Earth and Environmental Sciences (SEES)

Profile

General Information

I am an engineering geomorphologist involved in the investigation and management of geological hazards and adaptation to the impacts of climate change. I’ve got current research projects looking at landslides in China, the geotechnical properties of the Hampshire Basin, and the impacts of geohazards on the UK economy and tourism industry.

Before joining the University in 2009, I was Chief Engineering Geologist and Head of Science (Land Use and Development) at the British Geological Survey, overseeing research teams including teams investigating Shallow Geohazards, Engineering Geology, Urban Geoscience and Soil Sustainability. I was heavily involved in the BGS geohazard response programme, investigating and reporting on landslides, coastal erosion, floods and earthquakes. I led several forensic field investigations including:

• Andaman Earthquake and Tsunami damage in Thailand (2004)
• Earthquake damage and sea level rise in Mozambique (2007)
• Debris flows at Glen Ogle (2004)
• Flooding in Boscastle (2004)
• Landslides: Nefyn (2000), Isle of Skye, (2003) and the Dorset Coast (2000-08)

I have maintained a significant consultancy portfolio in the UK and overseas that includes:

• Risk assessments for major construction projects and linear installations
• Landslide identification and assessment
• Remote sensing for engineering geology assessment
• Independent peer review

I’ve authored and co-authored 27 peer reviewed journal and conference papers, 45 Technical reports, 15 conference presentations, 3 book chapters and a large number of other articles and presentations. I’m always happy to talk to local geology groups, special interest groups or schools.

Teaching

• M Level: Ground Investigation and Assessment
• M Level: Landslide Hazard Analysis
• M Level: Hazards, Vulnerability, Risk and Disaster
• M Level: Techniques for Disaster Management
• Level 2: Ground Investigation Methods
• Level 2: Professional Skills for Applied Geoscientists

Career History

• 2009- Present: Senior Lecturer, University of Portsmouth
• 2007-08: Head of Science (Land Use and Development) & Chief Engineering Geologist, British Geological Survey
• 2006-07: Joint Acting Manager, Physical Hazards Programme, British Geological Survey
• 2000-06: Engineering Geologist/Senior Engineering Geologist, British Geological Survey
• 1997-00: PhD Research, University of Portsmouth

Professional Record

• Visiting Professor, Research School of Arid Environment and Climate Change, Lanzhou University, Gansu
• Coordinator, European Federation of Geologists Expert Panel on Natural Hazards and Climate Panel
• Member Programme Development Group, NERC Centre for Ecology and Hydrology
• Member EU Stakeholder Committee on Disaster Risk Reduction
• Member of the International Association of Engineering Geology and the Environment
• Fellow of the Geological Society of London
• Core Member ESPRC Climate change Impacts for Slopes (CLIFFS) Network

Current Research

Reducing Economic and Social Impacts of Natural Hazards

Research into the nature and distribution of hazards and their consequences. Research also looks at the role of communication in effective risk mitigation.

• Collaboration with British Geological Survey, Transport Research Laboratory and the Department of Mineral Resources, Thailand.
• PhD Researcher: William Disberry (Economic Impact of Landslides in the UK)
• PhD Researcher: Mallika Nillorm (Geotourism and Risk - Changes in Risk Posed by Changes in Geotourism in a World Heritage Site (Dorset)

The role of landscape evolution in disasters

Investigating the use of remote sensing and field techniques to establish whether a greater understanding of the tectonic and slope evolution of a mountainous region can be identified and integrated with risk modelling for future disasters.

• Collaborative with University of Loughborough, British Geological Survey, CSNI Bari, University of Lanzhou.
• NERC Grant NE/I016260/1 (URGENCY) to fund collection of materials from the Zhouqu Debris flow and analysis of high resolution remote sensing to detect landscape characteristics that may indicate areas prone to similar failures. 

Regional modelling of geotechnical properties and landslides

Research into the 2D and 3D nature of geotechnical properties in the Hampshire Basin, correlations with stratigraphy and landslide susceptibility.

• Collaboration with British Geological Survey and the Department of Mineral Resources, Thailand.
• PhD Researcher. Kwanjai Yuangdetkla (Landslides and geotechnical properties of the Tertiary in the Hampshire Basin) 

Remote Measurement of Soil Behaviour

Investigating how UV/NIR sensing technology can be used to determine soil properties (mineralogy, particle size, clay content, moisture content). Specific research to develop remote sensing indices for the remote detection of landslide ‘condition’ and susceptibility to failure.

• Also under NERC Grant NE/I016260/1 (URGENCY) to identify UV/NIR spectral signatures in landslide debris, specifically to identify debris origin, relative age and mixing. 
• NERC ARSF Flight UR08-01-140 to capture imagery of recent movements of the Black Ven Landslide Complex, UK.

Recent Publications

More recent publications

Publications Before 2008

• Royse, K; Reeves, H; Gibson, A. 2008 Modelling and visualisation of digital geoscientific data as an aid to land-use planning in the urban environment, an example from the Thames Gateway. In: Communicating environmental geoscience. GeolSoc London Special Publication 305, 89-96. 
• Gunn, D., Marsh, S., Gibson, A.D., Ager, G.J., McManus, K.B. and Culshaw, M.G. (2008). Remote thermal infrared surveying to detect abandoned mineshafts in former mining areas. Quarterly Journal of Engineering geology and Hydrogeology, 41, 357-370. 
• Gibson, A.D., Culshaw, M. and Foster, C. (2008). Landslide Management in the UK – is it working? Proceedings First World Landslide Forum. Tokyo, 18-21 Nov 2008, 215-219. 
• Foster, C, & Gibson, A. (2008). The New National Landslide Database. Proc. 1st World Landslide Forum. Tokyo 
• Chambers, J E, Gunn, D A, Weller, A L, Kuras, O, Wilkinson, P B, Meldrum, P I, Ogilvy, R D, Jenkins, G O, Gibson, A D, Ford, J R and Price, S J. (2008). Geophysical Anatomy of the Hollin Hill Landslide, North Yorkshire, UK. Near Surface 2008 – 14th European Meeting of Env. & Engng Geophysics, Kraków. 
• Hobbs, P.R.N., Gibson, A.D., and 7 others. (2008) Improved modelling and communication of urban risks: Case studies from the United Kingdom and South-East Asia. Proc. Euroengeo 2008- The city and its underground environment. Madrid 2008 
• Jenkins, G. J., Gibson, A. D. and Humpage, A. J. (2007). Climate change and evolution of landslide hazard at Nefyn Bay. In, McInnes (ed) Landslides and Climate Change

Books and Maps

• Ford, J., Cooper, A. H., Price, S., Hall, M. and Gibson, A. D. (2009). Geology of the Selby District – a brief explanation of the geological Map. 
• Cooper, A.H. and Gibson, A.D. (2002) Geology of the Leeds District – a brief explanation of the geological map. Sheet Explanation of the British Geological Survey 1:50 000 Sheet E70 Leeds (England and Wales). 
• British Geological Survey (2007). Wellingborough, England and Wales Sheet 186, Bedrock and Superficial Deposits. 1:50 000 Geology Series.

Recent Proceedings (Natural Hazards)

• Gibson, A. D., Culshaw, M. G. and Foster, C. (2008). Landslide Management in the UK – is it working. Proc. 1st World Landslide Forum. Tokyo.
• Foster, C, and Gibson, A. D. (2008). The New National Landslide Database. Proc. 1st World Landslide Forum. Tokyo.
• Hobbs, P.R.N., Gibson, A.D., Koor, N., Rees, J., Price, S. J., Harrison, M., Jones, L. D., Terrington, R., Garcia-Bajo, M., Culshaw, M. G. (2008). Improved modelling and communication of Urban Risks. Cities and their Underground Environment - Proc. IAEG Congress, Madrid.
• Jenkins, G. J., Gibson, A. D. and Humpage, A. J. (2007). Climate change and evolution of landslide hazard at Nefyn Bay, North Wales. Proc. Int. Con. Landslides and Climate Change. Isle of Wight.
• Gibson, A D., Forster, A., Culshaw, M. G., Cooper, A. H., Farrant, A., Jackson, N and Willet, D. (2005). Rapid Geohazard Assessment System for the UK Natural Gas Pipeline Network. Proc. IAEG Congress, Lyon.
• Freeborough, K. A., Gibson, A. D., Hall, M., Poulton, C., Wildman, G. and Forster, A. (2005) Landslide and mass movement process and their distribution, in the Wellington District. Proc. Ussher Society.

Recent Proceedings (Geophysics and Earth Observation)

• Chambers, J E, Gunn, D A, Weller, A L, Kuras, O, Wilkinson, P B, Meldrum, P I, Ogilvy, R D, Jenkins, G O, Gibson, A D, Ford, J R and Price, S J. (2008). Geophysical Anatomy of the Hollin Hill Landslide, North Yorkshire, UK. .Near Surface 2008 – 14th European Meeting of Env. & Engng Geophysics, Kraków.
• Gunn, D. A., Deakin, M., Ager, G. J., Gibson, A., Caunt, S. and Haslam, E. (2006). Thermal Infrared survey of mineshafts at Pewfall, St Helens. Geology for Tomorrows Cities, Proc. IAEG Congress. Nottingham.
• Whitworth, M., Giles, D., Murphy, W., Teeuw, R. and Gibson, A. (2004). Application of Airborne Remote Sensing and Digital Topographic Data to Identification of Landslides on Jurassic Escarpments of Central United Kingdom. G. Annual Conference American Soc. Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, Baltimore.
• Gibson, A. D., Forster, A., Poulton, C. V. L., Rowlands, K. A., Jones, L. D., Hobbs, P. R. N. and Whitworth, M. C. Z. (2004). An integrated method for terrestrial laser-scanning subtle landslide features and their geomorphological setting. In: Proc. Annual Conf. Remote Sensing and Photogrammetry Soc. Nottingham.