David Milledge

I am a Lecturer in the School of Engineering at Newcastle University (UK). A physical geographer by training, I study how natural processes affect landscapes and am particularly interested in the hazards that result. My work is focused on two processes in particular:

1) Landslides - rapid catastrophic movements of soil and rock that reshape landscapes, move sediment and - where they come into contact with people - cause significant damage. In seeking to understand landslides I have sought mathematical explanations for their initiation, examined new methods for detecting them and developed simple rules for how to avoid them.
2) The movement of water and everything it carries, through the landscape. I have worked on the connection between land management and flooding; on the importance of water flow paths for nutrient pollution from farmland; and on the way that drainage networks and population density conspire to control sewage pollution on the Ganges.

I was awarded my PhD in 2009 and have since held positions at Newcastle University, Durham University and UC Berkeley.