Research Fellow, Newcastle University
I am a Research Fellow in the School of Engineering at Newcastle University. As a physical geographer I study how natural processes affect landscapes and am particularly interested in the hazards that result. My work is focused on two processes in particular:
1) Landslides - rapid catastrophic movements of soil and rock that reshape landscapes, move sediment and - where they come into contact with people - cause significant damage. In seeking to understand landslides I have sought mathematical explanations for their initiation, examined new methods for detecting them and developed simple rules for how to avoid them.
2) The movement of water and everything it carries, through the landscape. I have worked on the connection between land management and flooding; on the importance of water flow paths for nutrient pollution from farmland; and on the way that drainage networks and population density conspire to control sewage pollution on the Ganges.
I was awarded my PhD in 2009 and have since held positions at Durham University and UC Berkeley.
Ganges: sewers could be making water quality of India's great river worse
Jan 20, 2019 09:31 am UTC| Insights & Views Nature
The Ganges is a lifeline for millions of people who live within its catchment as a source of water, transport and food. During the Hindu pilgrimage known as Kumbh Mela the Ganges plays host to the largest human gathering...