Earth Surface Processes
The Earth Surface Processes cluster uses observational and modelling research methods to study surface and near-surface geological, geomorphological, meteorological, and anthropogenic phenomena.
A focus of this group is providing scientific evidence and advice to inform decision-making and solution development in situations where hazardous earth surface processes present risks to natural and built environments.
Our disciplinary expertise includes:
- Earthquakes
- Tectonic geomorphology
- Coastal erosion
- Landslides and other mass movements
- Liquefaction
- Tsunamis
- Flooding
- Sea-level change
- Deforestation and ecosystem change
- Landscape evolution under diverse forcing mechanisms.
We undertake fundamental and applied scientific research with a diverse range of industry, government, academic, and other partners including the United Nations in more than 20 countries across the world.
Coordinators
Mark Quigley, Jan-Hendrick May and Alissa Flatley
Academic staff
A/Prof Jan-Hendrik May
Prof Russell Drysdale
Russell focuses on the nature, timing and causes of ice-age terminations and millennial-scale climate change during the Quaternary Period, in conjunction with geochronologists, palaeoceanographers, ice-core scientists and palaeoclimate modellers. His main research area is ice-age cycles, which combines cave, ocean and insolation data to interrogate the drivers of ice-age terminations. His Australian research focuses mainly on past hydrological changes in southern Australia and the monsoon tropics, particularly what drives such changes and how they are influenced by global climate perturbations.
rnd@unimelb.edu.au +61383449318A/Prof Mark Quigley
Graduate researchers
Maedeh Darzi
Honorary
Prof Jon Woodhead
Jon is an isotope geochemist with a keen interest in technique development and innovation in MC-ICPMS and laser ablation technologies, and geochronology. Although recently retired, as Professor Emeritus he maintains a number of ongoing research programs particularly investigating the origin and evolution of the Nullarbor caves.
jdwood@unimelb.edu.au +61383446821