Geography and Environmental Science

Understanding, living in and managing a changing world

We aim to make a difference through fundamental and applied research

The world is changing fast and the global population has many challenges to face. Our research tackles fundamental problems affecting life on earth today and in the future, but we also look into the past as a way of informing the future. We aim to deepen understanding of the challenges facing people today and in the future through the exploration and investigation of the environmental and social worlds in which we live and the processes and structures that shape them.

Our research is diverse thematically and geographically, using a wide variety of methods. Our research matters - we work with many stakeholders, including commercial organisations, NGOs, institutes, museums, government agencies, local and national governments. We welcome enquiries from people interested in doing postgraduate research with us.

Discovery research vessel
Studying sediment sequences

Tocuila, Mammoth site, Mexico where at least 7 mammoths were embedded in a lahar (volcanic mudflow) 10,500 yrs ago
Environmental forensic investigation
Glaciology in Bolivia
Sampling a polluted river
Oldest polluted river

These sediments are from the Wadi Faynan in Jordan, the oldest anthropogenically polluted river (7240-6990 yrs old)
Deep sea sampling gear
Understanding Neolithic environments

Coring in the Maltese Islands to understand Neolithic environments and human impact
Climate change - Neanderthal populations

We are investigating the impact of climate change on Neanderthal populations at Shanidar Cave, Iraq

Our expertise and projects

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Sustainable societies

People

Colm Bowe
Celine Germond-Duret
Alexandre Gagnon
Sasha Kosanic
Sarah Percival
Neil Simcock

Themes

Sustainability and sustainability science
Global development
Vulnerability, risk and hazard
Inequality
Social geography
Health geography
Discourse analysis
Human migrations
Human wellbeing
Natural Capital
The Blue Economy

Some projects and programmes

Fuel and Transport Poverty in the UK’s Energy Transition (FAIR), Centre for Research into Energy Demand Solutions (CREDS)

EU COST Action Ocean Governance (OceanGov)

Liverpool Institute for Sustainable Coasts and Oceans (LISCO)

Embedding a Natural Capital Approach in Local and Regional Policy

Some recent publications

Everard M, Ahmed S, Gagnon AS, Kumar P, Thomas T, Sinha S, Dixon H, Sarkar S. 2020. Can nature-based solutions contribute to water security in Bhopal? Science of the Total Environment, 723, 138061.

Kosanic A, Petzold J, Dunham A, Razanajatovo M. 2019. Climate concerns and the disabled community. Science 366, 6466, 698-699

McKinley E, Potts T, Aller-Rojas O, Hattam C, Germond-Duret CV, Aponte H, Hopkins CR, Martin Vicuna San Martin I. 2018. Charting the course for a Blue Economy in Peru: A Research Agenda Environment, Development and Sustainability 21, 2253–2275.

Percival S, Gaterell M, Teeuw R. 2019. Urban neighbourhood flood vulnerability and risk assessments at different diurnal levels Journal of Flood Risk Management, 12, e12466-e12466

Thomson H, Simcock N, Bouzarovski S, Petrova S. 2019. Energy poverty and indoor cooling: an overlooked issue in Europe. Energy and Buildings 196, 21-29.

Tinch R, Beamont N, Sunderland T, Ozdemiroglu E, Barton D, Bowe C, Börger T, Burgess P, Cooper CN, Faccioli M, Failler P, Gkolemi I, Kumar R, Longo A, McVittie A, Morris J, Park J, Ravenscroft N, Schaafsma M, Vause J, Ziv G. 2019. Economic valuation of ecosystem goods and services: a review for decision makers. Journal of Environmental Economics and Policy 8, 4, 359-378

Sustainable environments

People

Patrick Byrne
Jon Dick
Laura Edwards
Stephanie Evers
Alexandre Gagnon
Celine Germond-Duret
Chris Hunt
Jason Kirby
Kostas Kiriakoulakis
Sasha Kosanic
Sarah Percival
Kirstie Scott
Ian Walkington

Themes

Rivers and freshwater systems
Groundwater
Coasts
Marine environments
Glacial lake outburst floods
Atmospheric and aquatic pollution
Mine wastes
Tropical ecology and land management
Forensic ecology
Ecosystem services

Some ongoing and recent projects and programmes

TROCARI (Tropical Catchment Research Initiative)

INCISE (International Network for submarine Canyon Investigation and Scientific Exchange)

PASSES (Peatland Assessment in SE Asia by Satellite)

Sustainpeat (Overcoming barriers to sustainable livelihoods and environments in smallholder agricultural systems on tropical peatland)

COMICS (Controls over Ocean Mesopelagic Interior Carbon Storage)

UK Ocean Acidification programme; Legacy wastes in the coastal zone: environmental risks and management futures (Website under construction)

European COST Action Ocean Governance (OceanGov), Land-Sea interactions working group

Marine bioremediation and carbon reduction using Active Nautical Depth

Some recent publications

Cooper H, Evers S, Aplin P, Crout N, Puat Bin Dahalan M, Sjogersten S. 2020. Greenhouse gas emissions resulting from conversion of peat swamp forest to oil palm plantation Nature Communications 11, 407.

Dick JJ, Tetzlaff D, Soulsby C. 2018. Role of riparian wetlands and hydrological connectivity in the dynamics of stream thermal regimes Hydrology Research 49, 634-647.

Hamilton CA, Kirby JR, Lane TP, Plater AJ, Waller MP. 2019. Sediment supply and barrier dynamics as driving mechanisms of Holocene coastal change for the southern North Sea basin Quaternary International 500, 147-158

Hudson-Edwards KA, Byrne P, Bird G, Brewer PA, Burke IT, Jamieson HE, Macklin MG, Williams RD. 2019. Origin and fate of Vanadium in the Hazeltine Creek Catchment following the 2014 Mount Polley mine tailings spill, British Columbia, Canada Environmental Science and Technology, 53, 8, 4088–4098.

Hunt, C.O. & Morawska, Z. in press. Are your hands clean? Pollen retention on the human hand after washing. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology

Kosanic A, Anderson K, Harrison S, Turkington T, Bennie J. 2019. Changes in the geographical distribution of plant species and climatic variables on the West Cornwall peninsula (South West UK). PloS one 13 (2), e0191021

Kougkoulos I, Cook SJ, Jomelli V, Clarke L, Symeonakis E, Dortch JM, Edwards LA, Merad M. 2018. Use of multi-criteria decision analysis to identify potentially dangerous glacial lakes Science of the Total Environment 621, 1453-1466.

Mpala SC, Gagnon AS, Mansell MG, Hussey SW. 2020. Modelling the water level of the alluvial aquifer of an ephemeral river in south-western Zimbabwe Hydrological Sciences Journal-Journal Des Sciences Hydrologiques 65, 8, 1399-1415.

Neill SP, Angeloudis A, Robins PE, Walkington I, Ward SL, Masters I, Lewis MJ, Piano M, Avdis A, Piggott MD, Aggidis G, Evans P, Adcock TAA, Židonis A, Ahmadian R, Falconer R. 2018. Tidal range energy resource and optimization – Past perspectives and future challenges Renewable Energy 127, 763-778

Percival S, Teeuw R. 2019. A Methodology for UK Urban Micro Scale Coastal Flood Vulnerability and Risk Assessment and Mapping. Natural Hazards 97, 355-377

Scott KR, Morgan RM, Cameron NG, Jones VJ. 2019. Freshwater diatom transfer to clothing: Spatial and temporal influences on trace evidence in forensic reconstructions Science and Justice 59, 3, 292-305.

Turnewitsch R, Dumont M, Kiriakoulakis K, Legg S, Mohn C, Peine F, Wolff G. 2016. Tidal influence on particulate organic carbon export fluxes around a tall seamount Progress in Oceanography, 149, 189-213.