plymouth (2002 - 2006). Coordinator for the Marie Curie RTN in Biogeochemistry at Newcastle University.
• Invited Speaker at Pyrolysis 2013 seminar CDS Analytical Inc. (based in Oxford Pennsylvania USA) at Analytix, Boldon Business Park, Tyne & Wear UK 22nd October 2013

Funding

Current funding includes:

1) NERC Grant Award: Lost at Sea - where are all the tyre particles? (TYRE-LOSS)

Principal Investigator:

Dr G Abbott, Newcastle University, Sch of Natural & Environmental Sciences

Microplastics are small pieces of plastic debris (<5 mm but most lie in the micron scale) so can only be identified and quantified by chemical methods and we use pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py/GC-MS) at Newcastle. These microplastics have accumulated either because of the fragmentation of larger items of plastic in the environment or have entered the environment directly as particles of less than 5 mm. It is widely accepted that microplastic contamination is widespread and increasing. Recent reports indicate that associated negative consequences could become widespread within the next 50 – 100 years unless current rates of contamination are reduced. It has been suggested that microplastics generated during use, for example from the wear of tyre tread are potentially major sources of microplastic emissions, yet empirical evidence on their pathways to the environment are lacking. The principal aims of this study were therefore to investigate the sources and pathways of tyre wear contamination to the marine environment. Some data exist on the sources of synthetic fibres, and it is clear they are widely distributed in the marine environment. However there is hardly any empirical data on the source and distribution of tyre wear particles, and for that reason much of our environmental sampling was focused around roadways.

Period of Award:

18 Oct 2021 - 17 Oct 2024

Value:

£97,289

NERC Reference:

NE/V001531/1

Grant Stage:

Awaiting Event/Action

Scheme:

Standard Grant FEC

Grant Status:

Active

2) Identification and quantification of tyre tread microplastics by Py-GC/MS around UK highways.

£70,000 funded by Highways England and sub-contracted to Newcastle University by the University of Plymouth. 2020-2023.

3) Investigating the sources and pathways of synthetic fibre and vehicle tyre wear contamination into the marine environment. £30,000 funded by Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and the University of Plymouth. Report published in 2020 DEFRA project code ME5435. 2018-2019.

4) The Changing Arctic Ocean Seafloor (ChAOS) - how changing sea ice conditions impact biological communities, biogeochemical processes and ecosystems

https://www.changing-arctic-ocean.ac.uk/project/chaos/people/

Principal Investigator: Dr Geoff Abbott, Newcastle University, Grant held at: Newcastle University, Civil Engineering and Geosciences

Funded by Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) NERC Reference: NE/P00637X/1

Period of Award: 1 Feb 2017 - 31 Jan 2021

Scheme: Directed (Research Programmes) Value: £402,643

Programme: Changing Arctic Ocean Abstract: ChAOS will quantify the effect of changing sea ice cover on organic matter quality, benthic biodiversity,biological transformations of carbon and nutrient pools, and resulting ecosystem function at the Arctic Ocean seafloor. We will achieve this by determining the amount, source, and bioavailability of organic matter (OM) and associated nutrients exported to the Arctic seafloor; its consumption, transformation, and cycling through the benthic food chain; and its eventual burial or recycling back into the water column. We will study these coupled biological and biogeochemical processes by combining (i) a detailed study of representative Arctic shelf sea habitats that intersect the ice edge, with (ii) broad-scale in situ validation studies and shipboard experiments, (iii) manipulative laboratory experiments that will identify causal relationships and mechanisms,(iv) analyses of highly spatially and temporally resolved data obtained by the Canadian, Norwegian and German Arctic programmes to establish generality, and (v) we will integrate new understanding of controls and effectson biodiversity, biogeochemical pathways and nutrient cycles into modelling approaches to explore how changes in Arctic sea ice alter ecosystems at regional scales. We will focus on parts of the Arctic Ocean where drastic changes in sea ice cover are the main environmental control, e.g., the Barents Sea.of the changing Arctic Ocean.

5) Effects of changing climate on a northern peatland: greenhouse gas sink or source?

Principal Investigator: Dr. Geoff Abbott, School of Civil Engineering and Geosciences

Funded by EPSRC and British Geological Survey (BGS) Value: ~ £80,000

Period of award: 1 October 2014 - 1 October 2021

Summary: Northern peatlands currently store approximately one-third of the global terrestrial carbon and therefore play a significant role in the carbon cycle. An important question is which of the following two types of feedback to climate warming is occurring: positive feedback (acceleration of peat decay) or a negative feedback (an increase in carbon sequestration rate). This project will focus on the peatland at Butterburn Flow that is situated within the catchment of the River Irthing which flows through Cumberland and discharges into the Solway Firth.

The aim of this project is to test whether fluctuations in water table will significantly affect the carbon stocks within this peatland. We hypothesise that 'bound' Sphagnum phenolics which inhibit microbial decomposition will be stabilised in peat exposed to a wetter climate, however they will be gradually stripped away in peats exposed to a drier or more variable climate. It is then probable that rewetting will lead to further decomposition and the release of greenhouse gases. This hypothesis will be tested by exploring water table fluctuations, using self-logging pressure transducers measuring the densities and organic carbon contents in the unsaturated, seasonally and permanently saturated layers of the peatexploring the molecular compositions of the peat using tetramethlyammonium hydroxide (TMAH) thermochemolysisTo date, the pressure transducers have been installed to continuously monitor water table fluctuations. Peat cores have also been collected and are awaiting analysis. Sphagnum peat may be sensitive to fluctuations in the water table caused by a changing climate.

6) Unravelling the evolutionary significance of non-lignin cell wall-bound phenolics: a multi-experimental analysis of fern sclerenchyma tissues. 

Funded by Research Foundation - Flanders (FWO) Value ~ £5000. Period of award 1 Jan 2019 - 31 Dec 2019. Collaboration with Dr. Olivier Leroux (University of Ghent, Belgium).

Ferns may develop two types of sclerenchyma: a lignified and a non-lignified type. Robust evidence for the absence of lignin was obtained through whole cell-wall-NMR, a powerful technique that has somewhat revolutionized plant cell wall analysis as it is performed on whole material without the need for fractionation or component isolation. Complementary nano-indentation experiments, which revealed that both types of sclerenchyma had similar hardness properties, offered strong proof that lignin is indeed not a prerequisite to form rigid sclerenchyma tissues. Detailed glycan analyses (i.e. immunocytochemistry and polysaccharide analysis through carbohydrate gel electrophoresis) further showed that both types of sclerenchyma had distinct hemicellulose fractions as only lignified sclerenchyma was shown to contain xylans.

7) Ultrasonic spectrometry of asphaltene aggregation in water-in-oil emulsions Principal Investigator: Dr. G Abbott

Funded by Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) & British Geological Survey (BGS) Value: £100,000Period of award: 1 October 2014 - 1 March 2018

This project investigates aggregation of asphaltene in water-in-crude oil emulsions using ultrasonic characterisation. This work is part of the NERC CDT in Oil and Gas in collaboration with 19 UK educational institutions as well as industrial partners. Oil spills can occur due to natural and man-made causes and efficient clean up practices are essential for environmental sustainability. Crude oil is a mixture of different fractions of which asphaltene is the heaviest. It is believed that it is the aggregation of asphaltene around water droplets which makes the water-in-oil emulsions very viscous and difficult to remove.

Although asphaltene characterisation has attracted academic and industrial interest for over 30 years many questions remain to be answered with confidence. This includes the concentration at which asphaltene aggregation occurs and the impact of crude oil geochemistry on the aggregation behaviour. The project has the privilege of combining expertise in organic geochemistry, acoustics and mathematical/statistical modelling in order to propose answers to these questions from a new perspective. This multi-disciplinary work also enables the wide-range of analytical and computational tools.

Examples of previous funding include:

8)Geochemical control of organic matter turnover in peatlands: Long-term security or short-term vulnerability of a major carbon store?

Dr Geoff Abbott (with Belyea (Queen Mary) and Cowie (Edinburgh)

NERC NE/E004709/1

2008-2011, £566,834

Peatlands cover vast areas of the world - around 4 million square kilometres - and store about as much carbon as do the living plants in tropical rainforests. For the past 5,000-10,000 years, the plants living on peatlands have been fixing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and storing it as dead plant matter - "peat". In a future warmer, and possibly drier, climate, this stored carbon could be respired back to the atmosphere or leached into rivers. Will increased temperatures and decreased rainfall lead to rapid loss of the peatland carbon store? If so, then the extra carbon released from peatlands could enhance "greenhouse" warming further, leading to a runaway positive feedback on global climate. Or will rapid climate change trigger a shift to peatland types that accumulate peat (and store carbon) at a faster rate than present-day peatlands? If the latter, then peatlands could buffer further climate change.

9) Lignin in the soil-water continuum.

Funded by Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) & Rothamsted Research

Dr. Geoff Abbott (with Dr JAJ Dungait & Dr. R. Bol, Rothamsted Research, North Wyke Research Period of Award: 1 Oct 2009 - 30 Sep 2013

NERC Award Type: DTG - Directed Value: £67,772

10) Carbon turnover in forest and grassland soils – will global warming turn carbon sinks into sources?

Dr. Geoff Abbott (with Dr. M. Perks (Northern Research Station) and Dr. E Vanguelova (Alice Holt Lodge) both from Forest Research (Forestry Commission))

Period of award: 1 Oct 2008 - 30 Sep 2012

NERC Award Type: DTG - Directed Value: ~ £70,000

11) Molecular organic geochemistry and controls on facies architecture – a case study from N. African rocks (Ordovician of northern Gondwana).

Funded by ENI

2nd supervisor Dr. Geoff Abbott. 1st Supervisor Dr. H. Armstrong (Durham University) Funded by ENI (Italy)

12) Molecular characterization of DOC from peat waters. 2nd supervisor

Dr. Geoff Abbott. 1st Supervisor Dr. G. Cowie (Edinburgh University) Funded by NERC

13) Structure and function of asphaltenes. Dr. Geoff Abbott.

Funded by PTDF (Nigeria)

Period of award: 1 May 2010 - 30 Sep 2014

Postgraduate and postdoctoral supervision

I am always interested in discussing opportunities for postgraduate and postdoctoral study within my group. Funding can be secured from a variety of sources, including an annual competition for research council funding.

Geoff teaches the following modules:

CEG3606: Biogeochemistry - Module Leader 20 credits 

CEG1601: Earth System Science - Module Leader 10 credits

GEG 3699 BSc Earth Sciences Project and Dissertation

CEG 8696 MSc Environmental Consultancy Project and Dissertation

• Articles

  • Zani CF, Abdalla M, Abbott GD, Taylor JA, Galdos MV, Cooper JM, Lopez-Capel E. Predicting Long-Term Effects of Alternative Management Practices in Conventional and Organic Agricultural Systems onSoil Carbon Stocks Using the DayCent Model. Agronomy 2023, 13(4), 1093.
  • Reed EY, Vane CH, Abbott GD. Establishing the origin of aromatic products from vascular and non-vascular vegetation inputs in surficial peats using ¹³C-labelled tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH) thermochemolysis. Journal of Analytical and Applied Pyrolysis 2023, 172, 106008.
  • Zani CF, Manning DAC, Abbott GD, Taylor JA, Cooper J, Lopez-Capel E. Diversified crop rotations and organic amendments as strategies for increasing soil carbon storage and stabilisation in UK arable systems. Frontiers in Environmental Science 2023, 11, 1113026.
  • Killops SD, Abbott GD. On the origin of 3-methyl steroids and diasteranes. Chemical Geology 2022, 607, 121014.
  • Fernandes Zani C, Lopez-Capel E, Abbott GD, Taylor JA, Cooper JM. Effects of integrating grass-clover leys with livestock into arable crop rotations on soil carbon stocks and particulate and mineral-associated soil organic matter fractions in conventional and organic systems. Soil Use and Management 2022, 38(1), 448-465.
  • Marz C, Freitas F, Faust J, Godbold J, Henley S, Tessin A, Abbott GD, Arndt S, Barnes D, Grange L, Gray N, Head I, Hendry K, Hilton R, Reed A, Rhul S, Souster T, Solan M, Stevenson M, Tait K, Widdicombe S. Biogeochemical consequences of a changing Arctic shelf seafloor ecosystem. Ambio 2022, 51, 370-382.
  • Edgar JO, Gilmour K, White ML, Abbott GD, Telling J. Aeolian driven oxidant and hydrogen generation in Martian regolith: The role of mineralogy and abrasion temperature. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 2022, 579, 117361.
  • Boothroyd IM, Worrall F, Moody CS, Clay GD, Abbott GD, Rose R. Sulfur constraints on the carbon cycle of a blanket bog peatland. Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences 2021, 126(8), e2021JG006435.
  • Parker-Jurd FNF, Napper IE, Abbott GD, Hann S, Thompson RC. Quantifying the release of tyre wear particles to the marine environment via multiple pathways. Marine Pollution Bulletin 2021, 172, 112897.
  • Zani Caio, Gowing John, Abbott Geoffrey, Taylor James, Lopez-Capel Elisa, Cooper Julia. Grazed temporary grass‐clover leys in crop rotations can have a positive impact on soil quality under both conventional and organic agricultural systems. European Journal of Soil Science 2021, 72(4), 1513-1529.
  • Svalova A, Walshaw D, Lee C, Demyanov V, Parker NG, Povey MJ, Abbott GD. Estimating the asphaltene critical nanoaggregation concentration region using ultrasonic measurements and Bayesian inference. Scientific Reports 2021, 11(1), 6698.
  • Black JE, Wagner T, Abbott GD. Assessing Lignin Decomposition and Soil Organic Carbon Contents Across a Tropical Savannah-Rainforest Boundary in Guyana. Frontiers in Forests and Global Change 2021, 4, 629600.
  • Stevenson MA, Faust JC, Andrade LL, Freitas FS, Gray ND, Tait K, Hendry KR, Hilton RG, Henley SF, Tessin A, Leary P, Papadaki S, Ford A, März C, Abbott GD. Transformation of organic matter in a Barents Sea sediment profile: coupled geochemical and microbiological processes. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences 2020, 378(2181), 20200223.
  • Faust JC, Stevenson MA, Abbott GD, Knies J, Tessin A, Mannion I, Ford A, Hilton R, Peakall J, März C. Does Arctic warming reduce preservation of organic matter in Barents Sea sediments?. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences 2020, 378(2181), 20190364.
  • Freitas FS, Hendry KR, Henley SF, Faust JC, Tessin AC, Stevenson MA, Abbott GD, März C, Arndt S. Benthic-pelagic coupling in the Barents Sea: an integrated data-model framework. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences 2020, 378(2181), 20190359.
  • Stevenson MA, Abbott GD. Exploring the composition of macromolecular organic matter in Arctic Ocean sediments under a changing sea ice gradient. Journal of Analytical and Applied Pyrolysis 2019, 140, 102-111.
  • Saitta ET, Liang R, Lau MCY, Brown CM, Longrich NR, Kaye TG, Novak BJ, Salzberg SL, Norell MA, Abbott GD, Dickinson MR, Vinther J, Bull ID, Brooker RA, Martin P, Donohoe P, Knowles TDJ, Penkman KEH, Onstott T. Cretaceous dinosaur bone contains recent organic material and provides an environment conducive to microbial communities. eLife 2019, 8, e46205.
  • Saittaa ET, Fletcher I, Martin P, Pittman M, Kaye TG, True LD, Norell MA, Abbott GD, Summons RE, Penkman K, Vinther J. Preservation of feather fibers from the Late Cretaceous dinosaur Shuvuula deserti raises concern about immunohistochemical analyses on fossils. Organic Geochemistry 2018, 125, 142-151.
  • Pape E, Gill FL, Newton RJ, Little CTS, Abbott GD. Methodological comparison for the isolation of shell-bound organic matter for carbon, nitrogen and sulfur stable isotope analysis. Chemical Geology 2018, 493, 87-99.
  • Abbott GD, Fletcher IW, Tardio S, Hack E. Exploring the geochemical distribution of organic carbon in early land plants: a novel approach. Philosophical Transactions B: Biological Sciences 2018, 373(1739), 20160499.
  • Saitta ET, Rogers C, Brooker RA, Abbott GD, Kumar S, O'Reilly SS, Donohoe P, Dutta S, Summons RE, Vinther J. Low fossilization potential of keratin protein revealed by experimental taphonomy. Palaeontology 2017, 60(4), 547-556.
  • Svalova A, Parker NG, Povey MJW, Abbott GD. Determination of Asphaltene Critical Nanoaggregate Concentration Region Using Ultrasound Velocity Measurements. Scientific Reports 2017, 7, 16125.
  • Pinder AP, Panter I, Abbott GD, Keely BJ. Deterioration of the Hanson Logboat: chemical and imaging assessment with removal of polyethylene glycol conserving agent. Scientific Reports 2017, 7, 13697.
  • Purvis G, Gray N, Sano N, Barlow A, Cockell C, Abbott GD, van der Land C, Cumpson P. Decontamination of geological samples by gas cluster ion beam etching or ultra violet/ozone. Chemical Geology 2017, 466, 256-262.
  • Sano N, Purvis GWH, Barlow AJ, Abbott GD, Gray NND, Cumpson PJ. Gas cluster ion beam for the characterization of organic materials in submarine basalts as Mars analogs. Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology 2016, 34(4), 041405.
  • Williams JS, Dungait JAJ, Bol R, Abbott GD. Contrasting temperature responses of dissolved organic carbon and phenols leached from soils. Plant and Soil 2016, 399(1-2), 13-27.
  • Williams JS, Dungait JAJ, Bol R, Abbott GD. Comparison of extraction efficiencies for water-transportable phenols from different land uses. Organic Geochemistry 2016, 102, 45-51.
  • Schellekens J, Bradley JA, Kuyper TW, Fraga I, Pontevedra-Pombal X, Vidal-Torrado P, Abbott GD, Buurman P. The use of plant-specific pyrolysis products as biomarkers in peat deposits. Quaternary Science Reviews 2015, 123, 254-264.
  • Schellekens J, Bindler R, Martínez-Cortizas A, McClymont EL, Abbott GD, Biester H, Pontevedra-Pombal X, Burrman P. Preferential degradation of polyphenols from Sphagnum – 4-isopropenylphenol as a proxy for past hydrological conditions in Sphagnum-dominated peat. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 2015, 150, 74-89.
  • Schellekens J, Buurman P, Kuyper TW, Abbott GD, Pontevedra-Pombal X, Martínez-Cortizas A. Influence of source vegetation and redox conditions on lignin-based decomposition proxies in graminoid-dominated ombrotrophic peat (Penido Vello, NW Spain). Geoderma 2015, 237-238, 270-282.
  • Muhammad AB, Abbott GD. The thermal evolution of asphaltene-bound biomarkers from coals of different rank: A potential information resource during coal biodegradation. International Journal of Coal Geology 2013, 107, 90-95.
  • Swain EY, Abbott GD. The effect of redox conditions on sphagnum acid thermochemolysis product distributions in a northern peatland. Journal of Analytical and Applied Pyrolysis 2013, 103, 2-7.
  • Schlichting A, Rimmer DL, Eckhardt K-U, Heumann S, Abbott GD, Leinweber P. Identifying potential antioxidant compounds in NaOH extracts of UK soils and vegetation by untargeted mass spectrometric screening. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 2013, 58, 16-26.
  • Heumann S, Rimmer DL, Schlichting A, Abbott GD, Leinweber P, Böttcher J. Effects of potentially inhibiting substances on C and net N mineralization of a sandy soil – a case study. Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science 2013, 176(1), 35-39.
  • Abbott GD, Swain EY, Muhammad AB, Allton K, Belyea LR, Laing CG, Cowie GL. Effect of water-table fluctuations on the degradation of Sphagnum phenols in surficial peats. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 2013, 106, 177-191.
  • Abbott GD, Povey MJW. The acoustic spectroscopy of asphaltene aggregation in petroleum. IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering 2012, 42(1), 012022.
  • Mason SL, Filley TR, Abbott GD. A comparative study of the molecular composition of a grassland soil with adjacent unforested and afforested moorland ecosystems. Organic Geochemistry 2012, 42(12), 1519-1528.
  • Rimmer DL, Abbott GD. Phenolic compounds in NaOH extracts of UK soils and their contribution to antioxidant capacity. European Journal of Soil Science 2011, 62(2), 285-294.
  • Swain EY, Perks MP, Vanguelova EI, Abbott GD. Carbon stocks and phenolic distributions in peaty gley soils afforested with Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis). Organic Geochemistry 2010, 41(9), 1022-1025.
  • Mason SL, Filley TR, Abbott GD. The effect of afforestation on the soil organic carbon (SOC) of a peaty gley soil using on-line thermally assisted hydrolysis and methylation (THM) in the presence of ¹³C-labelled tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH). Journal of Analytical and Applied Pyrolysis 2009, 85(1-2), 417-425.
  • Armstrong HA, Abbott GD, Turner BR, Makhlouf IM, Muhammad AB, Pedentchouk N, Peters H. Black shale deposition in an Upper Ordovician-Silurian permanently stratified, peri-glacial basin, southern Jordan. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 2009, 273(3-4), 368-377.
  • Robertson S, Mason S, Hack E, Abbott GD. A comparison of lignin oxidation, enzymatic activity and fungal growth during white-rot decay of wheat straw. Organic Geochemistry 2008, 39(8), 945-951.
  • Lopez-Capel E, Abbott GD, Thomas KM, Manning DAC. Coupling of thermal analysis with quadrupole mass spectrometry and isotope ratio mass spectrometry for simultaneous determination of evolved gases and their carbon isotopic composition. Journal of Analytical and Applied Pyrolysis 2006, 75(2), 82-89.
  • Sugden MA, van Duin ACT, Abbott GD. Degradation of 5 alpha-cholestane into dimethylperhydrophenanthrenes: an experimental and theoretical study. Organic Geochemistry 2004, 35(11-12), 1337-1341.
  • Sugden MA, Abbott GD. The stereochemistry of bound and extractable pentacyclic triterpenoids during closed system pyrolysis. Organic Geochemistry 2002, 33(12), 1515-1521.
  • Drage TC, Vane CH, Abbott GD. The closed system pyrolysis of β-O-4 lignin substructure model compounds. Organic Geochemistry 2002, 33(12), 1523-1531.
  • Abbott GD, Drage TC, Vane CH. Molecular characterization of degraded plant remains. Abstracts of Papers of the American Chemical Society 2002, 223, U595.
  • Vane CH, Abbott GD, Head IM. The effect of fungal decay (Agaricus bisporus) on wheat straw lignin using pyrolysis-GC-MS in the presence of tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH). Journal of Analytical and Applied Pyrolysis 2001, 60(1), 69-78.
  • Abbott GD, Bashir FZ, Sugden MA. Kerogen-bound and free hopanoic acids in the Messel oil shale kerogen. Chirality 2001, 13(8), 510-516.
  • Vane CH, Martin SC, Snape CE, Abbott GD. Degradation of lignin in wheat straw during growth of the oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) using off-line thermochemolysis with tetramethylammonium hydroxide and solid-state ¹³C NMR. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 2001, 49(6), 2709-2716.
  • Vane CH, Abbott GD. Proxies for land plant biomass: closed system pyrolysis of some methoxyphenols. Organic Geochemistry 1999, 30(12), 1535-1541.
  • Stern B, Abbott GD, Collins MJ, Armstrong HA. Development and comparison of different methods for the extraction of biomineral associated lipids. Ancient Biomolecules 1999, 2, 321-334.
  • Bennett B, Abbott GD. A natural pyrolysis experiment - hopanes from hopanoic acids?. Organic Geochemistry 1999, 30(12), 1509-1516.
  • Abbott GD, Ewbank G, Edwards D, Wang GY. Molecular characterization of some enigmatic Lower Devonian fossils. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 1998, 62(8), 1407-1418.
  • Edwards D, Ewbank G, Abbott GD. Flash pyrolysis of the outer cortical tissues in Lower Devonian Psilophyton dawsonii. Botanical Journal of The Linnean Society 1997, 124(4), 345-360.
  • Ewbank G, Edwards D, Abbott GD. Chemical characterization of Lower Devonian vascular plants. Organic Geochemistry 1996, 25(8), 461-473.
  • Bishop AN, Abbott GD. Vitrinite reflectance and molecular geochemistry of Jurassic sediments: the influence of heating by Tertiary dykes (northwest Scotland). Organic Geochemistry 1995, 22(1), 165-177.
  • Abbott GD, Bennett B, Petch GS. The thermal degradation of 5α(H)-cholestane during closed-system pyrolysis. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 1995, 59(11), 2259-2264.
  • Ewbank G, Manning DAC, Abbott GD. The relationship between bitumens and mineralization in the South Pennine Orefield, central England. Journal of The Geological Society 1995, 152(5), 751-765.
  • Stott AW, Abbott GD. Rapid quantification of biomarkers during kerogen microscale pyrolysis. Journal of Analytical and Applied Pyrolysis 1995, 31, 227-237.
  • Bishop AN, Abbott GD. The interrelationship of biological marker maturity parameters and molecular yields during contact metamorphism. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 1993, 57(15), 3661-3668.
  • Ewbank G, Manning DAC, Abbott GD. An organic geochemical study of bitumens and their potential source rocks from the South Pennine Orefield, Central England. Organic Geochemistry 1993, 20(5), 579-598.
  • Abbott GD, Petch GS, Wang GY. Reply to Comment by R. Marzi on 'The kinetics of sterane biological marker release and degradation processes during the hydrous pyrolysis of vitrinite kerogen'. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 1992, 56(1), 535-536.
  • Cusack M, Curry G, Clegg H, Abbott GD. An intracrystalline chromoprotein from red brachiopod shells: implications for the process of biomineralization. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology. Part B: Biochemistry & Molecular Biology 1992, 102(1), 93-95.
  • Curry GB, Cusack M, Walton D, Endo K, Clegg H, Abbott GD, Armstrong H. Biogeochemistry of brachiopod intracrystalline molecules. Proceedings of The Royal Society of London. Series B. Biological Sciences 1991, 333(1268), 359-366.
  • Abbott GD, Wang GY, Home AK, Petch GS. The kinetics of sterane release from vitrinite kerogen during hydrous pyrolysis. Abstracts of Papers of The American Chemical Society 1990, 199, 62-GEOC.
  • Abbott GD, Wang GY, Eglinton TI, Home AK, Petch GS. The kinetics of sterane biological marker release and degradation processes during the hydrous pyrolysis of vitrinite kerogen. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 1990, 54(9), 2451-2461.
  • Abbott GD, Maxwell JR. Kinetics of the aromatisation of rearranged ring-C monoaromatic steroid hydrocarbons. Organic Geochemistry 1988, 13(4-6), 881-885.
  • Abbott GD, Lewis CA, Maxwell JR. The kinetics of specific organic reactions in the zone of catagenesis. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London Series A 1985, 315(1531), 107-122.
  • Abbott GD, Lewis CA, Maxwell JR. Laboratory models for aromatization and isomerization of hydrocarbons in sedimentary basins. Nature 1985, 318(6047), 651-653.
  • Abbott GD, Lewis CA, Maxwell JR. Laboratory simulation studies of steroid aromatisation and alkane isomerisation. Organic Geochemistry 1984, 6, 31-38.
  • Abbott GD, Dyke J, Phillips D, Sime ME. Triplet-triplet absorption spectra of some benzenoid hydrocarbons in the vapour phase. Journal of the Chemical Society, Faraday Transactions 2: Molecular and Chemical Physics 1982, 78, 1971-1980.
  • Abbott GD, Chewter L, O'Connor DV, Phillips D. Vapour phase exciplex formation in cyano-substituted naphthalenes. Journal of Photochemistry 1981, 17(1), 186.
  • Abbott GD, O'Connor DV, Phillips D. Vapour phase exciplex formation between 1,4-Dicyanonaphthalene and 2,5-Dimethyl-2,4-hexadiene. Journal of the Chemical Society, Faraday Transactions 1: Physical Chemistry in Condensed Phases 1981, 77(6), 1381-1392.
  • Hirayama S, Abbott GD, Phillips D. Strongly fluorescent molecular exciplexes in the vapour phase. Chemical Physics Letters 1978, 56(3), 497-499.
  • Abbott GD, Cureton CG, Hara K, Hirayama S, Phillips D. Photophysics of some simple saturated amines. Journal of Photochemistry 1978, 9(2), 260-262.
  • Abbott GD, Phillips D. Hydrogen abstraction reactions of 3(n,π*) benzophenone. Molecular Photochemistry 1977, 8, 289-309.

• Book Chapters

  • Abbott GD, Bashir FZ. Petrified Flora and Fauna from the Carboniferous - Peering into the Past 300 Million Years Ago. In: Hueglin, S; Gramsch, A; Seppanen, L, ed. Petrifaction Processes in Matter and Society. Cham: Springer, 2021, pp.45-52.
  • Brincat D, Abbott GD. Some aspects of the molecular biogeochemistry of massive and laminated rocks from Naples Beach section (Santa Barbara-Ventura basin). In: Isaacs CM; Rullkoetter J, ed. The Monterey Formation: From rocks to molecules. Columbia University Press, 2001, pp.140-149.
  • Abbott GD, Stott AW. Biomarker reaction kinetics during kerogen microscale pyrolysis. In: Palyi G; Zucchi C; Caglioti L, ed. Advances in BioChirality. Amsterdam: Elsevier, 1999, pp.231-246.
  • Edwards D, Abbott GD, Raven JA. Cuticles of early land plants: a palaeoecophysiological evaluation. In: Kerstiens G, ed. Plant Cuticles: An Integrated Functional Approach. Oxford: BIOS Scientific Publishers Ltd, 1996, pp.1-31.

• Conference Proceedings (inc. Abstracts)

  • Boothroyd I, Worrall F, Abbott G, Moody C, Clay G, Rose R. Transfer of organic matter through a peatland system – from terrestrial to aquatic systems. In: EGU General Assembly 2020. 2020, Copernicus GmbH.
  • Murty C, Abbott GD. Molecular characterization of Sphagnum-derived phenolics and their role in peatland carbon cycling. In: 29th International Meeting on Organic Geochemistry. 2019, Gothenburg, Sweden: European Association of Organic Geochemists.
  • Freitas FS, Stevenson MA, Abbott GD, Hilton R, Henley S, Faust J, Tessin A, März C, Solan M, Hendry K, Arndt S. Integrated data-model assessment of organic matter reactivity in the changing Barents Sea sediments. In: 29th International Meeting on Organic Geochemistry. 2019, Gothenburg, Sweden: European Association of Organic Geochemists.
  • Stevenson MA, Abbott GD. Changes in sedimentary organic matter burial across a retreating sea ice gradient in the Arctic Barents Sea. In: 29th International Meeting on Organic Geochemistry. 2019, Gothenburg, Sweden.
  • Svalova A, Abbott G, Parker N, Vane C. Droplet size distribution of crude oil emulsions-stochastic differential equations and Bayesian modelling. In: Petroleum Geostatistics 2015. 2015, Biarritz, France: European Association of Geoscientists and Engineers, EAGE.
  • Black JE, Abbott GD, Wagner T. Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) in soils along a rainforest-savannah boundary in Central Guyana, South America. In: 20th World Congress of Soil Science. 2014, Jeju, Korea: Korean Society of Soil Sciences And Fertilizer.
  • Bradley J, Swain EY, Abbott GD. Exploring phenolic distributions from the TMAH thermochemolysis of peatland vegetation. In: 20th World Congress of Soil Science. 2014, Korean Society of Soil Sciences And Fertilizer.
  • Abbott GD, Povey MJW. The acoustic spectroscopy of asphaltene aggregation in petroleum. In: International Symposium of Ultrasound in the Control of Industrial Processes (UCIP). 2012, Madrid, Spain: IOP Publishing.
  • Abbott GD, Povey MJW. Structure and function of asphaltenes: a geochemical and ultrasound study. In: Chemistry in the Oil Industry XII - Innovative Chemistry - Value, Risks and Rewards. 2011, Welywyn Garden City: Royal Society of Chemistry.
  • Swain E, Muhammad A, Belyea L, Laing C, Cowie G, Filley T, Abbott G. A molecular biogeochemical study of a northern peatland ecosystem: the effects of substrate source on phenolic composition. In: Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta: Goldschmidt 2010: Earth, Energy, and the Environment. 2010, Knoxville Tennessee, USA: Pergamon.
  • Whyte JM, Sugden MA, Abbott GD, Metcalfe AV, Pearce CEM. Estimation of parameters in pyrolysis kinetics. In: Advances in Statistics, Combinatorics and Related Areas (SCRA2001-FIM VIII, Wollogong Conference). 2002, University of Wollongong, Australia: World Scientific Publishing: River Edge, NJ.
  • Vane CH, Abbott GD, Head IM. Biodegradation of lignin by Agaricus bisporus. In: Abstracts of papers of the American Chemical Society. 1996.
  • Ewbank G, Edwards D, Abbott GD. Chemical studies of fossilised land plants using Py-GC-MS. In: Biomolecular Palaeontology, Lyell Meeting Volume. 1994, London: Natural Environment Research Council.

• Editorials

  • Barth T, Abbot GD. Introduction to the proceedings of the workshop on "optimisation of biomass pyrolysis for fluid fuel production" held at Os/Bergen 26-27 November 1998. Organic Geochemistry 1999, 30(12), 1477-1478.
  • Ewbank G, Manning DAC, Abbott GD. Discussion on the relationship between bitumens and mineralization in the South Pennine Orefield, central England - Reply. Journal of The Geological Society 1996, 153(4), 654-656.

• Notes

  • Abbott GD, Petch GS, Wang GY. The kinetics of sterane biological marker release and degradation processes during the hydrous pyrolysis of vitrinite kerogen - reply to comment by R. Marzi. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 1992, 56(1), 535-536.
  • Beach F, Peakman TM, Abbott GD, Sleeman R, Maxwell JR. Laboratory thermal alteration of triaromatic steroid hydrocarbons. Organic Geochemistry 1989, 14(1), 109-111.

• Report

  • Parker-Jurd FNF, Napper IE, Abbott GD, Hann S, Wright SL, Thompson RC. Investigating the sources and pathways of synthetic fibre and vehicle tyre wear contamination into the marine environment. London: Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs, 2020. Report prepared for DEFRA (project code ME5435).

• Working Papers

  • Saitta ET, Vinther J, Crisp MK, Abbott GD, Kaye TG, Pittman M, Bull I, Fletcher I, Chen X, Collins MJ, Sakalauskaite J, Mackie M, DalBello F, Dickinson MR, Stevenson MA, Donohoe P, Heck PR, Demarchi B, Penkman KEH. Non-avian dinosaur eggshell calcite contains ancient, endogenous amino acids. bioRxiv 2020, 129999.
  • Saitta ET, Liang R, Lau CY, Brown CM, Longrich NR, Kaye TG, Novak BJ, Salzberg S, Donohoe P, Dickinson M, Vinther J, Bull ID, Brooker RA, Martin P, Abbott GD, Knowles TDJ, Penkman K, Onstott TC. Life Inside A Dinosaur Bone: A Thriving Microbiome. bioRxiv 2018, 400176.