Skip to main content

Staff Profile

Dr Mark Kincey

Lecturer in Physical Geography

  • Telephone: +44 (0)191 208 0216
  • Address: Room 3.07, Henry Daysh Building
    School of Geography, Politics & Sociology
    Newcastle University
    Newcastle upon Tyne
    NE1 7RU, UK
Background

I am a quantitative physical geographer with a broad research interest focused on understanding human-environment interactions, especially relating to interactions between earth surface processes and anthropogenic land use practices in upland and mountain environments. I am particularly interested in the ways in which people’s lives and livelihoods are impacted by physical processes and hazards, but also how human modification of the physical landscape can in turn alter the nature and rates of natural processes.

Interests: upland and mountain geomorphology; human-environment interactions; landslide hazard and risk; historic and contemporary mining impacts

 

Biography

2022 -            Lecturer in Physical Geography, Newcastle University, UK

2018 - 2022: Post-Doctoral Research Associate, Department of Geography, Durham University

2015 - 2019: Teaching Fellow in Physical Geography, Department of Geography, Durham University

2015 - 2017: Post-Doctoral Research Associate, Department of Geography, Durham University

2011 – 2016: PhD in Physical Geography and Archaeology, Durham University

2005 – 2011: Research Associate / Fellow, Institute of Archaeology and Antiquity, University of Birmingham

Research

My research is concerned with large-scale landscape perturbations, both natural geomorphic events and intensive anthropogenic disturbances, with a particular focus on quantifying human-environment interactions within upland and mountain environments. Within this overarching theme I have two key strands to my research: (1) the multi-hazard and risk chain in mountain environments following high magnitude earthquakes, and (2) the environmental implications of intensive mineral extraction.

 

Multi-hazard and risk chain in mountain environments

Sajag-Nepal (https://www.sajag-nepal.org/) - funded by the Global Challenges Research Fund (2021-2023) 

The Sajag-Nepal project examines how to use local knowledge and new interdisciplinary science to inform better decision making and reduce the impacts of multi-hazards in Nepal. The project is grounded within long-term community-based work with rural residents and builds on experience of assessing and planning for earthquake and landslide risk with the Government of Nepal, the United Nations, and the wider humanitarian and development community. Time series analysis of earth observation data is being used to develop automated methods of multi-hazard mapping and classification, allowing the rapid construction of multi-hazard inventories but also providing important information on failure dates and post-failure recovery trajectories, such as patterns of revegetation and surface movement.

 

Post-earthquake landslide hazard and risk in Nepal (https://nepal2015eq.webspace.durham.ac.uk/) - funded by UKRI-DFID SHEAR (2016-2021)

Working with colleagues at NSET-Nepal (https://www.nset.org.np/nset2012/), this project developed out of a need to track the development of landslide hazard and risk in Nepal following the 2015 Mw 7.8 Gorkha earthquake. Through the construction of a multi-temporal landslide inventory, we have demonstrated how the landslide distribution evolved and persisted in the years following the earthquake, and used these data to assess how landslide hazard and population exposure generate landslide risk nationwide in Nepal. Our modelling of changing patterns of debris flow runout from pre-existing landslides has also shown the importance of considering the role of cascading hazards in determining secondary landslide hazard and risk.

 

Anthropogeomorphology and the environmental legacies of intensive mining

Mining landscapes and environmental legacies in the North Pennines, UK (2011 – present)

Historically, unregulated metal mines represented significant anthropogenic sediment sources, resulting in massive aggradation of headwater catchments and fundamental changes to river systems. My recent work in this area has involved the construction of historic sediment budgets for a 200 km2 area of the North Pennines, UK, assessment of channel planform change and aggradation along mining-affected river systems, and the use of a sediment connectivity model to quantify spatio-temporal variability in sediment source significance over a 350-year period.

Abandoned mines also represent a continuing source of erodible and highly contaminated sediments, which pose a significant risk to downstream water quality, ecology and agriculture. To address this issue, I have developed a long term (now >10 years) and ongoing monitoring programme to monitor surface change and contaminant flux at abandoned mines in the North Pennines. Initial results have shown that infrequent, high magnitude storm events are responsible for the overwhelming majority of sediment-borne contaminant flux from abandoned mines.

 

The legacy of historic mining on sediment dynamics in Swaledale, N. Yorks - Funded by Yorkshire Geological Society (2020 – present)

In collaboration with Dr Ed Baynes (Loughborough University) and Professor Jeff Warburton (Durham University), this project is aimed at investigating the geomorphic impact of extreme rainfall in Swaledale, North Yorkshire, in July 2019, which impacted a number of historical abandoned metal mines. The research will develop understanding of how abandoned mines respond to large storm events, including how affected catchments are responding to the continued transport of legacy sediments downstream from the mine source locations.

Teaching

Undergraduate Teaching:

Stage 1:

GEO1005: Environmental Issues

GEO1019: Physical Geography Field Course

 Stage 2:

GEO2127: Doing Physical Geography

GEO2136: Global Environmental Change

GEO2137: Key Methods for Physical Geographers (Module Leader)

GEO2229: River Catchment Dynamics

 Stage 3:

GEO3099: Dissertations

Publications