Dr Phil Murphy receives Yorkshire Geological Society’s Moore Medal

The Moore Medal recognises Dr Murphy’s contribution to geology in the north of England over the last two decades.

Dr Phil Murphy joined Leeds as an earth sciences technician before completing his PhD on the Pleistocene climate records of the caves of the Yorkshire Dales in 2011.

He has since published widely on cave and karst topics and science education, which he is passionate about.

The Yorkshire Geological Society (YGS) held an awards ceremony at its Annual General Meeting in December, where Dr Murphy received the Moore Medal.

The award is an acknowledgement of services to geology in the north of England. The YGS Council recognised Dr Murphy as a “worthy recipient” of the 2024 Moore Medal.

Understanding how Yorkshire’s landscapes formed

Dr Murphy says: “I have always been fascinated by the landscapes of Yorkshire from childhood holidays at Whitby to exploring new caves in the Yorkshire Dales as a student.

“Finding out there was so much science still to do to understand how and when these landscapes formed and being able to incorporate this as part of my work at the University of Leeds has been the highlight of my career.

“It is an honour to be awarded the Moore Medal of the Yorkshire Geological Society in recognition of the value of my research.”