Environment, Hazards & Risk Applied Research Group

The Environment, Hazards and Risk Applied Research Group undertakes research, advanced training and consultancy work into environment, hazards and risks.

This interdisciplinary group brings together the knowledge and skills of a body of experienced academic staff across the University.

Members of the group have expertise in:

• Physical geography
• Earth systems science
• Environmental modelling and management
• Geoinformatics and remote sensing
• Environmental security
• Disaster and emergency management

Key Areas of Activity

• Investigate the physical processes responsible for short-term and long-term environmental hazards, such as volcanoes, water pollution and land degradation.
• Apply remote sensing and GIS to map, monitor and model phenomena and processes in natural environments.
• Reconstruct past environments and analyse their responses to climate change.
• Assess the vulnerability of communities and the societal impact of disasters.
• Develop tools and strategies to communicate and manage environmental risk.

Scientific and Technical Expertise

• Experimental design and research project management in UK, Europe, Asia, North America and Africa.
• Social surveys and organisational analysis of hazard and risk perception.
• GPS, field surveys and mapping.
• Sediment coring and logging.
• Environmental reconstruction – sedimentology, diatom and ostracod analysis.
• Radionucletide dating (210-Pb and CS-157).
• Environmental remediation.
• Water and wastewater treatment and modelling.
• GIS and image processing, including spatial data analysis.
• The use of virtual worlds in crisis management planning.
• Modelling and simulation.
• Vulnerability and risk assessment, and their communication.