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Twenty First Annual Darwin College Lecture Series 2006

SURVIVAL

Lecture 5   :   17 February

SURVIVING NATURAL DISASTERS

James Jackson

Cambridge University

Biography   |   Abstract  |   Printable Version   |   Podcast Preview

Biography

James Jackson is Professor of Active Tectonics in the Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge. He was born and raised in India, which probably established his interest in all aspects of Asia, which is where much of his research has been concentrated. After a first degree in Geology, he obtained a Ph.D. in Geophysics, using earthquakes to study the processes that produce the major surface features of the continents, such as mountain belts and basins. In addition to seismology, his current research uses space-based remote sensing (including radar interferometry, GPS measurements and optical imagery) combined with observations of the landscape in the field, to study the evolution and deformation of the continents on all scales, from the movement of individual faults in earthquakes to the evolution of mountain belts. Much of this effort takes place with collaborators in the COMET group (http://comet.nerc.ac.uk). His field work has taken him to many parts of Asia, the Mediterranean, Africa, New Zealand and North America. In 1995 he delivered the Royal Institution/BBC Christmas Lectures on 'Planet Earth: an Explorer's Guide'. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society, the American Geophysical Union, and Queens' College, Cambridge.

The lectures are given at 5.30 p.m. in The Lady Mitchell Hall, Sidgwick Avenue, with an adjacent overflow theatre with live TV coverage. Each lecture is typically attended by 600 people so you must arrive early to ensure a place.