Earth Surface Processes Research Group
The strategic role of ESPRG is to deliver world-leading research at the frontiers of knowledge relating to the Earth's surface and the processes that form its structure and drives its function. Our key research themes cover water landscapes, cold regions and tectonically-active environments, geoarchaeology and sustainability, and in all these we study the causes of, and responses to, environmental change over a range of spatial and time scales.
Our key objective is a strong science base underpinning these long-term thematic approaches, emphasising a strategic approach to earth surface science and sustainability issues, whilst incorporating flexibility to respond to transient events and feed into policy initiatives. Our vision is a grouping with a global reputation for academic excellence that provides leadership within Newcastle University, the northeast region and beyond. We aim to achieve this via a vibrant, integrated and inclusive research community.
Current research themes of the ESPRG are:
- Changing River Landscapes
- including flooding & integrated catchment management (Drs Andy Large & Andy Russell, Prof. Malcolm Newson), and pollution and water quality (Dr Steve Juggins);
- Glacial environments
- (Drs Andy Large & Andy Russell), including glacier hydrology, glacial outburst floods, volcano-ice interaction, proglacial river systems, glacial system response to change, and modern analogue studies;
- Active Tectonics
- (Dr Anne-Sophie Meriaux), including quantitative tectonic geomorphology, seismic hazards, morphochronology using cosmogenic isotopes;
- Geoarchaeology
- (Dr Dave Passmore), including Quaternary and Holocene river histories and sediment budgeting and heritage management.