Dr David Ray

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences
Honorary Research Fellow

Contact details

Email: daveray01@yahoo.com
Secondary Email: d.c.ray@bham.ac.uk

Address: School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT
UK

David Ray is an experienced teacher, geologist, academic and manager, having worked in the education sector and energy industry. His research interests are focused upon sequence stratigraphy, the drivers of sea-level change, and event stratigraphy; most notably within the Silurian and Cretaceous.

Qualifications

BSc Geology with Palaeontology. Imperial College, London, UK.
PhD. University of Cincinnati, Department of Geology, Ohio, USA.
Advanced Certificate in Education. Canterbury Christ Church University, Kent, UK.

Postgraduate supervision

David Ray has supervised postgraduate projects focused upon the Silurian. His research interests are in the following areas:

The identification and correlation of sea-level changes (sequence stratigraphy)
Stable carbon isotope stratigraphy
Correlation of event beds (e.g., volcanic ash bands and biotic mass occurrences)

Other activities

Voting Member of the International Subcommission on Silurian Stratigraphy (2020-2028)
Secretary of the International Subcommission on Silurian Stratigraphy (2020-2024)
Member of the Stratigraphy Commission, Geological Society of London (2017-2024)
Member of the Ludlow Research Group, UK (2002-2010)

Publications

Selected publications

Veevers, S. J., Ray, D. C., Ratcliffe, K. T. and Thomas, A. T. 2024. The application of chemostratigraphy and proximality trends to the Silurian Coralliferous Formation of SW Wales: rhythmical sedimentation during the transgression of a palaeo-shoreline. Journal of the Geological Society, 181 (5), jgs2024-009.

Coe, A. L., and Ray, D. C. 2022. Chapter 8. Sequence stratigraphy: using changes in relative sea-level and sediment supply to divide, correlate and understand the stratigraphical record. In Coe, A. L. (ed) Deciphering Earth’s History: the Practice of Stratigraphy, 141-160.

Ray, D. C., Jarochowska, E., Hughes, H. E., Claussen, A. L., Tingley, A. C., Moseley, J. and Bremer, O. 2021. The Silurian transgression of a palaeo-shoreline: the area between Old Radnor and Presteigne, Welsh Borderlands. Lithosphere, 7866176.

Simmons, M. D., Miller, K. G., Ray, D. C., Davies, A., van Buchem, F. S. P. and Gréselle, B. 2020. Chapter 13. Phanerozoic Eustasy. In: Gradstein, F. M., Ogg, J. G., Schmitz, M. D. and Ogg, G. M. (eds) Geologic Time Scale 2020, Volume 2, 357-400.

Ray, D. C. and Worton, G. 2020. Inspiring the Next Generation of Geoscientists - From Industrial Revolution to Geopark. Subsurface Insights, November, 14-22.

Ray, D. C., Jarochowska, E., Röstel, P., Worton, G., Munnecke, A., Wheeley, J. R. and Boomer, I. 2019. High resolution correlation of the Homerian carbon isotope excursion (Silurian) across the interior of the Midland Platform (Avalonia), UK. Geological Magazine, 157 (4), 603-620.

Ray, D. C., van Buchem, F. S. P., Baines, G., Davies, A., Gréselle B., Simmons, M. D., and Robson, C. 2019. The magnitude and cause of short-term eustatic Cretaceous sea-level change: a synthesis. Earth-Science Reviews, 197, 1-20.

Ray, D. C., Gréselle, B. and Nicoll, G. R. 2019. Non-biostratigraphic Techniques in Exploration. Exploration Handbook (Halliburton Landmark), May, 24-31.

van Buchem, F. S. P., Ray, D. C. and Carroll, G. 2019. Cretaceous Stratigraphic Patterns: A Starting Point for Exploration. Exploration Insights, April, 4-14.

Ray, D. C., Jarochowska, E., Hughes, H. E. and Wheeley, J. 2019. Non-biostratigraphic correlation techniques and their role in stratigraphy: examples from the Wenlock Series (Silurian) of the Midland Platform, England. Proceedings of the Open University Geological Society, 5, 59-74.

Fry, C. R., Ray, D. C., Wheeley, J. R., Boomer, I., Jarochowska, E. and Loydell, D. K. 2017. The Homerian carbon isotope excursion (Silurian) within graptolitic successions on the Midland Platform (Avalonia), UK: implications for regional and global comparisons and correlations. GFF, 139 (4), 301–313.

Jarochowska, E., Ray, D. C., Röstel, P., Worton, G. and Munnecke, A. 2017. Harnessing stratigraphic bias at the section scale: Conodont diversity in the Homerian (Silurian) of the Midland Platform, England. Palaeontology, 61, 57-76.

Ray, D. C. and Sides, I. 2017. Building a better eustatic model: determining Phanerozoic sea-level change. Neftex Exploration Insights, July, 6-12.

Blain, J. A., Ray, D. C. and Wheeley, J. R. 2016. Carbon isotope (δ13Ccarb) and facies variability at the Wenlock-Ludlow boundary (Silurian) of the Midland Platform, UK. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences, 53 (7), 1-6.

Hughes, H. E. and Ray, D. C. 2016. The carbon isotope and sequence stratigraphic record of the Sheinwoodian and lower Homerian stages (Silurian) of the Midland Platform, UK. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 445, 97-114.

Jarochowska, E., Munnecke, A., Frisch, K., Ray, D. C. and Castagner, A. 2015. Faunal and facies changes through the mid Homerian (late Wenlock, Silurian) positive carbon isotope excursion in Podolia, western Ukraine. Lethaia, 49 (2), 170-198.

Paßler, J.-F., Jarochowska, E., Ray, D. C., Munnecke, A. and Worton, G. J. 2014. Aphanitic buildup from the onset of the Mulde Event (Homerian, middle Silurian) at Whitman’s Hill, Herefordshire, UK: ultrastructural insights into proposed microbial fabrics. Estonian Journal of Earth Sciences, 63, 287-292.

Hughes, H. E. Ray, D. C. and Brett, C. E. 2014. δ13Ccarb data recording the early Sheinwoodian carbon isotope excursion on the Midland Platform, UK. GFF, 136, 110-115.

Ray, D. C., Richards, T. D., Brett, C. E., Morton, A. C. and Brown, A. M. 2013. Late Wenlock sequence and bentonite stratigraphy in the Malvern, Suckley and Abberley Hills, England. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 389, 115-127.

Cramer, B. D., Condon, D. J., Söderlund, U., Marshall, C., Worton, G. W., Thomas, A. T., Calner, M., Ray, D. C., Perrier, V., Boomer, I., Patchett, P. J. and Jeppsson, L. 2012. U-Pb (zircon) age constraints on the timing and duration of Wenlock (Silurian) paleocommunity collapse and recovery during the 'Big Crisis'. The Geological Society of America Bulletin, 124 (11/12), 1841-1857.

Davies, J. R., Ray, D. C., Thomas, A. T., Loydell, D. K., Cherns, L., Cramer, B. D., Veevers, S. J., Worton, G. J., Marshall, C., Molyneux, S. G., Vandenbroucke, T. R. A., Verniers, J., Waters, R. A., Williams M. and Zalasiewicz, J. A. 2011. Siluria Revisited: A Field Guide. International Subcommission on Silurian Stratigraphy, Field Meeting 2011 (ed. Ray, D. C.), 1 -170. ISBN 978-0-9569190-0-7.

Ray, D. C., Collings, A. V. J., Worton, G. J. and Jones G. 2011. Upper Wenlock bentonites from Wren’s Nest Hill, Dudley; comparisons with prominent bentonites along Wenlock Edge, Shropshire, England. Geological Magazine, 148 (4), 670-681.

Ray, D. C. and Butcher, A. 2010. Sequence stratigraphy of the type Wenlock area (Silurian), England. Bollettino della Società Paleontologica Italiana, 49 (1), 47-54.

Ray, D. C., Brett, C. E., Thomas, A. T. and Collins, A. V. J. 2010. Late Wenlock sequence stratigraphy in central England. Geological Magazine, 147 (1), 123-144.

Ray, D. C. 2007. The correlation of Lower Wenlock Series (Silurian) bentonites from the Lower Hill Farm and Eastnor Park boreholes, Midland Platform, England. Proceedings of the Geologists’ Association, 118 (2), 175-185.

Ray, D. C. and Thomas, A. T. 2007. Carbonate depositional environments, sequence stratigraphy and exceptional skeletal preservation in the Much Wenlock Limestone Formation (Silurian) of Dudley, England. Palaeontology, 50 (1), 197-222.

Brett, C. E. and Ray, D. C. 2006. Sequence and event stratigraphy of Silurian strata of the Cincinnati Arch Region: Correlation with New York-Ontario Successions. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria, 117 (2), 175-198.